RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM

CORE BELIEF

"In  order to be successful in and out of school, students need to learn a set of social and emotional competencies -- cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control -- and a set of academic competencies -- academic mindset, perseverance, learning strategies, and academic behaviors."

COMPONENTS

MORNING MEETINGS

"Morning Meeting gives studnets a consistent time and place every day to explore and practice social skills and to merge social, emotional, and academic learning. Morning Meeting also nurtures empathy by offering students an opportunity to practice taking care of others." - RC

QUIET TIME

"Quiet time is a period right after lunch or recess when students engage in silent, independent, purposeful activity for five to fifteen minutes. Quiet time acts as a transition from the socially charged excitement of lunch and recess back into the calm, safe, and orderly classroom. Activities such as reading, writing, drawing, playing a solitary game, completing unfinished classwork, or simply resting allow students to calm down and refocus for the learning ahead." - RC

CLOSING CIRCLE

"A closing cirlce is a strategy for bringing a peaceful end to the school day. Closing circles are brief--five to ten minutes--and consist of a quick acitivty or two. But this brief routine has a big impact on learning, behavior, and classroom climate." - RC