Top Ten Teacher Tips for Time Management

When teachers sit around in the teacher's lounge, they often complain about their messed up routines, their students arriving late to class, they leave late, have to prepare lessons at home and have to grade  tests after working all  day and the cycle continues. What if I told you all of this can be avoided by mastering a skill, time management, in fact, strategic time management. 

Sadly, it is a skill individual teachers have to learn, master and implement on their own in most instances, school authorities do not take much responsibility in training teachers as long as they are getting desired performance. As a result, educators find that time is at a premium as to learning time management in their personal and professional lives.

Time management can be learned by following simple steps one at a time. But we must go back to the basics to build upon this concept.

Let's take a look at the top ten time management tips for teachers.

Number 1:               Set Clear Goals

It’s easy to go from day to day ploughing through your workload, putting out constant fires and feeling like there’s never an end to all this. But what are you doing this for? Where are you going with it? What is the ultimate objective?

Consider the things that you have to do and the things you want to achieve. Think short-term as well as long-term. And using the SMART model, set yourself some clear goals.

Your goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound hence SMART.

Now consider the activities and tasks you spend your time on everyday. How do they go towards helping you achieve those goals. Which ones are time-wasters? What can you do to reduce the amount of time you spend on activities that don’t go towards helping you achieve your goals?

Number 2:               Plan your time

With clear goals, you can now go about planning how you spend your time and organizing your day. For longer-term goals, consider a longer-term plan. Download a monthly planner or use a planner app to help you get a better overview of the steps you need to take to achieve those goals.

It also helps to be able to look ahead each day and know how you will spend your day achieving your goals. Plan your day either the night before or the first thing that morning. Know what is important and what isn’t, and be conscious of what contributes to helping you achieve your goals as you prioritize your tasks for the day.

Have a to-do list and enjoy the satisfaction of ticking each item off the list. You’ll feel more productive, and consequently, more confident when you have a clearer overview of what you have accomplished.

Number 3:               Learn to say no

Don’t feel like you need to take on everything that is given to you. Consider your priorities and how a task might or might not contribute towards your goals. How would this new task or activity fit into your plans? If you are unsure, ask for time to decide by saying, “Can I think about it and get back to you on that?” It’s good to be helpful, but not to the detriment of your own health and sanity.

Number 4:               Be smart about lesson planning

A lot of the teachers I meet complain about the amount of time they spend planning their lessons. While it’s good to plan your lessons, spending hours upon hours planning a 30-minute lesson, and then doing that day after day can really sap the life out of any teacher.

The fancy PowerPoint presentation that took you three hours to make might be really impressive and that Cluedo-esque card game that took you two hours to create and another hour to print, cut and laminate might be great fun, but how much learning is really taking place as a result of those activities?

Ultimately, our students are in class to learn and although it may be difficult to actually measure learning, it is nevertheless important that we consider the time-to-learning ratio: is the time we put into preparing an activity actually going to result in learning that is worthy of that input? Would an impressive PowerPoint actually result in more learning than if that lesson were to be delivered on the whiteboard?

While I will not hesitate to applaud the creativity and originality of creating the Cluedo-esque card game, for the overwhelmed teacher, those two hours might be better spent elsewhere. There are plenty of lesson materials freely available online for the busy teacher to print out and use, so keep an eye on relevant Facebook groups, and Twitter accounts, that regularly post links to downloadable teaching materials. Bookmark useful websites,  like the teacher pay teachers website (lots of free stuff available)and keep an organized folder of printouts/handouts that you’ve used so that you can re-use them again in the future.

Number 5:               Be smart about grading

The other time-consuming activity that I often hear teachers complain about is the grading of homework and assignments. Unfortunately, there isn’t much about grading that is enjoyable, and the best thing to do is to be smart about it.

- If the grading is objective (e.g. there is a right or wrong answer), then have your students do the grading. The added benefit is that our students will probably learn more from grading their own papers as it impresses upon them to consider possible mistakes and the reasons behind the right answers.

