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How can restorative practices help teachers focus on building relationships instead of just giving punishments? What challenges might come with this change?

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How can restorative practices help teachers focus on building relationships instead of just giving punishments? What challenges might come with this change?

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Why is it important for students to have a voice in classroom management, and how can teachers make sure students feel safe sharing their thoughts?

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Why is it important for students to have a voice in classroom management, and how can teachers make sure students feel safe sharing their thoughts?

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How can teachers use restorative practices every day to prevent behavior problems instead of only using them when there’s a conflict?

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How can teachers use restorative practices every day to prevent behavior problems instead of only using them when there’s a conflict?

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Do you have any great classroom management ideas that work in your classroom? Share your favorite one here. 

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Do you have any great classroom management ideas that work in your classroom? Share your favorite one here. 

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Restorative practices help teachers focus on building relationships instead of just giving punishments by allowing students to reflect on how other's feelings were effected during the situation. Restorative practices allow the student to self-reflect with the help of an adult to see how to better handle situations. Some challenges that might come with this change are that emotions can be intensified, lack of trust between participants, and vulnerability.

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It is important for students to have a voice in classroom management because students will feel a part of the planning process. When students feel included, they are more inclined to follow the norms of the classroom. Teachers can make sure that students feel safe sharing their thoughts by setting norms for how conversations should go. Norm setting allows for everyone to agree to certain rules for engagement.

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Teachers can use restorative practices every day to prevent behavior problems instead of only using them when there's a conflict by having meaningful conversations with students during morning check ins, have community building activities for your classroom to better know each other, and providing positive reinforcement.

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In my classroom, students earn tickets for being on task, following our norms, and helping others. Students then place these tickets into a jar. On Fridays, I draw a few tickets (usually 5 a week) and student can get candy or a fidget. This has helped with keeping my students focused on our norms.

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Restorative practices can significantly help teachers focus on building relationships rather than relying solely on punitive measures by creating a framework that prioritizes understanding, communication, and repair of harm. Some challenges that might come with the change are resistance to the change, having consistency across the school and balancing building relationships and authority.

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Giving students a voice in how the classroom is managed helps them feel more invested in their learning environment. It also demonstrates that their opinions are valued which helps to build a positive and respectful relationship between students and teachers. Students who feel their voices matter are also more likely to engage with the classroom content, participate in discussions, and treat others with kindness and respect. Teachers can make sure students feel safe sharing their thoughts by creating a welcoming environment, setting ground rules for communication, using regular student check-ins, and fostering a sense of belonging.

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Teachers can use restorative practices every day by building relationships by making an effort to build individual relationships with each student. Teachers can also involve students in creating the classroom norms or rules. This can help them feel ownership over the expectations and more accountable for upholding them. Teachers can also use restorative practices to highlight positive behavior not just recognizing bad ones.

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I think my favorite thing that I try to make sure and do with all my classes is a check-in. I always try to take the first few minutes in class to just have a "normal" conversation with them and see how everyone is, just chat a little before we dive right into the classroom content.

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Restorative practices help establish and build relationships with our students. It helps the students feel heard during situations that a restorative conversation is needed. Sometimes there a misunderstanding in situations and a restorative conversation gives each party a chance to share their side of the story. The only challenge I could see with restorative practice/s is if you are trying to have a restorative conversation with a student you do not have a relationship with, yet they may not be willing to open up and talk.

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I look at my classroom as a family, we make decision as a group. So, at the start of each year we create our classroom norms and consequences for not following those classroom norms so that students feel it is fair because they helped create them. It helps them feel like their voice is being heard and valued.

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Practicing and using restorative practices daily have a better outcome then only using them when a student is in trouble. It builds relationships with the students, trust in one another, and classroom community. When a problem does arise, it will then be easier to get under control.

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The group I have this year are some talkers, they love to share so much with me, others, and even themselves. One classroom management skill I recently started that has helped cut down on the amount of talking is playing the quiet game when we are transitioning in the hall, cleaning up, etc. Not only is it a fun way to get the students engaged and focused it helps me be able to give them directions on what to do next.

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Restorative practices help build relationships with children and can decrease the number of behaviors because they see the teacher as a safe place. But this comes with the challenges of the students thinking instead of the authority figure, they see them as friends. They may take the conversation (restorative) not seriously.

