Responsive Classroom is a social competency program that is developed by the Northeast Foundation for Children (NEFC). The NEFC was founded in 1981 by six public school teachers who created Responsive Classroom approach as a way to impart the knowledge, skills, and beliefs that they had developed throughout their careers (Principles & Practices, n.d.). The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching and learning focuses on creating a safe, rigorous, and joyful classroom environment that promotes academic, emotional, and social growth. This is done by subscribing to its six guiding principles, which emphasize that social-emotional growth is just as imperative as academic growth. This is because students learn best when they are taught social and emotional skills together with academics (Principles & Practices, n.d.). Therefore, these social-emotional competencies -- such as cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control (CARES)-- are taught both directly and indirectly through core classroom practices. These practices include morning meetings and closing circle, prescribed rules with logical consequences, organized play, guided discovery as a means of engaging students; academic choice to develop self-motivated learners; and family communication (Principles & Practices, n.d.). The overall structure of the elementary Responsive Classroom is made up of many practices and strategies that build academic and social-emotional competencies that are gradually
As an inclusion teacher, I am often tasked with growing students who have not achieved much success in the traditional classroom structure. Often times my students do not respond well to typical behavior management strategies. These students tend to be highly emotional and reactive in their responses to stimuli as opposed to working through those situations in a rational process.
What are several principals for teaching social skills to students with learning and behavior problems? The text expresses many key principals that educators may employ for teaching social skills to students with learning or behavior problems. Teachers are encouraged to develop cooperative learning activities and groups. Students should be encouraged to work with their fellow peers in supportive and structured activities. Teachers should employ effective instruction strategies such as identifying target behaviors, modeling, rehearsing, role-playing, and providing students with positive feedback. Learned and target social skills should be taught and modeled in a way that students are able to transfer these skills from the classroom to outside of the classroom. Teachers need to empower students and help them identify their strengths. Students should feel that they are actively involved with their learning, as well as, understand the consequences to their
I again observed children in the special services department at the Coulter Grove Intermediate School building in Maryville, Tennessee. Though this department covers a wide variety of grades, I concentrated my attention on the second to fifth graders. These children were in the same room, with another special services classroom across the hall. My observation hours occurred between the hours of 12:00 PM and 2 PM. I focused a session and a half (or three hours) on observation of the social and emotional domain in child development. While the special services department does contain children with special needs (therefore, those who have not developed to their fullest capacity), it also features neurotypical children who work as “peer buddies” and are developing normally. The gender divide among the children was around even, although there was a definite race divide, with most children being white. One child out of all the children was black. As a result of the department being focused on special needs children, there were many more teachers than there is in a typical classroom, with the majority of these teachers having a calm approach to leading the children, although making sure to be very firm in their directions. The classroom differed from a “typical” classroom, with a couch on one side of the room and space to sit down on the floor and work. There was also a special area dedicated to children to have time to “cool down” and a bathroom attached to the classroom. While I
The video begins with visual representations of a culturally responsive classroom. This includes a print and color-rich environment, learning centers, and clear rules, procedures and protocol. All of these things were present in the classroom, and the teacher clearly excelled at getting her students to understand and follow procedures and protocol. They responded instantly to “attention grabbers,” seating expectations, and lesson instructions. One of my favorite sayings she used was “bottoms up, heads together.” This signified that the students were to move forward in their chairs and meet as a group to discuss. This forces the students to be more involved in the process, rather than sitting back and possibly zoning out. I will definitely
Farmingville students participate in a number of age appropriate activities throughout the year designed to develop their awareness of, understanding and appreciation of all individuals who are not exactly like them. All students in Farmingville Elementary School are taught in the RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM model. RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM is a time tested and research validated approach to elementary teaching that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community. The goal is to enable optimal student learning in the context of a purposefully respectful and responsive school culture. The approach consists of classroom and school wide practices for deliberately helping children build academic and social-emotional competencies.
Student-centered classrooms have a lot in common with democratic and inclusive classrooms. In both, students take responsibility of their own learning. They work well with their classmates and are invested in gaining new knowledge. The role of the teacher is also similar. Teachers guide students by providing examples and modeling new concepts. They positively play off of individual differences and place emphasis on what strengths each student adds to the class. The content they cover is relevant to the real-word and challenges the students.
