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Suspensions do not improve a school's environment, according to the Dignity in Schools campaign that identified my school district as having the fifth highest suspension rate in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2013, when this report was compiled, our district had assigned an out-of-school suspension for 58 of every 100 students. Yes, that is a lot.

The challenge was that this consequence didn't appear to be decreasing the unwanted behavior. Instead, it was leading to greater disciplinary issues and far lower success rates of its students.

They call this School Push-Out. As the phrase may suggest, history shows that suspension and expulsion of students does more harm than good, pushing students out of the school system and leading to a greater level of dropout and harmful learning environments.

In order to combat this all too popular consequence to adverse behavior, for the 2015-2016 school year, my school became one of many in the district to implement a new form of school discipline called Restorative Practices.

What Is The Restorative Practices Approach?

Aiming to decrease School Push-Out and create a more positive school culture, the Restorative Practices (RP) approach uses various communicative techniques focused on affective statements and proactive community building activities.

Putting into considering what the protocol has identified as the Nine Affects, facilitators (e.g., teachers, administrators, other school personnel) work deliberately to more deeply understand what moves their students to and from each affect which range from joy as the most positive, to rage as the most negative.

Reminiscent to the ideas shared in a recent podcast between Getting Smart and Roger Weissberg of CASEL, Restorative Practices complements the social-emotional movement-educating the whole child through strategies to build productive mindsets, supportive cultures and character development. More specifically, RP uses questioning in hopes of inducing empathy, self-reflection and accountability.

There is little to argue against the positive relationship building that RP brings to the classroom and a school culture. It's protocol for handling conflict, however, is where the challenges arise. Instead of the student simply being punished for breaking a rule, it is hoped that through the right questioning, the deeper impact of a behavior will be understood, thus decreasing that behavior in the future.

The overall goal of RP being to bring those who caused harmed in a scenario together with those who have been harmed, directly or indirectly. Sounds great, right? But how do we actually implement this in the classroom?

Restorative Practices In Action

It comes as no surprise that as a teacher of secondary education, I see my fair share of emotional outbursts. While the most natural response to loud remarks, defiant behavior and continuous class interruptions would be to send a student out of the room, my training in RP has provided me a whole new way of approaching conflict.

The expectation of RP is as follows: A conflict occurs in the classroom, instead of removing the student temporarily by sending him or her to in-school suspension or to an administrator, a teacher privately engages the student in a restorative conversation.

The exchange always begins in the same way:

"So, what happened in there?"

"How do you feel about what happened?"

"How do you think that outburst affected those around you?" etc.

If the conflict in class involved more than one student, these questions would be used in a small impromptu conference with those involved. Ideally, this conversation would lead to the root cause of the disruption. Perhaps one student felt threatened or misunderstood by another. Or frustration over a difficult concept in class lead to aggression towards the teacher, etc.

Ultimately, the issue would be resolved on the spot. Alternatively, while sending the student out for disrupting the learning environment may provide a solution in the moment, the more sustainable route, as suggested by RP, is to seek understanding and bring resolution to a problem that may otherwise be exacerbated in the future if left unaddressed.

However, this procedure should not be a spontaneous reaction, but a result of regularly incorporated restorative conversations that have already established that line of communication. For those of you who think this may add value to your classroom, consider taking the small steps below.

1. Introducing class-wide circles on a regular basis. These can either be content specific (in my case having all students ask and answer the same question in Spanish) or general community building circles (questions like, "Where do you see yourself in ten years?")

2. Respond to conflict with a conversation: Ask a student to recount what happened, discussing their emotions and rationale, eventually landing on a mutual plan of action for making the situation right again.

3. Incorporate entire class when determining potential consequences and next steps for adverse behavior: Bringing student voice into the decision making process may result in a greater understanding of how actions affect the classroom as a whole. Keep in mind, facilitation of these circles is a bit tricky. Avoid shaming or singling out just one student and aim to give everyone in a class the opportunity to consider what they can improve on individually.

4. Model the compassionate and empathetic qualities you hope to build: If that one on one contact happens often in times of peace, perhaps it won't be quite as difficult in times of conflict.

The Challenges And Unknowns Of Restorative Practices

With less than two years into establishing RP in our school district, the true effects of this protocol remain unclear. Suspension rates have significantly decreased, but are our students actually developing a greater ability to emotionally connect? Will this reduce the number of young people pushed into the criminal justice system? And more importantly, is this response to conflict resolution entirely feasible on a regular basis?

An even more immediate challenge is how to move forward in situations where this approach does not resolve an issue. During countless scenarios in my personal experience, once engaged in a restorative conversation, many students continue to defend their actions (at times loudly and aggressively). The result always being removal from my classroom.

