Overview:
A teacher shares how implementing restorative justice practices—despite skepticism—transformed a troubled student’s behavior and helped foster a more inclusive, supportive classroom environment.
Tanya* arrived late to class and told me that Chris* pushed her into the bushes because he thought it was funny. Although I asked Chris about this in a calm and non-accusatory tone, he became confrontational, yelling and dropping F-bombs.
This incident occurred a couple of weeks into the school year, so I didn’t know Chris very well yet. Because he was so easily provoked, I went to the office to check his discipline record. I discovered that this middle school student had several documented disciplinary incidents, ranging from aggressive behavior and defiance to vandalism and theft, which began in kindergarten. I can already see where this is heading: the school-to-prison pipeline. I decided my response would be to implement restorative practices.
There has been some backlash to restorative practices from parents and even some teachers, who argue that more punitive measures should be used when addressing challenging student behaviors. Some colleagues have told me these practices are ineffective. So, let’s dispel the myths.
Myth #1: Restorative Practices means there are no consequences.
The truth is that school employees who are not trained in restorative practices often mischaracterize their lack of response to student behavior as restorative when it is not. Teachers and parents then deem restorative practices ineffective. However, when used correctly and with fidelity, the opposite is true. Accountability through repairing harm is the consequence for poor behavior and is more effective than punitive measures. Punitive responses are retaliatory in nature and thus do not correct behaviors; they merely exacerbate them.
By requiring students to repair harm, they learn empathy, practice reflection, and thus build character. Students learn how to resolve conflict and have positive interactions with their peers and adults. Teachers who use these practices consistently will discover that they serve as a preventative measure to challenging behaviors, increasing engagement in their classroom.
Myth #2: Restorative Justice only focuses on students of color and leaves out white students
The largest demographic at my school site is white students. I surveyed 97 of my students about their feelings toward restorative practices. Fifty-eight percent of these students are white. Four students had results that showed feelings of indifference to Restorative practices. This provided me the opportunity to respond with restorative practices and check in with them. The other 93 students had feedback that was overwhelmingly positive. They said these practices make them feel included and part of a family. This group of students often requests restorative interventions when they need emotional support, assistance with conflict resolution, and community-building academic learning experiences.
Myth #3: The use of restorative practices fosters an unsafe classroom environment, having detrimental effects on school climate.
It is actually the case that using punitive measures contributes to a negative school climate. Punishing students and removing them from the classroom for non-violent and disruptive behaviors sends the message that they are not valued members of our school community, reinforcing what they already believe and exacerbating those behaviors when they return to class. As teachers, it is our job to build relationships with “all” students since students with behavioral challenges will eventually be reintegrated into the classroom. There is no dispute that students should be removed from class for violent behavior or to quickly diffuse a situation. However, creating an avenue for a welcoming reentry into the classroom should always be the goal. We can meet the goal of fostering a positive school climate and culture if restorative practices are implemented consistently by trained administrators, teachers, and support staff.
I made the decision not to write Chris a referral for his behavior. Instead, I decided to provide additional support for him during the school year. He was surprised, as I can only assume he was rarely chosen for anything. As my site’s restorative lead, my attempt was to build a relationship with Chris and break the cycle of negative relationships that his discipline report suggests he likely had with peers and adults since the beginning of his school career. By the end of the school year, and with lots of effort, we developed a mutual respect for one another. Chris responded positively when I addressed his behavior, which occurred much less frequently.
As teachers, we must acknowledge that our mission is not only to teach a subject, but to teach students to develop good character and become thriving, functional adults. Utilizing restorative practices plays a significant role in meeting this goal. Doing so not only benefits all students but society as a whole.
Renee Thomas is a 25-year middle school U.S. History and Spanish teacher. She is also a Restorative Community Lead at her site and was selected as a San Diego Unified School District Teacher of the Year in 2021. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Exemplary Teacher Advisory Council, composed of San Diego Unified District and County Teachers of the Year.
