“I suppose it is tempting, if the only

tool you have is a hammer, to treat

everything as if it were a nail”
Abraham Maslow

St
u de
ool

nt
s
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Community
Classroom
Success

Pare nts

Restorative Practices
Implementation Guide
Introductory Version

Michigan Restorative Practices Trainers and Consultants

Owned by Beginning of Independence Group, LLC
23550 Harper Ave Suite 207, St. Clair Shores MI 48080
Phone: 586.204.2222
Web: www.mirptc.org • Email: roy.burton@mirptc.org
Overview:
Restorative Practices Introductory Training

Simply put, everything we

do today will revolve around
relationships:
1. Building
2. Managing
3. Restoring
Most States have implemented laws
to abolish zero tolerance polices.
U.S. Dept. Education guidelines,
published in 2014, emphasize the
need for a positive school climate
that supports, clear and appropriate
expectations and consequences, and equity in discipline
policies. “Zero tolerance is the policy of
Today’s training in Restorative Practices is based on
proven methods used with indigenous tribes, in juvenile applying laws or penalties to even
detention centers and prisons, and in the broadest minor infringements of a code in order
range of school districts around the world—all yielding
excellent results. to reinforce its overall importance.”
“Better is an ounce of prevention than a pound of cure.” Collins Dictionary of Law © W.J. Stewart, 2006

Our objective:
To be proactive in building and managing relationships within our community, and restore those
relationships when they are harmed by conflict.

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Schedule:
Restorative Practices Introductory Training

Foundation
The fundamental hypothesis of restorative practices is that human beings are happier, more cooperative and
productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do
things with them, rather than to them or for them.
A. Understanding others: (video: Maslow hierarchy of needs)
B. Understanding ourselves and our interactions w/ others: (video: social discipline window)
C. Rules we all can live by: fair process (example below)

Implementation of the
Restorative Practices Continuum Fair Process
n Affective Statements When students don’t trust adults to make good
decisions or to behave with integrity, their
n Restorative Questions
motivation is seriously compromised. Their
n Pro-active Circles distrust and its consequent lack of engagement is
n Responsive Circles a huge, unrecognized problem in most schools.
n Restorative Meetings/Conference This issue has always mattered, but it matters
now more than ever, because district’s with open
Lunch (30 minutes) enrollment and schools of choice are totally
dependent on the commitment of the communities
they serve.
Analysis: 4 Steps to problem solving
Unfortunately, neither integrity nor good
1. Problem Identification judgment can be wonderfully conferred on all
2. Problem analysis the adults in a school building. But it is possible
for an administration to create processes that
3. Intervention Design
help keep adults honest and build trust in
4. Evaluating the Plan relationships. Research shows that students
will commit to adults’ decision—even one they
Review disagree with—if they believe that the process the
1. E-course: Problem Solving using restorative adult used to make the decision was fair. Sounds
practice/group discussion simple, but most school districts don’t practice fair
2. E-course: Civility in your school/group process consistently.
discussion
Example: Developing Grading Criteria
Questions and Close
1. Engagement—In order to do my job as a
teacher I must grade work and enter grades.
(Student input on what type of grading system:
curve or points, homework, deadlines.)
2. Explanation—Based on some of the input from
students as to what our system will look like.
3. Expectation Clarity—The consequences for not
meeting expectations are re-iterated to ensure
all understand and agree to hold themselves
accountable to the grading policy they
collaborated on.

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Restorative Practices

Social Discipline Window Fair Process

The underlying Three core components of Fair Process:
premise of
Restorative Practices ► 1 - Engagement: Involving individuals in decisions
rests with the belief that affect them by asking for their input and allowing
them to refute the merit of one another’s ideas.
that people will
make positive ► 2 - Explanation: Everyone involved and affected
should understand why final decisions are made as
changes when those they are. Creates powerful feedback loop that
in positions of enhances learning.
authority ► 3 - Expectation Clarity: Once decisions are made,
do things withthem new rules are clearly stated, so that everyone
understands the new boundaries and consequences of
rather than to them failure.
or for them.
Wachtel & Costello (2009), The Restorative
Practices Handbook, pg 50

