Laurie Flanagan Educator To Transform a School Using Restorative Practices

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Restorative Practice Is a philosophy that works to make everyone feel respected and heard, asks people to be accountable for their behavior and promotes restoring and repairing harm when harm has been caused.

The Restorative movement seeks to develop good relationships and restore a sense of community in our increasingly disconnected world.

Being Restorative Means: To believe that decisions are best made and conflicts are best resolved by those most directly involved in them.

Restorative Responses: Can be an effective prevention practice. Restorative responses are intended to correct the problem behavior, prevent a reoccurrence, protect and provide support for the victim, and take corrective action for documented systemic problems related to bullying and harassment. Restorative responses allow the individual an opportunity to reflect on behaviors, learn pro-social skills and make amends to those affected.

Restorative Practices Continuum Informal Formal _______________________________ Affective Affective Small Group Formal Statements Questions Impromptu or Circle Conference Conference

Affective Statements Tells others how their behavior is affecting you When adults express their feelings, children become more empathetic

help you build a relationship based on students’ new image of you as someone who cares and has f eelings rather than as a distant authority figure

Affective Questions help to elicit what a student is thinking and feeling. Therefore, many of their responses will be affective statements.

Affective Questions let you turn the tables. You still address inappropriate behavior but in a way that asks students to think for themselves about their actions and to reflect on how they affect other people.

Affective Questions when Challenging Behavior What happened? What were you thinking of at the time? What have you thought about since? Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way? What do you think you need to do to make things right?

Affective Questions To Help Those Harmed What did you think when you realized what had happened? What impact has this incident had on you and others? What has been the hardest thing for you? What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

An overview of circles Set up a circle of chairs one for each participating individual Have a talking piece ready There are no interruptions, questions, put-downs or gossip/rumors allowed. Everyone must agree to guidelines, which will be read and left in the middle of the circle on the floor. People may decide to pass when it is their turn.

Types of Circles in Schools Proactive Circles Proactive Circles Responsive Circles Responsive Circles Staff Circles Staff Circles

A Formal Restorative Conference Addresses the needs of the person harmed Expects the person or persons who have done harm to admit they did something wrong, even if both sides have been harmed and done harm Expects that all participants will work to solve the problem Uses consensus as a way of making decisions

Creates an agreement that outlines ways of repairing the harms(s) – a plan for changing behavior and for those that did harm to give back to the community Creates a plan for safety and/or support for the victim(s) if needed Creates connection to caring adults for all students who have been affected by the harm, whether victims, offenders or bystanders

Get Kids to Tell Their Story Whenever a situation happens with bad behavior, there is always a story. There are always details that will help you see why or how it has come to this point. Using Affective questions to get to the story will help you determine what direction to go with this behavior.

I have come to a frightening conclusion; that I am the decisive element in the classroom…. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de- escalated, and a child humanized or dehumanized. Haim Ginott

Resources Websites Books The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools – Teaching responsibility; creating caring climates by Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz and Judy Mullet Restorative Circles in Schools, Building Community and Enhancing Learning by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel The Little Book of Circle Processes – A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking by Kay Pranis Circle in the Square, Building Community and Repairing Harm in Schools by Nany Riestenberg

Laurie Flanagan YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago Patterson and McDaniel Family Center x 2488 Hotline: Matt Adelman Glen Ellyn School District