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Restorative Practices (RP) is the new darling of education circles.  As its goal, RP seeks to interrupt and halt the school-to-prison pipeline while helping students overcome and cope with trauma.  To do this, RP relies on developing relationships with students which enables them to reflect on and repair the harm they have caused.  RP’s goals and methods are praiseworthy. Unfortunately, in our current education system, this is a doomed practice.
Let me be clear: I support Restorative Practice.  I came to teaching because I like kids.  I like listening to them, helping them, and being around them.  In so far as believing that students need caring, compassionate adults in their lives, I’m as big a proponent as anyone.  I want kids to get help–academic or otherwise–when they need it. If a student needs a place to vent, a shoulder to cry on, or a quiet place to breathe, I want them to get it.    
Moreover, I know that students who’ve experienced abuse and neglect face obstacles to learning.  And, when students lack basic needs like safety and security, I know I’m not being effective. Today’s young people are navigating a social landscape foreign to the vast majority of educators today, yet kids need adults to help them cope with these problems, and Restorative Practice seeks to do this.
But, teachers cannot do this.  

 

I’m not saying they can’t do this as a cover for saying I don’t want to do this work.  My chin is quivering and my eyes have tears in them as I sit exhausted writing this. I, as a teacher, am not qualified or positioned to provide the level of support that Restorative Practice requires.  
[bctt tweet=”I, as a teacher, am not qualified or positioned to provide the level of support that Restorative Practice requires.  ” username=””]
As an example, the other day as my class began, a student who has had many traumas in their life entered class late.  They had no books, no binder, not even a pencil. They proceeded to circulate the class engaging as many students, who were settling in for class, as possible.  I was slowly and deliberately making my way towards this student, not wanting to draw more attention to the situation. No one was hurt or in danger. It wasn’t an emergency; it was an annoyance.  No sooner did these thoughts cross my mind than this student began angrily launching expletives across my room.  

 

What should I do?    

 

Restorative Practice is a powerful, transformative experiment in humanism.  Unfortunately, our school system wasn’t designed with humanism in mind.  It was designed for structure, routine and efficiency. This was painfully obvious as I stood outside my classroom with my student.  They were not prepared for class, late, unfocused, agitated, and suddenly irate. This student was in crisis. I knew they needed help, but I had a classroom with 25 other students in an uproar too.  26 people needed me. They needed my full attention and presence; they deserved it too. But, if my job is to teach a class of 26 students, how can I care for each student in crisis also?

 

I sent the student to the office.  I chose 25 over 1.  

 

If you’re mad at me because you think I didn’t do enough, fine.  But, you better be so mad you demand our system of education change too.  If me, and other teachers, are going to be the ones addressing and helping students cope with crises and traumas as if we are social workers, counselors, administrators, and security officers in addition to teachers, we can’t have caseloads of over 130 students.  Class rosters have to be a fraction of their current size. We can’t continue to have our days structured by the precise chime of a bell if we are to be responsive to the needs of kids at the moment.  

 

Alternatively, if it sounds absurd to have teachers doing the jobs of a half dozen other professionals, advocate for hiring more professionals.  Support the notion that teachers should specialize in doing what they do best: teaching. Either way, if we want RP to govern our interactions with kids, we have to change the system supporting Restorative Practice.

Adam Sutton currently teaches 11th and 12th grade social studies in Baltimore, MD. In addition to...

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35 Comments

  1. This is honest and poignant. As an RP worker, I agree that schools by-and-large are not structured for these practices to take root. To me, that’s not the end of the conversation. RP demands we reflect on how our schools and classrooms are structured – are they conducive to cultivating relationships and rapport? Do we have preventive measures or are we behind the eight-ball, putting out fires constantly? Is there parent and family involvement, etc. In my experience, the community-building is far more impactful than the responses to students like the one you describe. We need more trained professionals. We can also engage students in being support for each other through listening, empathy, and accountability. There is a lot of untapped potential in students being part of the culture of respect, rapport, relationships, and accountability.

    What I really think is the problem is schools saying they are restorative when they are not. The hype is damaging the work.

  2. This is honest and poignant. As an RP worker, I agree that schools by-and-large are not structured for these practices to take root. To me, that’s not the end of the conversation. RP demands we reflect on how our schools and classrooms are structured – are they conducive to cultivating relationships and rapport? Do we have preventive measures or are we behind the eight-ball, putting out fires constantly? Is there parent and family involvement, etc. In my experience, the community-building is far more impactful than the responses to students like the one you describe. We need more trained professionals. We can also engage students in being support for each other through listening, empathy, and accountability. There is a lot of untapped potential in students being part of the culture of respect, rapport, relationships, and accountability. They have compassion, energy, skills, talent, and wisdom. Let’s get them online with RP at schools.

