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Middle school is one of the most consequential stages of development. During these years, students are building the skills that shape how they make decisions, manage impulses, and regulate emotions. ...
Professional learning often comes with high hopes and significant investment, but its impact can fade if it is not connected to and integrated into daily practice. School leaders know that ...
A classroom filled with the work of children is a delight to be in and sends a message to students that their work and their learning are important. Although early in the school year, the teacher might do much of the display planning and caretaking, as the year progresses, students can take an increasingly active role in displaying their work. There are several ways in which children can be involved. They can simply choose pieces of their own work that they give to the teacher to assemble into a display.
Cultural relevance can be defined as empowering students to maintain cultural integrity while succeeding academically. Culturally responsive teachers and leaders are reflective and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and ...
Did the first half of the school year give you a “déjà vu” feeling from your first year of teaching? Everything feels new and unfamiliar. A lot of time is spent ...
After multiple delays, New York City schools started this school year in late September with both hybrid and remote instruction. I began the school year with the same goal I ...
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Classroom Management & DisciplineElementary SchoolFirst Weeks of School
Last spring, when terms like global pandemic, virus, hybrid-, distance-, synchronous-, and asynchronous-learning first became a regular part of educators’ vernacular and most educators across the country were thrown into ...
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First Weeks of SchoolMorning MeetingPositive Community
Ever since March 23, 2020, when the school where I work, Steel City Academy, transitioned to virtual learning, I’ve found myself constantly asking what education will look like moving forward. ...
By Lindsey Lynch and Ramona McCullough No matter the outcome, the results of this year’s presidential election will be challenging for many students, families, and educators. During this time, you ...
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First Weeks of SchoolJoyful ClassroomsMorning MeetingResponsive Advisory MeetingSpecial Times in the Year
No matter where in the year you are, when you’re feeling ready to start using the Responsive Classroom approach, that’s the right time to begin! But where do you start?
“It’s all about knowing your kids and what they need,” says Nicole Doner, Responsive Classroom consulting teacher.
Morning Meeting and closing circle are the bookends of the day. These powerful strategies ensure that students start and close their days with a sense of purpose and connectedness. These ...
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Morning MeetingPositive CommunityResponsive Advisory MeetingSpecial Times in the Year
Over the weekend, a friend shared a video with me that you may have seen as well, as it has been widely shared on social media. The video was taken ...
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Energizers & ActivitiesEngaging AcademicsPositive Community
Responsive Classroom strategies, structures, and techniques offer a wide array of practices we can use for culturally responsive teaching. One of these strategies is student sharing. Providing opportunities for students ...
Ensuring that all our students are academically engaged is our highest priority as educators. We want to teach our students the skills needed to creatively engage with content while becoming ...
Black History Month is an opportunity for us as educators not only to teach students about historic contributors to our American history, but also to help students experience and find ...
With the changes in fall weather outside, the weather inside the classroom is likely changing too. As a result, teachers often find themselves responding to misbehavior more than they did ...
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Energizers & ActivitiesJoyful ClassroomsSpecial Times in the Year
The walls of the classroom look emptier than they looked a month ago and a few remnants of the presence of students remain: a pencil here or a sticky note ...
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Academic ChoiceEnergizers & ActivitiesEngaging AcademicsJoyful ClassroomsMessage IdeasSpecial Times in the Year
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 ...