Building Classroom Community

Responsive Classroom is still a relatively new structure in my classroom, but it's quickly becoming the most valuable. RC has given me permission to lean in to getting to know my students and giving them the time and safe space needed to learn about one another.  This is proactive classroom management- an intentional focus on building relationships daily rather than leaving this to chance. A daily morning meeting needs to be protected and reserved for intentional work building connections and respect for one another. 

While teaching sixth grade, I made the shift from morning seat-work to a "Question of the Day." The question of the day was posted each morning on a white board to the side of the classroom, and sometimes students wrote an answer immediately. Other times students waited until prompted to share aloud their answers, and soon some students began to chat with one another about the question upon arriving. Some students enjoyed decorating the board while they waited for the news show to begin. Our team taught students specific options for this morning time: read quietly, draw, greet friends, etc. It was a treat to take time each day to make connections and hear students opinions, but it was not enough. 

The following year, our entire school began to use the RC morning meeting structure first thing in the morning. I was blown away by the sense of community formed with students physically gathered in a circle around the rug, seated on stools, sofas, and on the floor. The time to properly greet one another, answer a question, and play a game  paid off as students felt more engaged and more a part of the collective group. Additionally, it's important for classmates and teachers to be able to pronounce one another's names correctly, and morning meeting provides a great opportunity to practice addressing others appropriately. 

With the onset of the COVID 19 Pandemic, I saw my own daughter's kindergarten class continue to check in online and chat- but without a structure to ensure all voices were heard.   The relationships continued, but without intention. One year later, her first grade teacher has maintained a strong morning meeting structure since the first day of school, and students anxiously await a turn to share with the class each morning. The structure is predictable and the directions clear, and students quickly knew one another by name and began to make connections among themselves. In this region, nearly every virtual or hybrid school system has dedicated time each day to morning meetings and social-emotional learning. Now more than ever we cannot leave relationships building to chance- and the morning meeting is the best starting point.  

Responsive Classroom blends very well with both the Positivity Project and the Portrait of a Graduate in Fairfax County Public Schools. Both of these initiatives focus on developing students' life skills and exploring different character traits. Students are able to see how they can make an individual impact on their community and be their best. selves. It's exciting to see a focus on social and emotional learning in our schools. As with responsive classroom, it is powerful to have a cohesive plan for supporting and prioritizing social and emotional growth. 

Favorite Resources

Here are a few of my favorite resources for learning about inclusive education: