Video

So again, why did you leave if you liked it so much?

This video is so old and I’m so late to the party but…. I see a lot of the comments, and people learning about R.P. in general missing a few key points. I will say this video is short and doesn’t go super into depth as well, so maybe that’s why its missed. Restorative Justice, Restorative Practice, Gentle Parenting, etc. all different names but with the same principles in mind, are based on an authoritative style. In psychology we learn that their are 4 major styles of parenting: Authoritative, Authoritarian, Passive, and Negligent. All of these can be mixed and matched and intertwined. Authoritative practices are about respect, tolerance, self-assurance, dependability and confident. All good traits we would want to see in our students and children. Currently schools follow practices that fall under an authoritarian style; demanding, strict, rigid, punishment, etc. A point many people don’t like about R.P. is that there is no punishment. I think this is where perspective comes into play. I was raised under an authoritative parenting style. There is punishment and then their are consequences. What’s the difference? Well, punishment is the infliction of a negative consequence or penalty, usually with the purpose of pain or suffering. Consequence is the neutral (could be good or bad) effect of an action. Restorative Practices are meant to teach children this concept. Negative action causes negative consequences, sometimes for oneself, sometimes for others. These are complex concepts that even some adults don’t understand, especially if you were not raised this way. In RP if a student steals a kids pencil and is caught, yes their are consequences. One will be a meeting where the parties involved will talk about the issue. Another one might be, that the student will have the class job of Pencil Caretaker, where he will be required to help the class by sharpening pencils, picking them off the floor, ensuring loaner pencils are stocked, etc. Will this work for all kids? No. We are all unique beings. But that is what R.P is about, its about working through issues, and not about creating more through threats and punishments. Another key point is that RP doesn’t work if parents don’t practice it as well. Yes kids spend a portion of their day at school, but kids will always hold their parents higher than any teacher. Those kids that don’t, often is because of trauma and abuse, which are problems teachers can’t solve themselves. So, when parents complain that the teacher “cant control their kids” well that their is the issue. We should not be “controlling” kids or anyone really. RP is about teaching kids about autonomy. I had a mom that taught me autonomy since I was very little. That meant that she had to respect my decisions and she did. Now, does that mean that at 4 years old I ate ice cream everyday because i wanted to? No. It meant that she explained the consequences of ice cream every day, i.e. cavities, diabetics, stomach aches, malnourishment, etc. That also meant that when she said no, she always had a reason. And no, “because I said so “ is NOT a VALID REASON. Restorative Practices are complex and can be difficult to transition into, especially with all of us holding on to our own traumas and implicit biases, but they are for the betterment of our future generations. If schools and punishments worked, we wouldn’t have any problems. But we do, so we have to keep trying and keep changing to find a better way of doing things. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” - Albert Einstein

As a parent, I have to say, many of us feel the same way about teachers. If you feel that way about parents, please consider another profession than working with children.

This is very insightful

It's not about the one or two kids. It's about allllllll of them. Should we sacrifice learning for all the students for the sake of two?

My mom was a teacher, she took me to her school before I could even speak. So from a young age I rejected the proffession. Years later I struggled finding a job in my chosen profession, my mom sat me down and convinced me to try teaching. Now I am a teacher and people tell me I was born to do it. I am learning to love it

nice video! realy clear and logic explaination, why talking WITH the parents is so important. Greetings from Germany

This seems like a great video; any chance there's a shorter (1-5 minute) version? Or- any chance one can be made?

What a great example!

Using Dialogue Circles will help with management because the students are expressing their feelings with the group. The discussions will allow the expressions to be open in their group and maybe someone else can help with an and then their anger will fade as well.

First, I would have everyone to sit in a circle so we can see each other. I would go over the rules and have a small ball to pass to indicate who is talking. I would start the meeting as an introduction of oneself, name, a little about me and then pass the small ball to the next person then they explain a little about themselves.

What feedback do you get from teachers when you present this information?

My 7 year old class is out of control because the principal has forced discipline out of the school to be replaced with restorative justice in class. Now the teacher has to have 5 min conversations with kids instead of teaching and helping kids understand the material. No more time outs, no more quiet times, no more 5 minutes of recess, no more wright a sentence 10 times and no more consequences. I love the concept for resolving relationships and dealing with medium to big offences it does not work for talking in class or not doing the work in class. Teachers are being strip of any ability to keep their classrooms in order.

As a vegan, I am triggered by the milk comment and am reminded of the pain, suffering & ultimate death of dairy cows. I think those kids were lucky to not have to drink hormones, somatic cells & the majority of kids are lactose intolerant anyway. I do get your point about doing things for the time we are in, but teachers seem to use candy as their gimmick nowadays. I know teachers did this humiliating trick/treat when I was in school & I still won't eat jolly ranchers to this day! Giving kids treats like they are dogs is demeaning, but it happens everyday in some schools. Kids need to become intrinsically motivated, because there will not always be someone handing out treats!

My ms is always talking about stuff like this but were getting sexual harassed and bullied more than ever. Our counselors only care about the feelings of the bullies and mean slutty girls.

Restorative Circles, Pt. 1 - What, When & Why

This is a wonderful 21st Century real-world explanation of Restorative Practices.