EDG 6931: Synthesis and Practical Action Final Project
Introduction to the Responsive Classroom
Anely Arencibia / 1

COURSE OVERVIEW:

The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching and learning emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth within a strong and safe learning community. It was developed by teachers with the goals of increasing student investment, responsibility, and learning, and decreasing behavior problems. The Responsive Classroom approach is based on theories regarding the importance of learning as a social activity and is supported by research which associates the approach with higher student achievement, improved social skills, and fewer problem behaviors. The approach is founded on the principle that children learn best when they possess both academic and social-emotional skills andconsists of classroom and school-wide practicesspecifically designed to help children build these competencies. In this course teachers will gain an initial awareness of Responsive Classroom practices.They will participate in activities such as an adult Morning Meeting, explore the ideas on which the Responsive Classroom approach is based, and watch a video showing the practices in action. Through activities and readings, teachers will also learn about the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline and gain knowledge of practical strategies to use in the classroom.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

  1. Learners will understand and identify the guiding principles behind the Responsive Classroom approach andthe ten classroom practices at the heart of the approach. They will analyze research evidence for the Responsive Classroom approach.
  2. Learners will demonstrate an understanding of the Responsive Classroom approach through activities, written assignments/reflections, and discussion.

READINGS:

  • Origins. (no publication date available)[n.d.]Research Evidence for the Responsive Classroom Approach. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from
  • Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (n.d.) Responsive Classroom Info Brochure. retrieved February 18, 2009, from
  • Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (2007, November). Using the Responsive Classroom Approach to Build Strong School Communities. Responsive Classroom Newsletter. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from HYPERLINK "
  • Bondy, E. & S. Ketts. Childhood Education. 77Ch./Art: Like Being at the Breakfast Table: The Power of Classroom Morning Meeting p.144-149. pub. Association for Childhood Education International. 2001
  • Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (2000) The First Six Weeks of School. Responsive Classroom Newsletter. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from
  • Charney, R. S. (2005) Logical Consequences Teach Important Lessons. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from
  • Forton, M.B. (1998) Apology of Action: Teaching Children to Make Amends. Responsive Classroom Newsletter. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from
  • Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (n.d.) About Responsive Classroom. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from

VIDEOS:

  • Douwstra, J. (2008) Responsive Classroom and Apology of Action. [Digital Video]. United States: Humphrey Elementary School, Chandler, AZ. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from
  • Responsive Classroom. (December, 2008) Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting Greeting. [Digital Video]. United States. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from
  • Responsive Classroom. (November, 2008) Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting Sharing. [Digital Video]. United States. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from

CLASS SESSIONS:

Session 1:The Responsive Classroom and Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom

Guiding Questions: What is a Responsive Classroom? How does the Responsive Classroom approach help improve children’s social and academic skills while reducing behavior problems? What are the Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom approach?

Objective: Learners will be able to:

  • Define Responsive Classroom.
  • Identify ways the Responsive Classroom approach helps improve the social and academic skills of children.
  • Identify ways the Responsive Classroom approach helps reduce behavior problems.
  • Identify the seven Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom approach.

Readings:Northeast Foundation for Children, I. (n.d.) Responsive Classroom Info Brochure;

Origins. (n.d.) Research Evidence for the Responsive Classroom Approach; About Responsive Classroom: Guiding Principles; Using the Responsive Classroom Approach to Build Strong School Communities.

Class Activities:

  • Block Party[1] defining what the Responsive Classroom means to you using the Responsive Classroom Info Brochure.
  • Text-Based Seminar[2] using Responsive Classroom Info Brochure & Research Evidence for the Responsive Classroom Approach to address the guiding questions for this session.
  • Chalk Talk[3] defining Responsive Classroom and the seven Guiding Principlesusing About Responsive Classroom: Guiding Principles and the Responsive Classroom Approach to Build Strong School Communities.

