RestorativePracticesasaCatalystfora12year

transitionatastall.
ByAlejandraPadilla

Research Question: How can Restorative Practices catalyze a schools transition from Traditional
Educationtoamoreprogressiveeducation,inthiscase,ProjectBasedLearning?
th
Research aim: By the end of the 20152016 Schoolyear, all teachers (5th12
) at HPA will have
participated in, observed or facilitated aRestorativeCircleand/oraCommunity Circle,andreflectedon
their first impressions, perceived benefits, challenges, drawbacks, alignment with their philosophy and
theschoolsphilosophy.

Abstract:
Walking around my schools hallways always left me with a feeling of frustration. First of all,
classrooms didnotlooklikeproject basedlearningclassrooms. Therewas little tonostudentworkonthewalls,
seats wereusually inrows,teacherswere infront of theclassroom,lecturing,andthemostfrustratingofall,you
could hear them talking to students in very commanding ways, with firm voices that left noroomforstudent
voiceandchoice.Idecided tochange this,sinceIthoughtourschoolhadcometoastopinitstransitionprocess.
My main motivation was my own kids, who go to this school, and also the students I work with as aSchool
Psychologist. I thought they deserved to be treated as intelligent, responsible and creative human beings. My
solution wastheimplementationof RestorativePractices. The road wasverybumpy, andI encounteredalotof
resistanceandsetbacks, butin the end, Iwasable tofacilitaterestorativecircleswheremycolleagueswitnessed
thepower ofrestorativepractices.Teachersstartedthinkingaboutusingcirclestomotivatetheirstudentstolearn,
to push the work forward, to get to know them better, to makethem feel partof thecommunity, tohelp them
expresstheiremotions inaneffectiveway, to involve their families, tosolve conflicts,andmostimportantly,to
change the waytheyhad beendoingthings.Throughoutmyresearch Iexaminehowrestorativepracticesbecame
the missing link for my school tocontinue tobecome aprogressive,respectful, peaceful,project basedlearning
school.

TableofContents

Introduction
SettingDescription
LiteratureReview
Methods
Findings
Conclusions
Resources
Appendices

Introduction

I dream of a school that challenges Traditional Education, a school that is not based on obedience. In
traditional schools, students have to be in rows, looking at the teacher,followingdirections,quiet,still.
The teacher istheauthorityin theclassroom,theonethatholdsalltheknowledgeandpower.Goalsare
met by instigating fear. Punishments and rewards are the basis of discipline and teaching. Traditional
education was born in the industrial ages, when attributes like obedience and compliance were highly
valued, since students needed to become obedient workers, who did not question how or why things
were done, who would bewillingtowork sitting down,andrepeatingthesamemovementallday. This
has to change, and as Sir Ken Robinson explains: At the most fundamental level, the focus of
education has to be on creating the conditions in which students will want and be able to learn.
Everything else has to be arranged on that basis. Next, the role of teachers is to facilitate students
learning.Doingsoproperlyisanartforminitself(Robinson,2015,p.72).

At our school, Highland Prince Academy, we have already begun the process of transitioning from
Traditional Education to a more progressive Project Based Learning, 12 years ago. Each year, our
students produced more meaningful, authentic work, learned to create excellent products through
critique, and did their best in making their efforts evident. Until it all came to a stall. We cant call
ourselves a Project Based Learning school, because our problem solving techniques, classroom
managementstrategiesandschoolnormsarestilltraditional.

We are also encountering other challenges along theway.Itishardto getstudents todocreativework,

to engage in conversations with others, to defend their opinions, to solve problems. Morrison explains
what years of traditional education do to students,
Most students areaccustomedtobeingtoldwhat to
do and to acting passively in the classroom (2008, p. 54). Thissituationisstillgoing on atourschool,
whereteachersandstudentsarefeelingfrustratedandoverwhelmed,insteadofmotivatedbyprojects.

There is also another aspect to consider, some people are not ready to letgo.Holdingontopowerand
authority makes them feel secure. Some teachers are used to their own practice, and itishardforthem
tochange.Morrisonalsoexplains:

Very few teachers have experienced democratic education themselves, so to attempt to

institute democratic practices in their classrooms represents a sizable leap into the
unknown. Teachers may be fearful of this unknown, fearful that involving students
voices and choices in running a course will produce chaos and an overall lack of
learning(2008,p.56).

Evans also states: Alterations in practices, procedures and routines make all of us insecure,especially
if we have exercised our skills in a particular way for a long time (and even more if we have seen our
performance as exemplary) (2010, p. 44). This is where Restorative Practices come in, to break allof
these misconceptions and previous points of view. To let us know where we stand and renew our
motivation to teach and learn. Bylistentingtostudentsneeds,likesanddislikes,wecanunderstandthe
need to change, and face it all together as a collegiate decision, which helps teachers who are feeling
insecure.