- Don’t give out lots of homework from the start. Plan and spread out the deadlines for homework/assignments you give out so that you’re not left with multiple piles of work to tackle all at once.

- Plan to grade a small load at a time, rather than leaving them all till the last minute. Having the psychological burden of knowing you have a large pile of grading to do is not only soul-destroying but will more than likely make you procrastinate further.

- You don’t have to grade everything. Consider only focusing on certain points when grading an essay and let students know beforehand. Say things like, “For this assignment, I’ll be specifically looking at how you organize your paragraphs.” You might want to check out podcast #6 -- grading best practices.

Number 6:               Be smart with technology tools

There are plenty of tech tools out there that can lighten your burden. Look into using Google Forms and their add-ons to help with homework and grading. Look into Jing to audio-record your feedback to their assignments, instead of having to write everything out. Nicky Hockly’s regular feature in each issue of ETp recommends some of the best ways to use technology tools in teaching while Russell Stannard’s Webwatcher on the ETp website gives detailed tutorials on some of the most useful teaching tools online.

Number 7:               Eliminate time-wasters

What do you waste time on each day? Is it browsing on eBay for things you don’t need? Is it checking Facebook updates, looking at Instagram photos, or watching cute YouTube videos of cats? Or is it getting involved in unproductive chats and email chains that cause nothing but frustration? Do you find yourself splitting your attention between trying to watch something on television and playing a game on your phone, and then feeling deeply unsettled by the stress levels caused by dissatisfying multi-tasking?

It’s important to (a) know what it is you’re wasting your time on each time. Remember that if you’re truly getting rest and relaxation from doing that activity, then it isn’t a time-waster and can be categorized as having ‘me-time’. However, if the activity isn’t really relaxing you, then it’s time to cut it out of your day.

Then, (b) proceed to set certain rules that will help you eliminate these distractions. For instance, decide that you will remain off-line when you are grading or have a no-multi-tasking rule when you’re meant to be relaxing.

Number 8:               Apply the Two-Minute Rule

In David Allen’s book ‘Getting Things Done’, he proposes applying the two-minute rule to everything we do, i.e. if it takes less than two minutes to complete, then get it done now. It would take more than two minutes if you were to come back to do it later.

I apply this rule to answering questions in emails and online groups (e.g. WhatsApp, Ning, Google groups), dealing with admin requests, photocopying/printing out handouts, and even daily household chores (e.g. taking the bin out, washing up).

In addition to the traditional two-minute rule, I also apply a variation of it to tasks that take a lot more than two minutes. When there is a bigger task ahead of me (e.g grading a pile of papers, writing a blogpost) and I’m lacking in motivation to do it, I tell myself that I would start the task and do it for only two minutes. I often end up doing it for more than two minutes, and when I am confronted with the task the next day, I’m pleased to see that some of it has already been done and am more motivated to finish the job, thus solving the problem of inertia.

So my addition to the two-minute rule is: If you have a task that would take more than two-minutes, start it before the end of the day and do it for two minutes.

Number 9:               Practice Mind-fullness:

Practice being mindful of what you do and enjoy what you’re doing

When you are trudging along from one task to the next, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lose sight of what it is you’re actually doing. Pay attention to what you are doing and how you are feeling. Focus on the parts of the tasks that you enjoy and remind yourself of why you’re doing it and how it relates to your goals. Remember that the journey is often more important than the destination.

Number 10:             Allocate time for yourself

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Allow yourself time to relax, time to exercise and time to sleep. Keep a check on your work-life balance and engage in activities that nourish your body, your mind and your soul. And remember that a happy teacher will inspire happy students.

The Responsive Classroom

The hardest part of being an educator is not to teach your students the curriculum but to make them realize the core values that promise success in school and beyond.

Students need to learn a set of social and emotional competencies -- cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control and a set of academic competencies --  academic mindset, perseverance, learning strategies, and academic behaviors.

