The Need for Restorative Practices in Today’s Schools

EDL 274: School and Community in a Diverse Society

Department of Education, Drake University

Emily Mohling
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Abstract

Suicide and mental illness are rising issues in the United States. Traditional disciplinary

systems punish students with detention, suspension, and expulsion. This takes away from

students’ instructional time and can cause anxiety in their lives without teaching them proper

coping strategies. Restorative practices are an effective way to approach classroom management

and relationship development with students. Implementing these practices can create a safe

learning environment where mistakes are welcome and students gain the knowledge and skills

needed to fix them. There are a variety of ways educators can incorporate these practices into

their daily routines.

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Suicide was the tenth most common cause of death amongst all ages in the year 2017.

However, it was the second leading cause of death in teenagers and young adults ages fifteen to

twenty-four (Santhanam, 2019). There is a rising need, but a lack of resources to address mental

health in the United States. According to Better Health, students with mental illness have

difficulty coping with school, work, interpersonal relationships, and other demands (Department

of Health & Human Services, 2015). This could cause students to unintentionally react

inappropriately to situations at schools. The majority of schools in the United States address

student behaviors punitively through the use of detentions, suspensions, and expulsions. These

punishments do not teach students reflective practices or positive alternatives to their actions.

There are more effective practices that can be utilized in schools to decrease negative behaviors

and increase student self-esteem and positive teacher-student relationships. Restorative practices

should be implemented into schools to benefit students and educators.

An estimated twenty-five percent of students ages thirteen to eighteen are affected by

anxiety disorders. Students with anxiety disorder are at a higher risk to perform poorly in school,

miss out on social experiences, and engage in substance abuse. Research shows individuals who

struggle with anxiety disorders often struggle with other disorders such as depression, eating

disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Facts & Statistics, 2018). Mental

health impacts students’ classroom performance and their behavior towards their classmates and

teachers. It is more challenging for these students to cope with challenges and may cause them to

act out in classroom settings.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 2.6 million public school

students received one or more out-of-school suspension (OSS) in the 2013-2014 school year.

Black students, specifically males, represented the largest percentage of these suspensions with
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more than three times the amount of their white counterparts (Indicator 15, 2019). Zero tolerance

approaches to discipline are not effective in schools and contribute to increased truancy, dropout

rates, and encounters with law enforcement (Ford, 2016). These factors make it more challenging

for black students to find success in traditional American educational institutions both

academically and socially.

When a student does not know how to behave, they are often punished rather than being

taught how to correct their behavior. Restorative practices teach positive behaviors, give students

an opportunity to make amends, and encourage personal reflection. The processes in restorative

practices are affective statements, impromptu conversations, class meetings or circles, victim-

offender dialogue, and restorative conferences. The first three processes listed are foundational to

the work and should be done regularly while the last two are only used when necessary. One of

the goals of restorative practices is to help students understand the implications of their behavior,

whether positive or negative.

Affective statements help educators and students avoid blame and focus on the impact of

the behavior on others. For example, a teacher could say “I feel frustrated when others are

interrupted while they are speaking”. When students do not respond to these statements, one-on-

one impromptu conversations should be used. An example of this is, “I believe you are talking

out of turn because you are excited about the content we are learning. Am I correct, or am I

misunderstanding your behavior?” The teacher should seek to understand and give students the

opportunity to explain their actions (Fisher & Frey, 2019).

Class meetings, or circles, are a proactive approach to classroom management. They

promote community building and positive culture amongst students. The teacher, or students, can

pose questions and learn more about others through this process. Class meetings promote social
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and emotional development of students and have been shown to improve academic achievement,

social behavior, and attitudes about self, others, and school. They can be used at any time of the

day and reduce conduct problems amongst students (Classroom Circles/Class Meetings, 2020).

Restorative practices benefit educators because they spend less time responding to

disruptive behavior. Class meetings and group circles are a proactive approach to classroom

management because they help students in the class develop relationships with one another.

These practices also help teachers develop relationships with their students. Positive teacher-

student relationships have a .72 effect size according to John Hattie’s research (Hattie, 2010).

This helps students feel safe at school and develop a sense of trust with caring adults. This has an

immense impact on student achievement and engagement throughout their educational

experience.

Critics of restorative practices might say it takes too long, is emotionally draining, takes

away from instructional time, and lacks accountability. Teachers are required to spend more time

teaching behaviors and appropriate alternatives at the beginning of their school year or semester.

When students do not follow the expectations that are taught, it is necessary for teachers to have

conversations with them to find the root of the issues. Some view this process as emotionally

draining and are looking for more immediate results to misbehavior and misconduct in the

classroom. According to opponents of restorative justice, students are not held accountable for

their actions. They believe students are willing to have conversations with their teachers and

trusted adults but will not consistently follow through. The length of time it takes to fully

implement restorative practices can make it challenging to measure its effectiveness within a

school building or district.

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Although it may not be a quick process, there are steps educators can take to implement

restorative practices into their daily routines. Effective restorative practices are facilitated by a

teacher or trusted adult. This individual should review classroom procedures and expectations

regularly to provide students with repetition. They should also ask open ended questions to

encourage student reflection and use “I” statements to avoid placing blame on others. Students

can engage in one-on-one, small group, or whole group conversations to practice their social

skills. The practices help students to understand other people’s values, opinions of others, and

the importance of taking responsibility for their words and actions (Classroom Circles/Class

Meetings, 2020).

The learning environment of students is crucial in their social, emotional, and academic

success. Staff within a building can work to transform the culture by implementing restorative

practices. These do not punish students reactively, but teach them skills proactively and

encourage reflective dialogue when mistakes are made. Using these practices will not only help

students find success in schools, but will help them to be life, career, and college ready in the

future. As Russell Barkley said, “The students who need the most love often ask for it in the

most unloving ways”. Restorative practices allow all students to learn appropriate ways to cope

with their behavior and works to motivate students to attend school by limiting the use of

detentions, suspensions, and expulsions.

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Works Cited

Classroom Circles/Class Meetings. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.sps186.org/social/?p=12

3646

Department of Health & Human Services. (2015, September 18). Types of mental health issues

and illnesses.

Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ServicesAnd Sup port/types-of- ment

al-health- issues-and-illnesses

Facts & Statistics. (2018). Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-r

oom/facts-statistics

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2019, October). Show & Tell: A Video Column / Getting Started with

Restorative Practices. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct19/vol77/num02/Getting-Started-

with-Restorative-Practices.aspx

Ford, J. E. (2016, November). The Root of Discipline Disparities. Retrieved February 9, 2020,

from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov16/vol74/num03/The-Root-of

-Discipline-Disparities.aspx

Hattie, J. (2010). Visible learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to

Achievement. London: Routledge.

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Indicator 15: Retention, Suspension, and Expulsion. (2019, February). Retrieved February 9,

2020, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_RDA.asp

Santhanam, L. (2019, October 18). Youth suicide rates are on the rise in the U.S. Retrieved

February 15, 2020, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/youth-suicide-rates-are-on-the-

rise-in-the-u-s