Students learn best when their classrooms are places where they feel safe, challenged, and joyful-places that free them to learn. At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach are ten classroom practices that help teachers create such an environment.

Classroom Practices

Morning Meeting · gathering as a whole class to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead

Rule Creation · helping students create classroom rules that allow all class members to meet their learning goals

Interactive Modeling · teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a specific modeling technique

Positive Teacher Language · using words and tone to promote children's active learning and self-discipline

Logical Consequences · responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity

Guided Discovery · introducing materials using a format that encourages creativity and responsibility

Academic Choice · increasing student motivation by differentiating instruction and allowing students teacher-structured choices in their work

Classroom Organization · setting up the physical room in ways that encourage independence, cooperation, and productivity

Working with Families · hearing families' insights and helping them understand the school's teaching approaches

Collaborative Problem Solving · using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students

School-wide Practices

After incorporating Responsive Classroom practices into classroom teaching, schools are often motivated to extend the principles of the approach to areas outside the classroom. They plan lunchroom and playground procedures, all-school events, and other aspects of whole-school life to ensure consistency in climate and expectations between the classroom and the larger school.