Responsive Classroom Fact Sheet (from their website)

Responsive Classroom®
NORT HE AS T F OUNDAT I ON F OR CHI L DRE N

Creating Safe, Challenging, and Joyful
Elementary Classrooms and Schools
The Responsive Classroomapproach
is a way of teaching that emphasizes social, emo-
tional, and academic growth in a strong and safe
school community. Developed by classroom teach-
ers in 1981 and continually refined to meet schools’
needs, the approach consists of practical strategies
for helping children build academic and social-
emotional competencies dayin and dayout. In
urban, suburban, and rural settings nationwide,
educators using these strategies report increased
student engagement and academic progress,along
with fewer discipline problems.

Guiding Principles

The Responsive Classroomapproach is informed by
the work of educational theorists and the experi-
ences of exemplary classroom teachers. Seven
principles guide this approach:
The social curriculum is as important as the
academic curriculum.
How children learn is as important as what they
learn: Process and content go hand in hand.
The greatest cognitive growth occurs through
social interaction.
Tobe successful academically and socially,chil-
drenneed a set of social skills: cooperation, asser-
tion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
Knowing the children we teach—individually,
culturally, and developmentally—is as impor-
tant 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.
Howthe adults at school work together is as im-
portant as their individual competence: Lasting
change begins with the adult community.

Classroom Practices

At the heart of the Responsive Classroom
approach are ten classroom practices:
Morning Meeting—gathering as a whole
class each morning to greet one another,
share news, and warm up for the day ahead
Rule Creation—helping students create
classroom rules that allowall class mem-
bers to meet their learning goals
Interactive Modeling—teaching children to
notice and internalize expected behaviors
through a unique modeling technique
PositiveTeacher Language—using words
and tone to promote children’sactive
learning and self-discipline
Logical Consequences—responding to mis-
behavior in a way that allows children to
fix and learn from their mistakes while
preserving their dignity
Guided Discovery—introducing materials
using a format that encourages creativity
and responsibility
Academic Choice—increasing student
motivation by differentiating instruction
and allowing students teacher-structured
choices in their work
Classroom Organization—setting up the
physical room in ways that encourage
independence, cooperation, and pro-
ductivity
Working with Families—hearing families’
insights and helping them understand
the school’s teaching approaches
Collaborative Problem Solving—using con-
ferencing, role playing, and other strategies
to engage students in problem-solving

How am I preparing?

So far I've read all the material/brochres available at the Responsive classroom website http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/ and I am reading the book Raising Cain-Protectiong the Emotional Life of Boys - which my friend Flavia Araripe (English 8 teacher) lent me. This book describes some cultural practices in the upbringing of boys and their consequences to their emotional lives. It explains a lot. It shows you why boys are how they are and I can now understand better how to deal with some typical male behavior.

What is character education?

It is sort of a 'parallel curriculum' at school which aims at maing students aware of their characters, competent social beings and learners with good work habits. I got involved with it as the administration in the school I work for - Chapel School - invited me to coordinate the implementation of a character education programme from grades k-12. The way this is going to happen is :
From grades k-6 we are going to implement a programme called Responsive Classroom. The school is sending me to Ewing, NJ - USA for a week-long institute (course) to learn about it and to train our teachers in the techniques of teh programme. During the term I will be helping teachers with positive models and ideas of how to implement the techniques successfully. The responsive classroom will be part of the official curriculum at school. From grades 7-10 I will be working closely with the religion department. The religion teachers and I will set dates/themes for discussion. I'll come to the classes and hold 'classroom meetings' to deal with relevant issues. We also want to reinforce positive behaviour at school. Thus, some measures will be taken, using what we already have:
-->religion homerooms (as I mentioned)
-->assignment - green sticker - free pass
--> consequence for - behavior - loss of priviledge - green sticker
--> rewards for + behavior - special lunch room - building sense of group
-->Stuco - building sense of group - modeling to students how they can act as a group
From grades 11 and 12, the character education bit will be catered for by the CAS programme (which I already coordinate) which is part of the IB programme (International Baccalaureate).
I am really excited about doing this. I've always enjoyed dealing with the comportamental aspect of education and I'm looking forward to putting all this into practice!!!!!!!!!!