What Do You Think We Need from Education?
As we continue our discussions on "Choosing Your Tomorrow Today" and "The Future of Schooling" as part of ASCD's Whole Child Symposium, let's add another question to ponder: What do you think we need from education? In the United States, historically, the purpose of education has evolved according to the needs of society. Education's primary purpose has ranged from instructin
Post written by Lora M. Hodges for Northeast Foundation for Children/Responsive Classroom, a whole child partner organization.
Morale can be hard to define, but you know it when you see it. When you walk into a school and everything immediately feels calm, safe, respectful, rich with learning, you know you're standing in a school with high morale.
That's exactly how you'd feel if you were to walk in to one of the many schools in the nation using the research-based Responsive Classroom approach. You'd see and hear teachers showing patience, kindness, and respect toward each other and toward students. You'd observe engaging lessons in classrooms. Throughout the school you'd hear adults using positive language and drawing forth positive behaviors from students. You'd get the clear sense the adults like their jobs and the children want to be at school.
This is positive school culture. This is high morale. And this is indispensable to students' school success.
WHAT MAKES FOR HIGH MORALE?
So how do schools using the Responsive Classroom approach build this exceptional school culture? The answer is their leaders support teachers in developing teaching competencies—specifically, competencies in three key teaching domains: promoting academic engagement, building a positive learning community, and
4-1-14 The Whole Child Blog — Building Bridges to El Salvador: A Model Global Curriculum — Whole Child Education
Building Bridges to El Salvador: A Model Global Curriculum — Whole Child Education: Building Bridges to El Salvador: A Model Global CurriculumPost written by Kerry Dunne and AnitaCristina Calcaterra We are so proud of the Arlington, Massachusetts, global education unit of study on our sister city of Teosinte, El Salvador! But before you read about it from us, please let three of our 4th graders te