Restorative Justice: Rethinking Discipline Transcript · I have had passionate counselors in schools - and administrators - who have fought to get a ... For restorative justice to

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For a complete list of references, refer to the On-Demand Module ‘Restorative Justice: Rethinking Discipline.’

Restorative Justice: Rethinking Discipline

Transcript

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

Transcript:

Have you ever had a student who was suspended either by you or another teacher? How do you think being suspended affected that student?

Did the punishment have a positive effect on the student’s behavior or academics? If not, then what purpose

did the suspension really serve?

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Context

Transcript:

Disciplinary actions such as suspension tend to do more harm than good.

A suspended student is kept out of school for an extended period of time. He may be home alone with no

supervision. He may have no opportunity to work on the struggles that caused him to get suspended in the first

place. He will fall behind academically and possibly become resentful of his classmates, teachers, and the

school (American Psychological Association, 2008; Arcia, 2006; Evans-Whipp, 2015; Gonzalez, 2012;

Hemphill et al., 2006).

Less extreme forms of punishment, like detention or banning a student from extracurricular activities, also tend

to do more harm than good. These are all examples of punishments that are disconnected from the original

behavior, and used primarily to cause the student pain or discomfort. They are more likely to foster resentment

that any long-term learning or changes in behavior.

But there is a better way for teachers to address problems that arise at school: it is called restorative justice.

In this module we are going to look at why restorative justice is better than punitive discipline, and how you can

use it with your students.

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Chapter 2: Punitive Discipline Vs. Restorative Justice

Punitive Discipline

Transcript:

To better understand why you should use restorative justice it is helpful to know why you shouldn’t use punitive discipline.

Punitive discipline involves using punishment as a means to deter students from breaking school rules. Punitive discipline can range from taking away a student’s right to dress down on Friday, to requiring him to stay after school for detention, to suspending or expelling him.

Zero-tolerance policies are one example of punitive discipline. When it comes to zero-tolerance policies there is no grey area. If a student breaks a school rule, regardless of the circumstances, that student receives a harsh punishment (American Psychological Association, 2008).

Zero-Tolerance

Transcript:

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What zero-tolerance policies don’t do is take into account what led a student to break a rule in the first place (American Psychological Association, 2008).

Research has found that zero-tolerance policies lead to negative academic and life outcomes both for the students who are punished, and others in the school community (American Psychological Association, 2008; Arcia, 2006; Evans-Whipp, 2015; Gonzalez, 2012; Hemphill et al., 2006).

Click to see how zero tolerance policies negatively affect both schools and individual students.

Effect on the School

Effect on the Individual

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Restorative Justice

Transcript:

Restorative justice flips the script on the way educators and students think about discipline. Instead of focusing on what punishment should be given to the harm-doer, the focus is on addressing the needs of the victim. An effort is made to repair the harm and help all of those affected by it (Zehr, 2014).

Restorative justice does not completely replace all other forms of classroom management. It is a supplement to those other strategies. You still should have classroom rules and appropriate consequences. They should just represent a restorative justice mindset.

To better understand the difference between punitive discipline and restorative justice, let’s hear from a principal who transitioned her school from one discipline system to the other.

Interview: Principal Dial

Transcript:

So the punitive system that we used really was directed by the teacher. So, the teacher was in control. The

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teacher was kind of the one to hand out the consequences, depending on what they saw fit for the offense. Or

the principals, too. My assistant principal and I were also kind of the judge and jury of things. And moving

towards a more restorative justice approach has really given the kids more of a shared power. They have a say

in the norms and expectations that go on in classrooms. And they also have a chance to voice their side of

things when conflict does come up. Conflict is normal. It’s natural. It’s going to happen. How we deal with it is

very different than how we used to in a system where we handed out consequences based on what we saw fit.

Initiating Change

Transcript:

Not all administrators are as receptive to change as Principal Dial was. If you work in a school in which punitive discipline is the norm, talk to your administrators about adopting restorative justice poilicies. We do not suggest going behind your principal’s back and secretly use restorative justice, but we do suggest talking to all who will listen about its benefits. To learn how to better enact change in your own school, listen to an educational advocate explain how.

