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Ruth Charney Responsive Classroom By Nicole, Amy, Jessica Central Focus The goal of Responsive Classroom Approach is to bring social-emotional learning and academic learning together through the use of language to encourage and empower children. The outcome: Increases social skills and academic achievement, creates positive classroom climate, expands learner investment and independence, and lessens disruptive behavior. Responsive Classroom Principles •Social learning curriculum is just as important as academic learning. •Children learn best when they have choices. •The strongest cognitive growth is through social interactions. •It is important to know the children we teach as well as the content we teach. •There are certain social skills that are needed in order to be successful academically and socially: CARES (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control). •Knowing the parents of the children we work with is as important as knowing the children. •The way children learn is as important as what they learn. •Counselors, teachers, administrators: need to model social and academic skills. The Seven Components of Responsive Classrooms (Common Practices) •Morning Meeting •The First Six Weeks of School •Rules and Logical Consequences •Classroom Organization •Guided Discovery •Academic Choice •Parent Communication Strategies 1. Morning Meeting Children have an opportunity each morning to practice greetings, listening skills, and conversations as they share stories and concerns. These meetings establish a positive tone for the day. Sample Morning Meeting 2. The First Six Weeks of School Expectations and routines are established, rules generated, and goals articulated. The foundation is laid for a productive and cooperative year of learning. First six weeks of school video clip 3. Rules and Logical Consequences Classroom rules, developed jointly by teachers and students, become the cornerstone of classroom life. *Rules are generated for safety, organization, and standard expectations and responsibilities * To generate rules first consider students’ and teacher’s hopes/goals for life in the classroom and then discuss what rules will be needed in order to reach these desired outcomes * Rules should cover care for ourselves (self respect), care for each other (respect), and caring for the world around us (consideration for materials, equipment, furniture, belongings). * 3 R’s of Implementing rules are reinforce, remind, and redirect. * 3 R’s of Logical Consequences are respectful, relevant, and realistic * 3 Kinds of logical consequences; you break it-you fix it, loss of privilege, and time out Time out video clip 4. Classroom Organization Classrooms provide space for active interest areas for students and for displays of student work. There is an appropriate mix of whole class, group, and individual instruction. 5. Guided Discovery Teachers foster children’s interest in new learning experiences using a careful introduction to materials, areas of the room, curriculum content, and ways of behaving. 6. Academic Choice Each day all children have an opportunity to take control of their own learning, both individually and cooperatively. 7. Parent Communication Strategies Teachers work to open multiple lines of communication with parents. Ways to reach parents: * Initiate communication with parents by face to face conferences, surveys, and telephone calls * Letting parents help you know and understand the student * Involving child and parent in goal setting * Keeping samples of student’s work over time to assess growth to parent * Letting parents feel welcome to take part in classroom activities * Letting parents feel welcome to take part in classroom activities * Providing parents with training so they know the guidelines and can participate in classroom routines * Having students help plan special events for parents to be a part of * Allowing parents to come in and have a special lunch with their child Teacher Role Ongoing encouragement/positive language Facilitating self-monitoring Accept students as they are Create a save place where students know they can make mistakes and build self-confidence Allow students to define their own limits Language is clear, simple, direct, respectful, and genuine Positive feedback is used vs. praise Look at the behavior or action instead of generalizing the child Avoid personal judgment Have faith in the child’s ability to follow the rules Group Scenarios 1. Read scenario in your group 2. Using Responsive Classroom model of positive teacher language, how would you respond to each scenario? Reflection Pros: * Research based * Proven to work * User friendly * Establish a community of self reliant learners Cons: * Time constraint * Effectiveness in higher grades Bibliography Brady, K., Forton, M., Porter, D., & Wood, C. (2003). Rules in school. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Charney, R. (2002). Teaching children to care. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Charney, R. (2005). Using language to encourage and empower children. Education World: Professional Development Center. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columninst/charney/charney004.shtml. Clayton, M. & Forton, M. (2001). Classroom spaces that work. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Correa- Connolly, M. (2004). 99 activities and greetings. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Davis, C. & Yang, A. (2005). Parents and teachers working together. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Denton, P. (2005). Learning through academic choice. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Denton, P. (2007). The power of our words. MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. Responsive classroom. Northeast Foundation for Children. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/about/research.html.