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| Download a FREE Printable Poster! |
The best classrooms employ strategies, which utilize both SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL skills, in order to achieve high ACADEMIC success.
Responsive Classroom is an approach to teaching, which (when well-constructed) leads to improved classroom behavior and academic growth.
According to Responsive Classroom, "Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching that focuses on engaging academics, positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness." This helps educators to "create safe and joyful learning communities where students develop strong social and academic skills and every student can thrive."
I have been using Responsive Classroom strategies for over 17 years!
Check out my TOP THREE book recommendations and Responsive Classroom Management Posters!
{This post may contain affiliate links to materials I recommend. If you purchase something using these links I may receive a small commission.}
#1 When I first began learning about R.C. in 2002, I ordered the Morning Meeting Book.
I still use it each year! It is such an easy read and an amazing resource. I love how it helps you launch a successful start to each day with students. Morning Meeting allows you establish trust, build relationships, and create a rhythm and routine for each day. There are a TON of examples for teachers to use in this book, for greetings, messages, and activities. They even put them in age ranges and explain when in the year they should be introduced. This is a MUST HAVE for any teacher!
# 2 For real, my FAVORITE teaching resource/gift ever: Yardsticks by Chip Wood.
I have actually purchased this book many times through my 17 years of R.C. development... because I have regularly lent it to other educators and teachers--which then turned into "gifting" it!
Let me tell you why I love this book.. If you are at all intrigued by the development of children, this book will suck you in! It covers the growth and development of children from the ages of 4-14, with a look at the 'typical' cognitive, physical, and social-emotional characteristics for each stage. There is also easy-to-understand and follow advice about each milestone.
As a mother of a 5- and 3-year old, I now am using this book in a whole new way! It has already given me invaluable and practical information about the growth of my own children, and helped me to recognize which areas of development I can support them with!
This book is a FABULOUS gift for parents or teachers. If I had to choose any one book to keep as a reference, I would pick this one.
There are also Yardstick brochures, which give you 'at-a-glance' reference information for grade level spans. At my school, we order these to give to parents at our fall parent teacher conferences. They are amazing!
#3 The First Six Weeks of School, every year... I will NEVER NOT USE this!
This book is an old friend. Each summer, in the weeks before I head back to school, I open this book up and remember all of the amazing things I want to incorporate into my new beginning! I walk through the familiar pages and add new penciled-in ideas. This book brings me great joy!
The First Six Weeks of School includes a SCHEDULE for the month and a half of school... for real! If you are wondering how to build a classroom community, introduce workshop or classroom areas through guided discoveries, or are interested in building classroom rules and routines... LOOK NO FURTHER. This books walk you through all of the essentials. It is extremely user-friendly. It's a treasure!
How I use Responsive Classroom
I have taken many elements of R.C. and created simple, clear posters for best practices in a classroom. In my PACKAGE of Classroom Management Posters there are printables to support you with the following topics:
* Morning Meeting routine
* Signals (what to do)
* Consequences
* Class Rules
* Quiet Time
* Choice Time
* Bathroom Rules
Morning Meeting: I made this package to give visual and simple supports to students through each element of our MM. We start the year off with the basic Morning Meeting poster, which reminds students about each element (Greeting, Sharing, Activity, Message). There are 3 versions of this, to scaffold the Morning Meeting routine and offer various supports to all learners:
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| Morning Meeting Posters |
SIGNALS: I use the Signals Poster the MOST, because we often need to review or introduce new signals. In this poster, I point out specific elements: FREEZE, TURN, LISTEN. There are 2 versions.
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| Signal Posters |
CONSEQUENCES: What happens when you break a rule? There are supportive stages set up, so you can reset and return (take a break, buddy room, you break it you fix it, logical consequences, or loss of a privilege).
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| Teaching Consequences |
CLASS RULES: We typically develop our own more specific class rules (which is why there are fill-in-your-own-rules posters in this bundle). However, I created these general posters as a start up list, for general review, or for unified arts classes who may not have the time to generate more specific rules. These all fall under the 4 basic categories: how we learn, how we treat each other, how we treat our materials, and how we are safe.
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| Class Rules Posters |
If you are looking for printables to support your Responsive Classroom work, check out my package here on TeachersPayTeachers. It also includes more posters on Quiet Time, Choice Time, and Bathroom Rules--in both WHITE and CHALKBOARD BLACK version!
Please click on this image to enjoy a FREE Printable Poster for your classroom!
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| Download a FREE Printable Poster!https://mailchi.mp/90466981b5a6/classroomrulesposter |
Enjoy a colorful poster to display in your classroom,
following the Responsive Classroom suggestion of
using rules with the following topics:
*Safety
*How we treat each other
*How we treat our classroom
*How we do our work
Responsive Classroom will improve your classroom climate, allow you to deliver high-quality instruction AND allow your students to feel empowered as well as engaged! Thank you for reading!
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What has been the most powerful element of Responsive Classroom for you? Or, if you are new to R.C., what are you most curious about? Please comment below!
