What is Responsive Classroom?

• Student-centered
• Social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline
• Research and evidence-based practices
• Safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms 

Six Guiding Principles:
1. Teaching social and emotional skills is as important as teaching academic content.

• Morning meetings
• Counseling lessons
• Problem-solving conversations

2. How we teach is as important as what we teach. 

• Learning is active and interactive
• Interactive modeling
• Academic choice

3. Great cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

• Morning meetings
• Collaborative group work
• Energizers

4. How we work together as adults to cre­ate a safe, joyful, and inclusive school environment is as important as our individual contribution or competence.

• Professional learning communities
• Strengths
• Working on Wellness (WOW)

5. What we know and believe about our students—individually, culturally,developmentally—informs our expec­tations, reactions, and attitudes about those students.

• Yardsticks (viewing children through a developmental lens)
• Emphasis on relationships
• Focus on Culturally Responsive teaching

6. Partnering with families—knowing them and valuing their contributions—is as important as knowing the children we teach.

• Hopes and Dreams conferences 
• Strengths and Goals conferences
• Parent workshops and counseling support