1. Restorative Practices Basics

2. Restorative Practices What is it?
Relationship Based Principles
Building Community
Repairing/restoring relationships when harm has occurred
basic principles of RP is building community/relationships and repairing the community/relationship when harm has occurred

3. Why RP? To create a safe haven where students feel:
Relationship with Peers
Relationship with adults
That they belong
That they have a voice
Someone that cares about me
Expectations are clear to me
RP lends to creating a culture of safety, positivity and a supportive environment. RP supports creating positive relationship with peers, opens the space for student voice, creates opportunities to develop a positive relationship with a caring adult and supports creating clear and positive expectations for all students

4. How RP Affects Your Work
Paradigm Shift = in the way you look at relationships and conflict resolution
Moving from traditional punitive punishments
(suspensions, time-outs, expulsions)
to more restorative approaches
It takes more investment in the beginning but the
outcomes are more effective in the long term
RP supports setting a culture that shifts away from traditional practices to more restorative approaches. Circles, affective statements, fair process and the social discipline window are key factors in this shift. It takes more investment time, but the outcomes are more effective and positive.

5. Social Discipline Window

6. Social Discipline Window
Review the Social Discipline Window - Describe each box by using adjectives. Now describe environments when each window is present (for example - during snack time, a Program Leader may demonstrate High Control/High Support by being in the “TO” box - stating commands such as “Sit in your Seat!, “I will not pass out snack until everyone is quiet!” “Heads Down!”

7. Social Discipline Window - Looks, Sound, Feels LikeH
i g h s u p p o r t - H i g h Co n t r o l
Social Discipline Window - Looks, Sound, Feels Like To
With
Not
For
Student Behavior
Staff
Behavior
Student Behavior
Staff
Behavior
Student Behavior
Staff
Behavior
Student Behavior
Staff
Behavior
Think about behaviors for each box. For example: If students are loud in the cafeteria, what is the behavior of the staff? Does the staff behavior fit in the To, Not, For or With box. Share examples of staff behavior for each box using one or more student behaviors.
Low Support - Low Control

8. SDW Activity - Staff Habits that Make Behavior Worse
Power Struggles
Exempting yourself from the rules
Favoritism
Making too many rules
Hostile Body Language
Passing the Buck
Restricting the entire class
Restricting recess as a punishment
Failing to forgive
Setting low expectations
Personalizing students behavior
Public shaming or reprimanding
In groups of 4-5, you will chart on large paper using one of the three SDW boxes (TO, NOT or FOR) how Staff habits can make student behaviors worse. As a group decide on what time during ASP program (i.e., snack, academics, recreation, enrichment) to discuss. Choose someone in the group to scribe on chart paper using the list of staff habits. When completed, as a whole group, we will take a gallery walk to notice differences/similarities.

9. SDW Activity - Creating structures and Supports In Pairs….
How to change Staff Habits that make behaviors worse?
How to bring back to your program?
Pair and share ideas for each question

10. What can we do?
Build relationships by practicing community circles daily
Repairing relationships when harm has occurred
Doing things “WITH” students (and co-workers) instead of TO, NOT or FOR
Ultimately, people will learn to make positive, productive,  and effective choices in response to situations they may encounter in the future after engaging in a restorative practice.
Read slide

11. Restorative Practice Community Circle Tips
Proactive Circles
Use community circles to proactively build relationships with students. There are circle guidelines to support the process and prompts such as “getting acquainted” on the back of the RP cards. Circles should reflect the age/grade of students (example: Kindergarten – 5 to 10 minutes). Depending on the topic, circles can range from minutes. Impromptu is fine, but the best circle are one that are prepped in advance.
Read slide

12. Circle Guidelines
Use the circle guidelines every time you have a community circle. The talking piece/stick is designed to create an equitable space for everyone to be heard.
(There are posters and cards available that have the guidelines available for you)
Show examples of talking pieces (sticks) Hold up RP Guidelines poster and/or cards while reading slide

13. Tone
Set the tone for your community circles. Get JAZZED! Show excitement about a topic that is fun. Take on a caring or concerned, caring tone if the topic is sensitive or serious. Remember, students follow your lead so stay positive.
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14. Full Participation
As the Circle Keeper, you should fully participate in the circle process. Sit in the circle “With” the student and not on the sidelines. Share/allow the students to get to know you too.
Remember this quote –
“Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!”
Read top half. Ask for a volunteer to read the quote

15. When to Use Circles:
Depending on the need to bring people together, circles will serve different purposes. Always guided by the same values and principles, circles may be called for:
community building
problem-solving
reflecting
introducing new students
Conflict resolution
brainstorming
support
farewell to students leaving
healing
diffusing tension
family issues
community violence debriefing
Read slide

16. This is a single cheat sheet available for you to support you and your staff in implementing circles.

17. Diana Browning Wright, M.S., L.E.P. & Clayton R. Cook, Ph.D.
Building Positive Relationships with ALL Students: Ensuring that all students feel welcomed by, connected to, and a sense of trust with the adults in the building
All of our work is focused on building realtionships because it is necessary for learning
This is especially important for the students who most tax our resources and skills because of repeated behavioral concerns
Diana Browning Wright, M.S., L.E.P. & Clayton R. Cook, Ph.D.

18. Strategically and Intentionally Building Positive Relationships with ALL Students
Building relationships is a precondition to student learning
All people are more likely to perform in the context of a positive, nurturing relationship
Basics of building a relationship
Spending time with the person
Showing them you care and can be trusted
Holding a conversation with the student
Ask questions and listen
Be an expert about kid culture (what it means to be a kid these days)
Many people feel that relationship building is simply a natural process that will happen over time, but it needs to be intentional.
sometimes even if building relationships is easy for you, it may not be for the child
it is especially difficult when a child has experienced negative or traumatic experiences with adults or if there are significant cultural differences that are not mitigated
Diana Browning Wright, M.S., L.E.P. & Clayton R. Cook, Ph.D.