ESS WEBSITE - TIER 1: RP RESOURCES

TIER 1 - Build Community and Relationships School and classroom-wide systems for all students & staff (100% of students)

RP Tools - Affective statements, Affective questions, and circles with staff and students to:

Establish positive relationships & get to know others
Set community guidelines
Understand behavioral expectations
Discuss successes and challenges
Practice social-emotional skills
Discuss curricular topics

Affective questions fall on the informal side of the restorative practices continuum, but are central to all of the restorative practices. They provide students a chance to reflect on the impact their behavior has on others and to nurture empathy toward those they have affected. Those who have been harmed get an opportunity to be heard, and all parties are a part of the solution (fair process). Use may range from all of the questions or just a few, depending on the intervention. Questions may be used to speak with students one-on-one, during a small impromptu conference, or even handed to the student as a worksheet if time does not allow for a sit-down conversation.

Small impromptu conferences build upon affective questions. They are used for immediate issues to quickly solve a problem in the moment. Teachers and staff should use the restorative questions and may use all or several of the questions, depending on the situation. These can be minor problems in the classroom, hallways, lunch areas, field-trips, etc.

Affective statements fall on the most informal side of the restorative practices continuum. They are also at the core of all the practices and are used to build and maintain relationships. Day-to-day use is a crucial first step to creating positive classroom and school environments. These statements provide opportunities for students and adults to express their feelings, both positive and negative. By expressing feelings toward a student about their behavior, teachers are humanized and become relatable. Students are able to cultivate empathy and learn social and emotional skills.

These statements are “I” statements and the structure is able to remove the deed from the doer. Teachers and students are able to converse about a behavioral situation without assigning blame. Students are more receptive when these conversations are done privately, but when this is not feasible, approach with caution when done in front of the class. Never use statements with the intent to harm or embarrass a student.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Characteristics of High Quality Statements

The circle is a powerful symbol of community, inclusion, equality, and wholeness. Seated in a circle, individuals are placed on a level playing field and all voices are equal. The shape of the circle is crucial; everyone in the circle should see each other, and not sit behind others or lean forward. The inside of the circle needs to be clear of chairs, tables, or other obstructions.

Within the context of Restorative Practices, circles have many uses from proactive and preventative to restorative and reparative. The purpose of a circle can include: getting to know each other, building community, addressing issues, and taking action. It is important to begin with circles that build community and trust before addressing deeper issues so that students are familiar with the circle process. Circles can also be used with school staff for a variety of purposes from community building to problem solving. Circles can cultivate students' social emotional skills and improve school climate. Within the circle, students feel that what they say matters; they are respected by authority figures and peers alike. The circle process supports students to take responsibility for their actions. Students learn to cooperate with one another and give each other support.

THE TALKING PIECE

The talking piece is a circle tool that keeps individuals focused and the circle running smoothly. It is usually an object that has special meaning to the class. The primary rule of the talking piece is that whoever has it is the only one permitted to speak and everyone else must give their full attention and listen.

CIRCLE STRUCTURE GUIDELINE:

Open the Circle
Create Ground Rules/Agreements as a class/group
Introduce Talking Piece
Introduce Check-In
Discussion Topic
Check-Out
Close the Circle

GETTING STARTED

To get started, listed here are some examples of prompts for circle go-arounds. These prompts help students to get to know each other. They are useful as a warm-up for higher risk questions and prompts. For circles that respond to incidents, using the affective questions helps students discuss the classroom or school campus issues.

Say something nice about the person to your right.
What makes you sad (happy)?
What is your favorite food?
If I could be an animal, I would be a ...
What makes a good friend?
What is your favorite thing to do?
What are you grateful for?
What do you do well?
Name someone in this class who helped you this week.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Whom do you trust?
What is something you know how to do that you didn't know how to do before?
What other student worked hard today?

TIER 1 - Build Community and Relationships School and classroom-wide systems for all students & staff (100% of students)

RP Tools - Affective statements, Affective questions, and circles with staff and students to:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Characteristics of High Quality Statements

THE TALKING PIECE

CIRCLE STRUCTURE GUIDELINE:

GETTING STARTED

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

LESSON IDEAS