Responsive® Blog

Students working on Morning Message
In addition to the other tips I shared for getting out of a Morning Meeting Message rut, I strongly recommend making a weekly plan. Instead of trying to come up with ideas for a message each and... Read More
If so, you're not alone! I've been hearing from teachers who feel they could do more to make this part of Morning Meeting as purposeful, fun, and engaging as greeting, sharing and group activity.... Read More
Students drawing
Do you think that without looking, your students could name your classroom's rules? Most teachers establish classroom rules at the beginning of the year, and many devote time to modeling and... Read More
Next to my work with Responsive Classroom, I count learning about Parker Palmer's work, having the opportunity to learn from him, and facilitating Courage in Schools professional development sessions... Read More
Students is gym class
I have such great memories of my third grade students' enthusiasm during the gymnastics unit in physical education. After this special, they'd come back to our classroom full of excitement about what... Read More
T-chart hanging in a classroom
Are you looking for a strategy to help your students navigate particularly tricky times of day, such as transitions, recess, lunch, or dismissal time? Try making a "looks like/sounds like" chart (... Read More
students raising their hands to answer a question
Winter break can provide teachers a bit of time and space to reflect on how the school year has gone so far, and to decide what adjustments to make in January. This year, in addition to thinking... Read More
Looking for new classroom games and Morning Meeting activities? Head over to Origins' Educator Help area, where you'll find over 250 game ideas for elementary and middle level teachers. Browse... Read More
A student and a teacher talking
Cindy Kruse's recent blog post, "The Power of Encouragement," really hit home for me. I could relate to what she had to say about the importance of getting encouragement and positive words from... Read More
Earlier this week, I asked the Responsive bloggers to let me know if they had ideas for blogs to nominate for the 2011 Edublog awards. This was pretty short notice, since the deadline is today!... Read More
Students working on a project together
I recently returned from a Learning & the Brain® conference in Boston feeling deeply impressed by the number of very smart people who are trying to sort out the kind of education our children... Read More
Students doing the limbo
At this time of year, people who work in schools often start feeling a bit frayed. Now that the school year is well underway, the "honeymoon period" of the first weeks is long gone. Students may be... Read More