See the live form to download and use the protocol here.

The Greeting Protocol (aka the Daily Greeting) is a activity utilized across grade levels and ages used to start class. The greeting was designed to:

• Allow all students to speak in class at least once every day.
• Introduces students to the language needed to share emotions with others safely.
• Allows all students to be seen by the entire class every day.

Allows for teacher check-ins with each individual student on a daily basis.

Below you will find the protocol used to facilitate the daily greeting. Read through and watch video before attempting with a class of students.

Facilitator directions: Read through all directions before beginning. Only speak when it says Facilitator Says:

1. Facilitator Says: The greeting of the day is “What kind of horse would describe your weekend?
2. Facilitator Says: Some example answers are: “I hung out with my friends and played video games so I feel like a playful multi colored horse” or  “I didn’t get enough sleep this weekend so I feel like an old horse with grey hair. “
3. Facilitator Says:  “how you feel is more important than what the horse is, so at the very least say how you feel. Start your conversations when we go into sharing with this is how I feel and then come up with the horse second.”
4. Facilitator Says: “Turn to a partner to brainstorm for about a minute what your answer will be” (this gives them time to think and will drastically increase the speed of the group share.)
   
5. After a minute Raise your hand and…
6. Facilitator Says: (quietly and softly) Open your ears, and raise your hand if you can hear me. (Softly repeat this last step until everyone is quiet and raising their hands.)
   
7. Facilitator Says: What are the three rules of circle?
   • Pick three students to respond (If the students do not know these rules, establish them before beginning the greeting)
     • Don’t speak while others are speaking because it shows that you don’t care about the person that is sharing.
     • No commenting on what someone has shared because judgement is not helpful in the sharing process
     • Share seriously, so that everyone will feel able to share seriously as well
8. When the first person has gone ask them:
   •  Facilitator Says: “Who has the BEST greeting to share?”
9. Facilitator Says: “Which direction in the circle should the greeting go? Also remember that you can pass once.”
10. Go until everyone has shared.

Tips

If someone disobeys the rules of circle quietly walk up to them and whisper: “I do not believe that you meant any disrespect by not obeying the rule of (insert the rule they disobeyed) but as the facilitator it is my job to make sure that everyone feels comfortable sharing in circle, which is why we have the three rules. I am here just to remind you that the rules are in place for everyone here – even you. “