One bright spot is that, since many of the teachers are motivated by PBL, they are willing to analyze
their current practices, and look for better models. This is where the possibility of change is born. As
Robinsonsays
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the apparently sharp divide between progressive and traditional approaches is more
theoretical than real in many schools. In practice, teachers in all disciplines usually do
and should use a wide repertory of approaches, sometimes teaching facts and
information through direct instruction,sometimesfacilitatingexploratorygroupactivities
and projects.Gettingthatbalancerightiswhattheartofteachingisallabout(Robinson,
2015,p.102).
We need students to feel empowered to become advocates for their own learning. To do so, they must
also feel empowered to make their own decisions, become responsible for their actions and havesome
controlovertheirlearningenvironment.
Inthisresearch,myaimistoexploreifRestorativePracticesarethemissinglinktofullytransition from
traditionaltoprogressiveeducation.LaParoandPiantastatethat:
An optimal classroom climate is characterized by low levels of conflict and disruptive
behavior, smooth transitions from one type of activity to another,appropriateexpression
of emotion, respectful communication and problemsolving, strong interest and focuson
task, andsupportivenessandresponsivenessto individualdifferencesandstudentsneeds
(LaParo&Pianta,2003).
Restorative practices can help create this optimal classroom climate because they focus on solving
conflict and allowing students to express how they feel in a safe,controledenvironment. Teacherscan
use the Restorative Practices tools to support their students by getting to know them better, what their
needs areandhowtheywanttobehelped.RestorativePracticescanhelpteamscometoagreementsand
push work forward. By promoting voice and choice, Restorative Practices can motivate students to
learn, to participate, andto createmoremeaningfulwork.When studentsfeelhappy,safeandmotivated
tolearn,theycanaccomplishalotmoreacademically,andexperiencedeeperlearning.

LiteratureReview

In my quest towards finding progressive models to aid our transition, I began studying Restorative
Practices. After reading about them, I thought they were the missing link tospeedusalongour12year
journey. For true PBL to happen, students need to feel safe, understood, motivated, and happy. With
traditional classroom management and school norms, students usually feel overwhelmed, ignored,
indifferent and insecure. In this literature reviewIwillexplainwhatRestorativePracticesare,howthey
can support learning, howtheycanbecomeclassroommanagementtools,theirroleinstudentvoiceand
choice,andfinallyhowtheycatalyzeschoolchange.

RestorativeJusticeandRestorativePractices

Restorative Justice is ancient. It can be tracked down to earlier movements and toavarietyofcultural
and religious traditions. Its earliest practitioners were the Native people of North America and New
Zealand, along with other countries such as First Nation Canadian to African, Asian, Celtic, Hebrew,
Arabandmanyothers.AsGohardandZehrexplain:

Indeed, they are as old as human history. In some parts of the world, modern
government structures have taken away from communities the power to resolvedisputes
and wrongdoing. Yet, in many places, traditionalstructuresarestillworkingeffectively.
In the tribal arrangements of some areas, for example, major crimes are settled by
community elders and family problems are effectively resolved by family elders, male
andfemale(GohardandZehr,2003).


In many countries around the world, Restorative Justice began as an effort to deal with crime. It all
started as an approach to deal with minor crimes, but as its benefits have begun to spread, more
countries began adopting it and using it to deal with more serious crimes and even mass violence. As
GohardandZehrexpress:

These approaches and practices arealsospreadingbeyondthecriminaljusticesystemto

schools, to the workplaceandreligiousinstitutions. Someadvocatetheuseofrestorative
approaches such as circles as a way to work through, resolve and transform conflicts in
general. Others pursue circles or conferences as a way to build and heal communities
(GohardandZehr,2003).

In the 1970s, some caseexperimentstookplaceinseveralMennonitecommunities.Theywere tryingto

create a justice system that matched their faith and their peace perspective. It became a mediation or
reconciliation between victims and offenders. That is how Restorative Justice theory came to exist.
Eventually modern restorative justice broadened to include communities ofcareaswell,withvictims
and offenders families and friends participating in collaborative processes called conferences and
circles(Wachtel,n.d.).

The movement has gained strength across the globe, with different names and versions. Some schools
looking for solutions to discipline and violence have adopted Restorative Justice, along with other
activities known as restorative, andthetermRestorativePracticeswasborn.IntheUS,theInternational
Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) was founded in 1994 and has been training professionalsever
since.

There are two kinds of circles in RestorativePracticesforschools:RestorativeCircles,whereaconflict

is solved, and Community Circles, where the emphasis is to build trust and create a positive
environment.TheElementaryJusticeCommittedescribessomekeyideasofRestorativeCircles:

Bring together all involved, including the offender and, if appropriate, the victim.
Recognize that the student who committed the offense did harm to the school and
community. Offer the student a chance for to repair the harm caused. For example, if a
student vandalizes the bathroom wall, then heorsheshouldcleanitoffandrepaint.Orif
a student stole money, he or she should repay the victim. Find a way to welcome the
student who did the harm back into the community (Elementary Justice Committee,
2012).

Another version of Restorative Circles are Family Circles or Family conferences. Wich are
RestorativeCircleswithfamilymembersoftheoffenderand/orthevictim.