In these cases, what should be the next step? Despite months of relationship building, including class-wide conversation circles and one-on-one impromptu conferencing, many students still resist any deeper connection.

The result is often an unresolved issue and the loss of precious class time. Possibly the most troubling result of scenarios such as these is the possibility that the other students internalize the actions of the defiant student, recognizing that disrespecting their teacher is not a punishable offense.

I ponder this implicit message each time a student is allowed to re-enter a room without clear consequence outside of a conversation. Especially what long-term implications that message may have for the future of a student. School should be a place to learn real world consequences to behavior, right?

The next steps I have taken to resolve an issue have included those mentioned below. Unfortunately, each took up very valuable time, either directly from the classroom and other students, or from my own time to plan or to direct energy elsewhere to better my teaching practice.

A class-wide circle, in which each student had an opportunity to express how the conflict affected them, eventually resulting a class-wide solution.

A conference with the administration and parent to resolve the issue.

A behavioral contract in which the student and I collaborated on a solution, giving the student ownership of future consequences to his behavior.
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RP has brought a whole new procedure to very common issues in the classroom and has established a whole new culture for communication in my school. However, the long-term costs and benefits still remain a bit unclear to me. Tell me what you think about RP in the comments below, or tag me in a tweet on Twitter.

For more, see:

Emily Riley is a blogger and Spanish teacher at Brashear High School. Follow her on Twitter: @EmiMRiley.

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Implementing Restorative Practices in the Classroom | Getting Smart

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Suspensions do not improve a school's environment, according to the Dignity in Schools campaign that identified my school district as having the fifth highest suspension rate in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2013, when this report was compiled, our district had assigned an out-of-school suspension for 58 of every 100 students.

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CDI provides a range of Restorative Practices training courses and supports, details are available here.

People who have done CDI's RP training and are using restorative practices as a way of working report that their work is easier, more enjoyable and more effective. Parents report better relationships with their children, residents report better relationships with their neighbours and young people report increased confidence and better relationships with their teachers, their families, their friends and their peers.

CDI has specific objectives regarding enhancing a sense of personal safety and belonging in the community, alongside improved inter-agency collaboration and connection between service providers and residents in Tallaght West. In 2010, we introduced our Restorative Practices Programme in order to facilitate the progression of these objectives. With the overall aim of supporting Tallaght West to become a Restorative Community, our RP programme has involved the provision of training to the management and staff of statutory, community and voluntary organisations with responsibility for the well-being of children and also to parents, residents and young people. The RP Programme has also involved the training of RP trainers to develop capacity and sustainability of Restorative Practices across the country and the development of support networks for sharing learning and developing joint activities to promote the use of RP, and the development of a national RP network, Restorative Practices Ireland.

CDI is currently working towards launching Tallaght West as a Restorative Community and we are continuing to deliver training and provide support to organisations working to implement a restorative approach.
Evaluation Report and Policy Brief Restorative Practice Videos
CDI is thrilled to announce the launch of our Restorative Practices Podcast Series " Circles of Connection: Stories from Ireland about using Restorative Practices to Build Relationships".
Episode 1: What are Restorative Practices
In this episode, George Best, Restorative Practices Coordinator with the Childhood Development Initiative, introduces our new "Circles of Connection" podcast series and explains all about Restorative Practices. To listen click here
Episode 2: Restorative Practices in the community
In this episode, Geraldine Conlon, active community leader in Tallaght West, explains how she got started with Restorative Practices and the impact it has on herself and her community. To listen click here
Episode 3: Restorative Practices in Family Services
In this episode, Anne Desmond, Mental Health Support worker at Carrigtwohill Family Resource Centre, explains how she is using Restorative Practices in her job and how it has improved her personal and work life. To listen click here
Episode 4: Restorative Practices in Social Care
In this episode, three Social Care Workers from Dublin and Clare, John Nevin, Tracey and Geraldine Walsh, explain how they are using Restorative Practices in their job and how it makes a difference for themselves and the people they are working with. To listen click here
Episode 5: Becoming a Restorative School
In this episode, Anne Marie Moylan, Principal of Scoile Mhuire Naofa primary school in Carrigtwohill, is sharing the journey the school has undertaken to become fully restorative. To listen Click here
Episode 6: Restorative Practices in a Primary School
In this episode, Eithne Sheehan, the Mentor Advisor with RP, Kate O'Riordan a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) and fourteen 6th class students from Scoile Mhuire Naofa in Carrigtwohill explain the impact using Restorative Practices has on their daily life in the school. Click here to listen
Episode 7: Restorative Practices and Youth Work
In this episode, Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Assistant Manager, Kim Brown and Tim Noonan, Teachers, at Céim ar Chéim in Limerick, an organisation providing training to young people at risk of offending, explain how they got started with RP in the centre, how they are using RP and the impact it has on their work and life. To listen, click here

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Restorative Practices (RP) are an evidence-based set of skills that help develop and sustain strong and happy organisations and communities by actively developing good relationships, preventing the escalation of conflict and handling conflict and wrongdoing in a creative and healthy manner. CDI has trained over 3,000 adults and 300 young people in Restorative Practices, and [...]

