Laurie FlanaganEducator

To Transform a School

Using Restorative Practices

Social Discipline Window

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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 FormalStatements 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

Affective Statementshelp you build a relationship based on

students’ new image of you assomeone who cares and has

feelingsrather than as adistant authority figure

Affective Questionshelp 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

• Responsive 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

ResourcesWebsites

• www.iirp.org• www.ibarj.org

• 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 630-790-6600 x 2488Hotline: 630-971-3927

Laurie.Flanagan@ywcachicago.org

Matt AdelmanGlen Ellyn School District 41

630-790-6450madelman@d41.org