Responsive Classroom
The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching emphasizes academic, social, and emotional growth in a strong school community. We believe that how children learn is as important as what they learn, and that academic success is inextricably tied to building social-emotional competencies.
Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom Approach
- · The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
- · How children learn is as important as what children learn.
- · The greatest cognitive growth occurs through positive, social interaction.
- · There is a set of social skills that children need in order to be successful academically and socially
- Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control (CARES).
- Knowing the children we teach individually, culturally and developmentally is as important as knowing the content we teach
- · Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children's education.
- · How adults at school work together is as important as our individual competence.
Our Goals:
- · For all students to demonstrate acceptable behavior and to be able to interact with each other and members of the adult community in a positive way.
- · For all students to achieve their highest academic potential.
Essential Components of Responsive Classroom
- · Classroom Organization
- · Morning Meeting
- · Rule Creation and Logical Consequences
- · Interactive Modeling
- · Academic Choice
- · Guided Discovery
- · Positive Teacher Language
- · Working with Families
Classroom Practices
- · Classroom Organization
- · Morning Meeting
- · Rule Creation and Logical Consequences
- · Interactive Modeling
- · Academic Choice
- · Guided Discovery
- · Positive Teacher Language
- · Working with Families
CARES
· C ooperation
· A ssertion
· R esponsibility
· E mpathy
· S elf-Control
Positive Approach to Discipline
- · Classroom and School-wide Rules
- · Classroom and School-wide Signals (Thumbs Up; Chimes for large gatherings; whistles for recess)
- · Logical Consequences
- · Respectful
- · Relevant
- · Related
- 3 Kinds of Logical Consequences
- · “You break it, you fix it”
- · Loss of privilege
- · Time Out—Thinking Time (Time out in the classroom; Buddy Teacher; Reflection Room)