The basis of Restorative Practices are daily Community Circles. "A circle is a versatile restorative
practice that can be used proactively, to develop relationships and build community... Circles give
people an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in an atmosphere of safety, decorum and
equality"(Wachtel,n.d.,Page7).CirclesarewellexplainedbyWachtel:

"Circles may use asequentialformat.Onepersonspeaksatatime,and theopportunityto

speak moves in one direction around the circle. Each person must waittospeakuntilhis
or her turn, and no one may interrupt. Optionally, a talking piecea small object thatis
easily held and passed from person to personmay be used to facilitate this process"
(Wachtel,n.d.Page8).

Community circles can be facilitated every day, and may include games or different community
building activities. Questions are less personal and more focused on creating a relaxed environment.
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Examples of Community Circle questions may be: what animal would you like to be and why? What
superpowerwouldyouliketohaveandwhy?Onascaleof1to10,howareyoufeelingtoday?etc.

At the beginning of theyearIfocusedongettingmycolleaguestoexperienceRestorativePracticesfirst

hand by facilitating circles during staff meetings. I also recorded some of the circles (both kinds) I
facilitated in my classroom and in other classrooms and showed them to all my colleagues. It seemed
like the perfect fit for our school, because we have been trying to do projects while still teaching in a
traditional way, with students sitting down and the teacher talking, products sent as homework and
student voice and choice completely ignored. Projects at our school had become crafts,orinsignificant
products that would end up in the trash. Students were not motivated by Projects, and they were even
asking to go back to regular traditional classes and textbooks. Theyfeltoverwhelmedbythe amount of
worktheyhadtodoathome,sinceteachersfromdifferentsubjectswereaskingthemtoworkonseveral
products at once. Restorative Practices could become the connection between teachersandstudentsso
they could have the right platform to speak, and to move work forward. They could let teachers know
howstudentsfeltandhowplanbetterandcollaboratewithotherteacherstomotivatestudents.

The process of letting go and including student voice and choice has not been easy at our school. It is
hard to implementanewdisciplinarymethodwhenstudentsareusedtosomethingcompletelyopposite,
when other teachers are using more traditional methods, and when parents expect their children to be
treated a certain way, and they also use punitive methods at home.
RestorativeJusticeisan alternative
to the way we think about justice and bad behavior. It is much better than Zero tolerance, detention,
suspension and expulsion (Fixing School Discipline Toolkit, n.d., p.29). Some teachers are not ready
forthisfundamentalshift,andneedmoretimetoadjust.

We definitely need moretrainingonfacilitatingcircles,fortimeswhenconflictarises.Butwealsoneed

to establish an environment where kids feel safe to speak, safe to sharetheirideasandtocomeupwith
solutions. We need to build a community, and this is where Community Circles come in. The
conventional academic curriculum is focused almost entirely on the world around us and pays little
attention to the inner world. We see the results of that every day in boredom, disengagement, stress,
bullying, anxiety, depression and dropping out. These are human issues and they call for human
responses (Robinson, 2015, p. 52). And I would add, they call for humane responses. Setting apart a
small time each day to work on building a community,iskeytostartshiftingawayfromthesenegative
feelingsinourteachersandstudents.

Both Restorative and Community circles can help create a more equitable, safe, nourishing, positive
environment, where kids can feel safe and motivated to learn. Where less conflicts occur, and
communication is the key to success. An environment where everyone feels they belong and there is a
senseofcommunity.AlloftheseelementsarekeyfortruePBLtoflourish.

Whatdoeslearningreallymean?

Robinson defines a key concept:

Learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills.
Human beings are highly curious learning organisms. From the moment theyre born, young children
have a voracious appetite for learning. For too many, that appetite starts to dull as they go through
school.Keepingitaliveisthekeytotransformingeducation(Robinson,2015).

This concept of education, which focuses on curiosity, is very important. Sometimes as teachers, we
believe that the child does not know anything, and wearesupposedtoteachthemeverything weknow,
but this is not the case. Since children are born, their curiosity is their motivator,theirteacher. During
their first years they learn more than they will learn for the rest of their lives. Their brain develops
incredibly, and they are excited to see the world. Itissadtoseehow,inmanyschools,thisappetitefor
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learning is slowly killed. It is replaced withrules,waystodothings,schedulesandstandardstobemet.
Children are evaluated on things that they are supposedtoknow,andcreativity,fantasy,fearlessnessto
fail,areforgotten.

Through the use of circles, theteachercanlearnabout studentsinterests,talkaboutfailure,andguidea

respectful, meaningful critique. Listening to what studentshavetosayiskeytoignitingtheircuriosity.
Learning from what their peers have to say, questioning eachother and coming up with creative
solutions to their problems are some of the abilities they develop with circles. All of these abilities
should be what learning really means. Restorative Practices can restore our view and appetite for
learning,andstopthenegativeeffectthattraditionalschoolcanhaveinchildren,onecircleatatime.

