Below are some areas that can help create the conditions for students to feel comfortable and ready to start their work of learning and building a positive classroom community. Assessing Read More »
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NOV
03
2015
Our Classroom Walls
During the school day we spend most of our time in our classroom and so do twenty to thirty students (give or take a few!). Many of us feel that Read More…
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OCT
08
2013
Whose Classroom Is It?
One way the Responsive Classroom approach has changed my teaching is that I have learned to think of the classroom as a space that belongs to all of us, rather than as…
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AUG
06
2013
Ask Yourself Why
What's your vision for your classroom community this year? How do you want the room to look, sound, and feel once the first weeks of school are over? In my last post,…
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AUG
29
2012
Classroom Display Ideas
Last spring, I encouraged you to take a good, hard look at your classroom displays and think about how, in the future, you might increase the emphasis on displaying student Read More…
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MAY
24
2012
If Classroom Walls Could Talk
Take a look at your classroom walls and displays. What do they say about you, your relationship with your class, and your view of teaching? Are your students guests in your room,…
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AUG
18
2010
Displaying Student Work
In any classroom, displays should consist primarily of the children’s work, rather than teacher-made or store-bought pieces, no matter how beautiful those pieces might be. Displaying student work sends several important messages:…
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APR
01
2006
Bulletin Board Highlights Responsive Classroom Approach
Early this school year, our director, an enthusiastic supporter of the Responsive Classroom approach, suggested that I create a display in our school’s main entryway to introduce the approach’s core ideas. I…
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APR
01
2005
News and Announcement Charts
Question: What’s one activity you’ve found effective for the interactive part of the Morning Meeting News and Announcements chart?
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NOV
01
2002
Displaying Student Work
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…
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AUG
01
2001
Hopes and Dreams in a Primary Classroom
I love the beginning of each school year with the coming of fresh new faces to excited to learn. Most of my students have been to kindergarten and come to first grade…
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AUG
31
2000
Getting the Most Value Out of Displays
Effective classroom displays are one of the most powerful—and overlooked—tools for teaching. They can generate excitement about the curriculum, increase children’s investment in learning, help children appreciate their own work Read More…
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