Presenter outlines restorative practices to repair harm and empower teachers

The presenter described restorative practices as an approach that centers on building relationships with students, holding them accountable and addressing behavior by repairing harm rather than relying on punishment. "At the core, Restorative Practices talks about building relationships with our students," the presenter said.

The presenter said the model emphasizes understanding root causes of conflict so staff can support students to succeed in school. "Understanding what the root cause of their conflict or their behavior so we can really support them, so they're successful in school," the presenter said, framing support as a path to improved outcomes.

The presenter said restorative practices aim to give teachers tools to manage classroom problems directly instead of immediately referring to administrators. "And instead of just automatically calling somebody else or calling an administrator or what have you, we're trying to get to a point where we empower our own teachers to kind of deal with those problems," the presenter said, adding that students will respect teachers more if they help them learn conflict-resolution skills.

The presenter tied the approach to the Massachusetts Multi-Tiered System of Supports, describing restorative work as "building a community, repairing a community, and really rethinking discipline." He or she said that when adult–student connections are strong, students are more likely to take accountability for their actions and feel like an important part of the school community.

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