The Responsive Classroom Initiative
Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. The evidence-based practices help to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities. There are four key domains of Responsive Classroom. They are...
Engaging Academics
Positive Community
Effective Management
Developmentally Responsive Teaching
Responsive Classroom recognizes that to be successful in and out of school, students need to learn a set of social and emotional and academic compentencies. The integration of these competencies into teacher practices allows for a seamless implementation through the school day. By integrating academics and social-emotional skills creates an environment where students can do their best learning.
Six main principles guide the Responsive Classroom approach.
Teaching social and emotional skills is as important as teaching academic content.
How we teach is as importnat as what we teach.
Great cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
How we work together as adults to create a safe, joyful, and inclusive school environment is as important as our individual contribution or competence.
What we know and believe about our students-individually, culturally, develoopmentally-informs our expectations, reactions, and attitudes about those students.
Partnering with families-knowing them and valuing their contributions-is as improtant as knowing the children we teach.
Please visit Responsive Classroom for information and resources.
Below are the practices and key elements for successful implementation.