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CDI_20200608_GSWRP Schools 6x2Hours PPT SLIDES (1)

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CDI_20200608_GSWRP Schools 6x2Hours Learner Handbook (1) (1)

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A Practical Introduction to Restorative Practice in Schools

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Proven to reduce bad behaviour and exclusions, and encourage happier, safer school environments, restorative justice is an effective approach to conflict resolution.Suitable for education settings from preschool to college, this guide explains what restorative justice is, how it can be used in schools, what it looks like in the classroom and how it can be implemented.

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Restorative justice is a dynamic and innovative way of dealing with conflict in schools, promoting understanding and healing over assigning blame or dispensing punishment. It can create an ethic of care and justice that makes schools safer and happier, not only through reducing conflict, but also in terms of developing active citizenship skills, good self-esteem, open communication and team work in students.

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Implementing Restorative Practice in Schools

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Restorative practice is a proven approach to discipline in schools that favours relationships over retribution, and has been shown to improve behaviour and enhance teaching and learning outcomes. However, in order for it to work, restorative practice needs a relational school culture.

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The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education

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Much more than a response to harm, restorative justice nurtures relational, interconnected school cultures. The wisdom embedded within its principles and practices is being welcomed at a time when exclusionary discipline and zero tolerance policies are recognized as perpetuating student apathy, disproportionality, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

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This work helps in rethinking behaviour management in the whole school through the use of restorative justice methods. School conferences have proved remarkably successful in teaching students about their responsibilities and accountability to other people. This manual fulfils an important role by outlining the techniques to learn and apply when planning and facilitating conferences.

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The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools

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Can community-building begin in a classroom? The authors of this book believe that by applying restorative justice at school, we can build a healthier and more just society. With practical applications and models.Can an overworked teacher possibly turn an unruly incident with students into an "opportunity for learning, growth, and community-building"?

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Discipline Over Punishment is an exploration of the transformative potential of restorative discipline practices in schools, ranging from the micro-level of one-on-one interactions with students to the macro-level of re-routing the school-to-prison pipeline and improving life outcomes for young people.

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Handbook of Restorative Justice is a collection of original, cutting-edge essays that offer an insightful and critical assessment of the theory, principles and practices of restorative justice around the globe. This much-awaited volume is a response to the cry of students, scholars and practitioners of restorative justice, for a comprehensive resource about a practice that is radically transforming the way the human community responds to loss, trauma and harm.

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Building and Restoring Respectful Relationships in Schools

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Implementing 'Restorative Practice' in schools can offer powerful and effective methods of promoting harmonious relationships and resolving conflict. Restorative Practice helps disruptive pupils to take responsibility for their actions, understand the consequences of their behaviour and apologise to others. Through a whole-school approach school teachers and managers can help all children build healthy and respectful relationships with peers and teachers.

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Handbook of Restorative Justice is a collection of original, cutting-edge essays that offer an insightful and critical assessment of the theory, principles and practices of restorative justice around the globe. This much-awaited volume is a response to the cry of students, scholars and practitioners of restorative justice, for a comprehensive resource about a practice that is radically transforming the way the human community responds to loss, trauma and harm.

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The Effects of Implementing Restorative Justice in an In-School S.pdf

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The Efficacy of Restorative Practices on Reducing and Preventing.pdf

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Restorative Practices in the School Setting_ A Systematic Review.pdf

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Notícias do Campus Especial - Justiça Restaurativa - 4ª Parte

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Empathy: The Heart of Difficult Conversations | Michelle Stowe | TEDxTallaght

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CDI_20200608_GSWRP Schools 6x2Hours PPT SLIDES

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Lakshmy will be joined Live by Aisling Kelly who is a primary school teacher working in a restorative practice school Aisling also provides RP Training for teachers. Aisling explains how and why restorative practice helps to keep children and teachers in class and school by creating a harmonious environment.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:00 - 30.2MB)

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Lifeline 29 - 07 - 2019 Aisling Kelly, Restorative Practice

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Lakshmy will be joined Live by Aisling Kelly who is a primary school teacher working in a restorative practice school Aisling also provides RP Training for teachers. Aisling explains how and why restorative practice helps to keep children and teachers in class and school by creating a harmonious environment.