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THE RESTORATIVE APPROACH AND
RESTORATIVE
PRACTICES IN K-12 SCHOOLS
Following our successful
conference in November 2007, Transforming Discipline:
Building Community through Restorative Practices, the conference partners are
working together to bring the Restorative Approach and Restorative
Practices into Maine schools. The partners are the Peace &
Reconciliation Studies Program at the University of Maine in Orono,
Maine Law & Civics Education at the UM School of Law in Portland, and
the
Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast in Belfast.
The Restorative Approach is a
philosophy or guiding principle (not a program or specific activity)
that sees relationships as central to learning, growth and a healthy
school climate for students and adults.
Restorative Practices enable us to integrate and normalize this
approach within a school culture. Restorative practices focus on
building, maintaining and, when necessary, repairing relationships
among all members of a school community.
A
comprehensive, whole-school approach incorporates various restorative
practices throughout the school, with an emphasis on building a
culture of respect and care. These practices may include:
language that invites and encourages curiosity, empathy, respect,
trust, honesty, compassion, accountability, inclusion, repairing harm
and collaboration; conflict resolution, peer mediation and relational
literacy programs;
Community Circles for relationship-building
and problem-solving; Detention Circles for deciding on consequences
for student misbehavior; restorative dialogue between staff and
students to address misbehavior; and formal, facilitated Restorative
Conferences for more serious situations.
Restorative rather than punitive approaches to
discipline deal more effectively with student misbehavior by
encouraging students to be accountable for their actions and find ways
to "make things right" with those they have harmed. Restorative
discipline empowers students by helping them to learn from their
mistakes in a school environment that is caring and responsive.
Restorative discipline focuses on relationships and community, rather
than on punishment (generally isolation) for breaking rules. The
accountability comes from the harmer recognizing the impact of their
actions on others and agreeing to repair the harm caused. The process
includes the person or persons harmed in deciding on the consequences.
Restorative consequences may be apologies, restitution, community
service and other agreed-upon ways to make amends and move forward.
Restorative practices are proving successful in schools across the
country and in Maine. Within a whole school approach, these practices
build a caring school community that supports students, staff and
administrators in feeling connected and respected, which enhances
learning outcomes. Restorative practices create safe schools where all
members of the community are accountable for their actions, resolve
conflicts, create positive relationships, and build an inclusive,
respectful school culture.
If your school is interested in exploring a whole
school approach, contact one of the partners in your area:
Barb Blazej, Orono 207-581-2625
email
barbara_blazej@umit.maine.edu
Pam Anderson, Portland
207-780-4991
email
pamelaa@usm.maine.edu
Margaret Micolichek, Belfast
207-338-2742
email
margaret@rjpmidcoast.org
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Restorative School Practices
Listserv
We invite
you to join our RSP listserv, created and facilitated by Pam Anderson
of Maine Law & Civics Education (MLCE). We use this listserv to share
upcoming restorative practices events as well as information, ideas,
questions, stories, etc., on restorative practices. Everyone on
the list can use it for these purposes as well. If you would
like to have your name added to the listserv, visit the following
website:
https://lists.usm.maine.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=rj-schl&A=1
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Related
Links:
A Restorative Justice Framework for Schools
Restorative School Practices Resources
Data
Articles on Restorative School Practices
Upcoming Events
Library Resources
Back to K-12 Conflict Resolution Education
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