Homelearning Due Next Session:

  • Complete the Reflective Guide[4] using the readings from this session in preparation for our next session.

Session 2: Responsive Classroom Practices and School-Wide Practices

Guiding Questions: What are the typical practices of a Responsive Classroom? What are some of the strategies used to implement these practices? What are the typical school-wide practices? What strategies can be used to implement school-wide responsiveness?

Objective:Learners will be able to:

  • Identify the ten practices at the heart of a Responsive Classroom and describe specific strategies used to implement each one.
  • Identify the typical practices adopted to promote school-wide responsiveness and describe specific strategies used to implement them.
  • Demonstrate understanding of Responsive Classroom and School-Wide practices and strategies.

Readings: About Responsive Classroom: Classroom Practices and School-Wide Practices; Bondy (2001); The First Six Weeks of School; Charney (2005); Forton (1998).

Class Activities:

  • Debrief classroom practices and school-wide practices.
  • List strategies for implementation on charts.
  • Watch brief clips from Responsive Classroom and Apology of Action; Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting Greeting; Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting Sharing.
  • Three Levels of Text[5] using listed articles.
  • Role-play selected classroom practices and school-wide practices.

Homelearning Due Next Session:

  • A Change in Practice[6] -complete the Writing section in preparation for next class.

SESSION 1: THE RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM LESSON PLAN

Introduction to the Responsive Classroom

Arencibia

Guiding Questions: What is a Responsive Classroom? How does the Responsive Classroom approach help improve children’s social and academic skills while reducing behavior problems? What are the Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom approach?

Objective: Learners will be able to identify ways the Responsive Classroom approach helps improve children’s social and academic skills while reducing behavior problems. Learners will be able to identify the seven Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom approach.

Readings for class:Northeast Foundation for Children, I. (n.d.) Responsive Classroom Info Brochure; Origins. (n.d.) Research Evidence for the Responsive Classroom Approach; About Responsive Classroom: Guiding Principles; Using the Responsive Classroom Approach to Build Strong School Communities.

Class Activities:

  1. Block Party[7] (1 hour)
  1. Facilitator gives a brief overview of the procedures for conducting the Block Party Protocol.
  2. Conduct Block Party
  3. Debrief Block Party.
  1. Description: What did we learn? What helped us to do that learning?
  2. Analysis: What connections might there be for actual classroom situations?
  1. Whole group popcorn style.
  1. Application
  1. What is the most important thing you learned from this activity?
  2. How will it affect your current practices?

2. Text-Based Seminar[8](1 hour)

  1. Facilitator gives a brief overview of the guidelines.
  2. Conduct Text-Based Seminar using Responsive Classroom Info Brochure & Research Evidence for the Responsive Classroom Approach.
  3. Debrief Text-Based Seminar.

i. Description: What did we learn?

  1. Did your thoughts/feelings change?
  2. What worked well? Not so well?

ii. Analysis: What do you agree with in the text?

  1. Whole group popcorn style.
  1. Application:
  1. What part of the texts do you want to aspire to?

3. Chalk Talk[9] (20 minutes)

a. Facilitator gives a brief overview of the guidelines.

b. Conduct Chalk Talk using About Responsive Classroom: Guiding Principles and the Responsive Classroom Approach to Build Strong School Communities.

4. Wrap-Up/Questions

a. Homelearning Reminder.

b. Housekeeping Questions.

Homelearning due next class:

  • Complete the Reflective Guide[10] using the readings from this session in preparation for our next session.

RATIONALE

The increasing trend of children that are coming to school less able to pay attention and less able to motivate themselves (Charney, 2002) has prompted the development of new instructional focuses and strategies to help these children succeed academically and socially. The Responsive Classroom approach has been the focus of considerable research interest since the 1990’s. The professional development sequence detailed above which introduces educators to the Responsive Classroom approach is based on this trend. The pedagogical decisions made within the professional development sequence are based on research-based strategies being implemented in individual classrooms as well as school-wide. This paper will describe the rationale behind the instructional decisions by referencing the educational research literature as well as details relevant to the context in which the sequence will be taught.