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Interview: Susan Rothery

Transcript:

There needs to be that passionate person that is devastated when a child isn’t successful. Or a child is going

through pain or isolation. And each of us wants to do something more, but we don’t really know what that

answer is. I have had passionate counselors in schools - and administrators - who have fought to get a

program that’s highly relevant (and has a continuum) into their schools. And they have been successful. There

wasn’t any obstacle that got in their way that caused them to shut down and lose their momentum, but they

had to work really hard. They had to educate their principal, and if the resistance was there, then they would

also work with other team members within the school - other counselors, other social workers. Oftentimes you

need to get the person who’s behind the organization - like myself - to come out there and to make a formal

presentation and explain to them what advantages are available for their school. In terms of the administration,

about the time they see the GPAs go up, they see that kids are attending school more, they have far less

behavioral referrals, there’s a personal advantage that they will be able to see in terms of the future of their

school.

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Chapter 3: Restorative Justice Overview

Principles of Restorative Justice

Transcript:

For restorative justice to work in your classroom, you and your students need to believe in three fundamental principles.

First, when harm is done there is a ripple effect. The harm that takes place touches more than one or two individuals. It affects the interconnected relationships in a community, whether that be the classroom, school, or, district.

Second, harm creates needs and obligations which should be identified and addressed collaboratively by all of those affected.

Finally, there needs to be justice. Justice fulfills agreed-upon obligations in order to put things right for the victims, harm-doers, and community (Pavelka, 2013; Zehr, 2014).

Positive Culture

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Transcript:

One could argue that there is one more principle, and that is you need something to restore to. Restorative justice works best when there is already a strong community culture in place. Although you may not be able to control the culture of your entire school, you do have the ability to build a positive culture in your own classroom (C. Hermanns, personal communication, February 23, 2017).

Here’s how to ensure you have a positive culture in your classroom. From the beginning of the year, prioritize building relationships with your students. Learn about their backgrounds and interests and use that information in your teaching and interactions. Also, help students get to know and support each other. When you develop a positive classroom culture, students will fight to keep it and be more willing to work together to repair harm that disrupts that culture.

Does Restorative Justice Work?

Transcript:

Since we have already seen data supporting the claim that zero-tolerance policies don’t work, it is important to look at evidence that shows that restorative justice does work.

Click through to see how restorative justice has had a positive impact on one school in Minnesota, and then watch Principal Dial explain the impact restorative justice has had at her school.

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Acts of Physical Aggression

In-School Suspensions

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Behavioral Referrals


Transcript:

For the students it’s been a gradual shift. They’re not used to having a say. They’re not used to having any power associated with conflict. But as they’re learning that we really mean it and we do want to hear what they have to say they’re slowly coming around to understanding that we do want to hear it. We want you to have a say in it.

We’ve seen some amazing results though. Some of our most challenging students and have some real challenging behaviors, we’ve seen the most growth with them. And for the teachers that they were struggling with, we’ve had some amazing turnarounds in behavior and the relationships that develops between students and teachers.

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Desired Outcomes

Transcript:

The desired outcomes are always the same and directly related to the core principles.

Above all else, you are trying to meet the needs of the victim. The harm-doer may also have needs that should be addressed, but the focus should be on the victim first and foremost. In some cases each involved student may feel victimized, so addressing everyone’s needs is important.

To meet these needs, it must be decided who has to do what. These are obligations. For example, a student may have to clean the graffiti he scribbled on the wall. A bullying student may have to reflect on her aggressive actions and apologize to her victims.

Finally there must be a plan in place to make sure the needs are met and the harm is repaired (Armstultz & Mullet, 2005; Pavelka, 2013; Riestenberg, 2004; Zehr, 2014).

Chapter 4: Restorative Justice Strategies

Conferences

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Transcript:

Now let’s turn our attention to strategies you can practice in your own classroom.

To determine what restorative justice strategy to use, you must consider the needs of the victim and the maturity level of your students. Take a moment to read more about conferences.

Circles

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Transcript:

The next strategy is called a circle. This strategy is more suited for situations in which the broader community is affected by the harm. In these cases all individuals affected by a problem come together to resolve the issue (Armstultz & Mullet, 2005; Pavelka, 2013; Riestenberg, 2004; Zehr, 2014).