Responsive Classroom is an approach to teaching based on the belief that integrating academic and social-emotional skills creates an environment where students can do their best learning. The Responsive Classroom approach consists of a set of practices and strategies that build academic and social-emotional competencies. This approach works well with many other programs and can be introduced gradually into a teacher’s practice.

Number 1:               Morning Meeting:

When you work in a corporate environment morning meetings are part of a normal day’s routine, people get together with their teams to discuss the tasks of the day, if there is nothing important to discuss they just sit and talk for a few minutes before starting their day.

This principle has similar outcomes if implemented in a class room setting. Gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead. By sitting together and talking about the day ahead, discussing known challenges like a quiz, exam or a new chapter, students jump start their day. It helps divert their attention from home to processing their day at school. Classrooms that start their day with a meeting lead by their teacher perform better from the start of the day than of those who jump straight to classwork.

Number 2:               Rule Creation:

We are social animals and having rules is what makes us civilized, but general rules are often not enough for proper functioning of a class room, as much as the rules are important in the classroom, it is also important that the students play an equal role in the rule creation for the class, the problems they face and their opinion based on their point of view, helping students create classroom rules ensures an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals. It adds to the responsibility on the students, they feel like they are more an integral part of the system therefore, they become accountable for their actions, they make the rules hence the respect for the system develops for what they have created for themselves.

Number 3:               Interactive Modeling:

We believe what we see and certainly follow those rules that we see others or someone more in power implementing, teachers who spend more time and effort in adapting to the environment they have set for the class see a higher success rate, when they expect a certain behaviour form their class, the students also look forward to suitable responses to their questions, requests and actions.

Teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique. In traditional modeling, the teacher shows children how to do a skill, routine, or procedure, tells them what to notice, and expects that they will learn it immediately.

Interactive Modeling also shows children how to do skills, routines, or procedures, but it goes well beyond that basic step. Students also learn exactly why the skill, routine, or procedure is important to their learning and the respectful, smooth functioning of the classroom.

Students are asked what they noticed about the teacher’s modeling, rather than told by their teacher what to notice.

They also see a few classmates additionally model the routine or procedure after the teacher’s initial modeling and practice the routine or procedure right away and receive immediate feedback and coaching from their teacher while they practice.

The distinctive steps of Interactive Modeling incorporate key elements of effective teaching: modeling positive behaviors, engaging students in active learning, and immediately assessing their understanding. Research shows that when we teach in this way, children achieve greater, faster, and longer-lasting success in meeting expectations and mastering skills.

With Interactive Modeling, children create clear, positive mental images of what is expected of them. They do the noticing themselves, which builds up their powers of observation and their analysis and communication skills. In addition, because they get immediate practice, they gain quicker expertise and stronger mastery of the procedure or skill being taught.

Use these seven steps to implement interactive modeling.

1:        Briefly state what you will model, and why.

2:        Model the behavior exactly as you expect students to do it, the right way, not the wrong way, and without describing what you’re doing unless you need to “show” a thinking process.

3:        Ask students what they noticed. You may need to do some prompting, but children soon notice every little detail, especially as they gain expertise with this practice.

4:        Invite one or more students to model the same way you did.

Again, ask students what they noticed the modelers doing.

Have all students model while you observe and coach them.

Provide feedback, naming specific, positive actions you notice and redirecting respectfully but clearly when students get off track.

Number 4:               Positive Teacher Language:      

What we say to students and how we say it is one of the most powerful teaching tools. Through careful use of language, we can support students as they develop self-control, build their sense of community, and gain academic skills and knowledge.

The Responsive Classroom approach offers specific language strategies for various areas of teaching. These strategies range from asking open-ended questions that stretch children’s thinking to using respectful reminding and redirecting language when children’s behavior goes off track.

Using words and tone as a tool to promote children’s active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline.        

Let me share some guideline strategies to become a better vocal representation.

 1:                    Be direct and genuine:

When we say what we mean and use a kind and straightforward tone, children learn that they can trust us. They feel respected and safe, which helps them develop self-discipline and take the risks that are necessary for learning.

