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Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools

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Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools

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Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools

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Explore resources and case studies that demonstrate how to bring restorative justice to your school or classroom.

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Why does it help?:

"For the growing number of districts using restorative justice, the programs have helped strengthen campus communities, prevent bullying, and reduce student conflicts."

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8 Activities for Students (and Teachers) to Create a Mindful Classroom

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8 Activities for Students (and Teachers) to Create a Mindful Classroom

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The value of mindfulness-related activities in schools is not new. Writer and scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn helped legitimize the concept through his research, but its early connection to meditation raised red flags for some and kept its recommended practices from catching on. Now, however, as the adverse impact of stress on learning is quite well understood and the pandemic, along with racial and economic disparities, has escalated stress levels in schools worldwide, mindfulness practices are enjoying a resurgence.

I have had the opportunity to see many mindfulness practices in action in schools and to speak to a number of master teachers of mindfulness. I have identified eight activities that are relatively easy to implement in classrooms and schools. With a little practice, these can be part of any educator's pedagogical toolbox.

Caring Openings

1. Silent 60: Start the class by having all students sit quietly for 60 seconds to get themselves ready for learning. You can add a focus on a particular sound in the room, an image you provide (e.g., a dot on a piece of paper, an abstract picture you put up on a screen), or their breathing. Start with 15 seconds for early elementary students and gradually increase. Begin with 20-30 seconds for upper elementary.

2. Powerful Listening: Ring a bell, use a wind chime, or employ another object that makes a long, trailing sound. Ask students to listen and raise their hands when they no longer can hear the sound. After all agree that the sound has stopped, set a timer for one minute, ask students to sit quietly, and then when time is up, ask them what they heard during that minute.

3. One Minute for Good: Start the class by having students reflect for a minute about something that has gone well or something that they are grateful for. This can be done in writing, pair shares, or small or large group discussions. Larger groups work best for early elementary.

4. Morning Classroom Conversations: Start the day with a quote that can stimulate short conversations to help middle and high school students begin to interact with classmates in supportive ways. Sample conversation prompts can be found here.

In the Moment

5. Three Breaths: Have students take three deep breaths at regular intervals, such as before class changes or whenever strong feelings of anxiety or tension arise. Teachers should instruct students on this breathing technique and create visual reminders and prompting signals for students to begin. This is a valuable practice for staff as well, as expert mindfulness teacher Danielle Nuhfer, who has compiled an array of marvelous techniques in The Path of the Mindful Teacher, shared with me:

"The great thing about Three Breaths is that if the teacher would like to share with students what he/she is doing, they can. I've been known to pause, put my hand on my chest/heart, tell my class that I need a moment, and take three breaths. This is something that is a great way to demonstrate our own emotional regulation. When students witness their teacher work through a stressful situation in a way that demonstrates awareness and presence, they may remember that themselves. Sometimes this kind of role modeling can be more impactful than even teaching a lesson to our students about emotional regulation."

6. Body Scan: Educators benefit from learning to focus on their bodies. Make sure you are feeling centered with both feet on the floor as you teach your classes or meet with students or colleagues. Notice when and where you are feeling tension or when your breathing is shallow or labored, and use Three Breaths (or more!) to help you feel some relief. Don't hesitate to let students or colleagues know that you are taking a few moments to gather yourself via breathing.

7. Speak Your Mantra: Develop a phrase that helps you keep focus and keep perspective. Repeat it often-when you encounter roadblocks and when things are going well. Put it in places where you will see it because when emotions run high, we can lose sight of our more cherished values. Some examples:

"I am preparing all of these children for an uncertain future."

"I want all students to enjoy well-being, happiness, and peace."

"My goal is to prepare students for the tests of life-not just a life of tests."

Ending the Day

8. Concluding Reflections: Many have extolled the value of reflection, from Sir John Templeton, founder of the character-focused foundation with his name, to the SEL exemplar Responsive Classroom. Mindfulness experts like Nuhfer have joined that group. Below are five of her favorites for closing the school day, plus two of my own:

Something I learned today...

I am curious about...

I am looking forward to tomorrow because...

Something I'll do (next, later today, this weekend, before the end of the week, etc.)...

A question I still have is...

I had the best feeling today when...

Something from today that I am grateful for/thankful for/appreciative of is...

