Books for Responsive Classroom Many Fall Creek teachers have had Responsive Classroom professional development training. Managing hurt feelings is an interpersonal skill teachers address in classrooms using Responsive Classroom practices. Students learn to self-manage themselves and their relationships with their classmates. Instead of making children feel bad about their actions and themselves, apology of action helps children learn to solve problems while giving them a dignified way to rejoin the community.

Literature can be used to introduce and practice apology of action.

First graders can identify apology of action after listening to The Honest-To-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack.

Fourth graders can learn about apology of action and list many ways feelings can be broken and ways to “fix” broken feelings. The next day have them listen to A Day’s Work by Eve Bunting. Stop the story after Francisco’s and grandfather’s gardening mistake and ask students “What could Francisco do to show he is sorry? What could be his apology of action?” Share students’ ideas and then read the rest of the story to discover how Francisco and his grandfather fixed the problem. Discuss how people’s actions reflect and communicate to others the type of person they are and want to be known as.

Other titles to use are Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes, Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen, The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson, Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat, and Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie De Paola.

Children feel safer and more respected in classrooms where they learn to take responsibility for harm they have caused, and learn to assert themselves when they’ve been hurt. The skills they’ve learned through this process can be reinforced outside their classrooms, too.  ¶ 12:55 PM