Many of us slip into using indirect language as a way to win compliance from children.

Sarcasm, another form of indirect language, is also common in the classroom. For example when a teacher says; “John, what part of ‘Put your phone away’ don’t you understand?” the students laugh, and the teacher thinks she has shown that they have a sense of humor. But they embarrassed John and diminished his trust in them. And even though the other students laughed, they too might feel less trusting of the teacher, no longer seeing them as a protector but as someone who has the potential to use words in a hurtful way. It would be more effective for the teacher to directly state, “John, put your phone away.” If he doesn’t respond, then it’s time to try another strategy, such as the use of logical consequences.

2:        Convey faith in children’s abilities and intentions

Our language shapes how children see themselves and their world. When our words and tone convey faith in children’s desire and ability to do well, the children are more likely to live up to our expectations of them.

Here is an example, “When everyone is ready, I’ll show how to plant the seeds.” “You can look at the chart to remind yourself of our ideas for good story writing.” “Show me how you will follow the rules in the hall.” These words, said calmly, in an even voice, communicate a belief that children want to and know how to listen, cooperate, and do good work. The students then come to see themselves as respectful listeners, cooperative people, and competent workers, and are more likely to behave accordingly. And when they do behave positively, it’s important to take the time to notice and comment on it, naming the specific behavior.

Number 5:   Logical Consequences:

Responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity. logical consequences are one of those strategies. Depending on the child and the situation, teachers might combine a logical consequence with other strategies, or they might use more than one logical consequence.

1:        You break it, you fix it:

This type of logical consequence is used in situations when something has been broken or a mess has been made—whether accidentally or intentionally. The consequence is that those responsible for the problem take responsibility for fixing it. Teachers use this type of logical consequence when they see an opportunity for a child to solve a problem he or she has caused.

2:        Loss of Privilege:

This type of logical consequence is used when children’s behavior does not meet pre-established expectations. The consequence is that the child loses the privilege of participating in an activity or using materials for a brief time, usually a class period or a day. What’s taken away must be directly related to the misbehavior, and the teacher must make sure that the child truly understands and can live up to expectations. Teachers use this type of logical consequence when children defy, test, or simply forget the rules.

3:        Positive Time-Out

This type of logical consequence is used when a teacher believes that a child needs a way to calm down and recover self-control. The consequence is that the child moves to a pre-established place in the classroom, takes time to regroup, and then rejoins the class once he or she has calmed down. Teachers use time-out to keep minor misbehaviors, intentional and accidental from escalating and becoming disruptive, and to give children opportunities to practice strategies they’ve learned for regaining self-control. Because many children have experienced punitive uses of time-out, it’s important for teachers to explain that, Time-out simply gives them the time and space we all sometimes need to get ourselves in check when we begin to lose our cool.

Number 6:               Guided Discovery:           

Introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility.

One of the goals here is to get children interested in the material. One way teachers do this particularly with younger children is to create a mystery. This engages children’s thinking and helps them see familiar materials with fresh eyes.

But materials don’t always need to be hidden inside packages, and introductions don’t always need to take the form of mysteries.

Another goal is to build a common knowledge base. To do this, teachers use open-ended questions that encourage children to think about their past experiences with the material and to share current observations. Questions such as “How have you used dictionaries so far?”, “What might be in this box? What are your clues?”, “What do you know about markers?”, and “Look closely at your ruler. What’s one thing you notice?” are all examples of open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions are at the heart of Guided Discovery, occurring in every step

Number 7:               Academic Choice:

A key Responsive Classroom strategy, Academic Choice is a way to structure lessons and activities. When teachers use Academic Choice, they decide on the goal of the lesson or activity, then give students a list of options for what to learn and/or how to go about their learning in order to reach the defined goal.

