First RC Year Reflections by Deana

As I get ready for the new school year, I feel I should take some time out to reflect on my past year...

• For those who are interested in Responsive Classroom, but are not able to be properly trained right now, I suggest implementing Morning Meeting in some form in your classroom. The book by Roxann Kriete is a great resource. Be aware, you need to schedule in a protected time block of about 20 or so minutes for your meetings. To achieve the desired effect, you must make this a priority.
• I need to read The First Six Weeks of School again. It is easy to forget all of the little things I did (or should have done) this time last year. It is important to set the climate and tone for the entire school year in September.
• My students last year had some favorites for Morning Meeting greetings and group activities. They really enjoyed the "sign language" greeting and the games "Coseeki" and "Caught Red Handed". I need to remember to present a variety of greetings and activities this year and not assume that this year's students will favor the same ones.
• I've got to keep the 3 R's of Logical Consequences in mind. I need to be RESPECTFUL of the student by focusing on the behavior. The consequence should be RELEVANT by relating directly to the child's actions. Finally, the consequence needs be REALISTIC.
• I felt like our Morning Meetings last year had the pressure of "cutting into" our math time. My schedule was pretty tight last year in the morning. This year, due to the teaming schedule, I will be have our meeting in the afternoon. I wonder how this will affect things??
• I didn't do very well with Guided Discovery or Academic Choice last year. Why did those components fall apart for me? Perhaps I was taking on too much at once?