An effective school leader provides safe and collaborative school and classroom environments by developing relationships and building community, with a strong understanding of the distinction between classroom management and school discipline. While these two concepts are often used interchangeably, they are very different.
Classroom management deals with how things are done in the classroom including the procedures, routines, and structures. Classroom management is the responsibility of the teacher. Discipline is no longer about ensuring the compliance of children or young adults under the guidance or direction of an authority figure. It is about students taking responsibility for their own behavior and self-monitoring their behavior while working collaboratively with their peers.
Restorative practices help educators to proactively prevent problems like bullying and violence. An increasing body of research indicates that restorative approaches are effective in transforming student behavior and building healthy school communities.
Circles and groups provide opportunities for students to share their feelings and to build relationships and solve problems. When there is wrongdoing, students play an active role in addressing the wrong and making things right (Riestenberg, 2002).
This course provides practical strategies for implementing restorative practices to create a positive school community and classroom culture in which every student feels respected. Positive school cultures foster rich learning environments where student achievement is enhanced. School stakeholders—principals, teachers, and parents—must be willing to assess the school culture and help to shape it positively through conscious individual and collaborative efforts.
The concepts presented in this course have applicability to the following standards and performance statements outlined by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA).
Standard 3: Equity and Cultural Responsiveness
Effective educational leaders strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being. (Including performance statement 3(d) – Develop student policies and address student misconduct in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner.)
Standard 9: Operations and Management
Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being. (including performance statement 9(k) – Develop and administer systems for fair and equitable management of conflict among students, faculty and staff, leaders, families, and community.)
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Lead a whole-school approach to the development of social and emotional capacity.
- Lead teachers in the adoption of activities and techniques that foster engaging instruction and a sense of community in the classroom.
- Model the principles of restorative justice, using collaboration and accountability to help build positive and trusting relationships throughout the school community.
- Understand the impact of the ‘nine affects’ of emotional expression on behavior and the disciplinary processes of the school.
- Use affective statements, affective questions and impromptu conferences in restorative practice.
- Lead the use of restorative circles and formal conferences in resolving discipline and behavior issues.
Lessons contain exercises that you will be asked to complete, and resources you can use for continuous learning. Use a personal journal to record your completed exercises and document your learning in this course. This guide can assist you with creating your personal journal. Your school district facilitator may request you submit your personal journal to show proof of course completion. Direction on where to submit your finished journal will be provided by your district facilitator, should they require it.
Select a lesson from the table of contents below to begin your learning. Lessons do not need to be completed in sequence. The pre-test and post-test are optional. If you would like to receive a certificate of completion, you must mark each lesson as complete.