Giving Compass' Take:

• School programs that incorporate restorative learning practices can help re-integrate students that are disciplined continuously and curb suspension rates. 

• What aspects of restorative learning practices encourage teaching the whole student? Why might this be more effective? 

• Learn about restorative justice practices the impact on students of color. 

Educators who have a plan for welcoming back students removed from the classroom for disciplinary reasons are better positioned to restart the learning experience on a positive note, David Bulley, a Massachusetts-based discipline and restorative practices administrator, writes for Edutopia, noting that students typically feel “hated” by their teacher after a disciplinary incident.

Bulley urges teachers to dispel a disciplined student’s feeling of being hated, lest the student continues to agitate the teacher to prove themselves right. Part of the welcoming back process is ensuring the student understands what they missed while away, while another is to show there is no ill will and they can start fresh.

Though students are responsible for their own self-control, it's up to educators to teach and promote those skills, Bulley says.

Some schools are changing their culture through alternative models like "conscious discipline." At Langley Elementary, a Title I school in Washington, D.C., school culture improved and suspension rates dropped after the program was implemented. At that school, students are offered safe places to calm down, which are drenched in calming colors and furnished with comfy couches. Teachers practice a trauma-informed approach that gives students a feeling of protection in the classroom.

The program recognizes that when students are in survival mode, learning can’t take place. Students need to feel supported so they can enter an “executive state” of mind that allows for learning.

Read the full article about restorative learning programs by Shawna De La Rosa at Education Dive.