"We learned about gratitude and humility - that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the
janitors that kept our school clean...and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect."
— Former First Lady Michelle Obama
Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices are an innovative phenomenon that is changing cultures of schools and communities around the world. Found in a variety of global cultures, restorative practices have been historically rooted in indigenous communities and more recently, in peace and reconciliation processes, with examples including post-conflict Northern Ireland and the Balkans.
In a school setting, its objective is to empower students, minimize drop-outs, engage teachers and administrators, and involve the community in re-imagining schools as places where teaching and learning can flourish. The idea behind Restorative Practices can truly work everywhere – in urban, suburban and rural schools. Restorative Practices is a much broader approach than mere school discipline: it is a growing social movement that finds solutions for repair, reconciliation, and rebuilding. Teacher unions have negotiated the concept into their contracts, and have extended the work from their schools into their unions. In this module below, you will explore how to incorporate Restorative Practices into your teaching -- how to better engage in restorative conversations, lead a “talking circle,” and develop other reflective and mediation strategies for a classroom environment which are inclusive and foster mutually respectful relationships.
In a school setting, its objective is to empower students, minimize drop-outs, engage teachers and administrators, and involve the community in re-imagining schools as places where teaching and learning can flourish. The idea behind Restorative Practices can truly work everywhere – in urban, suburban and rural schools. Restorative Practices is a much broader approach than mere school discipline: it is a growing social movement that finds solutions for repair, reconciliation, and rebuilding. Teacher unions have negotiated the concept into their contracts, and have extended the work from their schools into their unions. In this module below, you will explore how to incorporate Restorative Practices into your teaching -- how to better engage in restorative conversations, lead a “talking circle,” and develop other reflective and mediation strategies for a classroom environment which are inclusive and foster mutually respectful relationships.
Step 1: Hook -- Create a Classroom Talking Circle
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To engage your students in restorative practices, join them in sitting in a circle and ask them what is different about sitting this way as opposed to sitting in rows. After hearing from several students, tell them that this formation promotes equality and respect, regardless of student or teacher status, and that the idea of talking circles is derived from indigenous peoples worldwide as a form of peaceful mediation. Learn more about the indigenous origins of talking circles and their use in restorative practices here.
Prompt circle dialogue with questions that will help everyone in the classroom form connections with each other. Keep the questions relevant and open-ended, such as "Who do you respect, and why?" or "What would you not want to change about your life, and why?" Pages 9-15 of this guide will help you to construct a great classroom circle, and this video (9:31) will show you a successful circle in action in a high school setting. |
Step 2: Videos and Other Teacher Resources
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As a contemporary angle of a restorative practice, we recommend playing this video (1:07) about North Carolina teacher Barry White Jr. for middle school learners. This video demonstrates the importance of creating a positive classroom environment, as well as how a student's desire to learn is strengthened when personal relationships are cultivated between teachers and students.
For high school classes, play David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water” (22:43) speech to help students better understand themselves and their relationships with peers, adults, neighbors, and the world. You can also have them read the speech here. "This is Water" focuses on the idea of recognizing everyone as a human being with his or her own hopes, agendas, and motives, and asks that we move away from typical self-centered thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. It also discusses the importance of thinking about and learning how to navigate different situations. It provides a powerful argument for restorative practices, which are based on empathy and understanding. We recommend reviewing this Restorative Practices document to learn next steps in introducing the concept to the whole school through various workshops and continuous professional development. |
Step 3: Standards-Based Exercise: Honesty Posters
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To provide a powerful way of connecting your students with each other, have them create honesty posters. First, ask them to broadly "write something about yourself that’s honest.” The statements should be no longer than a paragraph. Then, ask them to read their statements to the class and have them choose two students to give feedback about what they wrote. The students should then revise their statements based on the feedback. Finally, ask them to turn their statements into honesty posters, where they draw out their story or take a picture of themselves that reflects what they wrote. This exercise is a very powerful way to foster and build relationships among students and it allows students to be creative and utilize their writing skills. When they are finished, you can hang the posters in the class and give the students copies to take home. The "Post Secret" project mirrors the honesty poster idea; here is an example of one to help you get an idea of what an honesty poster might look like.
Students can also complete a writing exercise on restorative justice here. For a homework assignment, you could have your students read these resources on indigenous justice systems and truth commissions around the world, such as in South Africa and Chile, and write a one-page paper on how they see the indigenous origins of restorative practices reflected in the laws and rules of their own community or country. |
Step 4: What Can Students Do?
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Everyone in the school community is responsible for helping to foster restorative practices. Discuss the many ways students can help make this vision a reality:
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Additional Resources
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AFT Resources
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