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Articles

How to Use Active Teaching to Increase Social Engagement in a Digital Classroom

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,…
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Nov 13 2023

Use Interactive Learning Structures to Strengthen Listening and Speaking Skills

“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…
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Oct 30 2023

Douglas Elementary: Giving Students and Teachers a Voice

Location: Watertown, WI  Type of school: Public elementary school  Grade levels: Early childhood through fifth grade  Number of students: 315   A Responsive Classroom school since: 2018     Douglas Elementary is a public school in a rural part of Wisconsin that serves a diverse population of students, about half of whom…
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Oct 26 2023

Deepen Student Connections With Interactive Learning Structures

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…
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Oct 23 2023

Training Minds One Question at a Time

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…
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Oct 16 2023

Singing with Children: Tips for Teachers

I remember singing along with friends in my elementary school days. Teachers and students began each day with singing. We learned about music from our music teacher, but we sang everywhere—in our classrooms and on the playground. One winter, you could find us out at recess, climbing the snowbanks to…
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Oct 06 2023

New City School K-8: A Responsive Classroom School from the Start

Location: Minneapolis, MN  Type of school: Public charter school  Grade levels: K–8  Number of students: ~400   A Responsive Classroom school since: 2003     New City School has been a Responsive Classroom school since it opened its doors back in 2003. “It's always been a part of who we are,” explains…
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Oct 06 2023

Beverly Skoff Elementary: Focusing on Belonging, Significance, and Fun

Location: Bolingbrook, IL  Type of school: Public elementary school  Grade levels: K–5  Number of students: 730   A Responsive Classroom school since: 2018    In the summer of 2018, Beverly Skoff Elementary made two big changes to their approach to teaching: they enrolled their staff in the Responsive Classroom Elementary Core…
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Oct 06 2023

Northeast College Prep K-8: Cultivating Strong Relationships

Location: Minneapolis, MN Type of school: Public charter school  Grade levels: K–8  Number of students: 373  A Responsive Classroom school since: 2014    Northeast College Prep is a tuition-free public charter school that serves a student body that is both diverse and disadvantaged—fourteen primary languages are spoken and 98% of…
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Oct 06 2023

St. Joseph the Worker PK-8: Increasing Collaboration and Kindness

Location: Brooklyn, NY Type of school: Private Catholic school  Grade levels: Pre-K–8  Number of students: 282   A Responsive Classroom school since: 2019    A few years ago, Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy was facing a series of interrelated challenges. The school had experienced consistent leadership turnover—four principals in four…
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Oct 06 2023

Movement Activities That Help Learners of Every Age Refocus

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…
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Oct 02 2023

How to Support a Guest Teacher During a Teacher’s Absence

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…
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Sep 28 2023

Six Strategies for Partnering With Families at the Start of the School Year

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,…
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Sep 25 2023

How to Create Community with Classroom Rules

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…
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Sep 18 2023

The Importance of Setting Purposeful Goals With Students

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.…
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Sep 14 2023

Four Powerful Ways You Can Shift Your Teacher Language to Welcome Students

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,…
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Sep 11 2023

Everything You Need to Know to Use Responsive Advisory Meeting at the Start of the School Year

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…
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Sep 05 2023

Everything You Need to Know to Use Morning Meeting at the Start of the School Year

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…
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Aug 28 2023

Five Things Every Teacher Should Do on the First Day of School

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…
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Aug 21 2023

Three Ways You Can Keep the Responsive Classroom Approach Front and Center While Still Enjoying Your Summer

How do educators spend their summer break? If you’re anything like me, you’re spending your summer trying to balance relaxation, quality time with family and friends, personal goals, and maybe even some professional development. Whether I’m in relaxation mode or skimming a professional text, I regularly find myself drifting into…
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Jul 28 2023

Three Ways to Welcome Students to a New School Year

The beginning of the school year is full of emotion for teachers and students alike. Some students embrace the new year with excitement and anticipation, while others cautiously enter it with questions or anxiety about what to expect. Of course, all students deserve to feel a sense of belonging, significance,…
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Jul 21 2023

Connecting With New Families Early in the School Year

“Students experience greater success in school when the adults who care for them and help them learn and grow have a collaborative relationship that allows them to welcome and value one another’s questions, ideas, and thoughts.”  — Jane Cofie, Strengthening the Parent-Teacher Partnership Although it is summer break, it is…
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Jul 14 2023
Webinar: Addressing Unique Challenges in Creating a Culturally Inclusive Classroom During COVID-19

Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are a key practice in the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline. A logical consequence is a non-punitive response to misbehavior that allows teachers to set clear limits and students to fix and learn from their mistakes while maintaining their dignity. Depending on the child and the situation, teachers might…
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Jul 07 2023
woman in a hammock reading a book

Gentle Steps to Prepare for the Upcoming School Year During the Summer

Summer is a recharging station. It offers teachers a mental and physical break from the day-to-day routines and demands of teaching. While recharging, teachers begin to dream of and envision what the upcoming school year will offer in terms of growth—both for our students and ourselves. Here are a few…
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Jul 07 2023

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 this energy spilling over into the classroom as students reenter for the afternoon. They often run into the room, bumping…
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Jul 04 2023
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Time for a Brain Break!

Adolescence is a time of rapid change and growth. The brain undergoes major reorganization and bodies start to mature. Middle school students develop an awareness of and respect for other people’s points of view, feelings, and rights as their moral and ethical reasoning abilities increase. At the same time, the…
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Jul 04 2023

Interactive Learning Structures

What Are Interactive Learning Structures? Interactive learning structures are easy-to-use, purposeful activities that promote maximum learning by being active (hands-on) and interactive (involving collaboration amongst students).  By giving students opportunities to move around a bit, positively interact with peers, and stretch their thinking, these interactive learning structures motivate students to…
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Jul 03 2023

Categories

Classroom Management & Discipline
Positive Community
Whole School
Teacher Language
Morning Meeting
First Weeks of School
Engaging Academics
Energizers & Activities
Families
Positive Language
Special Times in the Year
SEL Skills
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