Articles

In 1991, Ruth Charney, co-founder of Responsive Classroom, wrote a book that impacted K-8 educators all over the world, Teaching Children to Care. A reflection of her 20-year teaching career as well as the stories and observations of colleagues, her practical and empathetic guidance has inspired teachers for decades and…

As materials come out of storage, your classroom space comes to life and you begin envisioning the excitement, engagement, and meaningful learning your students will experience in the upcoming school year. Below are three teaching practices that can help you make this vision a reality. Each of these practices promotes…

(an adapted excerpt from The Joyful Classroom: Practical Ways to Engage and Challenge Students K–6) Ms. Romano has gathered her fourth graders in a circle at the start of a science lesson. “Today,” she says, “you’ll begin learning about the properties of light and shadow. This will help you better…

How do you refer to the students in your class when addressing them? At first glance, this may seem like a trivial issue; but consider how many times throughout the day we speak to students to get their attention. The patterns we establish for naming our class will be repeated…

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 "my" space. In practice, what that means is that while I am still in charge (I am, after…

I started setting up my classroom a few days ago, and of course I was thinking about the first days of school, but what really guided my decisions was a vision of what my classroom would be like about ten weeks from now. By then I expect the room will…

One afternoon in late October, my third grade class laughed together for the first time this year. It happened as we were getting ready to transition from science to math. "Okay," I said, "we need to put away our ecosystem books, our papers and pencils, and then make a standing…

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 work and showcasing learning. Now, for those of you who are just getting started with a new class, it's time…

The end of the school year is an emotional time. By this time, many students (and teachers!) are eager for summer vacation, yet many children have mixed feelings about leaving the comforting structure of school. As the weather warms, attention to schoolwork fades. And perhaps most difficult for teachers who’ve…

While reading Mike Anderson's series of posts about strategies for keeping students active and engaged, I kept thinking about a second grade classroom I visited recently. I was lucky enough to watch the teacher use many of the strategies Mike suggests in a skillful, seamless way. The effect was almost…

I was so moved by your responses to my last post about the importance of bringing joy to classrooms! The images of college students being read to, classes dancing at "boogie breaks," and teachers letting students help decide what to do at centers brought me my own measure of joy.…

I’ve been thinking recently yet again about how important joy is to classroom life and learning. My ten-year-old niece got me started down this path when she returned from visiting a school her parents were considering for her next year. When my sister picked her up, my niece breathlessly told…