Classroommanagement
As a new Project Based Educator last year, I struggled with knowing when to let go, and whentotake
over in terms of managing my classroom. There is a fine line between students working on different
tasks at the same time, and chaos. I had a diverse group of kids. Somewerefastworkers,andlearners,
and others needed more time and support. There were many times when some kids would beworking
on something and the others three steps behind. My teaching partner and I had to create a structured
schedule and daily goals and share them with our students so everyone was responsible for finishing
their work. It workedoutformost,butthereweresomekidswhowouldnotfollowthenorms,andthey
would take advantage ofthefreedomgivenandjustplayorbotherotherstudents on manyoccasions.It
was not a big issue most days, but they were somewhat disruptive and they were not learning asmuch
as they should. We tried talking tothem,totheirparents,havingthemwriteweeklygoalsandreflecton
their accomplishment, and it would work for a while, but then they would go back to their previous
misbehavior. We kept working on it over the months, and by the end of the school year most of them
learned the benefits that good behavior had for themselves. They noticed they had betterrelationswith
other kids, they were learning a lot more and working faster,andtheyweregettingrecognitionfromus
teachers,amongotherthings.
Reflecting on it, and after conversations with several people, I realized there were three important
causes for this situation. The first one was that we my teaching partner and I had a few kids in our
class with severe family or socialemotional issues, andalsoafewwithdiagnoseddisordersorlearning
problems. The second reason was that the first grade had a different approach to classroom
management, a lot more traditional, directive and punitive. This caused kids to behave well when she
was their teacher, and when they knew she would hold them accountable for their actions, but
completely the opposite after she was no longer their teacher. When they became our second grade
students, they realized we weredifferentandtheywereconstantlytestingourlimits,toseehowfarthey
could get with us. The third cause was that this situation tookusbysurprise,andwewerenotprepared
for a group likethat.Wedidnotestablisheffectiveproceduressincethebeginningoftheyear,andeven
though we accomplished our goal bythe endoftheyear,therewasalotoflosttimeandfrustration. As
Bradyexplains:
The teacher is the sole creator and enforcer of these rules (traditionally), announcing
them on the first day of school with littleornodiscussionoftheirmeaning.Thismesage
is clear. Follow this rules or else. While this classroom approach can be effective in
establishing a sense of order in a classroom (which we very much need), it does littleto
help children develop selfdiscipline, ethical thinking, or an understanding of how to be
contributing members of a democratic community. At its worst, it invites tension, blind
obedience, or a constant battleofwillsbetweenadultsandchildreninschool (Brady,et
al,2003).

Restorative Practices can be effectiveclassroommanagement tools.AsIdescribedbefore,thishasbeen

one of the weakest areas in our school.Moststaffmembershavedifferentapproacheswhenitcomesto
classroom management. The impact of this variations has been huge, since students have to adapt to a
new style every year, and multiple cases of misconduct and lack of motivation occur. As Marzano
states:

Teachers play various roles in a typical classroom, butsurelyoneofthemostimportant

is that of classroom manager. Effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a
poorly managed classroom. If students are disorderly and disrespectful, and no apparent
rules and procedures guide behavior, chaos becomes the norm. In these situations, both
teachers and students suffer. Teachers struggle to teach, and students most likely learn
much less than they should. In contrast, wellmanaged classrooms provide an
environment in which teaching and learning can flourish. Butawellmanagedclassroom
doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It takes a good deal of effort to createand the
personwhoismostresponsibleforcreatingitistheteacher(2003).

Restorative Practices are a democratic approach to classroom management, and focus on listening to
students in order to meet their needs and collaborate to create an ideal learning environment, where
justice is perceived by everyone. the heart of education is the relationship between the student and
the teacher. Everything else depends on howproductiveandsuccessfulthatrelationship is.Ifthatis not
working, then thesystemisnotworking(Robinson,2015,p.7172).Iwouldaddthatpeerrelationships
play a big role too. And when both of this relationships are working, classroom management becomes
easy and a joy.
Restorative Practices a way of creating a school climate that enables optimal academic
and social work in students. I belive that the use of daily community circles will create a proper
environmentthatwillpromoterespectbetweenstudentsandmotivationtolearn.

VoiceandChoice

One of the mostimportantaspectsof RestorativePracticesisthatitgivesstudentsvoiceandchoice.As

Kohn says, "much of what is disturbing about students attitudes and behavior may be a function of
the fact that they have little to say about what happens to them all day. They are compelled to follow
someone else's rules, study someone else's curriculum, and submit continually to someone else's
evaluation (Kohn, 1993,p.1).Participatingincommunityandrestorativecirclesgivesstudentsavoice
and empowers them to make choices. They get to express how they feel about themselves, their work
andtheirrelationswithothers.

In a traditional education system, students voices are rarely heard. But, this creates a problem. As
Robinson eloquently states: Strict compliance is essential in manufacturing products, but people are
different.Itsnotjustthatwecomeinallshapesandsizes.Intherightcircumstances,wearealsohighly
imaginative and creative. In a culture of compliance, these capacities are actively discouraged, even
resented(Robinson,2015,p.37).

