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| From http://www.centerforrestorativeprocess.com |
If you haven't heard of this new 'restorative practices' movement in today's classrooms, then you must read on. According to the Center for Restorative Process, this technique has been proven to "help to create calmer, more focused classroom(s)" by way of building a sense of community and stepping outside of self to understand others perspectives on behavior. This is turn helps students develop empathy, conflict resolution skills, emotional intelligence, leadership skills and much more. Restorative practices are best performed in open circle dialogues and are easily implemented with students. The key to success however, is consistency.
Although there are numerous ways to perform restorative practices in the classroom, new teachers can develop this technique quickly by learning these five (5) main requirements (all information presented here is taken the Center for Restorative Process (CRP) document):
1) Physical arrangement: For this technique to work well, students must be placed in a position where they can see each other face to face. This can be accomplished through a circled seating format. There are various types of circles that can be implemented (ie. basic circle, fishbowl circle, popcorn circle, etc). It is best to research these set ups prior to commencing on the restorative practice journey, to see which would work best for your end goal. For details on each type of circle, see page 21 of the CRP document.
2) Talking piece: A talking piece is an object held by a speaker during the circle meeting. It's main purpose is to give a student the opportunity to have a voice and be listened to. Only the person holding the piece can speak, and it is everyone's responsibility to be respectful of this individual's thoughts/feelings. This object could be one taken from nature (ie. rock, feather, shell) or even purchased. The aim is to choose something that signifies peace and calmness.
3) High-quality Questions: For a circle meeting to be successful, high-quality questions must be asked in order to elicit deep and thoughtful discussions. They can also be used as a means to 'check-in' with students current moods/feelings. When restorative practice circles are new to the classroom, questions should be more general and superficial. However, as they become a routine and students build trust with one another, they should be of a deeper nature. The key is to ensure they are relevant and meaningful to your students' lives (and/or current events), are open-ended, and invite deep thought. For examples of high-quality questions, see page 12 of the CRP document.
4) Respect: It is crucial to teach students to listen without judgment and interference when someone (the person holding the talking piece) speaks. In other words, it is a sense of release portal without feeling judged. Thus, it is important for students who are listening to respect the speaker's thoughts and feelings, no matter how much pain the speaker is going through. The purpose of the circle is to build a sense of safety and belongingness. As well, it is important to show respect by keeping what was said to oneself - not to gossip it to friends outside class. Thus, it may be necessary to remind students daily of these rules prior to commencing the dialogue.
5) Reflection: Although not a requirement, it may be a good idea to have students reflect on their thoughts after a meeting or on a weekly basis. This could be accomplished by way of a personal journal, where students are asked to write down what they've learned that week or how they can improve as individuals based on the week's circle dialogues. It could be a great way for them to keep track of growth, both on a personal level as well as an academic one.
For more information on learning restorative practices, join these FREE webinars hosted by the International Institute for Restorative Practices: http://www.iirp.edu/webinars.php
Have you used restorative practice in your classroom? If so, what have you as an educator or student, learned from this technique?
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