Continuum of Practices
Informal Formal

Affective Restorative Pro-active Responsive Restorative

Statements Questions Circles Circles Meetings/
(Impromptu Conferences
dialogue)

Affective Statements Restorative Discussion

► the starting point for all restorative processes
ƒ active non-judgmental listening
ƒ authentic expression of feelings and impact
* building strengthened relationships by
genuinely presenting oneself as someone who
cares and has feelings.
Ex. typical response: “Phillip, stop talking!”
► affective statement: “Phillip, I find it very
frustrating to hear a student talking while I'm
trying to give directions to the class.”
and Questions
► A restorative approach to help those harmed by other's
actions, as well as responding to challenging behavior
consists in asking key questions:
Restorative Questions:
► What happened, and what were you thinking at the time?
► What have you thought about since?
► Who has been affected by what you have done? In what
way?
► What about this has been hardest for you?
► What do you think you need to do to make things as right
as possible?

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 Restorative Practices

Circles
1. Proactive: Community/ Team building
2. Responsive: Problem solving/repairing harm

When to Use Circles (examples):

► Community building problem-solving reflecting
► Introducing new students
► Conflict resolution
► Brainstorming
► Farewell to students leaving
► Healing/ diffusing tension
► Family issues
► community violence debriefing

Benefits of Group
Conferencing When is conferencing
appropriate?
► Give victims a chance to express their feelings directly to
offenders, supported by family and friends
► Let offenders hear directly from the people they’ve affected ► Interpersonal conflicts
► Empower offenders to take responsibility for their actions
► Hold offenders accountable
► Tardiness/Truancy
► Collaborative: provides opportunities for all involved to ► Theft
decide what needs to happen to repair harm
► Provides an opportunity for healing for victims, offenders ► Vandalism
and their communities of care
► Bullying/Harassment
► Works toward reintegrating offenders back into their
community ► Drug/Alcohol use
► Break cycles of misbehavior and disruption
► Fighting/Assault
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► Arson
Restorative Practices
During the Problem-Solving Process

Step 1: Problem Identification
• What problem behaviors are occurring most often?
• When and where are the problem behaviors occurring?
• Who is involved?

Step 2: Problem Analysis:

• Why are problem behaviors occurring?
• Fundamental Hypothesis of Restorative Practices

Step 3: Intervention Design – Develop a Restorative Practices Action Plan

• Prevent: Alter the environment (systems changes, i.e. rearranging classroom, etc.)
• Teach: New skills (replacement behaviors—remember common sense is not always common)
• Reinforce: Appropriate behaviors (new skills—remember positive reinforcement)

Step 4: Evaluation: Response to Intervention

Tier 1-3: Problem Identification, A Real Look

Office Referral Data
What are the most significant problem behaviors?
• Determine what behaviors result in the most referrals across all non-classroom settings.
Where are the problems occurring?
• Look at non-classroom locations: hallway, cafeteria, library, etc.
When are the problem behaviors occurring?
• Determine specific times of the day: 7-8 a.m., 12:30-1 p.m.. etc.
Who is involved in the majority of the referrals?
• Which students are engaging in the problem behaviors?
• Is it most the students, or only a few?
• Which staff are writing referrals?
• Are most of the staff writing one or more referrals, or only a few staff?
Additional Data:
What consequences are being given and are they effective?
• Calling home, detention, out-of-school suspensions, etc.

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Effective Problem Solving
and Decision Making

Training Description
This class teaches participants effective problem solving and decision making skills. The instructor will guide
participants through the process of identifying root causes of problems, generating solutions to problems,
establishing decision-making criteria, and using those criteria to select the best alternative solution to problems.
Participants will learn to evaluate the benefits and risks of individual versus group decision-making approaches.
Case situations will be used to help participants learn how to apply the problem solving and decision making
processes to their own work situations.

Training Outcomes:
• Identifies and analyzes problems.
• Uses sound reasoning to arrive at conclusions. Finds alternative solutions to complex problems.
• Distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical judgments.
• Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative solutions to make organizational
improvements.
• Designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs and processes. Exercises good judgment by
making sound and well-informed decisions.

