What is the Responsive Classroom Approach?

The social curriculum at NGFS flows directly from a book written by Ruth Sidney Charney called "Teaching Children to Care: Management in the Responsive Classroom." This curriculum helps students become empathetic, ethical thinkers as they learn to interact successfully in the school environment.

• We value the social curriculum as an integral part of our overall program.
• Positive social interactions and a strong sense of community enhance cognitive growth.
• There is a set of social skills that students need in order to be successful academically and socially: cooperation, self-advocacy, responsibility, empathy, perseverance, self-control, and peaceful conflict resolution skills.
• Knowing the students we teach individually, culturally, and developmentally is essential to students’ education and to developing community.
• Knowing the families of the students we teach and inviting their participation is essential to the students’ education and to developing community.
• Adults model the above skills through positive interactions with each other and with students.

More information about the Responsive Classrooms can be found here.