Most teachers start off as teachers who use mindfulness; moving to become a "mindful teacher"-what Nuhfer describes as a teacher who "acts with awareness about what is happening in the moment," at every moment-takes practice with multiple techniques, reading the relevant literature, being aware of implicit biases, and being part of a community of like-minded educators who help each other improve.

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8 Activities for Students (and Teachers) to Create a Mindful Classroom

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Everyone in the classroom benefits when there are opportunities throughout the day to reflect and prepare for learning.

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Why does this help?

When we face racism in classrooms, it tends to be due to misinformation, stereotypes, or sometimes students say things out of hatred during a moment. Having students create a mindful classroom can allow them to regulate emotions, and understand that a classroom is a safe space for everyone.

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Addressing Race and Racism Head-On in the Classroom

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Addressing Race and Racism Head-On in the Classroom

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Teaching students U.S. history authentically requires educators to delve into race and racism, invite "complexity and hidden narratives" into the conversation, and give students the tools to navigate and make sense of "the truths that are difficult to reconcile with the messages of freedom and democracy," writes Emily Boudreau for Usable Knowledge, a Harvard Graduate School of Education publication.

"What does it mean to be living on land taken from Indigenous people? How can a nation recognize that many of its institutions were built and made possible by the labor of enslaved people?" Boudreau writes, referencing an inclusive vision of history that asks us to acknowledge the contributions of women, Black, Latinx, Asian, and LGTBQ people, for example. "Because conversations around these hard histories can be challenging, educators need to know how to approach the subject in considered, developmentally appropriate ways."

As schools, and the country, become more diverse, a growing number of educators are working to expand K-12 curricula "to include the narratives of people from a wider range of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds," writes journalist Holly Korbey. Greater inclusivity in history, she writes, allows young people to "see themselves in the story of our shared past, they not only develop a deeper appreciation of the subject, but become more civically active."

Here are four considerations, culled from Boudreau's article and from our Edutopia archives, for teaching and engaging with the complex narratives surrounding American history.

Feature Stories of Resistance and Resilience

Historical narratives should strike a balance between examining racism and discrimination but also highlighting "the resilience and resistance of communities throughout history," so they're instilling hope in young people, Boudreau writes, but also correcting the narrow, often cursory view of U.S. history that glosses over important figures of resistance like César Chávez, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the disability rights activist Ed Roberts, and Kwame Ture, born Stokely Carmichael. It's an effort that calls on educators to "teach a more accurate history that commonly goes untold: the role of grassroots activists and women, nuanced portraits of leaders like Parks and King, and racial and social justice battles that link the past to contemporary issues of inequality," writes Melinda D. Anderson, a journalist.

"It's imperative that teachers not reinforce a milquetoast version of Black history that is anti-Black because of its erasure of painful truths," writes Rann Miller, an after-school program director. As a student, Miller learned about Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass. "I heard very little of Malcolm X, the FBI's campaign against civil rights leaders, the Rainbow Coalition put together by the Black Panther Party's Fred Hampton, or Hampton's assassination. I learned about the struggles of my enslaved ancestors, but not about Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, or Nat Turner."

Examine Primary Sources

Textbooks tend to gloss over large swaths of history, "without going into much depth or bringing the voices of those who lived through those times to the surface," writes Boudreau. It's up to teachers to bring those voices into the classroom via primary source documents "that tell the story of an event using the words of the people who are described by the curriculum."

It's important, however, to make sure these materials are developmentally appropriate-teachers can "redact or edit them so students can understand and engage with the texts," Boudreau suggests-and to give kids opportunities to discuss and process "feelings that come up as they learn about these histories." One way to do this is to check in with students via an anonymous Google survey. "A teacher can then validate those emotions-some people might feel angry or sad-but giving students a chance to process the emotions that come up is essential for us to move forward as a country and acknowledge racism," says Adrienne Stang, a K-12 history and social studies coordinator for Cambridge Public Schools.

Meanwhile, the effort to find and work with primary documents presents a valuable opportunity to teach older students how to carefully vet resources-a foundational, critical thinking skill that involves understanding the cultural context and values from which primary sources spring, and determining the credibility of resources. In social studies, for example, "vetting resources is important not just because we want to ensure students are learning from accurate, verifiable materials," writes Paul Franz, an educational researcher and former middle school teacher. "It's important also because the ability to ask questions about sources, bias, and context are at the heart of social studies education and are essential skills for thriving in the modern world."

