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Presenters for our elementary and middle school courses introduce teachers to an approach that will help them grow as educators, but our presenters will be the first to tell you that that growth is a two-way street: they get as much out of the experience as the course participants. In…

One of the more powerful aspects of attending a Responsive Classroom course is getting practical, actionable advice from an expert presenter. They have the unique ability to take a strategy that might make sense only in theory and help it make sense not just in practice but in the specific…

This month, we have been connecting with our newest consulting teachers to discuss ways educators can fully appreciate their time away from school (you can read previous entries here and here). However, while it is important to find ways to take a break from the rigorous pace of the school…

Last week, we sat down with our newest consulting teachers to discuss the activities that help them make the most out of their summers. But just as important as how you spend your time is where you spend it: finding a place where you can truly enjoy yourself is a…

One of the main challenges educators face during the summer is how to take a step back from teaching to relax, recharge, and enjoy their vacation. From reflecting on the highs and lows of the previous school year to jumping headfirst into professional development to planning for the upcoming school…

The beginning of the school year is a special opportunity: both a fresh start and a chance to apply lessons from the previous year. With an especially tumultuous year behind us, that fresh start feels particularly noteworthy, and the hard-earned lessons of the past year feel even more critical to…

Start the Year with Depth Connect students to the greater good from the beginning. In a recent episode of the podcast WorkLife with Adam Grant, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the current United States Surgeon General, discussed ways to fight loneliness and bring people together. In the beginning of his career, he…

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for...receiving your class roster for the new school year! You’re anxious to start planning and preparing for the students who will soon be sitting at their desks and smiling back at you. Because there is so much to be done, getting started can often…

With a new school year right around the corner, the first place my mind goes to is how I will organize and prepare my physical space. As a counselor for my school’s littlest learners, I like to set my room up for play therapy. I call it “the playroom.” But…

My grandma used to say, “You can’t pour from an empty pitcher.” We all know that teaching can be a stressful job. During the school year, we devote so much of our time and energy to students. The summer is a chance to step back, decompress, and recharge. But why…

The summer is an exciting time. The warmth brings with it opportunities to travel for vacations and, sometimes, work. As we emerge from this terrible pandemic, many of us are eager to take to the road and sky again. Because they spend their summers teaching workshops across the country, Responsive Classroom consulting…

From closing circle to Academic Choice to problem-solving conferences, we all know that student reflection plays a central role in Responsive Classroom teaching practices. It may be less well known how important reflection is to teacher growth and well-being. Like many self-care practices, it’s one that‘s easy for teachers, myself…

Educators spend the school year establishing and then nurturing classroom environments in which students feel a genuine sense of belonging. The exceptional challenges of this particular year introduced greater opportunities to create learning environments in which students felt comfortable expressing their thoughts, feelings, and opinions in nonconventional spaces and circumstances.…

  Regardless of if your model of instruction has been remote, hybrid, or in-person during this unique school year, your students have grown over the course of their time in your class. They have added to their bank of knowledge and increased their stamina for focused academic work. Classroom routines…

  All of us, students and teachers alike, approach the end of the school year with a wide variety of feelings. Just as teachers might be feeling burned out right now, it is normal for kids to be exhausted and disengaged in the final stretch. The end of the year…

  For the past six months, educators have been put through the ringer – learning multiple new digital platforms, communicating non-stop with anxious parents, and constantly pivoting when technology errors or lapses occur. Needless to say, they’re tired. They are burnt out. They are fatigued. As schools enter the final…

In early 2018 I presented my first Responsive Classroom course at the American School of Bombay (ASB) in Mumbai, India. This independent day school follows a college preparatory curriculum that supports an American Diploma or an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma for grades K-12. During that time I met Casey Faulknall, middle school…

Teachers and students alike return from a well-deserved winter break refreshed, looking toward new possibilities. The new year welcomes endless opportunities to reestablish goals, renew and revisit routines, and refresh well-known class rules. January is a fitting time to reevaluate the rules and try out strategies and practices to help…

As educators, we all want to help our students develop valuable life-long skills, including the ability to think critically about their own work, truly know themselves and their learning styles, reflect on their individual strengths and challenges, and measure their progress toward goals. We want our students to become autonomous…