How to Get Students Ready for Learning

Teachers at Mount Desert Elementary School in Northeast Harbor, Maine, use proven Responsive Classroom techniques-such as relationship-building morning meetings and engaging student-led activities-to get students focused and ready to learn.
Subscribe to Edutopia Weekly, our free email newsletter: edut.to/3G5zIZ4
Learn more about this school and find resources for social and emotional learning at www.edutopia.org/stw-sel-class...
Follow us here:
Official Website: edutopia.org
CZcams: / edutopia
Facebook: / edutopia
Twitter: / edutopia
Instagram: / edutopia
#socialemotionallearning #sel #elementaryschool #elementaryeducation
© 2013 George Lucas Educational Foundation

[@GaryGruber]

The practice of morning meetings really helps students to focus on the day ahead. Also builds a sense of community, sharing and caring. Rituals, mostly missing from our culture, reinforces values.

[@djthereplay]

Agreed +Gary Gruber .
But when the teacher is opened to the student(s) to where the student(s) feel safe unpacking whatever they are holding in their mind that is either giving them the jitters or their fears it opens their minds up for the teacher to pack something new into them .
I used to be an autistic student in special ed classes and I really wish that this was happening when I was at school because as much as it wouldn't have done the trick for me alone but at least it would have been a beginning to get my head wanting to be in school and in the classroom and not just being physically in school and in the classroom to have my head being at home or anywhere else outside of school and the classroom .
I wish that all of my teachers were ones I could turn to that could bring me around to things when I had the jitters back when I was in school .
Instead , a student had to do the job of getting me out of the jitters when I was in school and they are the one(s) that helped me have my good days in school .
- Dwight

[@rae1679]

Positive language, choices, fostering a family feel, and exercise make a HUGE difference for kids! Way to go Mt. Desert! Thanks for sharing your positive practices with the world. All schools need to follow suit! Thanks to edutopia too!

[@edutopia]

Thanks, Rachel! So glad you liked the video. Social Emotional Learning can be a really powerful learning tool.

[@melbasultan9698]

Students must feel the sense of belongingness in the classroom. It is important that students feel the genuine care and love of the teacher to boost their interest and be motivated to learn positively in class.

[@insider_english1594]

If teachers felt empowered to teach like this (and have yoga behind them as I do) there would be more educators (more people interested in teaching) and that could also mean smaller classrooms, else have two teachers together (for larger classes).
There's always a way... where there's a will.

[@sunitibhargava]

As an EQ educator, I second what you are doing and I think it's grrreat!

[@MrHanny2001]

It's actually hard to be a good teacher.

[@Th3w0nder1]

This is great when you don't have 25 -30 students in a class.

[@djthereplay]

Well +Th3w0nder1 ,
Even if you did have 25 - 30 students , would you rather have 25 - 30 students opening up and letting out what is in their head for a period to help in their smoother transitioning to education in the classroom while getting along together or would you rather have 25 - 30 students rushing into learning in the classroom and some of them are wound up into other things and are fighting themselves to hold it all in until the end of class or the school day or whatever just to have whatever you teach them wind up not registering into them because they carry and hold so many other things in their head that they have no room in their head to be educated in the classroom and as a result they do not feel the need to pay attention to you right off ? I used to be one of those students who had a tough time adjusting to learning environments back when I was an autistic student in elementary school and let me tell you this much .
Back in my times in elementary school where I was educated at there was no smooth transition to education in the classroom .
When that school day began there was reciting the pledge of allegiance and then sitting down and starting directly on copying whatever the teacher put on the chalk board for us to do that morning and they called it board work .
Let me say it this way . I would rather have had my mornings at school started off like the way it is demonstrated in this video versus the way I had it growing up and feeling like I am jailing myself or being jailed in a classroom .

[@KassieJane]

Let's not make excuses and pretend like this approach is impossible in large classrooms. Sincerely, kindergarten teacher.

[@sanambudhrani7814]

Totally doable and have done in large classrooms as well - it is most needed there!

[@karunaarora6695]

All of this possible because of the correct student teacher ratio. Can't imagine doing this a class of 45-50 students per teacher. It's difficult to manage that many students.

[@TheMrlittletooth]

I am going to become president and make this type of learning the primary objective on our education.

[@JamesNelson_profile]

Really enjoyed this video.

[@paulagap2222]

I wish my kids school here in London UK would copy this school!

[@natiacomedyodia4651]

It made me happy after showing how the world using my indian origin Yoga

[@Sssabmud]

Great video, I have however one question.
I counted around 15 children in this class, isn't this 'focus on the individual' greatly based on a limited number of children, or does it work perfectly fine working with 25 as with 15?

[@charlesgedeon]

What's the song that's play at 3:30?

[@anihyawilkes5876]

I love class

[@sa_liha8196]

للأسف في بلادي يعتبر هذا مستحيل التطبيق. بسبب الاكتظاظ وكثافة البرامج و ضيق الوقت 💔

[@baraahsinjab7854]

hi

[@Tubingonline1]

What was all the fuss about! They just glossed over the subject without showing anything or talking anything about what their methods are and how and why they work.