A responsive classroom emphasizes simultaneous academic and social learning, autonomy, and confidence-building for students. It considers individual needs and encourages interaction through open-ended questions, group work, and an environment where mistakes are opportunities for growth. Students play an active role in setting the tone and may meet for a morning check-in. Teachers can receive training through workshops to create a fully responsive classroom.
A responsive classroom is a classroom in which the instructor fosters an environment for simultaneous academic and social learning, with a strong emphasis on autonomy and confidence-building for students. This approach is effective in a variety of contexts and can have a dramatic impact on learning ability and behavior problems, even in struggling school districts. It is most effective when the whole school takes a reactive classroom approach and uses this technique to guide its educational policies and priorities.
Teachers who take this approach believe that students should develop social skills as they develop academic ones, and that a classroom where students feel confident in exploration and communication can lead to better student outcomes. In a responsive classroom, the teacher considers the individual needs of the students and thinks about how to balance students from different cultural, social and academic backgrounds. The class may also include a mix of students with learning disabilities and other issues that can impact their ability to learn and grow, and these too need to be considered.
The instructor in a responsive class asks open-ended questions that encourage students to interact with the material and with each other. Students do not memorize and repeat material but build on what they learn through class discussions. They likely participate in group work, where they break up into smaller groups to discuss the topic of interest. Instructors encourage students to make mistakes and learn from them by providing an environment where mistakes are an opportunity for growth instead of humiliation or punishment.
In the reactive classroom, children play an active role in setting the tone. They help the teacher establish and enforce classroom rules. They also interact with each other and can take a leadership role in the lessons. In entire schools, students may meet as a group earlier in the day for a morning meeting, a check-in period where they engage in interactive activities, socialize, and talk about any academic or personal issues they may be experiencing. This builds bonds between students and encourages cooperation on a variety of tasks.
Teachers may receive responsive classroom training in the graduation process or through workshops after graduation and credentialing. These workshops are a form of continuing education and can vary in complexity. A simple weekend seminar could provide some tips on how to change behaviors in the classroom, while a longer course could allow one instructor to create a fully responsive classroom and work with the rest of the school to promote the use of this approach in teaching.
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