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When students have a voice in classroom management, they feel included, and they are more likely to take the rules seriously and will hold others accountable.

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When teachers use restorative practices they increase the relationships between not only the student/teacher relationship but the student/student relationship. This allows them to see that this is a constant thing not just when the behaviors arise.

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We use a reward system. We see that our groups are making good choices, and we reward them via points, or "brain food" to enforce the positive behavior.

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Restorative practices can be incredibly helpful for teachers in shifting from a punitive approach to one that emphasizes relationship building. These practices focus on repairing harm, fostering understanding, and maintaining strong connections among students, teachers, and the school community. Restorative practices can help by encouraging open dialogue, fostering trust and respect, focusing on accountability and growth, and by preventing future issues. However, implementing restorative practices can come with challenges such as time and consistency, training and skill development, resistance to change, and managing severe behaviors. Despite these challenges, restorative practices offer a powerful tool for fostering a positive and supportive classroom environment focused on relationships, rather than just discipline.

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It's important for students to have a voice in classroom management because it helps create a sense of ownership and responsibility for their learning environment. When students feel that their opinions are valued, they are more likely to engage in class activities, show respect for rules, and contribute positively to the classroom atmosphere. Additionally, giving students a say fosters a sense of empowerment and helps develop their critical thinking and communication skills. To make sure students feels safe sharing their thoughts, teachers can create a supportive environment, encourage open dialogue, model active listening, maintain confidentiality, and involve students in decision-making. By creating an inclusive and respectful space, teachers can ensure students feel safe and valued when sharing their thoughts.

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Teachers can integrate restorative practices into their daily routines to prevent behavior problems by focusing on relationship building, proactive communication, and creating a positive classroom culture. Some ways that teachers can use restorative practices every day include building strong relationships, creating a safe and inclusive environment, holding restorative class meetings, acknowledging positive behaviors, teaching emotional regulation and conflict resolution, using restorative language, and collaboratively problem-solving. By embedding these practices into daily routines, teachers can foster a community of respect, understanding, and accountability that helps prevent behavior problems before they start.

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One effective classroom management strategy I use during reading activities involves "Lucky Ducks." These are 25 3D-printed ducks, each numbered to correspond with the desk numbers in my classroom. During reading sessions, I randomly select a duck to determine which student will read aloud. The ducks can also be used for other activities, such as group selection. My students enjoy the Lucky Ducks because they find them adorable and appreciate the element of randomness. This method helps reduce the pressure they may feel when chosen directly by me.

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Restorative practices help to build relationships with students because instead of going immediately to the consequence of punishment for the behavior, you are offering a form of grace to the student and showing that you care. It goes deeper than just a crime and punishment. By addressing the situation in this way with the student, it addresses the behavior and holds them accountable but causes them to do a self reflection in the process as well. Problems that may arise when using restorative practices include the possibility of the student not fully understanding the severity of their actions and you may have to get more creative in how you get your students to fully understand this.

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It's important for student to have a voice in classroom management because without their voice, it makes them feel as if they are not part of the planning process and have no say in it. Just like we as adults like to know and feel that our opinion matters, students also want to feel this way. Teachers can make sure that students feel safe in sharing their thoughts, ideas and opinions by creating a safe and comfortable environment where all opinions are accepted and taken into consideration. You can also have one on one check ins with students from time to time to see how things are going for them in case they want to discuss something with you in private and feel comfortable doing that.

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Teachers can use restorative practices every day to prevent behavior problems with their students instead of only using them when there's a conflict by making it a norm to check in frequently with students, understanding your students, and through classroom management. For example, if you know your students' personalities, you know how and where to seat them in the classroom so that it doesn't cause conflict. If you check in with students daily in some way, it can allow you to know the individual situation of your student to know how to better help them before a conflict arises to know how to best help all of your students.

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One classroom management strategy that I use as a specials teacher is giving links to classes if they have positive behavior. I find that this really motivates student behavior because they are trying to grow their link chain for a prize. They know the goal that they are working towards and this reminds them that they will be rewarded for it if they make good choices during specials classes.

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Restorative practices shift the focus from punishment to relationship-building by fostering vulnerability between teachers and students. These practices help students not only recognize when they have made a mistake but also understand why their behavior was unacceptable and how to make better choices in the future. However, challenges may arise, such as working with an unfamiliar student or addressing a situation when a student is initially unwilling to engage in a productive conversation. Additionally, if too much time passes before the student is ready to talk, the connection to the original behavior may be weakened.

