Athlos Leadership Academy uses the Responsive Classroom ® approach. Responsive Classroom is a method of teaching that focusses on academic, social, and emotional growth through a safe classroom community. The approach supports students in building social-emotional competencies that support academic development and the classroom environment.

The Responsive Classroom ® principles emphasize that how children learn is as important as what they learn. Through Responsive Classroom, students learn and implement social and emotional skills such as cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. As well, the approach highlights that knowing students –individually, culturally, and developmentally- is as important as knowing the content that we teach.

There are many classroom practices that fall within the Responsive Classroom approach. Students at Athlos Leadership Academy participate in a Morning Meeting each morning. This is an opportunity for the class to gather to greet one another, share news, and prepare for the day. Each fall, classrooms generate a set of classroom rules together to ensure that an environment is created that allows all classmates to meet their learning goals. Student misbehavior is responded to through logical consequences that allow students to fix and learn from their mistakes. 

To learn more about Responsive Classroom ®, please click here to view “The Responsive Classroom Approach: Information for Parents”.

You can also find more information by visiting https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/.