When I accepted a second-grade teaching position at Normandale French Immersion School in 2006, I wondered if I would be able to incorporate the Responsive Classroom (RC) approach into my immersion classroom. I was coming from an all-English school where RC was the guiding philosophy, and I couldn't see myself being an effective teacher without it. Could I marry the Responsive Classroom and immersion approaches?

It turned out that the Responsive Classroom approach is the perfect partner for immersion. When it is explicitly taught, the approach establishes clear expectations that students can count on and understand in their second language. Additionally, it promotes language acquisition through the use of teaching practices such as Guided Discovery, Academic Choice, and Morning Meeting. For example, Guided Discovery with markers in the immersion classroom allows children an opportunity to use several of their senses as they experiment with markers and consider how to best care for them. Hands-on exploration reinforces the auditory learning and their understanding of the expectation. And choice in Academic Choice is a motivator for students, allowing them some control of their learning. This is especially important in an immersion classroom, where students sometimes feel a lack of control over their ability to communicate.

Réunion du Matin
Initially, Morning Meeting in French was quite a challenge. We needed to establish rules and routines; this takes rigor in any classroom, but it was especially challenging in the students' second language. Something as simple as the expectation of coming to circle with empty hands needed additional support, since I introduced the concept in French. It was necessary to not only talk about the rules and expectations but to also show students and to have them practice what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to follow each expectation. So I modeled and remodeled for them, and then asked them to model for their classmates.

In addition to discussing and modeling the rules and routines, we created posters with words and pictures to use as references. Then we continued to practice, practice, practice. We practiced coming to circle; we practiced sitting cross-legged; we practiced having calm bodies; we practiced looking at the speaker with our eyes; we practiced being quiet when it wasn't our turn to talk; we practiced using speaking voices when it was our turn to talk; we practiced taking a break; and we practiced loss of privilege. Modeling and practicing supports not only students' ability to manage themselves with self-control, but also language acquisition for immersion students.

Opening up for sharing
Once we had established a common understanding of the rules and routines, we moved on to the challenge of sharing in our second language. I had seen this work in an English-speaking classroom, but I wasn't sure how to motivate my students to share when they had limited vocabulary in their second language. Even those who had the skills seemed reluctant to take the risk in a whole-group setting. Some seven-year-olds love to talk about themselves, but in this case, no one was talking!

Incremental challenge
For the first few weeks, I used simple, low-risk Whip Shares in the circle, so students could understand and practice the roles of the sharer and the audience, and I chose topics for which I knew they had some French vocabulary.

When it was time to move to more challenging, interactive sharing, I invited students to bring photos that would help them share. I began by modeling with a photo of my own. In the picture, there were six people wearing star-shaped glasses, sitting around a big table with a cake on it. "I brought a picture to share with you," I told them in French. "I'm ready for questions and comments." Their interest was piqued. They asked questions like, "Who are the people in the picture?" "What were you celebrating?" "Where were you?" "What kind of cake did you have?" With their questions and my replies, students learned something about me, and at the same time they were expanding their vocabularies.

The next day, I asked our French intern to share. Students seemed more relaxed with the process, and they asked several questions that helped all of us learn more about our intern. Beginning the next day, two students shared each day until every student experienced what it felt like to share during Morning Meeting.

Challenging in any language
Students continued to struggle with what kinds of questions to ask and how to ask them. Together, we brainstormed questions that would help us learn more about the person sharing, and we listed them on our class notepad. This provided students with oral and written exposure to the language, as well as reminders of our ideas. When students were reluctant to ask questions, we referred to our list to help them get unstuck.

Eventually, the routine became established, and everyone knew what it looked and sounded like to share with their classmates. No longer dependent on the visual aid of the photos, we brainstormed topics that were appropriate and interesting for sharing. These included birthdays, family gatherings, trips, recitals, Brownie and Cub Scout events, sporting events, and other life experiences. I modeled by sharing an experience with my dog. "Something happened," I told my students in French. "I'm ready for questions and comments." "What happened?" a student asked. I explained to my students that my dog ate the kitchen rug again! They asked a few questions and offered some comments about my naughty dog.

Quality questions
Sharing enabled us to learn more about each other and enriched our classroom community, but students rarely asked open-ended questions that created opportunities for discussion. Simple "est-ce que" or "what" questions solicited simple, one- or two-word answers. I often intervened to keep the sharing going; for example, I would ask, "Does anyone wonder what Billy enjoyed most about his trip to the apple orchard?" But I didn't want students to depend on me to facilitate the discussion. Instead, I wanted them to ask better questions and ultimately to take control of the process. Still, I felt a degree of relief that basic sharing was happening, and I continued to facilitate sharing in this way until recently.

Engaging and owning
Last spring, an Origins Responsive Classroom coach observed our class having a Morning Meeting. After debriefing with the coach, I made a few adjustments that allowed students to share more easily and to be more independent in their sharing. I framed new goals that encouraged sharers to speak concisely and to ask open-ended questions that would lead to more discussion.

We created a list of questions that required answers of more than a word or two. Students could refer to the list when they needed help, and, over time, we added to the list. I had not anticipated the degree to which this change would enhance our sharing experience as a class: sharing became a rich experience as students took time to plan and ask good questions, and they engaged more and more with the language. By the end of the year, they really owned the sharing component of Morning Meeting. They demonstrated genuine caring for and interest in one another, they understood more fully how to ask meaningful questions, and they connected with the French language in a way that allowed them to share their life experiences with minimal support from me.

Responsive Classroom practices can strongly support language acquisition in the immersion classroom. Through sharing, students learn the vocabulary necessary to talk about their everyday lives, use the language in a way that promotes student-led discussion, connect with their classmates, and create community using their second language. Now I know that incorporating RC practices into my immersion classroom is not only possible, but it infinitely enriches the immersion experience.

Sarah Freeborn Kiel teaches 2nd graders at Normandale Elementary French Immersion School in Edina, Minnesota.

This article first appeared in Origins: A Newsletter for Elementary Educators, Winter 2011