    What I really think is the problem is schools saying they are restorative when they are not. The hype is damaging the work.

  3. Also, teachers should be (and are – when it works) beneficiaries of the RP work. The efforts pay back in cohesion, rapport, and fewer outbursts – much better work environment!

  4. Exactly this! I can build relationships when I have 20-22 students. When I have 30, I am in crowd control mode. I am expected to teach content, and my effectiveness is judged based on a test score. If RP is what I am supposed to do, then I need smaller numbers, more pd in counseling, and testing needs to go, so that I can let go of a time clock that says content must be mastered by a certain date.

  5. I couldn’t agree more with this article. There are not enough social-emotional professionals in our schools to really service the needs of our students. I constantly feel like I am choosing between the 25-1 scenarios, and to add on to that. If I am able to speak to the child further after class (when I don’t have another class walking in), I’m holding the student from going to their next class—making them late to their next class.

    I was blessed to work in a program where students were on a college campus with schedules that mirrored a college schedule. It was incredible having an opportunity to speak in depth with students before or after class with the cost of taking them from another class. Our counselor on campus easily was able to meet either students without pulling them from classes too. Perhaps another solution could be more non-academic time throughout the day to build these relationships and speak with students.

  6. Have argued this point for years. Our schooling system is not structured for RP. More professionals who are not teaching needed.

  7. I too have faced this dilemma many times this year. One student needs attention in some form and I want to be there and help that student. But what about the other 29 left in the classroom without a teacher teaching?

  8. We need more counselors in schools. Teachers should help identify and support kids in crisis but should not be expected to provide what a trained mental health professional is uniquely qualified to do. Yet with caseload well in excess of the 250:1 recommendations, trust me when I say counselors are crying too.

  9. Just curious: why is this the school’s responsibility at all? It’s the school’s responsibility to TEACH CONTENT, not micromanage unmanageable kids. I think the responsibility for children who are not ready to learn is either the parent’s or social services. Public school is not a baby sitting service. I personally think it’s time to rethink the whole endeavor. Our school taxes go up every year and our graduation rates and test scores go down. I don’t have anything against paying teachers what they deserve, but I balk at providing more services for mental health issues in the school.

    1. I agree with you. Providing mental health services in a school will be ineffective and cost prohibitive. Students who disrupt the educational experience of the other 26 kids in the class need to be referred to professional services outside the school. School districts can not afford to provide MH Counseling. Districts already provide services for non English speaking students who should be learning English at home.

      Teachers are not professionally prepared to provide restorative services. While in theory it’s great, reality says that teachers need to teach.

      1. I couldn’t disagree with you more. Providing mental health and counseling services in a school setting is incredibly cost effective (though not free) and treatment effective. It is in the school setting that students can be identified, it is a centralized location, it is in a convenient location, it is among adults who fit the most part are trusted….it is the perfect setting for access to services. The wealthiest country in the world HAS the money to put many more treatment providers in the schools if its made a PRIORITY. Wars and fossil fuel subsidies should NOT be our priority.

    2. It is our responsibility as citizens and public school educators. WE don’t get to chose who walks through our doors as other schools do. We have programs and trained professionals to help students that are not ready to learn as in my experience there’s always a reason why ( behaviors are forms of common) so before we stay they are not our problem, let’s see if we can get them the help they need. In most cases unfortunately, that takes time, documentation and a lot of time that many times teachers don’t have.

  10. Wow. This is so on point and so deep. Quite true as teachers we are required to do so much with the little info we have. Home should bear quite a bit of the brunt too.

    1. I teach math, I studied math in college, I took classes that focused on how to teach math when I was getting my cert. I am NOT a trained counselor or know how to properly manage students who are dealing with major traumas. I feel like teachers are gas lighted into buying into RP, but this is correct, teachers are trained to teach, NOT do social work.

  11. We need to start RP in kindergarten so that the time they hit middle school, they have a whole arsenal of self and social practices they can access, as well as an informed student and adult community they know they can go to for suppory

    1. It’s not the teachers job to be a mental health professional. Students today don’t even get history taught in elementary schools. If there is time to be restoring” kids in class, then let’s get history back in the curriculum.

      It is not feasible to be counselor, therapist, social worker and teacher. Let those services be provided outside of school and let teachers teach. We are already providing free lunch, before and after school care, eye tests, hearing tests, English lessons, Title I tutoring, etc. etc.

