Responsive Classroom- what is it exactly?

Most of you have heard us talk about Responsive Classroom, whether at Back to School night, parent teacher conferences or at grade level parent meetings. When you've heard it referenced, it was likely a brief summary that didn't give your brain much to hold onto. Most of you know about Morning Meeting, but did you know that this start to the day is one of ten practices in this approach? 

Responsive Classroom (RC) is a premium research and evidence-based social and emotional learning approach associated with greater teacher effectiveness, higher student achievement and improved school climate (https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/sites/default/files/pdf_files/rc_brochure_updated.pdf). The Lower School began using this approach five years ago because it was so closely aligned with the community and culture that has been present for years at Annie Wright Schools. In the last two or three years, it has been so easy to implement because of its similarities and consistencies with the Primary Years Program of the IB. It is also an approach intended to be utilized alongside the programs and strategies already being used in a school or classroom.

So what do you need to know? To start, what is social and emotional learning?

• Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (CASEL- http://www.casel.org/social-and-emotional-learning/). 

Why is social and emotional learning important to teach in schools and how is it connected to academic success? 

• The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum because children learn best through social interaction.
• Students receiving quality SEL instruction demonstrated 
• better academic performance- achievement scores an average of 11 points higher than students who did not receive SEL instruction
• Improved attitudes and behaviors
• Fewer negative behaviors
• Reduced emotional distress (http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/research)

What are the guiding principles of the Responsive Classroom approach?

• The social and emotional curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
• How children learn is as important as what they learn.
• Great cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
• To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn a set of social and emotional skills that include cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
• 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 is as important as knowing the children we teach.
• How we, the adults at school, work together is as important as our individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community.

And lastly, what are the ten practices included in the Responsive Classroom approach? 

1. Morning Meeting—gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead
2. Rule Creation—helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals
3. Interactive Modeling—teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique
4. Positive Teacher Language—using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline
5. Logical Consequences—responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity
6. Guided Discovery—introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility
7. Academic Choice—increasing student learning by allowing students teacher-structured choices in their work
8. Classroom Organization—setting up the physical room in ways that encourage students’ independence, cooperation, and productivity
9. Working with Families—creating avenues for hearing parents' insights and helping them understand the school's teaching approaches
10. Collaborative Problem Solving—using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students (http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/principles-and-practices-responsive-classroom)

We have found Responsive Classroom to work well for teachers and students alike.  I hope in reading this post you find yourself connecting with the approach as well, and can reflect on times when your child's teacher used these principles and practices to support you and your child. 

To close, you may appreciate this post to the RC blog: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/what-parents-wish-teachers-knew

Take care and enjoy the long weekend!