Used well, the strategy breathes energy and a sense of purpose into children’s learning. When students have choices in their learning, they become highly engaged and productive. They’re excited about learning and sharing their knowledge. They’re likely to think more deeply and creatively, work with more persistence, and use a range of academic skills and strategies. In addition, research has generally found that children have fewer behavior problems when they have regular opportunities to make choices in their learning, a finding supported by anecdotal evidence from teachers.

Behavior Management

During your tenure as a teacher you will experience students from diverse backgrounds, different experiences, different schools and studying different curriculum. Their values may differ as well as their level of confidence, if you are a seasoned educator you would agree that there is nothing like a perfect classroom. Many students live through their school life without participating in the process to the fullest and not everything is in the teacher’s control but the key ingredient in creating a perfect classroom is harmony, a sense of unity among the class so they can identify themselves as a single functioning unit and even if one student is struggling, their peers lend a hand to help them without their teacher asking.

There are many different ways for a teacher to manage the behavior of their class, it is not a constant effort but will take its share of your time after that it becomes a part of the class and school discipline.

So let us move forward and talk about everything that can change your classroom’s behavior for good.

1:                    Give you class an identity

The concept of unity starts with a classroom identity, name or a description. Start the school year by deciding a name for the class, you don’t have to follow the piper, the centuries old tradition of giving color names to your class instead you can use this opportunity to involve your students and they can come up with a name by discussing. You can organize a poll with suggestions form students and they all can decide a cool name for their class like Avengers, the ninja turtles, breakfast club, it depends on the grade they are in, let their imagination go wild, this simple activity will have a huge psychological effect as it will give students a sense of belonging and that they are part of a team, it has a long lasting effect and since they belong to the same identity the sense of individualism eventually rules itself out.

2:                    Build relationships

Building genuine relationships with students shows that you care about them and are invested in their well-being. At the start of the year, surveys and get-to-know-you activities are a great way to begin to build a relationship with students. As the school year continues, community circles can help maintain your community and create a space for open dialogue and familiarity. Once students realize you are invested in them as individuals you can build respect, which will make a difference when holding students accountable for their behavior.

Depending on your class needs you can also; do the following: like making --

-Positive phone calls home

-Getting to know older and/or younger siblings who go to your school

-Visit their families and homes

-Prepare Personalized notes

-Support students at extracurricular activities

-Eat lunch with them

3:                    Create Collaborative class rules

When teachers and students collaborate to make rules, a great classroom environment is cultivated. Create rules that address how students are expected to interact with each other, how students are expected to interact with the teacher, and how students are expected to interact with the physical space. When students are given the opportunity to contribute to the rules that will govern their class, they develop a sense of ownership for their classroom.

4:                    Set Routines

Set clear routines for everything you would like students to do in your classroom. Although it can be tedious, be explicit about everything. Do not assume that students know the expectations for your classroom and be sure to show them how you would like things to be done. Give students multiple opportunities to practice the classroom routines; provide ongoing support for routines and behaviors; reinforce expected behaviors and explain the consequences if the expectations are not met.

Teach your routines and expectations in a way that allows you to differentiate lack of not knowing versus defiance. Students often get in trouble because they genuinely did not know what they were expected to do. Once you are sure that students are aware of your expectations in all areas of your classroom, administering consequences becomes much easier because you know students are aware of all routines.

Some examples of class room routines include:

*Transitions between activities

 *Asking for help

*What to do after work completion

 *Lining up

*Sharpening pencils

*Turning in homework or completed work

*Using the restroom

5:                    Set Rewards

Rewards can be individual, group or class-based. In the same way students contributed to the class rules, allow them to contribute to the rewards. This will create buy-in and motivate students to work toward rewards they really want. Students are very creative, Choose a reward system that is easy to manage. Consider rewards that do not require additional preparation or a burdensome financial investment on your end.

6:                    Quiet, quick corrections

When a student is off task they are often seeking attention, so it is important for teachers to remove the stage when addressing them. Use a silent signal, or proximity, to address a behavior. If that still does not work, quietly and quickly bend down and whisper to the student what you would like them to do and the consequence they will receive if the expectation is not met, then move away. If the student still does not comply, administer an appropriate consequence. Avoid using shame and intimidation to correct a student. Quiet corrections allow you to remain in control of the situation and keeps the public stage out of the student interaction.