Teachers might be afraid to let go of control in their classrooms, but with the righttoolsandguidance,
they are more likely to try. Most of them know that it is what they are supposed to be doing they just
dontknowhowtodoit.AsKohnstates:

..., there is nothing new about the idea that students should be able to participate,
individually and collectively, in making decisions.This convictionhaslongplayedarole
in schools designated as progressive, democratic, open, free, experimental, or
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alternative in educational philosophiescalleddevelopmental,constructivist,holistic,
or learnercentered in specific innovations such as wholelanguage learning,
discoverybased science, or authentic assessment and in the daily practice of teachers
whosenaturalinstinctistotreatchildrenwithrespect(Kohn,1993,p.1).

Giving students a voice and a choice, within a structured and respectful environment, will prevent
misbehavior, conflicts, and promote deeper learning. When we emphasize obedience, and we force
children to do things, itusuallydoesnotwork.Childrenarelesslikelytodowhatwewantthemtodoif
they did not participate in the creation of rules. If we want children to practice values and make them
theirown,weshouldgivethemachancetodecidewhatkindofpeoplethey wanttobeandwhatkindof
classroomorschooltheywanttohave(Kohn,1993,p.34).

Giving students voice and choice has to do with personalization. And according to Robinson, that
means: Recognizing that intelligence is diverse and multifaceted. Enabling students to pursue their
particular interests and strengths. Adapting the schedule to the different rates at which students learn.
Assessing students in ways that support their personal progress and achievement (Robinson, 2015, p.
83). Community circles can be the tool for teachers to get to hear and understand their students
interests, strengths and learning rates. Talking to them on a regular basis and checking in is the only
waytoassessandsupporttheirprogress.

SchoolChange

As Robinson states: If you design a system to do something specific,dontbesurprisedifitdoesit.If

you run an education system based on standardization and conformity that suppresses individuality,
imagination, and creativity, dont be surprised if thats what it does (Robinson, 2015, Introduction
xxii).

Sometimes I wonder if we, as a school, are ready for change. There are many internal factors, such as
culture, personalities, school norms and organization, parent expectations (As represented in my
Fishbone Diagram, Figure 1). There are also external factors, like our Mexican School System. But
after a lot of thought and study I conclude that change is imminent. There is a lot at stake, but I am
ready. As Robinson also suggests: If youareinvolvedineducationinanywayyouhavethreeoptions:
you can make changes within the system, you can press for changes to the system, or you can take
initiatives outside the system (Robinson,2015,Introductionxxv). Inmycase,Iwillbeginbytryingto
innovatewithinthesystem.
Figure1.FishboneDiagram.

On the other hand, it can be hard to motivate teachers to talkabouttheirpractice,toshareideas,andto

open up.
Like our students, teachers are often shy, motivated by extrinsicfactors,orfearfulofcritique.
The findings... indicate that greatest success was achieved where schools saw a need for change and
were already committed to improving school ethos by creating and sustaining positive relationships
throughout the school community (McCluskey, 2008, p. 8). Restorative Practices can become spaces
for teachers to talk about these things too, where they can become vulnerable within a safe space, and
talk to peers about how and why they do what they do. From talking to students, they canbegintosee
theneedforpersonalchange.

I have been sharing a lot of information with teachers inmanydifferentformats, inperson,duringstaff

meetings, as workshops, by email, through our private facebook group. Some see what I share, a few
give it a like (on facebook) and only one or two respond. Sometimes I feel frustrated, but then I find
small rays of light, ofhope.Ateacherdoingacircletosolveaconflict,someoneaskingmetointervene
with a student, someone else askingforhelp withaproject,etc.Aswefaceaveryuncertainfuture,the
answer is not to do better what weve done before. We have todosomethingelse.Thechallengeisnot
to fix this system but to change it not to
re
form it but to
trans
form it (Robinson, 2015, Introduction
xxviii).

I know change is slow, Restorative Practices usually take more than three years to be established fully
in a school, when the administration is ready to invest in training, and whenthestaffisreadytoreflect
onwhattheirpracticelookslikeandwhattheywantittolooklike,asMcCluskeystates:

The research suggested that Restorative Practices had most impact when school staff
werewillingtoreflectontheirdailyinteractionsinschoolandreviewtheirvalueswhen
they saw the pilot projectasachancetothinkaboutwhatkindofschooltheywantedand
how they wanted to be with theirpupils.RPseemedmosteffectivewhenbehavior
was seen as an issue to be addressed through restorative strategies that involved active
learning for all children and for staff across the school. This was most likely to happen
when there was visible commitment, enthusiasm and modeling by the school
management team and where the school had invested in significant staff development
(McCluskey,2008,p.11).

So, I am in no rush, but I also never want our school to go back, or stop changing. To be able to
accomplish true change, we must start from within. As Robinson proposes: Education is really
improved only when we understand that it too is a living system and that people thrive in certain
conditionsandnotinothers(Robinson,2015,p.44)

Robinsonalsopresentsfourprinciplesadaptedfromorganicfarmingtoeducation:

Health.
Organic education promotes the development and wellbeing of the whole
student, intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially.
Ecology. Organic education
recognizes the vital interdependence of all these aspects of development, within each
student and the community as a whole.
Fairness. Organic education cultivates the
individual talents and potential of all students , whatever their circumstances, and
respects the roles and responsibilities of those who work with them.
Care
. Organic
education creates optimum conditions for students development, based on compassion,
experience,andpracticalwisdom(Robinson,2015,p.4445).

