SEL
The Responsive Classroom approach
The Responsive Classroom
®
approach
for improving interactions with children
Second, teachers who use the Responsive
Classroom approach spend time and effort
creating caring classroom environments.
For example, teachers use daily
Morning Meetings to give their students
opportunities for positive social interactions
with each other. As another example,
teachers use positive teacher language
(e.g., language that is direct and simple
and shows respect) to promote children’s
sense of community and active learning.
Taken together, these elements support
children’s development of cooperation with
one another, self-control, and positive social
exchanges throughout the school day.
Research fi ndings on the Responsive
Classroom approach
Current research on the RC approach offers
promising fi ndings. Children enrolled in
classrooms using the RC approach appear to
show more improvement in their social skills
compared to children who are not enrolled
Educators and policy makers often ask, “If we focus our in these classrooms. Specifi cally, teachers’
attention on children’s social learning, will we diminish their
use of RC practices contributed positively
to teachers’ perception of closeness with
academic achievement?” Sara Rimm-Kaufman discusses one
their students, children’s assertiveness,
approach designed to support both these aspects of learning
and children’s prosocial behavior. In
addition, children in classrooms using the
RC approach reported greater enjoyment
TEACHERS FACE CHALLENGES balancing to create consistent and sustained use of of school, and more positive feelings about
their goals to meet children’s social and the RC approach. learning, teachers, and fellow students.
emotional needs with academic learning. Further, research has been conducted on
Although most teachers strive to create Recent trends in how the RC approach relates to teachers’
classrooms that offer both pleasant social
education science point
experience of teaching. Studies examining
environments and academic challenge, the
daily demands on teachers make it diffi cult
to the importance of both
teachers’ self-effi cacy and attitudes toward
teaching show that teachers using more
for them to be responsive and sensitive the quality and quantity of RC practices perceived themselves as more
to children while also creating stimulating
evidence for establishing the
effective in relation to discipline, their ability
academic environments. The Responsive to create a positive school climate, and their
Classroom
®
(RC) approach offers a set
credibility of interventions
ability to infl uence decision-making at their
of principles and practices designed to
used in schools
school. Teachers at RC schools held more
support elementary school teachers’ efforts. positive attitudes toward teaching than
Examples of these principles and practices Two aspects of the Responsive Classroom those at schools not using the RC approach.
can be found in Figure 1. approach stand out most prominently. Finally, researchers have examined the
The developers of the Responsive First, teachers who use the Responsive relationship between teachers’ use of the
Classroom approach, Northeast Foundation Classroom approach favor proactive over RC approach and children’s achievement.
for Children (NEFC), have developed training reactive approaches to organizing and Results show that children in classrooms
sessions for teachers to learn RC principles managing their classrooms. Teachers use using the RC approach show greater
and practices. One-day workshops introduce interactive modeling to teach students the achievement gains in math and reading
teachers to the principles and practices, and norms of classroom behavior (e.g., children compared to children in classrooms using
one-week institutes offer further instruction. watch their teacher show a skill such as conventional practices. The achievement
It takes time and support to create changes pencil sharpening or table wiping and then gains were larger in math than reading.
in teaching practices. To meet those imitate his/her actions). Teachers use a Results were equivalent for children from
needs, NEFC offers follow-up school-based collaborative approach to rule creation to family backgrounds that place them at risk
consultations to support learning, as well as empower students to create classroom rules of school failure versus children with more
assistance with school-wide implementation that foster cooperation and respect. typical family backgrounds.
10 Better: Evidence-based Education winter 2010
Better(US)Win10 pp10-11 Choosing.indd 10 23/2/10 17:00:41
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