Learning Objectives
• Diagnose potential and actual problems.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify the root causes of problems.
• Use creative problem solving techniques to generate multiple solutions. Evaluate alternative solutions and
select the best one based on available data.

Defining Problem Solving And Decision Making—Part 1

Definition of a Problem: A problem exists when there is a gap between what you expect to happen and what
actually happens.
• Problems must be resolved for school’s to function properly.
• Administrators must be aware of current situations to recognize whether a problem exists.

Definition of Decision Making: Decision making is selecting a course of action from among available
alternatives.
• Process of analyzing critical data to determine the best decision.
• We do not always select the best choice when faced with alternatives.
• Need a rational, systematic, and effective approach for deciding on a course of action.

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Effective Problem Solving
and Decision Making (cont.)

The Difference between Decision Making and Problem Solving­­—Part 2

While both processes are systematic, problem solving involves defining a problem and creating solutions
for it. Decision making is selecting a course of action from among available alternatives. Problem solving
(Steps 1—4) always involves decision making (Step 3). However, not all decision making involves solving a
problem. For example, an administrator may have to make decisions about employees, resources, workload, etc.
without having a problem to solve.
The fundamental hypothesis of restorative practices is that human beings are happier, more
cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those
in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them.

Step 1: Problem Identification

• What problem behaviors are occurring most often?
• When and where are the problem behaviors occurring?
• Who is involved?

Step 2: Problem Analysis

• Why are problem behaviors occurring?
• Fundamental Hypothesis of Restorative Practices.

Step 3: Intervention Design – Develop a Restorative Practices Action Plan

• Prevent: Alter the environment (systems changes, i.e. rearranging classroom, etc.)
• Teach: New skills (replacement behaviors—remember common sense is not always common)
• Reinforce: Appropriate behaviors (new skills—remember positive reinforcement)

Step 4: Evaluation: Response to Intervention

What consequences are being given and are they effective?
• Calling home, detention, out-of-school suspensions, etc.

School districts have limited resources (i.e., number of teachers, time, funding, etc.)
and those limits require Administrators and Superintendents to make choices.

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Inclusive Decision-Making: Fair Process

Fair Process is about interacting WITH others and allowing them

the space to be heard and treated with dignity and respect.
It does not mean democracy, it is a process that allows for people to feel as though they have been treated
fairly, ultimately, resulting in cooperation with the decisions that are made.
Source: Wachtel & Costello (2009), The Restorative Practices Handbook, pg 87

What Fair Process Achieves:

• Fair process builds trust and commitment which
• Produces voluntary co-operation, which
• Drives performance, which
• Leads individuals to go beyond the call of duty by sharing their knowledge and applying creativity.

Three core components of Fair Process;

1. Engagement: Involving individuals in decisions that affect them by asking for their input and allowing
them to refute the merit of one another’s ideas.
2. Explanation: Everyone involved and affected should understand why final decisions are made as they
are. Creates powerful feedback loop that enhances learning.
3. Expectation Clarity: Once decisions are made, new expectations are clearly stated so that everyone
understands their role and what is expected of them.
Source: Kim & Mauborgne, 1997, Fair Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy’ for the Harvard Business Review

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Appendix
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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Appendix
Comparison of Definitions

Comparison of Definitions: Major vs. Minor

Expectation Classroom managed Office managed

violated
Behavior Definition Behavior Definition

Verbal messages that include

swearing, name calling,
Abusive bullying language or
Inappropriate Low intensity instance of
language/ inappropriate use of words.
verbal inappropriate language,
name calling, teasing
bullying/ Profane/disrespectful messages
language (verbal or gestured) to another
threatening
person that includes threats or
Minor intimidation.
disrespect
Brief or low- intensity
Non failure to respond to
Open defiance Flagrant or hostile challenge of
adult requests, refusal
compliance/ the authority of a school staff
to follow directions, insubordination/
defiance/ talking back and/or
member, bus driver, or any
non-compliance other adult in authority
disrespect socially rude
interactions

Low- intensity, but Behavior causing an interruption

inappropriate disruption, in a class or activity; includes
Disruption noise with materials; Disruption sustained ​loud talk, yelling, or
2nd minor horseplay or screaming; and/or sustained
disrespect roughhousing; out-of-seat behavior.