All of these aspects are embedded in Restorative Practices, since they are a way for the student to
develop in all areas (Health), since participating in arestorativecircleisamindbodyspiritexperience.
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Circles help us recongize the interdependence of students and their community (Ecology) by allowing
them to understand how what they do affects not only themselves but everyone around them.
Restorative practices are fairforeveryone,underanycircumstances(Fairness)because theirprincipleis
based on the victimss individual needs and abilities to heal, and the offenders capacity to restore the
damage made. With the regular use of Community Circles, the conditions for student development
becomeoptimal(Care),sincegettingtotalkabouteachotheristhebasisforempathy.

BenefitsofRestorativePractices

According to Ashley and Burke, Restorative Practices emphasize values of empathy, respect, honesty,
acceptance, responsibility, and accountability. They provide ways to effectively address behavior and
other complex school issues. They also offer a supportive environment that can improve learning.
Restorative Practices improve safety by preventing future harm. They offer alternatives to suspension
and expulsion and can be used to resolve and even to avoid conflict and other disciplinary issues
(AshleyandBurke,n.d.).

A study of 19 schools in the United Kingdom found restorative practices improved the school
environment and enhanced the learning and development of young people. In their outcomes section
they state: The vast majority of conferences (92%) resulted in successful agreements between the
parties. These ranged from apologies, repaired friendships/relationships, agreements to desist from the
behaviour thatled tothe conferenceandagreementstomaintaindistancebetweentheparties,throughto
formal reparation They also found that Pupils reported high levels of satisfaction with theprocessof
participating in conferences, with 89% of pupils reporting that they were satisfied with the outcomeof
the conferences and 93% reporting that they thought that the process was fair andthatjusticehadbeen
done (Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, 2004). In their findings sections they state that
there was a reduction in racist namecalling in all schools an increase in the percentage of pupils
who thinkthattheirschoolisdoingagoodjobofstoppingbullyingareduction inpupilsthinkingthat
bullying is a serious problem in all secondary schools (Youth Justice Board for England and Wales,
2004).

A study of 18 Scottish schools concluded that restorative practices offer a strong cohesive framework
and allow students to feel safe and respected, and have positive relationships with others. They found
that Restorative Practices emphasize the human wish to feel safe, to belong, to be respected and to
understandandhavepositiverelationshipswithothers(McCluskey,etal,2008).

At ColeMiddleSchool,apilotsiteforRestorativePracticesinOakland,California,restorativepractices
began in the 2005/06 school year. Significant benefits in terms of quantifiable data were noticeable
between the 2006/07 and 2007/08 school years when the suspension rate at the school dropped. They
also saw other positive outcomes: Reductions in the number and intensity of fights and physical
altercations, fewer classroom and cafeteria disruptions, drastic reductions in the number of students
suspended and expelled and higher academic performance including standardized test score increases
(AlamedaCountyHealthCareServicesAgency,2011).

HPAs transition form traditional to PBL has come to a stand. Restorative Practices can help us push
the transition forward because they will help create the right environment.RestorativePracticesarethe
catalyst we need, the missing link to become a full Project Based Learning school. They are both
proactive, setting the culture we need, and responsive to infractions or incidents when they occur,
strenghtening the community. Opposed to traditional school norms, they can help teachers establish a
calm. orderly and safe environment for learning foster an appreciation for the role of rules in school
help children develop selfcontrol and selfdiscipline teach children to be responsible, contributing
9


members of a democratic community and promote respectful, kind, and healthy teacherstudent and
studentstudentinteractions(Brady,etal,2003)

Through daily circles, teachers and students can get to know each other better every day. The use of
games, phrases, sentence starters and shared experiences, among other things, will create a culturethat
promotes a sense of community and will encourage others to change. When people live in regular
contact, they deeply influence each others ways of thinking and behaving. Over time, everycohesive
human community evolves common conventions andvalues.Theydevelopaculture.Idefinecultureas
the values and forms ofbehaviorthatcharacterizedifferentsocial groups.
(Robinson, 2015).Weneed
tostartliving,reallylivingtogether,andbuildingaclassroomandschoolculturethatalignstoPBL.

SettingDescription

Highland Prince Academy (HPA) is a K12 private school located in Playas de Tijuana, less than five
miles from the border, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. HPA
is on its way transitioning from
Traditional Education to Project Based Learning,
meaning that students learn by collaborating on
interdisciplinary projects and present their learning to an authentic audience in public exhibitions
throughouttheyear.

The school opened in 1972 as the first bilingual school in our community. It was then called Colegio
Ingls. In 1998, itdividedintotwoschools,onemoretraditional,thatkeptitsoriginalname,andamore
progressiveschoolcalledHighlandPrinceAcademy.

