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Unit 2: Practical Restorative Strategies for Classroom Teachers

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Unit overview

Early in my teaching career, I went to a two-day training by an independent teaching and learning association on "teaching empathy." They spent the whole first day telling us all the positives of "teaching empathy." It went into the sociology and the brain chemistry of it, they told us that long-term "teaching empathy" helps students feel a sense of belonging, allows for better self-regulation, fosters positive learning communities, and creates adults with a strong sense of self. The next day they went through several case studies in which teachers and school districts who started "teaching empathy" saw a total turnaround in student outcomes. They had hard data to prove that "teaching empathy" reduced behavior incidents tenfold. I walked away believing that "teaching empathy" did all the things they said it did but I had no idea how to "teach empathy." The training was informative and inspired me to better understand the student's perspective but I had no way to take it further.

Unfortunately, I have been to countless professional development opportunities since then that followed this exact narrative. The training spends the entire time telling you all about their thing. They spend hours explaining the concept of it, the reasoning that supports why we should do this new thing and often have strong research that shows it works. It sounds like a great idea yet you walk away unsure how to enact this new trend because somehow they told us the what and the why without explaining the how. The how is, of course, the hardest part. Every teacher and class is different. We all have unique students and personal teaching styles. A strategy that works for a second-grade elective teacher in one community will not work the same for a 10th-grade geometry teacher in another. Yet without the how teachers are left with no way of trying the new thing. We need to give teachers somewhere to start; strategies they can build on and adjust to fit their unique class.

Unit 2, is all about the how. Actionable procedures teachers can use to implement restorative practices. While you work through this unit you can expect to read about 6 restorative practices. What they are, tangible ways you can try them, and links to more information. Stories that RP lacks consequences and structure may have left you hesitant but, odds are you are already using restorative practices and, it's just a matter of being intentional and consistent. As you read take note of the things you are already doing. After reading identify one new strategy that you are interested in trying in your classroom, either you have never heard of it, or it is something you don't use enough. Make an active attempt to use the new strategy, and finally reflect on how it went.

Learning objectives

  • Identify and reflect upon the restorative practices learners are already utilizing in their classrooms.
  • Execute a new or previously under-used restorative strategy in their classroom.

Activity Break Down:

Step 1: Read about 6 restorative classroom strategies and ways you can try them

Step 2: Identify the RP strategies you are already using

Step 3: Try something new. Pick a new RP strategy and make an active effort to try it in your classroom.

Step 4: Reflect on how your attempt to use a new strategy went. Has your opinion of RP changed after units 1 & 2?

Step 1: Read 6 restorative strategies you can carry out in your classroom

As you read pay attention to the strategies you are already using, especially things that you just do as part of your class routine. Consider strategies you want to try out in your classroom. The links provided are for more information if you are interested, they are not required reading.

1. Prioritize relationships with your students

The backbone of all restorative practices is positive relationships with students. At the end of the day, students are little people and, like all people they crave connection. Taking the time to show students we see them as people and care about them sends waves of positivity and respect. If a student feels a strong personal connection to their teacher, that student is more likely to engage in class content, behave better in class, and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning, promote their desire to learn, and model positive interactions that benefit the whole school community.   

Practical ways to do this

  • Talk to your students about their interests and non-academic things. (the two-minute rule)
  • Know and demonstrate knowledge about individual students' backgrounds, interests, emotional strengths, and academic levels.
  • Share (appropriate) stories about your personal life and give students space to share about theirs.
  • Greet students at the door or in the hallway / Call students by their names
  • Give positive feedback

Links to more information

2. Recognize and value your students individual thoughts, voices and Identities.

Students come from a variety of social, cultural, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. Taking the time to recognize and appreciate students' identities, and individuality allows us to demonstrate the strengths that diversity and multiple perspectives bring into our classrooms. While simultaneously modeling how to value and respect individuals who are different from ourselves. Students who feel respected and validated have been shown to have better academic and social outcomes both inside and outside the classroom.

Practical ways to do this

  • Ask for student feedback, and use it
  • Plan consistent opportunities dedicated to student voice
  • Include diverse adult perspectives in your lessons
  • Incorporate elements of student choice
  • Arrange the physical learning space to be accessible, inclusive, and when possible representative of the unique identities held by students

Links to more information

3. Foster a Growth mindset

Mindset matters. A student's thoughts on their own intelligence and ability have a significant impact on their learning. A growth mindset is a belief that you acquire abilities through effort and study, whereas a fixed mindset centers intelligence and ability as innate, you have it or you don't. Those with a growth mindset have better motivation and have a positive outlook in the face of challenges. Now you may question how this is related to restorative practice and creating a community of care, but our mindset also plays a significant role in our reactions to social conflict as well. Those with a growth mindset are also more receptive to the ideas of others therefore are less reactive and better at overcoming conflict. Additionally, growth-minded people often find inspiration from the success of others, and value community.  

