The Responsive Classroom Approach offers clear expectations for behavior and academic performance, has proactive approaches to discipline, provides opportunities for choice and personal start-up, and supports children's development from a more holistic perspective than a typical classroom that does not use this approach. The program has some principles and components of its own, and these are designed to create social processes that promote learning. The approach has seven principles: Equal emphasis on social and academic curriculum, Focusing on how children learn as much as what they learn, Knowing that social interaction facilitates cognitive development, Emphasizing cooperation, responsibility, empathy and self-control as critical social skills for children's learning, Emphasizing teachers' knowledge of children's individual, cultural and developmental characteristics, Focus on understanding children's families and Focus on the way adults work together at school.
The six prominent components of this approach are:
Morning Meeting: Meetings held daily to builds a sense of community while sharing, playing and planning the day. This ritual creates a positive sense of community for the day. It has four components: greeting, sharing, group play and a daily letter and news from the teacher. It offers a lot of opportunity to children to learn and practice a variety of social and academic skills; like speaking in front of others about meaningful experiences, listening to others and responding appropriately with questions and comments, working collaboratively and using information recently learned in the classroom, etc.
Rules and Logical Consequences: These are positive statements that establish guidelines and expectations for rules developed by teacher and students at the beginning of the term. They are cornerstones of classroom life and are used to encourage conversation and problem-solving about ethical issues that arise at school. These classroom management tools are designed to build and foster a sense of community and instill “habits of goodness” in children. Examples of classroom rules are "Respect yourself", "Respect others" and "Respect the environment".
Logical consequences are unpunished reactions to students' wrongdoing. It is designed to be specific to the situation and the child. For example, a child who is irresponsible with classroom materials may need to repair or replace something that is broken. The purpose of logical consequences is support children as they learn to behave in a socially responsible manner and help them correct and soothe their feelings when they have hurt someone.
Guided Discovery: It is a process to introduce students to classroom materials (games, art materials, books and computers) and learning methods (writing or reading workshops). It aims at their active participation in creating knowledge about the potential and use of materials and methods. Like other direct teaching methods, it uses modeling and notation to teach skills and concepts; but guided discovery goes even further. The interactive process between students and teacher includes naming the object or learning activity to build a common vocabulary, generating ideas about its potential and use, actively exploring ideas with the group and making decisions about the care of materials. Meanwhile, students also learn and practice social skills that support collaborative learning, such as listening to each other, appreciating each other's ideas, asking thoughtful questions and making respectful comments. Materials and methods introduced through guided discovery are then made available to students use in the classroom.
Classroom Organization: In a responsive classroom, physical space is organized both to maximize children's independence and to facilitate peer interactions for a small group or whole class. For example, a carpeted area or a space invites the entire group to get together and see each other face-to-face and tables or specific interests around the room provide opportunities for large or small group interactions. The physical environment should also contribute to the development of a classroom culture that is built together by the students and the teacher over time.
Academic Choice: Having children make choices at school helps them develop a sense of ownership about the learning process. In the responsive classroom, students are regularly given the opportunity to make choices about their own learning. The teacher offers options or provides guidance for choosing a method or material for a study topic or a project. The selection can be as simple as a standalone reading book or as complex as a semester-long research project.
Assessment and Reporting to Parents: Home-school communication is essential for a productive relationship between parents and teachers. It helps both parties understand how to best promote children's academic learning and social-emotional development. The Responsive Classroom Approach recommends that teachers initiate the first contact with parents early in the school years. The teacher should invite parents to share their concerns and goals for their children and should express their own thoughts. The teacher should also communicate to parents that they are always welcome in the classroom. Many activities are available for parents, both those who help out regularly in the classroom and those who visit only occasionally or spontaneously.
Res. Asst. Melike EDİŞ
Department of Child Development