HPAs vision is to develop global digital citizens who are fluent both in English and Spanish who
believe in the value and dignity of themselves and others, and who strive for continuous learning. Its
mission is, with the support of parents and the community, to provide an environment that motivates
every student to grow emotionally, spiritually,physically,andintellectuallywhilediscoveringstrengths
and learning styles given to them by God and applying them through a strategicallydesignedprogram,
taughtbycommitted,dedicatedandqualifiedteachers.

Currently, 248 students are enrolled in our school: 55% are boysand45%aregirls.9%ofthestudents
are Native English Speakers (which might be considered a disadvantage since 40% of courses are in
Spanish),15%needanIEPand16%arestudentswithbehavioralproblemswhoalsoneedinterventions.

Students spend most of the day with their English (60%) and Spanish (40%) teachers. They have a 50
minute Physical Education classdaily.Onceaweek,studentsgotoworkshops.Workshopsthisyearare
Art, Play and Movement, Embroidery, Theater and Baseball for elementaryschoolBasketball,Soccer,
Art and Cooking for Middle school and High school. Workshops are proposed based on teachers
interest and abilities. Each student can pick a different Workshop every semester, so that all students
will have two each year. This year we also implemented anEmotionalIntelligenceWorkshopinwhich
alllowerelementarystudentsparticipate.Sessionsare50minutelong,onceaweek,for10weeks.
Comparing private schools and public schools in Mexico, the academic levelintheirSpanishclassesis
similar, but the approach in public schools is too traditional. Most private schools also offer an
extended day (7:30 to 2:30, compared to 8:00 amto12:00pminmostpublicschools),withclassesthat
public schools do not typically offer such as English as a Second Language, English as a First
Language,PhysicalEducationmorethanonceaweek,Arts,Workshops,etc.
Public schools in Mexico are tuition free, but students do need to pay for some initial fees. Private
schoolsrangefrom$2,000to$5,000pesospermonth(anequivalentto$111to$277dllspermonth).At
10


our school, tuition is $3,100 pesos($172dlls),plusatotalofaround$15,000pesos($833dlls)of initial
feesincludingbooks,materials,uniforms,enrollmentfees,parentcouncilfees,etc.

Methods

For my data collection, I decided to use a variety of tools inordertobettercapturetheinformationand

for it to be representative of the majority of teachers and students at my school. I began by using
Improvement Research (IR) which focuses on finding the root causes of a problem using a fishbone
diagram (Figure1) andidentifyingchangeideastosolvetheproblemusingadriverdiagram(Appendix
A).
The next step in the IR process is the testing of changeideascalledPDSAcycles:Plan,Do,Study,Act
Cycles
(Appendix B)
. The purpose is to implement a change idea, gather data,evaluateit,andrefineif
necessary. For my PDSA Cylces I decided to test the change ideaofintroducingteachersto restorative
practices in grades 5th to 12th. The aim was to to begin implementation of restorative circles at HPA
and collect data on first impressions, perceived benefits, challenges and drawbacks from teachers and
students.

PDSACycle#1:CollectingdatathroughExitCards.
For my first PDSA Cycle, I began in the 5thgrade,whoseteacherisanewstaffmember andobserving
the facilitation was part of his training in restorative practices. I facilitated the circle and he observed.
Students were really motivated to participate in the circle, they all talked about times when they have
had problems with classmates. They were able to express theirfeelingsaboutitandtalkabouthowthis
affected them and others. They also came up with various solutions to the problems they had been
having.Their teacher was surprised to hear them talk about their problems in such a mature way, and
also to listen to some of the problems they are having at home. The only problem is that since they
wanted to talk a lot, we spent one hour and 20 minutes tocompletethethreeroundsofquestions(what
has been happening in your group, with your classmates? In one word or sentence, how do you feel
about coming to school every day? What would you like to see happening to solve this problem?).
There was not enough time to reflect on the circle process, what worked and what could have been
better.Forthenextcycle,Idecidedtohavestudentsfillaprintedexitcardwiththefollowingquestions:

Whatworkedabouttodayscircle?
Whatcouldhavebeenbetterabouttodayscircle?
Whatdoyoucommitto?

PDSACycle#2:CollectingdatathroughprintedExitCards.
For this cycle, 4 staff members observed me as I facilitated a circle in the 7th grade, after an incident
with one of the students, a teacher and classmates. We talked about the incident that took place that
morning when a student hit another student and then started screaming and pushing everyone. The
questionsaskedduringthecirclewere:
What happened today with one of yourclassmatesandwhathasbeenhappening withhiminthe
past?
Inonewordorsentence,howdoyoufeelaboutwhathappenedtoday?
Whatwouldyouliketoseehappeningtosolvethisproblem?

11


Students were still impacted by the incident that happened two hours before we could have the circle.
Some were scared about their safety, some were concerned about their classmates involved in the
incident. They all participated in a very respectful and mature way. Solutions were empathic.The
teachers were surprised to see their students handle an incident in such a deep way, being able to
express their emotions in a respectful, proactive manner. They also talked about how well they were
able to continue with their activities after having the circle. Something they were not expecting after
such an impactful incident. The circle extended to almost two hours, and everyone was exhausted by
the end, since it was so emotional and deep. Filling the exit cards at that moment did not seem like a
good idea, I asked one of the teachers to ask the studentstofillthemoutthenextdaybutshenevergot
to it. For the next cycle, I decided to havestudentsfillanexitcardwiththepreviousquestionsdigitally
andsendittomebyemail.

