When it comes to promoting positive student behavior, restorative practices in schools are an effective means to setting students up for success. These practices prioritize establishing a sense of community, promote the development of empathy and support constructive resolution of conflicts or harm.
Zero-tolerance policies and authoritarian means of punishment, on the other hand, do not equip students with the necessary skills for improving relationships and mending conflict. Instead, they remove students from the learning environment and deny them the opportunity to make positive changes to their behavior. In fact, exclusionary discipline harms not only the individual but also the entire school community.
In contrast, restorative practices in schools help students to feel invested in their school community, transforming student culture and impacting discipline rates. By fostering accountability and emphasizing repairing harm, restorative practices encourage personal growth and stronger connections among students and staff. This proactive approach creates a safer, more inclusive environment where all students can thrive.
What Are Restorative Practices in Schools?
Restorative practices can take many forms, but they are always focused on reestablishing relationships, fostering accountability, and creating a sense of community. Examples include community-building circles, where students and staff come together to share thoughts and experiences, building trust and a sense of belonging. Affective statements are another key tool, allowing educators to express how specific behaviors affect them and others, helping students understand the impact of their actions. For addressing minor conflicts, small impromptu conferences provide a quick, collaborative way to repair harm and restore relationships. Additionally, setting classroom agreements or norms gives students a voice in establishing shared expectations, promoting mutual respect and accountability.
While fully implementing restorative practices can take time, even small steps—like introducing community-building circles or affective statements—can create a meaningful and lasting impact on school culture, relationships, and disciplinary outcomes.
Benefits of Restorative Practices in Schools
Moving away from punitive forms of discipline and toward restorative practices can benefit students in many ways:
Positive relationships
Restorative practices emphasize the importance of building positive relationships between students, teachers and other members of the school community. Feeling connected with their peers and the adults in the school can help students feel supported, engaged and motivated to succeed academically.
Conflict resolution skills
A punitive approach to discipline often creates additional issues beyond the original infraction. Restorative practices in schools, however, provide students with opportunities to develop conflict resolution skills. Students learn to take responsibility for their actions, engage in dialogue and active listening and develop empathy and understanding. They also learn appropriate ways to express their feelings and needs and to engage in conflict resolution.
Improved behavior and discipline
The supportive environment created through the use of restorative practices in schools helps to reduce the number of repeat infractions by enabling students to understand and monitor their actions and reactions. This focus on addressing the underlying causes of challenging behavior empowers students to learn from their mistakes and make amends. As a proactive approach to discipline, restorative practices help to improve school climate.
Social-emotional development
Restorative interventions allow students the opportunity to express their feelings, share perspectives and develop self-awareness. This prioritization of social and emotional well-being helps to enhance emotional intelligence and helps students to develop valuable skills in self-regulation, problem-solving and decision-making.
Academic engagement and achievement
Students who feel connected, valued and supported in their school environment have a greater investment in learning and academic achievement. Restorative practices help to build a positive classroom climate, foster student motivation and participation, and create a sense of belonging to the larger school community. The timely process of addressing and resolving conflict can help to create a safe, inclusive environment conducive to academic success.
Long-term life skills
The cumulative effect of restorative practices in schools over the course of a student’s educational career impacts students long after the end of their formal education. Restorative practices help students develop critical life skills such as effective communication, problem-solving, empathy and conflict resolution. These are often referred to as “soft skills” and are valuable skills that benefit society as a whole.
How Can I Implement Restorative Practices in My School?
Implementing restorative practices in your school begins with building a shared understanding of their purpose and value among staff, students, and families. Start small by incorporating strategies like community-building circles during homeroom or advisory periods, using affective statements to address behavior, or setting classroom norms collaboratively with students. Professional development and training for educators are essential to ensure consistency and confidence in using these approaches. Additionally, consider establishing a restorative team or lead to guide the implementation process and provide ongoing support.
Over time, these practices can evolve into a comprehensive framework that shifts the focus from punishment to relationship-building, creating a more connected and supportive school community.
- Start with small, manageable steps: Introduce community-building circles and affective statements in regular class routines.
- Provide ongoing training: Offer professional development sessions for staff to ensure everyone is aligned and confident in restorative methods.
- Create a restorative leadership team: Form a group of teachers, administrators, and support staff to champion restorative practices and guide the process school-wide.
Navigate360 Can Help Cultivate Impactful Restorative Practices in Schools
At Navigate360, we understand how challenging it can be to implement effective restorative practices, which is why we provide resources and support to help you integrate them successfully.
Navigate360 Behavior Intervention enables students to develop proficiency in self-management and responsible decision-making. The grade-banded, tiered lessons are aligned to MTSS standards and give students the tools and strategies to modify behaviors. Students learn accountability, to think deeply about the physical and emotional aspects that play into behavior, and how to recognize their triggers. They also learn how to make meaningful, sincere apologies, make amends and repair relationships. Each lesson is designed to address specific behavior challenges and is assigned on an individual basis to help the student dig deep into the root of their behavior.
The process of education goes far beyond academics. With our restorative practices curriculum, your school or district can help students learn from their challenging behaviors, which can impact school climate, social-emotional development and academic achievement. Let Navigate360 show you how to flip the script on traditional discipline and positively impact your students!
