On April 30, 2004, twenty-one Roxbury School District teachers, K-8, participated in a Responsive Classroom Workshop to talk about this approach and how it is used in the classroom. The goal of this approach is to foster community building and respect among students.
Franklin School teachers Ms. Margaret Conway, Mrs. Sheri Ekeland, Mrs. Maureen Smith, and Mr. Russ Redmond, developed and presented the workshop along with school counselor Carol Pellet and building principal Mrs. Mary Ann Boyd as a follow-up to training that took place in the district last October.
One aspect of The Responsive Classroom Approach is Morning Meeting. During Morning Meeting, the teacher guides the students through brief activities that engage students in greeting one another, sharing about themselves, and practicing public speaking.
According to Mrs. Mary Ann Boyd, “The workshop participants brainstormed ideas for implementing the program effectively given time constraints, but all agreed that this approach has real value in creating more positive learning environments for students and helping them to develop their social and emotional skills.”