Responsive Classroom – What is it?
There are seven basic principles underlying this approach:* 1. The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. 2. How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. 3. The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction. 4. There is a set of social skills children need in order to be successful academically and socially: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. 5. Knowing the children we teachindividually, culturally, and developmentally is as important as knowing the content we teach. 6. Knowing the families of the children we teach and inviting their participation is essential to children’s education. 7. How the adults at school work together is as important as individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community. The Responsive Classroom approach includes the following main teaching strategies and elements:* Morning Meeting: A daily routine that builds community, creates