PBIS conjoined with The Responsive Classroom approach, a research-based teaching strategy that concentrates on engaging instruction, effective classroom management,
Creating intentional attachment in a classroom is easier for smaller classrooms than for bigger classrooms. Isolation is very dangerous is schools. When some children don’t
Furthermore, a focal point of this article describes the importance of relationships between each individual student. While creating a classroom that thrives on resiliency, the students must get to know each other. In order to achieve these relationships, the article suggests ideas such as name bingo and personality activities. Since there will be relationships amongst the students, the students are capable of working cooperatively and communicating productively.
In my early and middle childhood never experienced to recognized “ come out” or expressed my identity to other. My life experience, family history, background and when I have lived have influenced my values and choices to help to be where I am today. On the other hand, I believe at all ages, children are very sensitive to what they perceive as unequal treatment. In order to be treated equally for every child, it is the teacher's responsibility to create identity positive classrooms for all students. Every child needs to feel they in an inclusive classroom, not in an exclusive classroom.All the children need to be value and respect of how each one identified him or herself. A classroom is a place for all students of different backgrounds, cultures, religions, ethnicities, languages, social class, and environment. Culturally responsive classrooms are a way to help teachers bridge that gap between self -identity and school identity and increase motivation in their
SENSITIVITY was stressed to me by a professor who said we should be waffles and not spaghetti. When syrup is poured over waffles, it stays in safe compartments. When sauce is poured on spaghetti it falls wherever it wants and when one piece moves, it affects all of the others. I have to be sensitive to the needs of my students but also help them to realize they have learning to do regardless of their life circumstances. Their success in school can lead to changes in their life path. The path to EXCELLENCE is different for everyone. I see excellence in the classroom as a student-centered room where the teacher is still looking for new ways to improve. Excellence requires teamwork from the school as a whole striving to put the puzzle pieces together with our students. I am working toward this by collaborating with my TA and other teachers in my department, observing master teachers in my building, and reflecting on my practice on my own and with others more experienced than myself. Promise it the not only the characteristics depicted above but also the assurance one will do a particular thing to. It is my promise to myself, my students, Carver Nation, and the entire WSFCS that I facilitate the learning process in a positive and inviting fashion.
Many persons believe that the unity of the United States will be broken due to the
It is time, at last, to share my practicum experience at Saucer High School in a 9th -12th self-contained classroom. Saucer High School has over fifteen students and about one hundred teachers in their population. Walking through the doors of the classroom, I saw vibrant colors on the walls, sun shining through the rooms, and the teacher and the two para educators were very welcoming. The students desk was arranged in a square facing each other, in result, this created a learning environment that was rich in discussions for the learners. Furthermore, I believe the classroom arrangement had a huge influence on the student’s learning and I hope that my future classroom will be an environment that will engage my students continuously. As I begin observing the fourteen students, I noticed they were writing in their daily
According to the special educational guide that it most commonly used by both general and special educational teachers, Response to intervention or (RTI) is a developmental process that is used by all educators. This process or procedure is tailored in education to assist students who are considered “special needs students”, which are having a number of problems with a given lesson that is being taught by an educator. According to Behan, special educators that are implanting the RTI process are being authorized to incorporate such early intervention services early on in a disordered student’s educational tenure (Behan, 2016).
Through simple actions such as behavior approving and disapproving, communication, and social interactions, kindergarten students directly benefit by developing healthy social-emotional characteristics. In a 2013 study on the cognitive self-regulation of early education students, Mary Wagner Fuhs, Dale C. Farran, and Kimberly Turner Nesbitt found: “Because the prefrontal cortex has an extended course of development, children’s developing self-regulation skills are potentially more susceptible to environmental influences compared to other earlier developing cognitive skills” (Fuhns et. al, 2013, p. 5). Cognitive self-regulation refers to one’s ability to calm down when upset, then cheer up when feeling depressed (Stosney, 2011). At kindergarten age, students possess strong emotions and unrestrained motivation inside a classroom setting. Designing a classroom which promotes social-emotional wellbeing can be accomplished through providing a community “sharing” rug, grouping desks into 4 sets, and appropriate communication with the students. A community rug allows students to play and interact with each other during group time in the classroom, such as reading or free play; and grouping desks encourages teamwork and sharing. Appropriate communication from an educator teaches students communication skills through modeling behavior. By following those simple aspects of