Make Sure Kids See Themselves in Your Classroom

Books and curriculum should "reflect the diversity of our world and identities of all students," in the classroom, writes Boudreau. In the early grades, check in with families and caregivers to gain an understanding of students' backgrounds, suggests Stang, and make sure kids have opportunities to learn not just about the identities of students in the classroom, but also about diverse cultures and backgrounds that aren't reflected in the room.

And while school and classroom budgets may be tight, even small changes-like sharing one book that references a child's experiences-can make a difference, says second- and third-grade teacher Natalya Gibbs, who hangs posters that reflect her students' identities and experiences such as family and home life structures and languages, and offers skin-toned crayons so her students "can see themselves in all aspects of their classroom." Her approach changes each school year, depending on the students in her classroom. "It's about 'Who is this class? What do they bring?' I'm growing my curriculum based on the community of children that I have each year, which means learning about my students and their cultures and making sure that they're represented."

Teach Hard Histories in Other Classes Too

It's not just the job of history teachers to take on the complex discussions around race and racism. "Including curriculum and sources that deal with both hard histories and narratives of resilience and agency is the job of every teacher, not just those in the history department," writes Boudreau.

In STEM classes, for example, writes scientist Ainissa Ramirez, author of The Alchemy of Us, which showcases little-known inventors, particularly people of color and women, it's critical to "inform [students] about the past." In doing so, educators not only "demystify scientific advancements by revealing their messy historical reality; we show students how science is actually conducted; and we have the opportunity to spotlight scientists who have been written out of history-and thus invite more students into the world of science."

In English class, make texts from authors who represent a spectrum of racial, cultural, and gender perspectives available, and emphasize the contributions of often marginalized people to American history-Bao Phi's A Different Pond, R.J. Palacio's Wonder, and Malinda Lo's Ash, to name a few. "Teach students about the Africanisms in American English when discussing or teaching grammar," writes Miller, who recalls reading Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare in English class, but never Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, or Toni Morrison. "Students should be introduced to texts by Black authors that speak to Black experiences, Black perspectives, and Black accomplishments. These authors remind children and adults that Black excellence is not confined to athletics and entertainment. How can we promote the academic excellence of Black children without introducing them to Black intellectuals-individuals they can see themselves someday becoming?"

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Addressing Race and Racism Head-On in the Classroom

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From featuring stories of resistance to making sure kids see themselves represented in the classroom, a few things to keep in mind when teaching American history.

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Teaching students early on about race and racism can allow students to be better informed. Having students read informative texts and stories, and including diversity in what we teach is important.

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Study Tracks Growing Understanding of UDL

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Study Tracks Growing Understanding of UDL

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State and district education leaders say they understand the importance of universal design for learning, and they spent federal stimulus money on putting that set of educational principles into practice, but some of them still aren't entirely sure what it is, according to a new study.

Universal design for learning, or UDL-a relatively new approach to instruction-originally grew out of a desire to level the playing field in classrooms for students with disabilities. The new study finds that that many states and districts have embraced UDL's tenets, which call for students to be presented with information and content in different ways and for giving them multiple options to show their understanding of what they know. The instructional approach is intended to help all students, not just those with disabilities. But plenty of misconceptions remain about the approach, which is essentially a set of principles aimed at adapting instruction and providing technological supports to give all students, regardless of disability, equal opportunities to learn.

The report released today, "Universal Design for Learning: Initiatives on the Move," for the first time looks at how UDL is being implemented and understood, how 2009's American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and its Race to the Top grant program advanced UDL, and state and district leaders' perceptions about the principles.

Because UDL was referenced in the federal stimulus programs, has been defined in some federal legislation, and has been closely linked to the launch of the new Common Core State Standards, it was time to see whether people really know what it is, said Patti Ralabate, the director of implementation at the Center for Applied Special Technology, or CAST, in Wakefield, Mass., and one of the study's authors. The study was commissioned by her organization and the National Center on Universal Design for Learning, which is part of CAST.

"If they're calling it UDL, what are people doing," Ms. Ralabate said. "And what do they know?"