Practical ways to do this

  • Normalize struggle: learning is hard but we can do hard things
  • Celebrate growth
  • Put a high value on learning as a process over not an end result
  • Give students a chance to revise and resubmit their work
  • Change your language to avoid praising smarts and toward praising effort and growth.

Links to more information

4. Model restorative conflict resolution and Affective statements

Teachers have a significant impact on their students. Students look to us and mimic our behavior and outlook. We cannot expect students to overcome conflict in a restorative way if we are not doing so ourselves. In our day-to-day teaching we can use effective communication and when conflict arises let students observe how we remain calm and controlled. Verbally walk through the steps to resolution, actively listen, and compromise.

Practical ways to do this

  • Use and teach affective statements
  • Use hallway chats
  • Teach students how to communicate effectively
  • Seek out and identify multiple perspectives in a conflict
  • Remain calm when conflict arises

Links to more information

5. Host regular class meetings and student check-ins

A traditional model of RP includes regular class meetings in the form of a classroom Circle. Originating from indigenous traditions, Circles are a form of meeting focusing on gathering to have respectful and equitable conversations. Ideally, they allow people to slow down and facilitate meaningful interaction. Circles are a structured process with which all participants, including facilitators, gather in a circle with minimal obstructions to allow for equal participation and promote equal importance among members. Working your way around the circle the opportunity to speak is passed one at a time to all participants, often using a “talking piece” to identify the speaker. Members only speak when it is their turn and are encouraged to listen intently, without comment or response, while others are speaking. A facilitator will maintain the boundaries of the circle however notably they are not supposed to hold a greater influence or importance to the circle. Generally, Circles have the following structure: 1. setting up norms and expectations. 2. Opening remarks/check-ins. 3. Prompts or guiding questions to facilitate discussion of a particular topic. 4. Reflection. 5. Closing. Circles have many data-supported benefits, such as helping students build strong relationships grounded in empathy and understanding and improvements in overall student outcomes. However, they are notoriously one of the most divisive RP topics.

If you are not comfortable doing circles or are working in a school community where circles are not well-received variations can be used as stepping stones. Additionally, you can use non-circle ways to check in with students either as a class or as individuals.

Practical ways to do this

  • Do a circle activity
  • SEL or academic Temperature checks
  • Survey style SEL check-ins
  • Morning meetings

Links to more information

6. Encourage students to have an active role while creating classroom norms and expectations

Involve your students when deciding the classroom rules and norms. Involving students in decision-making fosters a sense of community and belonging within the classroom. Restorative practices prioritize building strong connections and supportive environments where all individuals feel valued and respected. When students actively engage in shaping the culture of the classroom, teachers promote a restorative approach centered on community building and positive relationships. This gives students ownership and establishes the mutual respect necessary for a culture of care. Through the process of collaboratively establishing rules and norms, students learn valuable conflict resolution skills. They practice communication, negotiation, and problem-solving, which are essential components of restorative practices. When conflicts arise, students are better equipped to engage in constructive dialogue and find mutually agreeable solutions, rather than resorting to punitive measures.

Practical ways to do this

  • Have students create their own classroom expectations and consequences when expectations are broken
  • Reinforce and Follow through on students' chosen expectations
  • When conflict arises include students in the discussion about the consequences
  • Discuss non-punitive disciplinary action for outbursts and other negative behaviors.

Links to more information

Step 2: Reflect on your current use of restorative practice

Now that you have learned a bit about RP in the classroom reflect on your current practice. Are these strategies that you were already using? Are you using them intentionally and consistently? Do any of them surprise you? Click the link to complete your reflection.

Think and Reflect

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Step 3: Try a something new

Read back over our 6 restorative strategies and try one that is unfamiliar to you in your classroom. Make an active attempt to use the strategy for at least a week. In the case of, circles and class meetings, that may not happen every day, try them on at least three different occasions. As you utilize your chosen strategy note your student's reactions, your feelings, and the classroom outcomes.   

You will reflect on your attempt in step 4.  

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Step 4: Reflect on how your attempt to use a new strategy went

How did your attempt to use a new strategy go?

What were your students reactions?

How are you feeling about the new strategy?

What were the class outcomes?

Has your opinion of RP changed after units 1 & 2?

Complete the following reflection and discussion by clicking the link:

Additional Resources

Implementing restorative practices in the classroom

How to Implement Restorative Justice Practices in the Classroom/=

Know Better, You Do Better RP in classrooms

Teaching Restorative Practices

Whats Next?

In unit 2 we looked at practical restorative practices instructors can carry out in their classroom. Unit 3 teaches us how to encourage students to engage in a restorative community.

Go to Unit 3

Back to: Home page - Unit 1

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