Restorative Justice

The Restorative Justice section was the most interesting session that I attended that day. The session itself had a very small attendance, which I believe was intentional. It was led by two instructors who used Restorative Practices in their schools. The basic premise is that when students misbehave it is better to discuss the reasoning for the behavior rather than merely punish them for it. In the example they led with us, the student is sat with either the Principal or the Restorative Leader. The discussion is facilitated using a talking object, so that way no one can speak over the other person. The student says why they did the behavior and the Restorative Leader discusses how that behavior affected other people. The end goal is for the student to make amends for their actions, whatever the agreed-upon result may be.
I would greatly like to use this in my future classroom because I believe it is more effective than the traditional punitive method. I am a pragmatic individual who looks for simple and effective solutions. I have always viewed detentions and suspensions as highly ineffective. The student is being removed from the classroom or from their social group, which further isolates them and increases the likelihood of negative behaviors. The student also gets the added privilege of escaping the classroom environment. The function of most behavior is to either escape something or attain something. By using a Restorative Practice, the educator is able to see what the student needs or is uncomfortable with. I hope to start this at the classroom setting and eventually have a district-wide acceptance of the practice.

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