The study included observations of 14 states that had mentioned UDL in their Race to the Top applications and a survey of 134 local special education directors in districts that received federal stimulus dollars.

The good news is: All the state leaders reported being familiar with UDL principles, and more than half the district directors were, too. But the district directors also said limited funding, insufficient staffing, and the time needed to implement UDL remain obstacles.

The study's results show that as effective as UDL's premise can be, states and districts need more support and information about how to put the ideas behind it into practice effectively. The transformation a district may go through as it implements UDL won't happen overnight, Ms. Ralabate said. Her organization has provided professional development and training to districts all over the country, but is only now involved in broader projects that provide intense support across a district.

"The bottom line is that we believe UDL implementation is a process," she said. "It's going to be different in different places. We need to be responsive to those needs just like you are with learners who learn differently-there's not going to be one way or one definitive example or model."

Spending Patterns

One thing researchers found particularly promising was how much districts used special education stimulus dollars to invest in UDL-which would be employed by general education teachers.

"A significant amount of this money was used to improve the capacity of general education to serve students with disabilities, not develop separate special programs," said Thomas Hehir, a former director of the office of special education programs at the U.S. Department of Education and currently a professor of practice at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. He and two doctoral candidates worked on the survey of district special education directors. "All of that [effort] is about giving teachers the skills to teach students with more diverse needs."

Districts in the survey spent about a quarter of their ARRA money for special education on technology, including computers, that could be used in supporting students with disabilities in the regular classroom. But the amount spent on desktop and tablet versions of computers was about the same, said Todd Grindal, one of the doctoral candidates who collaborated with Mr. Hehir.

The distinction is important because tablets may be far easier to use for some students with disabilities and can even be mounted on wheelchairs, he said. ( "iPads Become Learning Tools for Students With Disabilities," March 2, 2011.)

Drilling down further to other technology investments was also telling, Mr. Grindal said: Districts bought Braille-related software and voice-to-text technology.

"They spent more money on specific types of technology, which we could reasonably expect to further UDL," he said.

The study's results represent a significant shift, said Mr. Hehir, who left the Education Department in 1999.

"So much of this investment was not going into building up separate special education programs. I don't think you would have seen that 10 years ago," he said, noting the push to account for all students' performance by 2001's No Child Left Behind law.

But general education teachers need training to work with an increasingly diverse set of students, Mr. Hehir said, and it seems states and districts are not only seeing UDL as a way to make inclusive settings work, they are investing in it.

"People have seen the importance of including kids [with disabilities], but just putting kids in classrooms is not necessarily going to improve outcomes for these kids."

Nevertheless, he and Ms. Ralabate said the report shows the need for continued promotion and investment.

After response to intervention was referenced in federal special education law, the approach took off as a method of strategically targeting instruction, Mr. Hehir said. There has been strategic federal investment, research, and technical assistance regarding RTI, which involves early identification of students' learning problems and focused interventions to address those problems before they are entrenched.

"The same things are probably necessary for UDL," he said. "The audience will be very receptive."

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Study Tracks Growing Understanding of UDL

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But state and district special education directors say there are still widespread misperceptions about the universal design for learning concept.

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As we were learning about UDL I realized a question that was raised what was UDL? As teachers understanding it and its importance towards us as teachers and to the students is important. This brings the question of what other topics we as upcoming teachers need to learn about.

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How Universal Design for Learning Can Help With Lesson Planning This Year

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How Universal Design for Learning Can Help With Lesson Planning This Year

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How Universal Design for Learning Can Help With Lesson Planning This Year

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The core concepts of UDL are particularly helpful for teachers moving between remote, hybrid and in-person teaching.

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However, if we do know what UDL is the question that may follow for many is how could I create a lesson to incorporate them throughout my teaching.

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Using AI to Enhance Universal Design for Learning

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Using AI to Enhance Universal Design for Learning

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With being in the LS 350 Class and teaching with tech another question that sparked was whether could AI be used in a positive manner in incorporating the UDL Guidelines. This article inspired me to teach my students about AI in a positive manner.

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Generative AI can make educational content and instruction more accessible, helping teachers meet a breadth of student needs.

