RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM
The Responsive Classroom is an approach to elementary teaching that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community. The goal is to enable optimal student learning. Created by classroom teachers and backed by evidence from independent research, the Responsive Classroom approach is based on the premise that children learn best when they have both academic and social-emotional skills. The approach therefore consists of classroom and school wide practices for deliberately helping children build academic and social-emotional competencies.
Morning Meeting
As part of the Responsive Classroom approach, we begin each day with a Morning Meeting. There are 4 components of the Morning Meeting:
1. Greeting
2. Share
3. Group Activity
4. Morning Message
Hopes and Dreams
Another important part of the Responsive Classroom approach is to write Hopes and Dreams for their second grade school year. Students wrote Hopes and Dreams such as, "I will make many new friends this year," or "I will learn to read chapter books." Then, we discussed what we would need to do as a class in order for our hopes and dreams to come true. Together, we decided that we would need rules to follow. We decided that the Cherry Brook Rules and Responsibilities are best, and we added one of our own. Please find out classroom rules below.
Our Rules
1. We have fun, but we are not silly
2. Be safe
3. Do your job
4. Show your best effort
5. Respect yourself and your community
Logical Consequences
Even with rules we all agree on, sometimes we make mistakes. When we do, there are logical consequences to follow. The goal of a logical consequence is always to protect the child and the group. Logical consequences are always Respectful, Relevant, and Realistic. They include:
1. You break it, you fix it
2. Loss of privilege
3. Positive Time-Out (Take a Break)
Engagement = Belonging, Significance, Fun
In order for student learning to occur, the children must be engaged. In order for children to be engaged, they must feel Belonging, Significance, and Fun. Through the Responsive Classroom Approach, I do my best to ensure that each student feels that they are an important part of the classroom (belonging), what they have to say matters (significance), and that they have enjoy their learning (fun).
Please visit the Responsive Classroom website for more information!
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