7:                    Public praise

While corrections should be quiet, praise should happen often and publicly. often use “Shout-outs” to call attention to a positive behavior that a student is doing or the way they are working. Praise focuses on the specific behavior the student is doing correctly. Praise students to other students, teachers, and administrators. Highlight positive behaviors enthusiastically, students love to be acknowledged for a job well done.

8:        Be calm, firm, and consistent

 

When administering corrections be sure to stay calm. Giving a behavioral consequence should not be emotional, rather it should be a response to the clearly outlined rules and routines of your classroom. Avoid threats like, “If you don’t…then I will…”, but instead deliver consequences firmly, as they have been outlined to your class. Consistently give consequences to all students 100% of the time they are not meeting expectations. Students will quickly notice if you do not always give a consequence or if you give consequences to some students more than others.

9:                    Set high expectations

Set high behavioral and academic expectations for all your students. Have a clear vision of how you want your classroom to look behaviorally and how you want your students to perform academically, and then plan backwards from your vision. Be prepared to scaffold students behaviorally and academically, if needed. Students will work to meet your expectations, so keep them high. Creating an academically engaging, rigorous class is a great way to manage behaviors. If you make your class engaging students will be invested in the learning experience and less likely to be off task or misbehave.

10:                  Be an example

Model the behaviors you would like your students to display. Be open to the fact that you make mistakes and be humble enough to admit your mistakes to your students. Do not shy away from apologizing to students for assuming they have done something that they did not do. Remember that respect is reciprocal so be sure to show respect to students if you expect to be respected in return.

Now that we have addressed best practices for creating a better and full filling class room behavior, lets talk about the challenges educators struggle when it comes to behavior of their class room.

-           Types of Student Disciplinary Problems

 

Students act out in a variety of ways, impacting their own ability to learn as well as those around them. Some of the types of disciplinary problems that are most common are:

A:        Disrespect: Students speak and act in a disrespectful way to adults and peers, there can be multiple reasons driving their actions but most of the times, with proper counseling and help they can be fixed.

B:        Defiance:      Students openly refuse to listen to adults or follow directions, which indicated a communication gap, young people automatically assume adults do not know their problems nor they can help them, building frustration leads to defiance.

C: Bullying: Students consistently intimidate others, often to make themselves feel better or to simply assert dominance, bullying is a seriously growing problem and needs to be addressed In any school setting in the very beginning of the year, schools are for equal opportunities and not for some students to take advantage of those who are not as physically capable.

D:        Aggression:  Students become physically or verbally violent, such instances require high-level disciplinary actions.

Although it has nothing to do with your teaching style, resources that the school provides or which subject you teach as an educator, these issues become a burden for you if there are a few students with these problems in your class.

There are many addressed and unknown factors behind the behavioral choices that students make, I have tried to list some of the most common challenges that create a hindrance in the classroom and disturb the overall environment.

1:        Impact of Home Life.

 

Student’s misbehavior can often be rooted in a dysfunctional home life, one that isn't operating in healthy ways. Things like economic instability, parental disharmony, changes in family routine and relationships, and parental views on education and discipline, all impact a student's ability to make good choices.

When a student's family struggles with poverty, he or she is affected in many ways. The stress that results from lack of money, inconsistent employment, and overall financial instability, can cause students to feel overwhelmed at school. Unstable times are confusing for students and often result in behavioral issues. Finally, some families have a negative view concerning education and share their thoughts openly with students. These students then bring preconceived ideas to school that interfere with their ability to succeed.

2:        Peer Issues

Students often make poor choices in response to the actions of their peers. Students often want to fit in and succumb to peer-pressure, following the actions of others, even if they don't believe in the action or know it is wrong. Some well-behaved and successful students may suddenly pick up disrespectful actions to be better liked and accepted by other students.

