Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is the sole source provider of the Responsive Classroom approach. For more information, please see: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/

Monday, February 21, 2011

Friend Activities

Recently in my classroom we have been having a large amount of "girl problems" in my classroom. A lot of the girls are complaining about each other and fighting over "are we friends, or are we not friends?" As a male I always feel inadequate in handling "girl drama" in my class. I have tried to highlight key characteristics of good friendship and what that looks, like, and feels like during our Morning Meetings. However I do not feel that this is being successful. Do any of you have some good ideas for activities or projects that focus positive friendships? If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Smoothing Transitions

I got the Responsive Classroom newsletter in the mail last week, and I was thrilled when I saw that the front page article focused on transitions.  Transitions are a challenge for my students, and it is during those times that I often see students having trouble meeting the classroom expectations.  It is hard for them to stop what they are doing, come to the meeting area right away, and stay calm when they arrive.  I was hoping for some new ideas to help them be more successful.

The information in the article wasn't anything new or groundbreaking, but it did remind me of the importance of consistency.  I was struck by the line, "During September, there were few transitions that did not need to be redone."  It's good for me to keep that in mind and consider that spring, for students, is often a bit like September.  Reminders abound!

Here's the link to the article if you're interested:  Smoothing Transitions