      And none of it is helping our public school system compete with China.

    2. Sadly, though, those that can benefit from RP often move schools because of home life. One district may practice it but the next may not. The ones who would benefit the most, are usually the ones that are exposed to it the least.

  12. I think it depends on the background of the teacher. It is apart of some cultures background to be restorative (relationship driven in practice). There is a lot of research behind individualistic vs. collectivist cultures. I think that is a big piece in why “certain” teachers get exhausted.

  13. You are so right! You May have tried this, but my late “loud” kid always got a special greeting. “Oh my goodness, ___, I am sooooo glad you are here! Come give me a hug.” Thanks for sticking with it even when it is hard.

  14. I thank the author for opening up a dialogue about RP. Who says schools have to be structured with rules, teachers leading the classroom, students speak when spoken to??? With this mindset… education will never have a true impact on students. The role we play in our (how we respond to them) students’ lives is the key to preparing them for success. Sadly, our black and brown students are faced with injustices in schools long before they face a judge or police officer! RP can be used for so many other ways than just to repair harm. It can be used to prevent harm as well. I have had the opportunity to use RP in my class, however, this tool does not work for everyone. I repeat!!!! Students who are severely traumatized usually do not benefit from RP. As educators/admins we need to be able to be effectively trained prior to using RP in our classroom. This process takes time and patience. I used RP at my title 1 middle school with classroom sizes 25-35. There was a huge difference in behavior and relationships in my class when compared to others. I had students who were traumatized. I saw progression throughout the school year. RP isn’t the “be all end all” approach! Educators should rely on other methods as well because not every child respond to the same strategy. Keep in mind RP begins with us. It allows us to think more critical about how we help others to heal through empathy and humanism. This can be done with integrating this in lessons, conversations, and field trips. Restorative practices should be used beyond the classroom walls. I teach humans not products. In my classroom, we operate as a community not a factory.

  15. Agreed! I am a high school principal and we have just begun our journey with RP. Anyone who has experienced the awesome results of running a successful restorative circle will attest- this is great practice and what we should be doing but “where did those two hours go??? I’m exhausted!”
    We can only expect our teachers to continue to hone their “classroom management techniques” keep practicing and implementing proactive STOIC and CHAMPS/ACHIEVE with other de-escalating skills; we’ve used Safe and Civil for nearly 8 years. Expecting teachers to delay all their instructional goals to help regulate a kid (or four) while 25 go neglected is not, NOT the plan. I’ve created a Care Team out of our counselors, assistant principals, social worker and psych but they ARE NOT additional hires. All these professionals had full time jobs with full time work prior to RP and still do. I’ve led most of our restorative practice experiences and we’ve been blessed with a collaboration with a local mental health agency so we have an on campus mental health counselor who sees high needs kids on the regular so they get the service they need without losing full days of instruction going to appointments downtown. My two cents: I believe in RP and will continue to learn and implement to improve outcomes for kids. Teachers, all I ask is you try to support the practice in spirit and word (we adults can talk more sh!t than teenagers) yet maintain your boundaries- keep teaching your butts off, keep developing the positive/loving student teacher relationships, and support one another. We can’t let bumps and mistakes in implementation poison the well, I’ve experienced huge growth in student accountability and changed behavior. The culture of our school is changing for the better!

  16. I started teaching 4th grade with 37 students, 10 of which never followed instructions and always created distractions. Granted, it was my first year, and the other 4th grade teacher hand picked the students she didn’t want on her class…. And I did the best I could to help struggling students, but I didn’t really have time to teach effectively, and trying this method would have been totally unrealistic.

    1. While I agree with this somewhat, as a school counselor I wonder in this particular instance (not knowing how things escalated to an office referral from the little info given), if giving him a pencil and a textbook in the moment might have deescalated this. Later you could have pulled the student aside for a conversation. Now if the student was out of control, that’s different. But sometimes we can avert a crisis by meeting their immediate needs and tackling the lack of preparedness later.

  17. As a newly minted principal, and 20+ year classroom I feel for this teacher but also think that the definition of restorative response needs to be clarified. In my school teachers can and do send kids out of the classroom – for short breaks, for longer breaks, sometimes to cool off, sometimes to have a conversation with someone, but always, or at least most of the time, not without there being a process in place to restore the student’s place in the classroom. In some ways I reject the premise of the argument and the ways in which RP has been hijacked to mean something (or many things) that it doesn’t actually mean. It doesn’t mean, for example that students never receive a consequence – in fact consequences are part of the process. I am often asked why “nothing” has been done when a student has acted out. My response is to say that between actually (or literally) nothing and expulsion there are a ton of things that can, and often have happened. I also reject that RP is something that happens once, or only when x is happening. RP is an approach – I think this teacher has sold themselves short when they said that they chose the 1 over the 24 – sometimes choosing the 1 involves asking them to leave the classroom so they can reflect and re-engage.