Context

Palm Springs Elementary is an average sized, urban elementary school located in the eastern portion of the City of Hialeah. The school has a student enrollment of 795. The demographic breakdown shows that 96% of the student population is Hispanic, 2% are Black or African-American, and 2% are White(Miami-Dade County Public Schools[MDCPS], 2006-2007) Approximately 76.3% of the students enrolled at Palm Springs Elementary are on the free or reduced lunch program, and 36.6% are Limited English Proficient. (MDCPS, 2006-2007) Given the high percentage of underprivileged children enrolled, the school is a designated Title I school. Title I, part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, provides financial assistance to local education agencies and schools with high percentages of underpriviledged children to help ensure all children meet challenging state academic standards.(U.S. Department of Education, 2008)

Underprivileged students face many challenges which include coming from families with low levels of literacy, low socio-economic status, and increasing transitory status. Faced with issues such as these, students may develop behaviors and attitudes that are undesirable and detrimental to their social and academic growth. Poor instructional environments and underachieving, poorly behaved students are top priorities in educational reform. Three of the most important goals in the education process are to teach students to get along with others, care about themselves, and actively participate in learning. However, children in many schools are failing to achieve these goals and consequently, there are many cases in which educators are not prepared to create the learning environment conducive to these goals. As a result, school has become a place where many of these children feel threatened, angry, unsupported, and unhappy. Under these conditions, learning can be negatively affected for even the most capable child. (Elliott, 1999) The solutions to improving the academic and social skills of students, and reducing negative behaviors require interventions that are comprehensive, persistent, and adaptable. The Responsive Classroom approach contains all of these qualities and is an effective intervention for the challenges students face today.

As stated by Elliott (1999), there are many educators that are not prepared to create learning environments in which students feel they are safe, supported, or understood. This is the reason I chose to introduce the Responsive Classroom approach to my colleagues as my professional development sequence. The instructional strategies chosen to provide teachers with an understanding of the Responsive Classroom approach are (1) The Responsive Classroom and its Guiding Principles, (2) Responsive Classroom practices, and (3) School-wide practices. These strategies are the basis for the instructional decisions made within the professional development sequence and will be discussed in detail.

In order for teachers to create learning environments that will foster the social and academic growth of students, they must have an understanding of strategies that will allow them the opportunity to do so. Teachers need to know the purpose of the Responsive Classroom approach and the principles in place that guide the strategies. In order to do so, the professional development begins with a Block Party activity (National School Reform Faculty [NSRF], 2007) aimed at providing teachers with a brief overview of the Responsive Classroom approach. This is done by providing teachers with readings from the Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (n.d.) which provides information on the purpose of the Responsive Classroom approach and the rationale behind it. The sharing of different quotes and their meanings allows teachers to hear different points of view on the text and build on their current understanding.

The activity following is the Text-Based Seminar (National School Reform Faculty [NSRF], 2007) which provides the enlargement of understanding of a text. Teachers use the readings from the Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (n.d.) to work together and gain a more in-depth understanding of the Responsive Classroom approach guided by framing questions provided by the facilitator. The Chalk Talk activity (National School Reform Faculty [NSRF], 2007) allows teachers to reflect on ideas and learning gained through the Block Party and Text-Based Seminar activities. Teachers gain further understanding of the Responsive Classroom approach by reading articles from Bondy (2001), Charney (2005), and Fornton (1998) and debrief the strategies using the Three Levels of Text protocol (National School Reform Faculty [NSRF], 2007) . They also participate in discussions on classroom and school-wide practices and list implementation strategies on charts. By viewing digital videos showing practices implemented in actual classrooms, teachers are able to obtain in-depth understanding of the strategies Apology of Action (Douwstra, 2008), Morning Meeting Greeting (Responsive Classroom, 2008), and Morning Meeting Sharing (Responsive Classroom, 2008).By having teachers complete homelearning assignments, the Reflective Guide and A Change in Practice (National School Reform Faculty [NSRF], 2007), they are able to reflect and summarize the knowledge gained from the professional development. The teachers will then have written evidence demonstrating their understanding of the Responsive Classroom approach, its Guiding Principles, and the Responsive Classroom practices and School-Wide practices that promote successful student academic and social achievement while reducing negative behavior.