Stuart Kinlough / Ikon Images

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an essential framework for enhancing accessibility, helps teachers design inclusive instruction. The framework supports students' accessing content in varied formats, expressing understanding using multiple modalities, and engaging with high-interest content-all of which enhance equity.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that can help educators create a more UDL-friendly environment. Though many teachers are skeptical about students' use of generative AI, instead of viewing it as a quick answer generator, we can teach students about ethical use by helping them view it as a research assistant, brainstorming collaborator, and tutor. Student- and teacher-facing AI tools can enhance engagement, representation, and expression in the classroom. Below, I showcase two such tools and how I use them with students in my English classes, though many others are rapidly evolving.

Using AI for UDL

SchoolAI is one such tool that enables students to access information in a variety of ways and allows teachers to customize AI chatbots (called spaces) for specific learning opportunities. For example, using the historical chatbot generator, teachers can ask students to interact with a chatbot that assumes the role of an author or historical figure available, and teachers can also create their own.

Instructionally, when students interact with a chatbot, they not only acquire information but also learn how to engage in effective conversations with AI. Asking and refining probing questions is a future-forward skill.

My students choose how they synthesize the information they learn from AI; some employ a note-taking method, others use graphic organizers. Every student's chat is unique and yields different outcomes that make for compelling collaborative conversations among peers. Post-chat, I guide students to fact-check and examine information for biases before drawing conclusions from AI interactions. This step is essential for building capacity as students learn how to utilize AI responsibly, and there are helpful frameworks for students working to evaluate the information they glean.

Enhancing Individualized Learning

Equitable, personalized learning is the ultimate goal of UDL. SchoolAI is UDL-friendly, because it has an embedded text-to-speech function that allows students to hear AI conversations read aloud. Additionally, an embedded speech-to-text tool enables students to respond verbally instead of in writing. This multimodality means every student is able to participate, even those for whom reading or writing is challenging, which facilitates inclusive learning and deepens engagement.

Though SchoolAI offers different types of chatbot-based spaces to customize, perhaps the most exciting for UDL is the Sidekick-a personalized tutor that you can tailor for specific content or processes. When my students are writing narratives, I create a Sidekick that can assist them in the writing process by offering concrete suggestions and clarifying concepts (such as figurative language or how to write dialogue correctly). I also limit the type of assistance that my Sidekick will provide, such as prohibiting it from helping students "too much." That way, the AI is not allowed to write for students and can only give them concrete examples that are unrelated to the plot of the narrative they were crafting.

Leveraging Teacher-Facing AI Tools

MagicSchool is a teacher-facing platform that includes more than 60 AI tools created specifically for educators. One essential aspect of UDL is ensuring that students can easily understand instructions and success criteria. To do this, I use MagicSchool to generate clearer, more concise directions for tasks, as well as exemplars and non-exemplars.

A UDL environment also offers more than one pathway through which students can access content. To fulfill this goal, I use MagicSchool to generate multiple explanations for concepts, to generate questions in response to YouTube videos, and to level text so I can provide students the opportunity to read "just right" material no matter their current grade level. These uses are especially beneficial for accommodating students with specialized instructional needs, as well as students for whom English is a second language.

To increase engagement, I also use AI to convert traditional content into other formats. For example, when teaching the myth of Hades and Persephone, I used MagicSchool to generate several other versions of the text, including a rap battle and breaking news brief. Students choose which representation they want to read, and everyone discusses the theme and showcases their understanding.

To help brainstorm varied modalities for student expression, I utilized the MagicSchool choice board generator to come up with ideas to populate my favorite choice board template. MagicSchool's group work generator was also useful for brainstorming collaborative activities, because some of the most effective UDL-friendly classrooms allow students to choose how they like to learn and create. Students who prefer to work with others are able to gravitate toward team tasks, while students who prefer to work alone are able to select an independent option.

Enhancing Inclusivity

An inclusive classroom is full of choice, allowing students to self-select instructional materials and options to demonstrate mastery. With so few hours in the day and so many considerations involved in planning, leveraging AI tools can optimize teacher workflows and provide focused assistance.

Whether adapting existing lessons to be more UDL-friendly or crafting an entirely new unit, AI places truly personalized learning within greater reach than ever before.

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Using AI to Enhance Universal Design for Learning

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Generative AI can make educational content and instruction more accessible, helping teachers meet a breadth of student needs.