3:        Depression.

Sometimes students may cause problems inside class because they feel worried and even depressed. One reason could be because of the strict rules imposed by the teachers .Some times the speed of the teacher in giving out material to his students feel that they don't understand any thing which leads to depression.

4:        Violence.

When students feel depressed, violent behaviors are expected. This is a natural reaction to express their anger and disapproval of what's going on. For instance, certain critical remarks from their colleagues, or being insulted by their classmates could cause students to be involved in violence.

5:        Attracting the Attention.

Some students, especially the adolescents, tend to attract the attention of both the teacher and their classmates . So, it is expected that they will try to attract the attention by getting good grades, or by demonstrating good character, or exhibiting different skills. However, some students fail in attracting the attention using the previous ways mentioned; instead they tend to make disputes inside the class as a way of attracting the attention. The teacher is advised to deal wisely with this group of students because they are not really bad; they can be redirected towards a favorable activity that could attract the attention of other students to them instead of this negative behavior.

How to Implement Restorative Practices in Schools

Before we talk about ways of implementing restorative practices, it is of equal importance to understand the need and the concept.

In a normal setting, Suspensions and expulsions as disciplinary methods are causing problems in our schools. Those factors prevent or discourage young people from completing their education, a concept known as school pushout. It has severe, lasting impacts for students and commonly affects historically disenfranchised youth. One study followed all 1 million seventh-graders in Texas for six years, and according to NPR, found that 60% of them were suspended or expelled at least once between their seventh - and 12-grade school years. Of the 15% who were expelled 11 times or more, half ended up in juvenile-justice facilities or programs encompassing an average of 73 school days. They repeated grades and failed to graduate high school more often.

In her words, they’re effectively “pushed out” from the school system. Fortunately, experts believe there’s a better way to address discipline problems without suspensions or expulsions. The use of restorative practices has emerged as a popular method for helping youth stay on track.

So What are Restorative Practices?

Restorative practices, also known as restorative justice, is an approach to classroom discipline that encourages conversations over punishments like suspension and expulsion. This is thought to encourage students to talk through their emotions to get to the root of a problem. Once the person who has done wrong has admitted it and made it right with the group or the individual, they can be readmitted into the class. The International Institute of Restorative Practices describes it as the practice of fostering connection and community between individuals in a group setting.

Schools that use restorative practices focus on community, attempting to build empathy among students by helping them understand themselves; why what they have done is wrong or harmful to their community. Instructors take a more collaborative model than the norm, conversing rather than at their students but rather, trying to engage in one on one connection as often as they can.

You will find several highlights that all claim to be restorative practices but it all boils down to a hand full of practices. To give you an idea there are 5 tips.

1-                Mindfulness practices

2-                Using restorative circles

3-                Using affective (emotional) statements

4-                Forming collaborative class agreements

5-                Having a problem-solving “anchor chart” for the classroom

 

 1:        Mindfulness practices:

Such as meditation, are recommended for increasing a student’s focus and can also help reduce stress and anxiety. Sitting for five minutes and doing nothing but focusing on their breathing can help clear students’ minds, connect them to what they are doing and leave them better able to handle the rest of the day. Mobile apps like Headspace and Calm can help guide the student through a mindfulness session.

2:        Restorative circles:

This practice is regularly used in the restorative practice model as a way to encourage conversation and the sharing of experiences as well as an opportunity to brainstorm. The Center for Restorative Process said that circles help with leadership skills, self-awareness, relationship skills and self-management. When in the circle, there is a centerpiece and a “talking piece,” an object that whoever is talking holds. When that person is holding the talking piece, it is their turn to speak without interruption. Common discussion topics in these circles include group issues like class lessons, daily check-ins and conflict resolution.

3:        Affective statements:

Affective statements are also known as “I feel” statements, provide a framework for students to tell others what is wrong and what can be done to solve a problem. Students can use them with each other, or with another student. It can be as simple as I feel/am (emotion) when/that you (behavior) because (reason). I need (request). Students’ fill in those blanks to open up to their peers, writing it on a piece of paper is also a form of passing that energy to the other person so they can understand and calibrate their behavior towards them.