Take a moment to read more about circles.

Other Strategies

Transcript:

Conferences and circles are not the only restorative justice strategies, but they are a little easier to implement and try out with your students. When you feel comfortable with conferences and circles you can try other strategies like peer mediation and peer review boards.

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Chapter 5: Restorative Justice in the Classroom

Video Menu

Transcript:

Mark, a teacher at Principal Dial’s school, has had success with restorative justice over the past year. There are two available video interviews of Mark. In the first video, Mark explains how he created a classroom culture conducive to restorative justice. In the second video, Mark will walk you through a specific example of how he used the conference strategy. When you are ready to move on, click “Proceed”.

Video: Class Culture

Transcript:

So first of all, it’s not a discipline system. It’s a philosophy. So, throughout a lesson with my students, I’ll have multiple conversations about behavior if it comes up. Being a science teacher, the misuse of materials. And telling them the why, rather than telling them not to do it which seems to understand, help my students understand why this behavior is not necessarily conducive to their education.

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For all of my classes I have a respect agreement that’s on the board. And the students pick out one for me and I pick out one for them. And at the beginning of every period we reflect on, are they following it? Am I following it? It’s kind of amazing that sharing that power between the students and me that they feel… They don’t feel hopeless. Where if I’m doing something incorrect or they feel like I’m disrespecting them in some way they feel comfortable coming up and saying, ‘Hey Mr. Paulson, what you did here really affected me this way.’ So then I can have those conversations with the students and I understand and let me know what I can do differently or I apologize. So it’s a quick in the moment type of conversation we can have together, rather than afterschool an hour of detention or I’m going to take recess away.

Video: Conference Strategy

Transcript:

I had this student first semester who would constantly just call my name out. You know, ‘Mark! Mark! Mark!’ It wasn’t even Mr. Paulson it was ‘Mark! Mark! Mark!’ So whenever we’d get to the lab it would progressively get louder and louder in the classroom. And it would bug me. And we went to a mediation together and it turned out the student was having a horrible, horrible home life. And the only place he felt comfortable trying to get some type of attention was in here. And that’s how he was screaming for help.

So we have a room that is specifically designated for these types of issues that come up in the classroom, and it’s called a Thinkery. Where we send the student down there they talk to somebody what’s going on with the behavior and one of the questions they ask is, “Are you able to resolve this issue with the teacher or do you need a mediator?” And the student requested a mediator. And just like I can request a mediator as well. So, we met during our specials time or prep time. I don’t remember when. The Thinkery staff was there and a couple of volunteers were there, just to see what was going on. The student and me. So in all there were four people. And there’s some protocols, some questions, some ground rules we went over. And then we just expressed how we felt. And after that expression, which I was extremely skeptical of. You know, like a seventh grader, hearing how I’m feeling and how it really affects, you know, not only me at school …

But also I was taking this really personally and I was sharing it with my wife at home. And once my, once my student heard that I was, you know, deeply hurt by, you know, his actions and it was affecting not only me, but my wife and my newborn. And I kind of changed to about why he was doing what he was doing. And I understood why he was doing what he was doing. And then we came to an agreement how do we fix the situation. We wrote it down. We had a follow-up meeting a couple of weeks later and everything’s been gravy since.

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Conclusion

Transcript:

It takes time and effort to build a classroom culture in which students instinctively use restorative justice to resolve issues. But, when you and your students put in that time and effort, the positive results make it all worthwhile.

Let’s conclude with some inspirational words from Principal Dial.


Transcript:

Be ready to put in time for building your relationships. That’s really what it’s going to take in the beginning.

Having positive relationships with kids is going to get you to that next level. The time factor, just knowing that

there’s going to be time. There’s going to be lots of times when you think it’s not working. It’s not going to work

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immediately. There’s no magic pill or wand that’s going to make it successful. But, I think the teachers that

we’ve seen stick with it, even through those tough times, are seeing the most successes. And knowing that in

the end it really is worthwhile. It’s better for kids and it’s better for adults too.

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Restorative Justice: Rethinking Discipline Transcript · I have had passionate counselors in schools - and administrators - who have fought to get a ... For restorative justice to