7590 Week 6 Assignment

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Wilmington University *

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7590

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Philosophy

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Feb 20, 2024

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Running head: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 1 Restorative Justice Madeline Jeffords Wilmington University

Running head: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 2 Restorative Justice Restorative justice is something that I am very familiar with and truly very passionate about. In the previous school I worked in, restorative justice was a key component of how our administration handled discipline. We participated in regular professional development opportunities to get a better understanding of the principles of restorative practices. The current school I work in however, does not use restorative justice practices. I would love to be able to better educate them about the benefits of these practices in both the classroom and at a school level. Restorative justice in a nutshell is having students own their behaviors and take accountability, while making amends to those hurt by their actions. It is a theory that focuses on mediation and rehabilitation versus punishment. As many of us know, the majority of the time, suspensions don’t work to stop problem behavior. The student gets sent home, and then comes back and repeats many of the same problem behaviors again. The cycle continues, and the teachers, parents and school staff become increasingly frustrated. “Studies routinely show that students who are removed from school for misbehavior are more likely to end up at risk, eventually placed into alternative disciplinary schools, or worse” (Wheeler, 2017). The disconnect is that the student was never “taught” new strategies for managing their problem behavior. No replacement skills were taught for when the student is faced with a challenge again. They aren’t aware of how their behavior impacts those around them. Sending kids home for a suspension, often to an empty house, teaches nothing. Those of us that have studied behavior know this fact, but as teachers, our hands are often tied when it comes to suspensions and the administration's protocols.

Running head: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 3 The big potential drawback of restorative practices, which I’ve experienced personally, is that they take time. Time is sometimes something we don’t have a lot of as teachers. Allowing for a mediation meeting, or a restorative circle, requires teachers, administrators, parents, and students schedules to all align. This can be challenging when compiled on to the other tasks we all have to complete daily. Restorative practices also require a complete disciplinary mindset shift from the administrator and district as a whole. This can be challenging if some administrators or district personnel do not see the benefit in these practices and feel strongly about suspensions and their purposes. As a special education teacher who often works with students with behavioral disorders, I use restorative circles often, and as a future leader I plan to do the same. In my opinion, restorative justice practices are an essential part of being an effective teacher, and a transcendental leader. “What restorative circles and the restorative process do is allow students to be reflective of their behavior, to get the skills necessary to implement change in those behaviors going forward” (Pendharkar, 2022). Things like mediation conferences and restorative circles are practices that are proven to work. I know firsthand they have worked because I have seen them in action! As a future leader, the way I handle discipline will be drastically different from the way I’ve seen it handled in the school I currently work in. Restorative practices will be at the forefront of my disciplinary decisions and I will ensure that my administrative team is on the same page with this philosophy. This will include training and professional development opportunities for new learning as well as modeling the language used in the conferences themselves. At the end of the day, our main goal is to make sure that students have a successful

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Running head: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 4 experience at school but also a chance at a successful life beyond our four walls. As part of my initiative as a leader, restorative practices will also be implemented with staff as well when there is staff to staff conflict. Within my school building there will be a “restorative center,” this will be an office location that is where all the mediation and restorative meetings take place. This will be a calm, inviting room that provides flexible seating and encourages open conversation. If a student does need to be removed from school, in order to reenter a restorative mediation conference will be required. There will be a core team in my building that works on the logistical components of scheduling these conferences. They will be an integral part of the day to day operations at my school. It is my hope with further evidence of the successes of restorative practices, that suspensions across our nation will eventually become a thing of the past.

Running head: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 5 References Pendharkar, E. (2022, December 9). Here’s how the pandemic changed school discipline . Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/heres-how-the-pandemic-changed- school-discipline/2022/11 Wheeler, R. (2017, October 11). Suspensions don’t teach . Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/suspensions-dont-teach/

7590 Week 6 Assignment

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