Responsive Classroom

The Method

The Path to Success begins with Meeting Street Academy teachers knowing how children most effectively learn. Children learn academics most easily when they have strong social skills that let them take a positive role in classroom life. At MSA, we use Responsive Classroom, which offers strategies for teaching that create a safe, challenging and joyful classroom and school-wide climate for all children.

A healthy, well-rounded responsive classroom routinely practices the following:

• Morning Meetings: Gather as a class each morning to greet one another, share news and discuss learning plans for the day. This routine sets a positive tone for the day while giving students gentle practice in key academic and social skills.
• School-Wide Rules: Apply a simple set of rules to the entire school so there is no question of right or wrong.
• Positive Teacher Language: Choose words and use tones that empower children with a clear understanding of what they can do in the learning environment.
• Guided Discovery: Introduce classroom materials in a way that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility.
• Collaborative Problem Solving: Implement conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to constructively solve problems and settle conflicts.
• Family Involvement: Have open communication with parents to hear insights, help them understand the school’s teaching approaches, and teach them to apply those methods at home.