Property Low- intensity misuse of Student deliberately impairs the

Property damage
misuse property usefulness of property.

Actions involving serious physical

Non-serious, but Fighting/ contact where ​injury occurs
Major Physical
inappropriate physical physical (e.g.,hitting,punching, hitting with
disrespect contact contact, scuffling an object, kicking, hair pulling,
aggression
scratching, etc.).

*Vandalism, Weapons Use/Possession, Drugs, Tobacco: MUST be reported immediately to the SRO and
administration for investigation.

Initial Teacher Response Examples Office Consequences Examples

Affective Statements Apology
Private reset Call Parent
Write up Lunch Detention
Referral to RP Coordinator RP Check In
Office Referral After-School Detention

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Appendix
Discipline Flow Chart

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Appendix
Discipline Referral Form

RJ Discipline Referral Form

STuDenT PROFile
Student’s_Name___________________________________ _ _M_/_F_ Date____________________________________________________

Grade_ Teacher__________________________________________________

Type of resets used: ____________________________Please give an estimated time when you are available for RJ conference w/ student: __________

Time:_(please_check)_ __8-9_am_ _ __9-10am_ __10-11_am_ __11-12pm_ __12-1pm_ __1-2pm_ __2-3pm_ __3-4pm_

Location:_(please_check)_____ __Classroom_ __Restroom_ __Hallway_ __Indoor_Recess_ __Office_ __Arrival/Departure_

_ __Outdoor_Recess_ __Specials_ __Assembly_Room_ __Cafeteria_ __Other

PROBleM BeHAviOR
___disruption_ ___insubordination/defiance_ ___inappropriate_language/gestures
___harassment_/bullying_ ___verbal_abuse_ ___refusal_to_work/participate_
___threats_ ___fighting/physical_aggression_ ___property_damage
___lying/cheating_ ___stealing_ ___other_(please_describe)
___dress_code_violation_ ___sexual_harassment_ ___tardy_or_truant
___other_______________________________

brief_description_of_behavior:_

cHeck THe APPROPRiATe BOx

OTHeRS invOlveD_ TeAcHeR AcTiOnS_ POSSiBle TeAcHeR RecOMMenDATiOnS
___none_ ___conference_w/_student_ ___Reset student
___staff_ ___communication_w/_parent_ ___keep_for______minutes
___substitute_teacher_ ___in-class_time-out_ ___RJ conference
___unknown_ ___think_sheet_ ___contact_parent
___other_student(s)—please_name_below:_ ___privilege_loss_
_ ___out_of_class_time-out
_ ___apology_restitution_ ___other-please_specify:
_ ___parent_contact_form_
_ ___corrective_activity_restitution__
_ ___home/school_plan_ _
_ ___written_contract_
_ ___other—please_specify:_

RJ Staff AcTiOnS
___conference_w/_student_ ___apology_
___communication_w/_parent_ ___corrective_activity_RJ essays
_______ Classroom contract
_______ Behavior contract Date_entered_into_Database
________Cleaning contract
________ Lunch detention
___other-please_specify:_
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Appendix
Program Intake Form

RP PROGRAM INTAKE
Date: _____________________ Student: _____________________

What happened?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What were you thinking about at the time?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What have you thought about since?
________________________________________________________________________
Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
________________________________________________________________________
Have I apologized to those affected by my behavior: _____ Yes ______ No
What do you think you need to do to make things right?
________________________________________________________________________

Student Signature: ___________________ RPC Signature: _____________________

Teacher Signature: ___________________

RPC Behavior Intervention

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Michigan Restorative Practices Trainers and Consultants
23550 Harper Ave Suite 207, St. Clair Shores MI 48080

Phone: 586.204.2222

Web: www.mirptc.org • Email: roy.burton@mirptc.org

© 2017 • Beginning of Independence Group, LLC