Respectful Classroom
Before students can learn content material, it's critical that they learn how to be in the world with other people - how to communicate, listen, work together, and follow through on tasks. I believe that they want these skills, and many of our students would benefit from more assistance in learning these skills. When these skills are in place, it will be much easier to grow academically and be more successfull.
Kate Burstein, Teacher at Gale Academy
The Respectful Classroom is a youth development focused social and emotional learning curriculum, based on the Family Matters Principles of Leadership. The curriculum teaches tools to promote learning, mutual understanding, and shared leadership among all members of the classroom - including the teacher. These tools are closely aligned with the Social and Emotional Learning Skills for Education established by the State ( i.e. recognizing and managing emotions, caring about others, making sound decisions, and behaving ethically and responsibly to develop positive relationships) -- critical tools for the classroom and for life.
The long term goal for our Respectful Classroom Initiative is school reform via 1) healthy partnerships among administrators, parents, teachers, and students and 2) enhanced social and emotional intelligence that leads to increased teacher retention, higher attendance rates, reduced discipline challenges, and higher grades and test scores.
The Respectful Classroom has been implemented among 137 students and their teachers at Gale Academy.