Independent practice is a new Responsive Classroom strategy for introducing concepts and skills to middle school students by creating opportunities for them to interactively explore the content through hands-on learning. Read More »
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JAN
07
2022
Five Ways You Can Use Responsive Advisory Meeting to Help Students Find their Voice in the Classroom
Responsive Advisory Meeting provides an effective and helpful structure for middle school teachers who are looking for opportunities to empower their students to be assertive and use their voices in Read More…
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NOV
20
2020
Using Social Interaction to Engage Students
Written by Sarah Scavone At this point in the school year, we have spent a great deal of time intentionally building our learning community. The strong relationships we build with Read More…
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NOV
20
2020
Increase Student Engagement with Your Lesson Design
Written by Kristen Vincent, Responsive Classroom Consulting Teacher Lesson design is about planning and structuring lessons in a way that engages students in learning, practicing, and applying academic content and Read More…
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NOV
20
2020
Giving Students Choices
Written by Chris Carter, New York City Public Schools kindergarten teacher After multiple delays, New York City schools started this school year in late September with both hybrid and remote Read More…
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NOV
20
2020
Five Ideas to Help Parents Empower Students during At-Home Learning
Written by Margie Dorshorst As students continue to learn at home through various educational models, many parents have expressed concern about how to motivate their children to stay engaged and Read More…
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NOV
20
2019
Developing Intrinsic Motivation with Choice
According to Vocabulary.com, the word “intrinsic” is an adjective that means “belonging to a thing by its very nature.” Some synonyms for intrinsic are: essential, built-in, constitutional, inherent, integral, inner, Read More…
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APR
25
2019
Six Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month in the Classroom
Did you know that according to poets.org, National Poetry Month is actually the biggest literary celebration in the world? It’s never too early to start fostering a love of the Read More…
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APR
03
2019
Challenge Is a Part of Learning
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” –Frederick Douglass This famous quote, printed on bright pink cardstock and posted above the whiteboard of a third grade classroom, stood Read More…
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DEC
07
2018
A Unified Approach to Teaching in a Diverse International School
Students come to ACS Cobham International School in England from all over the world. Some stay for their entire pre-collegiate school experience and others make a home there for just Read More…
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OCT
24
2017
What is Quiet Time?
Consider the energy and intensity that often accompany the middle of the day. Lunch and recess provide students with opportunities to run, play, eat, and socialize, and teachers often see Read More…
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JAN
24
2014
Choices Choices
When I look around my classroom, I see students making choices. The first graders I teach make choices all through the day, from the time they arrive until Closing Circle.
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JAN
24
2013
When Learning Is Fun
If your classroom life is like mine these days, it's gotten harder to make learning fun. This year in my district we have a new teacher evaluation system, new report cards, new…
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JAN
15
2013
Building Community Through Academics
When they are working towards a common goal, engaged in a fascinating topic, or trying to figure out a solution for a meaningful problem, students feel more connected to school and each…
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AUG
01
2008
Book Club Lunches
When I was a second grader, my teacher would take us outside on mild afternoons to relax with whatever book we chose. We’d munch snacks and chat as we read together. Those…
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FEB
01
2006
What Do Insects Do All Day?
Four classes of second graders have just begun a new science unit on insects at the University School of Nashville in Tennessee. I and the other three second-grade teachers have Read More…
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APR
01
2005
Academic Choice
An adapted excerpt from Learning Through Academic Choice, a book by Paula Denton.
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APR
01
2004
Lively Learning
When I was in elementary school more than fifty years ago, I struggled with geography. I found it very hard to keep all those place names and locations straight. The only thing…
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NOV
01
2001
Choosing Choice
Several years ago, the school at which I was teaching adopted a new series of teacher’s manuals for reading and spelling and asked that teachers use them to guide their instruction. The…
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