Policies
The Responsive Classroom at ICS
Independence Charter School will be using the Responsive Classroom and Developmental Designs approach to inform both our social and academic curriculum.
The Responsive Classroom approach was developed by classroom teachers. It emphasizes teaching children to take care of themselves, each other, and the school environment so that everyone can learn at his/her best.
Guiding Principles
The Responsive Classroom approach is based on theories of how children learn and on the experiences of classroom teachers. There are seven basic principles behind this approach:
- Learning social skills is as important as learning academic skills.
- How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand.
- Children gain knowledge most effectively through social interaction.
- To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control (CARES).
- Knowing the children we teach—individually, culturally, and developmentally—is as important as knowing the content we teach.
- Knowing the families of the children we teach and inviting their participation is essential to children’s education.
- How the adults at school work together is as important as how skillful each individual teacher is: Lasting change begins with the adult community.
Teaching Practices
The Responsive Classroom approach includes the following main parts. As a school, we will be focusing on Morning Meeting and Rules and Logical Consequences.
- Morning Meeting - Children gather for fifteen to twenty minutes every day to greet each other, share news, do a group activity, and look forward to the day ahead. This daily routine builds community, creates a positive climate for learning, and gives children practice in a wide range of academic and social skills.
- Rules and Logical Consequences - The teacher and children together create rules for the classroom that will allow everyone to do his/her best learning. When children break the rules, there are clear consequences that help then learn from the mistake. The approach teaches responsibility and self-control.
- Guided Discovery - A structured way of introducing materials so that children become interested and motivated to explore different ways to use the materials.
- Academic Choice - An approach to giving children some choices in their learning to help them become invested, self-motivated learners. Academic choice can be used to teach any subject.
- Classroom Organization - Arranging materials, furniture, and displays in ways that encourage learning, care, positive social-interaction, and independence in children.
- Working Together with Parents - Ideas for involving parents as true partners in their children’s education.
Learn more about Responsive Classroom and Developmental Designs.