  18. I am a Restorative Practices Coordinator at a public elementary school. It has been an uphill battle implementing restorative practice (RP) into the school culture. But it is important to understand that RP is a philosophical approach to discipline and community building. There are practices that classroom teachers can implement into their personal teaching practices. For example,in my experience, teachers often request peace circles when problems occur, but fail to recognize the power of other practices like affective statements, check-ins and community-building circle with their students. The teacher in the article needs to understand that simply welcoming that student’s status as a member of the ir classroom with a “clean slate” after the trip to the office would be a huge step in the restorative direction. Having more professional Restorative Justice Practitioners in schools would be wonderful. But actual buy-in by teachers, staff and adminstrators is far more vital to implementing these practices. I truly believe that the community-building aspect of RP can help to enhance class/school climate/culture, and consequently strengthen teacher/student relationships.

  19. I’m a 30+ year veteran music teacher in St. Louis elementary so I have all pre k- 5. It’s tough. My team has often spoken of “do you sacrifice the 1 kid or all of them?” They have to WANT to learn. The days of flunking kids, suspending, detention, and making kids be accountable are gone. Some can’t read or write! How are you supposed to assign reading or a writing assignment (or test) like that? Even extra counselors don’t help- they don’t want a screaming kid all day. Kids who have been prescribed meds don’t take them-then ruin the class all day. That’s parental neglect! People this is our future and I’m concerned!

  20. I recently retired after 33 years in the classroom. For ten years I had only 15 students in my four 80 minute classes for a case load of 60. I also looped with my students for fifth and sixth grades. During those ten years I was able to develop relationships with my students and knew my students strengths, weaknesses, and unique needs. Scores on the state mandated test were high. My student’s score were above the state averages and were consistently in the top five percent for the state. Suddenly, funding was reduced and everything changed. I then was expected to teach 26 students in my five fifty minute classes and had a caseload of 130 students. Over the past seven years I was expected to maintain those high scores, maintain those unique teacher-student relationships and keep parents happy and comforted. Discipline referrals increased, parent conferences took on a new tone of discontent and low trust. When any of the 20 teachers in our program attempted to discuss these issues and the frustration we were feeling we were not supported or encouraged. I had planned to teach 35 years before retiring but I had had enough at 33 and had to leave. In fact, three of the five teachers on my team did not return to their teaching positions for the 2019-2020 school term.

  21. Geez! Granted, RP is the most recent buzzword around our school as well but the thing that gets me on all these sites is the significantly lower numbers of students you all have compared to urban Los Angeles County schools. 6 blocks, 34 kids per block. I have up to 204 students as a high school science teacher. Right now I have about 185 which is great but RP is no more than some eye contact, a fist bump and a how you doing? And believe me, I try really hard and work very long hours but I’m going to need RP when I get to retire!

  22. If restorative practice is so wonderful, how can we start it in kindergarten? YES! kindergarten. Train me, more than a 45 minute session, where we are expected to come back the next day after working all night to totally change our classroom, schedule and our way of teaching. HELP ME!!!!

  23. It is important to understand the entire spectrum of Restorative practices, ranging from informal to formal. 90% of the time teachers need to use the Informal Practices – affective statements for one. The formal ones which require time and planning can be done by the designated pastoral team members. That also requires training by the IIRP.

  24. ‪Important to read all the comments on this one. This writer’s feelings are real and the constraints of large classes and tight schedules are also real, but dismissing RP and expecting someone else to fix the kids isn’t realistic. Learn more about RP, Exhausted Teachers; it’s not *either* RP or MH interventions, nor is it *either* RP or consequences. It’s also not a magic bullet.

  25. As a school administrator, we wouldn’t expect you to keep that student in class. It wouldn’t be good for the student, for you, or for the rest of the class. We would expect that student to come to the office where we and/or the counselor or social worker could have a discussion with the student, help him regulate and recognize what was going on for him when he made the outburst and the impact he made on you and the class, and discuss how he was going to make it right. Then, he would return to class and the same day or the following day you would provide the opportunity for a restorative circle where the student could make things right. For us, the biggest impact of restorative practices is that this student is no longer getting suspended, he is now learning how to recognize triggers to his behaviors and being held accountable by the adults and his peers.

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