Responsive Classroom
Swasey Central School uses both Responsive Classroom and Open Circle to address the social and emotional needs of children. Both programs are incorporated throughout our students' day, with Responsive Classroom being an umbrella that spans across aspects of a student's day, and Open Circle being used to deliver specific, targeted lessons. The skillful implementation of both will move the student's closer to the district's goal around student resiliency and pro-social behaviors.
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The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching emphasizes academic, social, and emotional growth in a strong school community. We believe that how children learn is as important as what they learn, and that academic success is tied to building social-emotional competencies. Responsive Classroom is designed to help create safe and joyful classrooms and schools where children can thrive.
Independent research has found that the Responsive Classroom approach is associated with higher academic achievement in math and reading, improved school climate, and higher-quality instruction. It has been backed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as one of the most “well-designed evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs”.
The four key domains of Responsive Classroom are:
* Engaging Academics - Teachers create learning tasks that are active, interactive, appropriately challenging, purposeful, and connected to students' interests.
* Positive Community - Teachers nurture a sense of belonging, significance, and emotional safety so that students feel comfortable taking risks and working with a variety of peers.
* Effective Management - Teachers create a calm, orderly environment that promotes autonomy and allows students to focus on learning.
* Developmental Awareness - Teachers use knowledge of child development, along with observations of students, to create a developmentally appropriate learning environment.
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