How Restorative Practices Support Social and Emotional Learning
By: Beth Hampson
The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies as identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), include: self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Students learn social and emotional skills through direct instruction in addition to their social experiences and interactions. School culture and climate provide the context for developing social skills. In a school culture that has high expectations for student behavior and a high level of support for reaching those expectations students will thrive. The three tiers of Restorative Practices, Community Building Circles, Restorative Chats and Restorative Conferences work to improve school culture and provide opportunities for students and staff to practice and address SEL competencies across the school day.
Community Building Circles provide a safe and structured environment to build relationships within the classroom. In circle students are able to tell their story and listen to the stories of others. Through sharing their life experience and perspectives they examine their own thoughts, emotions and values, and explore how those influence their decision making. In hearing the stories of others they begin to see the perspective of others, build empathy and appreciate diversity. Furthermore, Community Building Circles help students to develop relationship skills. Students follow guidelines that they often help to create that support respectful listening and responsible sharing. Circles offer time and space to practice being our best selves.
Restorative Chats are a shift in how we talk to one another when conflict arises. It moves to a language of curiosity and away from blame. This shift helps those in conflict to be more open to reflection, problem solving and taking responsibility. Using questions such as: “What happened?” “What were you thinking at the time?” “Who do you think has been affected?” and “What needs to be done to make it right?” changes the conversation. When everyone in a school community learns and strives to use this language of curiosity, conflicts are less likely to escalate, individuals are able to reflect and take responsibility, and relationships can be repaired.
The third tier, Restorative Conferences, are an approach to discipline that asks not what rule has been broken but rather who has been harmed. It shifts discipline from punitive to focusing on repair. This approach to discipline looks at the harm and identifies who is responsible for addressing the harm. In traditional discipline such as suspension or detention there is little to no opportunity for growth. Restorative discipline invites those who cause harm to reflect on their actions, think about how their choices and actions have affected others in the community and requires them to repair the harm and make a plan for moving forward.
When all three tiers of Restorative Practices are implemented effectively in a school there is a powerful shift in school culture where students and staff feel safe, empowered, and are able to thrive.