Articles

It’s midway through the school year and you notice one of your students has fallen into a pattern of missing work and struggling on tests and quizzes. You know it’s time to reach out to the student’s parents. It’s natural to feel anxious when calling home, especially to discuss an…

It’s January, and you notice that over the break your students seem to have forgotten all the routines they had been practicing since the start of the school year. Students are acting disrespectfully toward each other. During discussions, classmates are calling out when others are talking. They are showing they…

How often have you either needed a break from a stressful moment or noticed your mind wandering and needed an opportunity to purposefully refocus yourself? What do you do in those moments? Now consider your students. What can they do in your classroom when they experience stress or need an…

At the start of the school year, as new classroom communities are forming, teachers begin planning ways to connect and form relationships with new students. By the middle of the year, a lot has changed: students have established routines, friendships have formed, school assignments and projects are underway, and students…

As winter break approaches, students tend to get distracted by the excitement of the holidays and the anticipation of vacation. As a result, they are often more restless, irritable, and exhausted than usual, and it can be difficult to keep them engaged and focused on learning. Returning from winter break…

A student doodles during class instead of completing their assignment. Classmates shove each other as they get in line for recess. Between periods, a group of students runs down the hall to get to class. A student talks over a teacher’s instructions. Do any, or perhaps all, of these situations…

It’s a few months into the school year, and you may be noticing an increase in challenging student behaviors. Suddenly students are struggling to follow classroom rules that they learned at the beginning of the year. Some students are testing limits, both in their relationships with teachers as well as…

The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (often referred to as The Nation’s Report Card) was recently released. The results made clear that today’s students are struggling with both reading and math, as there were noticeable declines in both subjects compared to previous report cards.  How Social and Emotional…

In recent years, many middle school classrooms have shifted from using physical resources like textbooks and workbooks to digital learning platforms that students access with laptops or tablets. A digital curriculum provides a fantastic opportunity for rich explorations of content with embedded scaffolds and additional resources for extending learning; however,…

Let’s face it—technology is changing the way students learn. With the increase of screen time in classrooms, it is imperative that we continue to teach to the whole child, bolstering their social skills and ensuring they are engaged with the academics they are being taught. Luckily for educators, Responsive Classroom…

Following the busy first weeks of school, teachers and students begin to settle into a familiar rhythm. Students have learned important routines and class expectations and are getting excited about new opportunities to explore academic content. With familiarity building among students, you may begin noticing social groups or cliques starting…

“Before you speak, listen.”  —William A. Ward   Listening With Purpose As I listen in on the student conversations occurring around the classroom, I notice that my students have a firm grasp on the basics of listening and speaking. They turn their attention toward the speaker and maintain a calm…

Albert Einstein once said that the value of education “is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.” As educators, we strive to engage students, drawing on their knowledge and experiences so they can draw upon their…

The end of the school day can be a challenging, hectic time. As the day’s final lesson or period concludes, students must pack up their belongings and often organize homework and other take-home materials. Students’ energy is often high, while teachers are running on fumes. While it can feel difficult…

An increase in wiggles and whispers or holes torn in papers from too much erasing can be important clues that your students are beginning to reach their individual or developmental limit for focus or endurance. Responsive Classroom teachers are always on the lookout for signs their students may be in…

Throughout the school year, there will be times when you will be absent. Whether your absence is planned or unexpected, prepare for these instances at the beginning of the school year by using the following structures. About the Term “Guest Teacher” Unlike the more common “substitute teacher,” this title conveys…

One of the most important predictors for students’ success in school, according to the nonprofit organization The Global Family Research Project, is family engagement (Weiss, Lopez, and Caspe 2018). So, while educators already know the importance of building positive relationships with students at the start of a new school year,…

It’s that time of year again! You’re in a classroom with a whole new group of students. In all the excitement and commotion, you might be eager to create a sense of order by establishing classroom rules. But before you do, it’s essential that you ensure your procedures are in…

In the Responsive Classroom approach, we often say that we start the year exploring hopes and dreams, or learning goals, with our students, but this exploration can only occur after we have established an initial rapport, a feeling of safety, and a sense of joy among our new class members.…

Starting the Year With Effective Teacher Language The skillful use of teacher language has the power to help create and maintain a positive, encouraging, and respectful classroom community, especially in those first weeks when there is so much to model, explain, and encourage! When we focus on using positive language,…

The secret to strong classroom management lies in predictable routines and procedures. From entering and exiting the learning space to managing materials to moments of transition, well-established routines and procedures can provide a natural flow of calmness and order to every part of the day. Giving students clear expectations for…

The physical space of the classroom plays a significant role in both the culture and community of your learning environment. In fact, I consider the space to be a third teacher, alongside the students and myself. Classroom space is most effective when it invites and encourages learning: bookshelves invite readers…

Morning Meeting is an effective way to start any day throughout the school year, but it is especially impactful at the beginning of the year when you are looking to build a strong sense of community with a new class of students. Whether you are interested in trying Morning Meeting…

Responsive Advisory Meeting is a core component of the Responsive Classroom approach to middle school because it provides middle school students with the opportunity to explore new interests, practice new skills, and strengthen their social and emotional competencies, all while developing positive relationships with their peers and with a caring…

There is such a sense of potential that comes with the freshly sharpened pencils, organized supplies, and stacks of books waiting to be handed out at the start of a new school year. But the strongest feeling of possibility by far comes from your list of new students. The best…

Few people are as passionate about, or well versed in, Responsive Classroom books, tools, and other resources as our course presenters. In this month’s final installment of The Presenter’s Point of View, they recommend the Responsive Classroom resources that they most often turn to in their own teaching practices, as…