November

• 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Post and update to your research study and also answer the following questions:

                 2. What does playful learning look and feel like in your classroom?

                 3. To produce the conditions for playful learning, what is one thing that you tried (and tried again)? How did it go? What did you learn? 

My research focuses on integrating the principles of teacher language as outlined by the Responsive Classroom approach—specifically, reinforcing, reminding, and redirecting language—into my daily teaching practices.

Below is a lesson I used to incorporate one type of teacher language, reinforcing language, into an observable lesson.  I also infused aspects of playful learning into the lesson by offering opportunities for student choice. 

The focused Objective is to Reinforcing Language

My specific aim is to use Reinforcing Language to highlight and acknowledge students' positive actions, reflecting these behaviors back to them. This will help both me and the students become more aware of the specific actions and behaviors that contributed to their academic and social success, during reading lessons. Below you will find a picture of a list of reinforcing language phrases I have taped to my table to cue me on language that reinforces positive student behaviors.

Academic Student Objectives

1. Students will accurately read and spell words containing the trigraph dge.

2. Students will identify words with the trigraph dge in the text Ida and Jack Do Not Like Babies.

3. Students will analyze the main character’s feelings at the beginning and end of the story Ida and Jack Do Not Like Babies.

4. Students will identify the event that prompted a change in Ida’s feelings about babies.

Reflection 

Changing the familiar teacher language I have used for many years has been an ongoing journey. The first step I took in shifting my current language to align with the Responsive Classroom approach was becoming more aware of what I was saying. I noticed that I frequently used the phrase "I like" throughout my lessons. Although this language was well-intentioned, it implied that students should behave in certain ways academically or socially to gain my approval, rather than to understand that their behavior contributes to their success. Like my students, I need multiple opportunities and reminders to internalize what effective reinforcing language sounds like. Keeping a reinforcing language cue card taped to my desk has been a helpful tool, constantly reminding me and contributing to a positive shift in my teaching practice.

As I continue to improve my practice and make my student's experience in the reading center more positive, playful, and productive, I have consciously incorporated more student choices. I have chosen simple ways to start such as offering a variety of tools for them to show their knowledge of taught phonic skills.  I have also included student-selected decodable texts as an option for practicing phonics skills in a connected text. These simple, practice improvements have produced a positive response from students. I plan to continue this practice and include more student choices in the future.   

Students have a variety of options to show their phonics knowledge. They can use whiteboards, boogie boards, or magnetic letters.  

Hi Maureen, I like reading about how you are using Responsive Classroom in your reading groups. I'd love to learn more about it! -Jessica