Responsive Classroom

We want to share with families an approach to teaching that we use. It's called the Responsive Classroom approach. It's been used successfully by elementary teachers in schools around the country for over twenty years to create learning environments where children thrive academically, socially and emotionally. The Responsive Classroom approach was developed by classroom teachers. It emphasizes teaching children to take care of themselves, each other, and the school environment so that everyone can learn at his/her best. You'll notice our class paying attention to how students treat one another throughout the day. You'll also see a strong emphasis on students setting goals for their own learning and taking responsibility for reaching these goals.

Guiding Principles

The Responsive classroom approach is based on theories of how children learn and the experiences of classroom teachers. There are seven basic principles behind this approach:

  1. Learning social skills is as important as learning academic skills.

  2. How children learn is just as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand.

  3. Children gain knowledge most effectively through social interaction.

  4. To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control.

  5. Knowing the children we teach, individually, culturally, and developmentally, is as important as knowing the content we teach.

  6. Knowing the families of the children we teach and inviting their participation essential to children's education.

  7. How the adults at school work together is as important as how skillful each individual teacher is: lasting change begins with the adult community.

Our Hopes and Dreams

The first grade teachers' hopes and dreams are to create a classroom in which every child finds his or her own passion to learn. By providing a structured working environment that focuses on student choice children will develop concentration, motivation, persistence, and discipline. Teaching is our passion and we hope to create students who are dedicated to life long learning!