Restorative Practices For Positive Relationships

Before we start the new year of teaching and learning, the first few weeks of school are a great opportunity to revisit restorative practices in the classroom which encourage students to build positive relationships with respect.

As teachers, we want to teach our students to speak positively and spread kindness and happiness. We want them to think of an appropriate response before speaking, to consider others feelings and to build friendships with other students.

Teaching self-control and thinking before reacting is critical. It is often assumed that your students have these skills but these are skills that need to be taught explicitly. Remembering your students are just children plays a vital role in the way you approach it. You do need to be explicit and gives examples when teaching behaviour management skills and what is expected.

Have you heard of the THINK, PLOT, BRAIN or POOCH acronyms? They can be used as restorative practice questions that students can ask themselves when in a difficult situation. They can be printed on posters to display around the classroom, in the playground or on a small card that teachers can refer to in the playground.

The THINK acronym -

T - is it true?
H - is it helpful?
I - is it inspiring?
N - is it necessary?
K - is it kind?

The PLOT acronym -

P - posture and position
L - language
O - others feelings
T - tone and volume of your voice

When unexpected situations arise encourage the students to use the BRAIN acronym -

B - what are the benefits?
R - what are the risks?
A - what are the alternatives?
I - what does my intuition tell me?
N - what if I do nothing right now?

POOCH is another similar one to the BRAIN acronym. It is a simple process that will help teachers help their students make better choices and increase their problem-solving skills -

P - what is the problem?
O - what are my options?
O - what are the outcomes of each option?
C - which option will I choose?
H - who can I go to for help?

Helpful questions that students can ask themselves when going through adversity;

• Am I saying this from a place of anger? Am I being respectful?

• How might what I’m saying appear to others?

• Who is my audience? Who else might be able to see, read, or hear this?

You will find the restorative vocabulary of these acronyms, will be picked up and used by the students, if you refer to them often. Everyday, if not every session. You may find yourself repeating yourself over but it will pay off in positive relationships established in your classroom.

What restorative practices do you use in your classroom? Do they work? We would love it if you would join the conversation and leave a comment below.