References

Bondy, E. & S. Ketts. (2001) Childhood Education. Like Being at the Breakfast Table: The Power of Classroom Morning Meeting77Ch/Artp.144-149. Association for Childhood Education International.

Charney, R. S. (2002) Teaching Children to Care: Classroom Management for Ethical and Academic Growth. (2nd ed) Turner Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.

Charney, R. S. (2005) Logical Consequences Teach Important Lessons. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2009 from

Douwstra, J. (2008) Responsive Classroom and Apology of Action. [Digital Video]. United States: Humphrey Elementary School, Chandler, AZ. Retrieved February 24, 2009 from

Elliott, S. N., Ph.D. (1999) A Multi-Year Evaluation of the Responsive Classroom Approach: Its Effectiveness and Acceptability in Promoting Social and Academic Competence. Retrieved on February 21, 2009, from

Forton, M.B. (1998) Apology of Action: Teaching Children to Make Amends. Responsive Classroom Newsletter. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from

Miami-Dade County Public Schools [MDCPS]. (2006-2007) Palm Springs Elementary Demographics Report. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from

National School Reform Faculty [NSRF]. (2007). Protocols listed on the website of the National School Reform Faculty. Retrieved from

Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.(no publication date available) [n.d.]Responsive Classroom Info Brochure. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from

Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (n.d.) About Responsive Classroom. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from

Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (2000) The First Six Weeks of School. Responsive Classroom Newsletter. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from

Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (2007) Using the Responsive Classroom Approach to Build Strong School Communities. Responsive Classroom Newsletter. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from

Origins. (n.d.)Research Evidence for the Responsive Classroom Approach. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from

Responsive Classroom. (November, 2008) Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting Sharing. [Digital Video]. United States. Retrieved February 24, 2009 from

Responsive Classroom. (December, 2008) Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting Greeting. [Digital Video]. United States. Retrieved February 24, 2009 from

United States Department of Education. [USDOE] (2008) Title I. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from

APPENDIX A

NationalSchoolReformFaculty

Harmony Education Center

Block Party

A Pre-Reading Text-Based Activity

Adapted by Debbie Bambino from Kylene Beers pre-reading strategy

This activity can be used with a variety of texts, poems, articles or whole books. It works well with largegroups.

1. Facilitator writes quotes on index cards prior to session. You may choose one quote per participant, orrepeat some quotes.

2. Participants randomly select quotes/cards and spend a few minutes reflecting upon their quote’smeaning for them and their work. (3 minutes)

3. Participants mingle and share quotes in pairs. Participants are encouraged to share with three otherparticipants in 5 minute segments. (15 minutes)

4. (Optional) Form triads or quads and share quotes and insights about the text and its implications for ourwork. (Extension: Speculate on the purpose/origin of the text.) (12-15 minutes)

5. Whole group sharing of ideas and questions raised by the experience. This can be done popcorn styleor as a round, but is usually not a conversation. (10-12 minutes)

6. Facilitator shares the source of the quotes, posting the link, distributing the article etc. for future work.(1 minute)

7. Debrief the process (5 minutes)

Note: At the National Facilitator’s Meeting in Chicago the following possibilities were shared: 1) Haveparticipants exchange cards/quotes after each round. 2) Use this format to share end of year reflectionsor start up aspirations. 3) Using quotes from longer pieces can open up the conversation in large, mixedgroups where students and family members might have previously been excluded from the discussion ofthe material.