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Giving students a voice in classroom management fosters a sense of ownership, helping them feel more responsible for their actions. When teachers create student-centered classroom norms and build strong individual relationships, it naturally cultivates a positive, supportive classroom environment. Over time, these connections grow into a classroom family where every student feels valued, heard, and safe to share their thoughts.

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Teachers can use restorative practices every day by creating a classroom where students feel heard, valued, and connected. Simple things like starting the day with a quick check-in, having real conversations with students, and involving them in setting expectations can make a big difference. When students feel like they’re part of a supportive community, they’re more likely to take responsibility for their actions and treat others with respect. By making relationship-building and open communication a daily habit, teachers can prevent a lot of behavior issues before they even start.

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One of my favorite classroom management strategies is incorporating brain breaks between heavy content areas. I’ve found this to be incredibly effective in helping students reset and refocus. After recess, we play Wordle together as a fun way to transition back into learning mode. I also use a simple phrase, "Show me we can have fun and move on," which reminds students that we can enjoy a break while still staying on track. This routine helps get out their wiggles and giggles, making it easier to shift back into a productive instructional period.

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Restorative practices help to build relationships with the students by giving you the opportunity to discuss the issue or behavior with the student. This gives them the chance to think about what happened and reflect on it in order to prevent the same thing from happening again in the future.

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Students having a voice in the classroom management helps them feel involved. If the students help come up with the norms for example, they are going to be held a little bit more accountable because they helped come up with them. If they are involved in these important decisions, they will feel more comfortable and heard.

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Teachers can work on building the connection and relationship with the students constantly so that they feel heard, seen, and understood. I think that this will help the students to feel more comfortable coming to you when a problem arises instead of making choices that will lead to conflict or displaying certain negative behaviors.

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I’ve learned just how important it is to give students a voice in the classroom. When they feel heard, they’re more engaged and respectful. It is also a way to connect with them and find out their interests and needs. At the same time, I’ve found that it’s okay for me to share my thoughts too. Being open with my students has actually helped build stronger relationships. It’s all about creating a space where we all feel safe, valued, and part of our classroom family.

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I've come to see that restorative practices can be a powerful tool every day, not just during conflicts. As a new teacher, I’ve learned that consistantly checking in with my students, building strong relationships, and using restorative language helps prevent problems before they even start. Restorative practices can help make the classroom feel more like a family, rather than just a place where students follow rules. By making empathy and connection a regular part of our routine, my classroom feels more positive and supportive.

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Restorative practices help focus more on building and strengthening relationships with students. It leads to having more conversations and less consequences. Some challenges that might come about with this change is student's emotions could be intensified, and some \students may not be willing to open up to you just yet.

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For me, classroom management is all about tailoring my approach to each student’s individual needs and interests. I’ve learned that every child is different, so I pick management strategies based on what works for them. Whether that is getting to sit beside me during a lesson, picking out something out of the prize box, picking out a brain break, or just a little praise note. I focus on building personalized relationships with each student and getting to know them not just as learners, but as people. When students feel seen and understood, they’re more likely to respond positively and engage in a way that feels natural for them.

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When students have a voice in classroom management it gives them a sense of ownership within the class. When students have a say in how the classroom runs via rules, routines, and consequences they’re more likely to take responsibility for their actions, respect the systems they helped create, and hold each other accountable.

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Teachers can use restorative practices every day by having meaningful conversations with students during family meeting time to help build up the classroom community. You can use it to highlight positive behavior.

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When students are a part of the process for setting norms, it increases "buy-in", holds students accountable to one another, and lets students feels as though they are appreciated and respected in class.

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It increases the student/teacher trust and relationship. Students feel accepted and genuinely heard by the teacher. Creating those strong bonds also seems to curb the negative behavior altogether for some students.

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We try to "not sweat the small stuff". A-typical student behaviors or those who are not affecting the learning environment of another student can typically be handled within the classroom itself. It is only when the behavior becomes a pattern and/or directly interferes with learning that our behavior team needs to address the situation. Students also learn that their teachers cares and can sympathize with making one bad choice or simply "having a bad day". Once again, making connections with students only strengthens their feelings of respect, caring and kindness, and a genuine want to do better for that teacher simply because of the relationship.