Getting Started Message Ideas Morning Meeting
After completing the Responsive Classroom Elementary Core Course, Kristen, a fourth-grade teacher, committed to using more reinforcing language in daily student interactions. As a simple visual reminder, she created note cards with prompts like “I notice…” and “I hear…” She taped them to the wall directly across from her SMART Board, where she’d see them throughout the day.
These subtle prompts helped Kristen focus on noticing and naming positive behaviors in the classroom. But she soon realized that her students were also paying close attention.
One afternoon, during their closing circle, the class reflected on how well they followed the classroom rules they had created together. When Kristen called on one student to share, he turned his head, glanced at the notecards hanging on the wall, then looked back at the group. “Well, I noticed that we were very quiet in the hallway when we walked to art today,” he said.
That small moment spoke volumes.
The students not only internalized the classroom expectations but also absorbed the teacher’s language. What started as a private reminder became a shared habit. Kristen’s unintentional modeling had helped give students the tools to observe, reflect, and speak positively about their behavior and the behavior of their peers.
This story reminds us that students are always watching and listening. How we speak, the strategies we choose, and the language we prioritize are the daily cues shaping a classroom’s tone and culture. By using reinforcing language, this teacher didn’t just build a stronger classroom environment—she helped her students build theirs, too.
To learn more about reinforcing language, check out the following articles :
Looking for more tips about changing your teacher language? The following resources can help:
For a deeper dive on every type of Responsive Classroom teacher language, including reinforcing language, check out The Power of Our Words and The Power of Our Words for Middle School, or join us for one of our active, interactive training courses to learn directly from an experienced Responsive Classroom practitioner!