#restorative practices

[stimpunks]

Grant Application Questions and Answers

Here are our answers to the questions on a grant we recently applied for. Table of ContentsHistoryRoot CausesAction & Lasting EffectConstituent-LedCommunity-WideOrganizational Structure and Decision MakingMovement BuildingFunding and Community SupportCommunity Feedback3-5 Milestones History When did your group come together and why? Share major accomplishments and tell us about your recent…

Grant Application Questions and Answers

[canadianabroadvery]

The City That Kicked Cops Out of Schools and Tried Restorative Practices Instead

Here’s what happens when a school rethinks punishment.

“ ... In education, ​“practices” is often swapped in for ​“justice” because it involves children who aren’t in criminal proceedings. Formal conflict resolution, after a dispute or rule-breaking, does play a role, but RP is also proactive, explains Anne Gregory, a Rutgers professor and one of the nation’s leading RP experts.

One core proactive practice is ​“check and connect.” This might be as simple as having teachers and staff say hi to each student as they enter the school, or asking a student between classes how their day is going. When there’s an issue, students can then sit down with a trusted adult to build ​“their own insight into themselves and what’s driving their behavior,” Gregory says.

Gregory emphasizes that relationship building is a two-way street. ...”

[mooneyedandglowing]

on restorative practices in education. (difficult + emotive. trigger warning: violence/murder/loss of spouse).

[teacherfromthegreenlagoon]

I completed a top secret project for the state (cut scores!) a week after I had four days of circle training in restorative practices. One of the other teachers in my grade-level committee mentioned that her school was moving away from using circles because, in her words, "it turns out kids need consequences."

I wish I'd had time to properly respond to her, but I just said that circles were a great success in my school, but they do require buy-in. I didn't add that...

1. Consequence is not a synonym for punishment. I think you were using it to mean punishment, because there are always consequences to everything, both positive and negative. Teaching kids that consequences are only negative external impositions only encourages them to avoid accountability.

2. Punishments don't prevent disruptive or harmful behaviors. They don't address the root cause of the behavior, and they don't teach kids how to make better choices. THEY DON'T WORK! The kids who get detentions and suspensions KEEP getting detentions and suspensions because punishments only increase negative emotions, which in turn increase disruptive and harmful behaviors. Also, no kid has ever called a teacher a bitch just because they didn't know they'd get in trouble for it.

3. If you're only using circles for repair, yeah, they're gonna fail. Restorative practices are about systematic overalls to how we approach student behavior. Circles are not a panacea. Try using them for community building first. Try teaching kids about their own emotional needs (see Choice Theory by William Glasser). Try addressing the root cause of the behavior BEFORE it becomes disruptive or harmful. Try, Idk, empathizing with students, even (especially) the ones you don't like.

4. For repair circles to work, you have to believe in their ability to work AND you have to take the time to practice until they do. Ffs, you teach literacy, you know how long it takes for communication skills to develop. Why do you think the circle process is somehow magically different? Maybe circles failed because you weren't good at them and needed better instruction and more time to practice. Maybe you need to put your ego aside and realize you are learning to do better right alongside the kids. Maybe you could be, Idk, a fucking role model in learning? Or is that too much to ask your over-burdened self-identity?

I was trying not to be a too much of a bitch so I'd have leverage to get my way in the work we were doing, but it sure did piss me off.

[ramblingaro]

working in rj is really just the experience of having my brain permanently rewired on the daily and it’s so fun

[crimsonhermesseras]

This toolkit was compiled by nuri nusrat and designed by Danbee Kim (https://ooristudio.com). This toolkit is for anyone who wants to practice talking about conflict, things that are hard to talk about, things that hurt, in an attempt to: 1. understand the person in front of you; 2. address the impacts of harm, mutual harms, conflicts and more; 3. support those impacted in getting what they need to move forward in a way that supports their healing

[thecole]

Restorative Practices on Zoom — Camp Stomping Ground

One of my favorite parts about camp is our approach to conflict. The Circle System has taught me so much about my relationship to conflict, and working through conflict at Stomping Ground has made me a better communicator and shaped the way I perceive conflict in my own life. When launching Home

Wow! How many useless tech info links did students get when their schools started to meet digitally? The shift to a world with severely-reduced contact has been rough and inequitable; we’ll need more than Zoom instructions to emerge on the other side of the pandemic.

Klee, from Camp Stomping Ground, is out here giving kids something they actually need: the skills & practice to manage conflict online. I believe we need a broad cultural shift toward embracing priniciples of transformative justice. Restorative practices will be key tools in the long process of undermining the violence of settler colonialism, white supremacy, and the totalitarianism of global capitalism.

But transforming the relationships we are in is a great start. We have to build the communities we want, the institutions we need as we go. So, again, I love how Stomping Ground is working with kids, sharing their staff journeys, and publicizing their commitment to restorative practices.

[educationmd]

10 Tips for using restorative practices in the classroom

1) Restorative practices focus on repairing damaged relationships

The offender of the conflict seeks a way to make amends with others and to perform an action that helps to resolve the problem.

2) School wide positive behavioural supports should be in place

All members of a school should be attempting to use similar practices.

A positive school climate greatly improves the success of these practices.

3) Get to know your students

Ask them for their interests.

Ask students to contribute their knowledge to class discussions.

Build rapport by listening to students talk about topics other than academics that interest them.

Ask students for their feedback on the rules or practices they find important in the classroom.

4) Use affective statements

I felt (emotion) when (behaviour or event) because (reason for the emotion).

5) Hold class meetings

A great way to talk about social and academic problems with the whole class.

Teach students to lead the meetings.

Teach students how to share their ideas and respond to the ideas of their peers respectfully.

Allows students to take responsibility for their behaviour and learning.

6) Use a variety of restorative circles in the classroom

Formal circles to handle serious conflicts.

Informal circles to deal with curriculum content or general issues.

Sequential circles lead by the teacher ask all students to respond to a specific topic and prevents some students from not sharing their input. Can be used as an exit strategy.

Circles are a great way for teachers to collect feedback and input from students.

7) Use a talking object during restorative circles

Use an object that can be used and passed around to denote the speaker.

8) Encourage impromptu conferences between students to resolve conflicts

Promotes communication between both students.

Teacher can model to students how to speak to someone that they disagree with.

Teaches problem solving skills.

It’s a quick way to resolve a problem without threatening consequences or punishments.

Students can share their feelings and their perspectives.

9) Follow the 3 phase model for restorative conversations

Unwind (calm down)

Rewind (identify a course of action)

Windup (observers share their experiences)

10) If students are showing resistance to talking with one another ask students to make statements using “If you know me, you would know that...”

Students may begin with general statements but then become more and more specific.

Using this sentence starter helps students share information that may be common between both parties.

Smith, D., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2015). Better than carrots or sticks: Restorative practices for positive classroom management.