Restorative Practices in the Classroom
Blog Series: Managing Classroom Behaviour
In every classroom, conflicts and behavioural incidents are inevitable. Traditionally, punitive approaches such as detention or exclusion have been used to address these situations. However, restorative practices offer an alternative that focuses on repairing harm, rebuilding relationships, and maintaining a positive classroom environment. By encouraging students to take responsibility for their actions and engage in dialogue, restorative justice can lead to lasting behaviour change and a more respectful school culture.
This blog introduces restorative approaches for resolving conflicts and provides guidance on how teachers and support staff can implement these practices to repair relationships after behavioural incidents.
What Are Restorative Practices?
Restorative practices stem from the broader concept of restorative justice, which focuses on repairing the harm caused by wrongdoing rather than simply punishing the offender. In a classroom context, this means shifting the focus from punishment to understanding, accountability, and reconciliation. Students are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour, understand the impact of their actions on others, and work towards rebuilding trust with those affected.
The Benefits of Restorative Practices
- Encourages Accountability: Restorative practices help students understand the consequences of their actions and take responsibility for repairing any harm caused.
- Promotes Conflict Resolution: By fostering open dialogue, restorative conversations allow students to express their feelings and work towards a solution together.
- Strengthens Relationships: These practices rebuild trust and connection between students, teachers, and peers, contributing to a more positive and cohesive classroom environment.
- Reduces Recurrence of Behavioural Issues: Unlike traditional punishments, restorative approaches help students learn from their mistakes, reducing the likelihood of repeated misbehaviour.
- Supports Emotional Development: Restorative practices help students develop empathy, problem-solving skills, and emotional regulation by encouraging them to reflect on their actions and their impact on others.
Key Restorative Practices for the Classroom
Restorative Conversations After a behavioural incident, a restorative conversation allows the teacher and student to discuss what happened, how it affected others, and how to move forward. These conversations focus on understanding the root cause of the behaviour and finding ways to repair the harm.
Example: “Let’s talk about what happened earlier. How do you think your actions affected your classmate, and what can we do to make things right?”
Circle Time Restorative circle time is a structured group discussion that involves everyone affected by the incident. This approach encourages students to express their feelings in a safe and supportive space, where everyone’s perspective is valued. Circle time fosters a sense of community and allows the group to work together to resolve conflicts.
Example: Following an argument between two students, the class gathers in a circle to share how the incident affected them, and together they create a plan for moving forward respectfully.
Affective Statements Affective statements are simple, non-judgemental expressions of how a student’s behaviour has impacted others. These statements help students understand the emotional consequences of their actions without feeling blamed or attacked.
Example: Instead of saying, “You’re being disruptive,” a teacher might say, “I feel concerned when the class gets off task because it means we can’t finish our work.”
Restorative Conferences A restorative conference is a more formal approach used for serious behavioural incidents. It involves the student, those affected by their behaviour, and a facilitator (usually a teacher or support staff member). The group works together to discuss the incident, its impact, and what can be done to repair the damage.
Example: After a fight between students, a conference is held with the involved parties and a facilitator. Together, they discuss how to prevent similar incidents in the future and agree on how to repair the relationships affected.
Repairing the Harm A key principle of restorative practices is that students should take concrete steps to repair the harm caused by their actions. This might involve apologising, making amends, or performing a helpful task for those affected. The aim is to promote accountability and personal growth through meaningful actions.
Example: After breaking a classmate’s project, a student is encouraged to help repair it or create a new one, demonstrating responsibility for their actions.
Collaborative Problem-Solving Involving students in problem-solving discussions encourages them to take an active role in resolving conflicts and preventing future incidents. By working together with the teacher or their peers, students can develop solutions that meet everyone’s needs, fostering a sense of shared responsibility.
Example: “Let’s think about how we can work together to make sure this doesn’t happen again. What could we all do differently next time?”
Reflective Writing For some students, especially those who struggle with verbal expression, reflective writing can be a useful tool for processing their emotions and reflecting on their behaviour. After an incident, ask the student to write about what happened, how they felt, and how they might handle the situation differently in the future.
Example: Following a classroom disruption, a student is asked to write a letter reflecting on their actions and what they plan to do next time they feel frustrated.
Restorative Agreements After a restorative conversation or circle, it’s helpful to create a restorative agreement that outlines the actions the student will take to repair the harm and avoid future incidents. This agreement can be revisited and adjusted as needed, providing a clear framework for moving forward.
Example: After a restorative conversation, the student agrees to apologise, help tidy the classroom, and attend a weekly check-in to discuss their behaviour.
Building a Restorative Classroom Culture While restorative practices are often used in response to conflicts, they can also be embedded in the day-to-day life of the classroom. Creating a restorative classroom culture involves regularly encouraging open dialogue, respect, and responsibility, which helps prevent conflicts from arising in the first place.
Example: Use regular circle time to check in with students about how they’re feeling and encourage them to voice any concerns, fostering a climate of openness and trust.
Support from Colleagues Teachers and support staff can collaborate to create a consistent approach to restorative practices throughout the school. Sharing strategies, discussing challenging incidents, and supporting each other in implementing restorative approaches can make the process smoother and more effective.
Example: Meet with colleagues to discuss how they handle behavioural incidents and explore ways to support one another in maintaining a restorative approach across different classes.
Conclusion
Restorative practices offer a powerful alternative to traditional punitive discipline, focusing on repairing relationships and fostering a positive classroom environment. By using restorative conversations, circle time, and other strategies, teachers and support staff can help students take responsibility for their actions, resolve conflicts constructively, and rebuild trust. These approaches not only address the immediate behavioural issue but also encourage emotional development, empathy, and a stronger sense of community. Ultimately, incorporating restorative practices into the classroom promotes lasting behaviour change and a more supportive learning environment for all students.
Keywords: restorative practices in the classroom, repairing relationships, conflict resolution in schools, rebuilding trust after behavioural incidents, restorative justice in education, positive classroom environment, student behaviour management, restorative conversations, teacher-student relationships, classroom conflict resolution
