School Administrative Unit #37
286 Commercial Street, Manchester, NH 03101 * Tel: 603-624-6300 * Fax: 603-624-6337

Safe Schools

The Responsive Classroom

The Manchester elementary and Catholic schools use the Responsive Classroom approach as part of the Safe Schools Program. All elementary teachers have been trained and are using the following strategies in their classrooms on a daily basis. Each school has 2 trainers (40 in all), and the city has 10 core trainers. The main purpose of the Responsive Classroom approach has been to create caring communities in schools that create prosocial development in children and allow for more productive learning environments. The Responsive Classroom is the registered name for the program developed by the Northeast Foundation for Children in Greenfield, MA, http://www.responsiveclassroom.org.

Philosophy

The Social Curriculum is just as important as the academic.
How children learn is just as important as what they learn.
The greatest cognitive growth occurs through socialization.
Specific sets of social skills are needed to perform academically and socially.
University of Wisconsin - Social Skills Rating System:
C = Cooperation
A = Assertion
R = Responsibility
E = Empathy
S = Self Control
Every parent wants the best for their child.
Lasting change in schools can only occur if we as adults model that behavior.

What Makes a Good School Good?

Safe Places - physically and emotionally.
Respectful Places
Upholds High Expectations.
Vibrant Places - something intellectually going on.
School Functions in Students Best Interests - how well you know your children: 3 ways:
- Individually
- Developmentally
- Culturally

Morning Meeting

Purpose:

To create community
To foster responsive interactions - sharing, listening, inclusion and participation
To teach the skills needed to be a responsive member of a classroom and school through daily rituals and patterns.

Components:

1. Greeting

To learn and use everyone's name
To greet and welcome each other to the room, becoming friendly caretakers.

2. Sharing

To know and be known
To make transitions from home to school
To develop ability to speak to a group.

3.Group Activity

Build class cohesion and spirit
Have fun and participate as a group
Encourage cooperation rather than competition
Foster variety and differences of input
Foster active, not passive participation

4. News and Announcements

To transition and orient children to class day
To develop and reinforce language skills
To build community through written information
To transition focus onto academic day.

Rules and Logical Consequences

Purpose:

To assume responsibility for your own behavior / actions.
To internalize self respect and respect for others in all situations.
To take pride in everything they do - never settle for less than your best.
To respect yourself and others.
To be responsible in decision making.
To develop communication skills.
To develop and use respect / responsibility / self worth.
To accept responsibility.
To create a positive working environment.
To practice tolerance / fairness / respect / citizenship

Rules - Proactive Discipline

Teacher involves students in goals and rules
Teachers establishes his/her convictions about the social atmosphere
Rules make success possible
Rules are guidelines and positive
Rules are to do: Reinforce, Remind, Redirect

Logical Consequences - Reactive Discipline

Teacher provides orderly, consistent and predictable approach to discipline that nurtures empowerment, responsibility, self-respect and self-control.
The 3R's of logical consequences: Respectful, Relevant, Realistic
Three kinds of logical consequences:
- "You break it - you fix it"
- Loss of privilege
- Time out

Other strategies that work:

Compliment Circle
Conflict Resolution
Peer Mediation
Behavior Contract

Safe Schools Home Page

This page last updated May 2, 2006 by Kevin Smith

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