The Responsive Classroom Approach
The Responsive Classroom approach is used at the Discovery School at Four Corners.
It is an approach that enables us to create a learning environment where your child can grow academically, emotionally and socially, and creates a sense of belonging, significance and fun for each child. The Responsive Classroom approach emphasizes teaching children to take care of themselves, each other and the classroom environment, so that everyone can do their very best. As we learn together, we encourage appropriate behavior through language that is designed to remind, reinforce and redirect children in positive ways.
The Responsive Classroom approach includes:
Morning Meeting
We will gather for 20-25 minutes each morning at classroom meeting spaces. Your child will greet classmates, share news or information, do a group activity and look towards the day with our Morning Message. This important daily routine sets a positive tone for the day, allowing children to practice both social and academic skills.
Hopes and Dreams:
At the beginning of the year children set goals for their own learning. This teaches them to take responsibility for working toward their goals. The Hopes and Dreams become the basis for the rule-making process in each classroom.
Rules and Logical Consequences:
Children work collaboratively to create rules in their classrooms that will help them reach their goals for the year. Children will learn how to follow the rules with modeling and practice. When children make mistakes and break the rules, logical consequences will help them regain self-control and fix those mistakes.
The three logical consequences we use are:
School-Wide Rules:
Classroom rules are the basis for creating school-wide rules. It is important for the entire school community to have a shared understanding of the rules and expectations. We will begin this year with the rules students decided on last year and revisit them during the first weeks of school. The expectation is that these rules apply at all times.
Working Together with Parents and Families:
We strive to involve parents in a variety of ways to encourage a partnership that will enhance your child’s education.
Please consider participating in our Parent Teacher organization. The P.T.O. has monthly meetings and families are always welcome.
We hope that you found this information helpful.
We, at Four Corners School, feel a strong commitment to your child’s success both academically and socially.
The Responsive Classroom approach helps us meet that commitment.
Please let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions.
The Responsive Classroom approach is used at the Discovery School at Four Corners.
It is an approach that enables us to create a learning environment where your child can grow academically, emotionally and socially, and creates a sense of belonging, significance and fun for each child. The Responsive Classroom approach emphasizes teaching children to take care of themselves, each other and the classroom environment, so that everyone can do their very best. As we learn together, we encourage appropriate behavior through language that is designed to remind, reinforce and redirect children in positive ways.
The Responsive Classroom approach includes:
Morning Meeting
We will gather for 20-25 minutes each morning at classroom meeting spaces. Your child will greet classmates, share news or information, do a group activity and look towards the day with our Morning Message. This important daily routine sets a positive tone for the day, allowing children to practice both social and academic skills.
Hopes and Dreams:
At the beginning of the year children set goals for their own learning. This teaches them to take responsibility for working toward their goals. The Hopes and Dreams become the basis for the rule-making process in each classroom.
Rules and Logical Consequences:
Children work collaboratively to create rules in their classrooms that will help them reach their goals for the year. Children will learn how to follow the rules with modeling and practice. When children make mistakes and break the rules, logical consequences will help them regain self-control and fix those mistakes.
The three logical consequences we use are:
- Take a Break: Each classroom has a space where children are sent or may choose to go to in order to regain self- control. Once self-control is obtained children rejoin class activities. It is a proactive way to help children regain self-control.
- Loss of Privilege
- You Break It, You Fix It
School-Wide Rules:
Classroom rules are the basis for creating school-wide rules. It is important for the entire school community to have a shared understanding of the rules and expectations. We will begin this year with the rules students decided on last year and revisit them during the first weeks of school. The expectation is that these rules apply at all times.
Working Together with Parents and Families:
We strive to involve parents in a variety of ways to encourage a partnership that will enhance your child’s education.
- All-School Meetings twice a month that are modeled after the classroom morning meetings.
- Performance Nights twice a year.
- Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences.
- Opportunities for volunteering. Please stop by the office to fill out necessary paperwork. A CORI is required every three years for every adult who works with children in Greenfield Public Schools.
Please consider participating in our Parent Teacher organization. The P.T.O. has monthly meetings and families are always welcome.
We hope that you found this information helpful.
We, at Four Corners School, feel a strong commitment to your child’s success both academically and socially.
The Responsive Classroom approach helps us meet that commitment.
Please let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions.