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Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices
Are a means of supporting student behaviors that focus on community and empathy. They balance support (encouragement and nurturing) with control (limit-setting and discipline). Restorative practices, when done well, support developmental growth of each student.
Ultimately, Restorative Practices help all our students engage and demonstrate all 5 of the MC2 Expectations:
Invest in your learning
Respect yourself, others, and all property
Value others' contributions
Use self-control
Be Safe
Many of the frameworks and tools we use at MC2 come from the International Institute for Restorative Practices. (Above)
Student Voice
Student Voice
An important facet of restorative practices is nurturing student voice. We use both formal and informal methods for soliciting, accepting, challenging (and being challenged by) student voice. Student voice is valued in everything from daily EODs to regular evaluations of staff, governance and policy making, and regular civic discourse and community meetings. These structures, coincidentally, provide staff and students the best opportunity to build community proactively as well as address any issues that may be impacting the campus negatively.
Governance Structures
Governance Structures
One formal structure for student voice that also influences our system of behavior expectations, policies, and procedures is our student governance structures. Below are two guiding documents that detail the overall system of MC2 Governance, and also Open Session, which is a specific structure used to solicit student input.
Governance Structure.pdfHow to Open Session.docxStudent Empowerment
Student Empowerment
Empowerment is the first word in the MC2 mission Statement, but it's incredibly hard to facilitate. The staff and students at MC2 all work hard to create an environment that is open and accepting enough to allow diverse thoughts, challenging ideas, and even mistakes to happen without disrupting the entire program. Students often grow to recognize their own participation in the "Six Stages of Student Empowerment" (right) and coach others through them as well.
STAGES OF STUDENT EMPOWERMENT.docxDue Process
Due Process
Any student observed or reported as having made a Poor Behavior Choice should be informed about the report by his or her advisor. The student should be given appropriate opportunity to provide his or her perspective, and to participate in negotiating consequences. If one or more students are engaged in Poor Behavior Choices that have been witnessed by others, the Incident Report Protocol should be followed as well.
Incident Report Protocol
Incident Report Protocol
Each person involved in an incident should be asked to write his or her account individually, preferably immediately after the incident happens. If that is not possible, the write up should occur as soon after the incident as possible.
As much as possible, it is important to have accounts from every person involved. This is especially important if someone is being accused of having made a Poor Behavior Choice. Incident reports should be sent to the advisors of the student(s) involved, as well as to the Director. Advisors will compile the incident reports before determining follow up steps.
Poor Behavior Chioces.pdf
Consequences and Making Amends
Consequences and Making Amends
Whenever there is a Poor Behavior Choice, the student's advisor helps determine what consequence makes sense. Often the natural consequences of a choice (taking longer to gateway when work is avoided, missing announcements when skipping advisory) are impactful enough to deter behavior, but sometimes other consequences are needed. When determining consequences, we often look to logical consequences that address root causes of behavior and also restore whatever was lost through the poor behavior choice. Logical and Natural Consequences aren't always perceived as punishment by other students, and can vary from person to person.
Examples of Logical Consequences
Examples of Logical Consequences
Moving your spot in class
Turning in your phone for the studio/ day
Losing privileges
Regular Learning Team Meetings
Warnings and Contracts
Warnings and Contracts
When the due course of consequences is persistent, or if a PBC (Poor Behavior Choice) is serious enough, the student may be recommended for a Warning. This is an official documentation of poor behavior, and goes in the student's file. Warnings are issued by the school leader, and the Learning Team is alerted by a letter. Warnings can expire at the end of a term if they are not followed by a subsequent Warning. Warnings can impact a student's ability to earn certain privileges like Off Campus or the Good Student Driver Discount.
If a student acquires 3 warnings, they may be put on a behavior contract, which is negotiated by the learning team with the school leader. A behavior contract details a specific, personalized, code of conduct and expectations. The consequences for each infraction of the contract usually focus on the student exploring alternative educational opportunities- the final step of a contract involves the student being asked to leave MC2. Conversely, contracts can include steps that help the student move off the contract, ideally restoring the student's confidence in themselves and their place in the community.
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