This allows students to communicate a problem and emotion, then provide a way to resolve the situation without introducing blame.

4:        Collaborative class agreements:

They are much the way they sound: a code of conduct that the whole classroom creates together and agrees on. The idea is to give students a sense of pride and ownership in the workings of their classroom environment and make it more likely that they will abide by those rules.

5:        Problem-solving anchor charts:

These charts categorize common events likely to happen during a school day, and then provide actions students can use to deal with those events. A model that can be used is the categories “big deal” and “no big deal.” The correct action for a “big deal” situation – a fight, injury or similar problem – is always to tell an adult. A “no big deal” situation can be worked out between students.

How to get started?

The Restorative practices world is a world that many educators fear simply because they do not know a lot about it. Educators are rarely trained to an adequate level in how to make Restorative Practices (RP) work in their daily lives. Teachers are usually shown the heavy-duty re-entry circles or conflict mediation to demonstrate the power of Restorative practices, but this often leaves teachers intimidated, overwhelmed, and asking how this is going to work for them.

The best, and most practical way, to implement restorative practices in the classroom is to start small with some basic restorative skills that can be practiced in your classroom, and even in your life outside of school. These skills are listening, affective communication, and curiosity questions. Once these skills have been practiced, lived, and embraced, then the teacher can begin working into the heavier-duty RP practices.

One of the best ways to begin is Listening:

While the concept of listening seems self-explanatory, we as teachers do not always do it. We are often trying to do a million things at once and, in turn, never really listen to our students. We hear them, but do we listen? In a restorative classroom, there are a couple ways we can demonstrate that we are listening. First is by mirroring their emotions and feelings about a topic. If they are serious when they are telling you something, then be serious as you listen. Second, is by demonstrating active listening and paraphrasing. Saying things like, “What I am hearing you say is ...” Third, is by being present and validating their feelings. If they are telling you something, make sure you are in the conversation and not planning your grocery list. A big part of being present is validating their feelings. You can do this by making statements such as, " I understand why you are upset.” Or, “I cannot even imagine what you must be feeling, and thank you so much for sharing with me.”

Implementing restorative practices on a school wide scale is hard work, especially for a single teacher it is nearly impossible, but when there is a new model is needed to be introduced, the best way is to start in your class, you see a group of students in a conflict, try and pitch the idea of solving the problem by listening to each other’s arguments and figure out what makes more sense, become the neutral body to solve their conflict, the word practice is a clear indication that such schemes are supposed to be made part of a natural setting my not only be implemented through discussion but also through demonstration in real life scenarios whenever you come across one.

The Effect of Restorative Practices in Schools:

The school pushout phenomenon has been linked to more than just dropout rates. When students drop out, they’re more likely to end up in the criminal justice system. A 2016 study named Outcomes of a Restorative Circle Program in a High School Setting sought to explore restorative practices in action and see whether it actually could be of benefit to students in a real-world setting. Authors of the study spoke with students and faculty at a school where over 90 percent of the students were African American, and three quarters of the student body qualified for free or reduced lunch programs.

Authors of the study found some real benefits of using restorative practices in the classroom. According to the study, students started using circles on their own to problem solve, and teachers were more likely to talk things out with their students than jump right to punitive measures like suspension. One student involved in the study said they preferred using circles to solve their conflicts over suspension.

Many districts that are new to restorative practices are under the impression that it is a program to implement. It is not. Restorative practices are about shifting the mindsets and developing the capacity of stakeholders like students, families, teachers, administrators, receptionists, cafeteria staff, security staff, etc. so they are invested in the culture and climate of the building and accept responsibility for maintaining a safe, enjoyable, and productive environment for all involved. When stakeholders are invested and properly trained, we are able to effectively sustain healthy school climates and respond effectively to breaches in our social contract.