While Jefferson Elementary has always worked to create a welcoming and positive atmosphere for students, things are getting even better thanks to a focus on using the Responsive Classroom approach. Responsive Classroom was created in 1981 by a group of teachers who believed that student’s development of social skills is equally important to the learning of academic skills and that when students improve socially, they perform better academically. Since it’s beginning, more than 120,000 teachers across the country have been trained in Responsive Classroom impacting more than 100,000,000 students every day. This approach to teaching used by schools across the country, is in its second year of use at Jefferson Elementary.

The Responsive Classroom approach is designed to help students learn about and develop positive social, emotional, and academic traits like cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, self-control, and perseverance. The strategies or “practices” that teachers may use to help students learn about and practice the traits are:

• Morning Meeting–Everyone in the classroom gathers in a circle for fifteen to twenty minutes at the beginning of the day and proceeds through four components: greeting, sharing, activity, and morning message.

• Establishing Rules–Teacher and students work together to name individual goals for the year and establish rules that will help everyone reach those goals.

• Energizers–Short, playful, whole-group activities that are used as breaks in lessons.

• Quiet Time–A brief, purposeful and relaxed time of transition that can take place after lunch and recess, before the rest of the school day continues.

• Closing Circle–A five- to ten-minute gathering at the end of the day that promotes reflection and celebration through participation in a brief activity or two.

Students are taught very clear expectations about what traits looks like through discussion, modeling, and practice. Every month a school-wide assembly is held so that students can celebrate their positive behavior.

While the program is only beginning to be implemented, the attention has already resulted in an improvement in students’ behaviors, leading to a more positive school climate and fewer office referrals. The reinforcement of positive behavior allows teachers to be more effective, and students respond well to the positive attention they receive when making good choices. Responsive Classroom helps give kids the tools to have the positive adult and peer relationships that they all deserve.