PDSACycle#3:CollectingdatathroughdigitalExitCards.

I facilitated a circle while the 9th grade history teacher, who is also the school director, observed. The
idea for the circle was proposed byher,becauseshehasbeenhavingtroublegettingstudentstodotheir
homeworkand/orbringtheresourcesneededforprojects.Thequestionasaskedwere:
Whathasbeenhappeningwithyourclassworkandhomework?
Inonewordorsentence,howdoyoufeelaboutyourclasses?
Whatwouldyouliketoseehappeningtosolvethisproblem?

Students were eager to talk not only about why they had not being doing their History homework, but
about all theirothersubjects,teachers,amountandtypeofhomeworkassignedtothem,theirfeelingsof
frustration, boredom and lack of motivation. The History teacher, who is also the School director was
happy to listen to her students and get a better understanding of how they perceive homework, their
teachers, the courses, projects, and the school in general. She asked me to facilitate another circlewith
the 8th graders, whom she also teaches, and organized a meeting with all the teachers the next day
where we presented these issues to the middle school staff. We talked about their own perceptionsand
feelings and we were able tocomeupwithsolutionstoimprovetheirpractice.Thistime7students sent
me an email with their exit cards answering the questions about what what worked for them about the
circle, whatdidnot workand whattheycommittedto.Theexitcardwasmoresuccessfulthistime, even
though only a few of them sent them, but they were honest and helpful. Another problem came up,
studentshadahardtime respectingtheirturntospeak.Theyalsohadalottosayaboutwhatothers were
saying and we had to go back to people who were eager to talk twice during the same round of
questions. For the nextcycle, Idecidedtointroduceatalkingsticksotheycanvisuallyseewhosturnit
istospeakandhopefullythishelpsthemsettledowntheirimpulsetospeakoutofturn.

PDSACycle#4:IntroducingaTalkingStick.

The school director asked me to facilitate a circle with her 8th grade History class, to talk about why
they were notparticipatinginprojects,notdoingtheirhomeworkandtheirgeneralperceptionofschool.
She did not want to be an observer this time, so kids would feel free to speak about her teaching and
otherteachers.Thequestionsaskedwerethesameasin9thgrade.

I introduced the talking stick to prevent students from talking out of turn. The use of the talking stick
was helpful, students were taking turns and listening to others whiletheyspokemostofthetime.Some
students had to be reminded to pay attention to the speaker and not talk to peers, only to the center of
the circle. In the exit cards theyexpressedthattheywouldhavelikedto beabletospeakwheneverthey
12


had something to say. Students talked about their perceptions of the school in general, what they
disliked about their classes, and what they knew worked for them. They talked about their lack of
motivation with projects and how stressed their teachers were. All of this information, along with the
9th grade circle information, was presented to middle school teachers to talk about ways to improve
their practice. For the next cycle the use of the talking stick had to be emphasized and explained so
students wouldnt feel that they were not being heard. They needed to know that it was important that
everyone got a chance to speak and that if we went back to the same people who had already spoken,
there would be not enough time to finish the questions. Also, that while the person with the stick is
talking, they should be paying attention, not thinking about something they want to say. The talking
sticknormswouldbepresentedandexplainedalongwiththecirclenorms.

PDSACycle#5:IntroducingtheTalkingStickNorms.

The High school Orientation teacher asked me to facilitate a circle withalltheHighSchoolstudentsto

see why some of them were notmotivatedtocompleteanyworkfromtheBigPictureLearning Project,
such as their autobiography, questions and letters for their mentors, weekly reflections, etc. The
questionsaskedduringthecirclewere:
WhathasbeenhappeningwithyourworkfortheBigPictureLearningProjectandInternships?
Inoneword,howdoyoufeelabouttheprojectrightnow?
Whatwouldyouliketoseehappeningtosolvethisproblem?

The use of the talking stick was a little awkward with High school students because they were
respectful, listening to to others carefully and speaking from the heart. They were a little shy in the
beginning, and some of them were reluctant to speak. This was their first time doing a similar activity
where they would speak about themselves in front of everyone, since they are a mixed grade class
(10th12th) and they usually work individually in their online program.Thecirclewasshort,compared
to other circles we had in other classrooms. It lasted 35 minutes. But still, the two teachers who
participated and who are leading the Big Picture Learning project were happy to listen to them, their
mindset, where they stand at the moment and why. It was agreed by the two teachers and I to have
another circle with them the next weektotalkabouttheirprogressintheproject.Wedecidednottouse
the talking stick, but to go over the norms and emphasize that the circleisachancetospeakfromtheir
hearts about how they are feeling, that they dont need to worry about what to say, but when itistheir
time to speak, they should take advantage of the opportunity to be heard, understood and taken into
consideration. Wealsoagreedtobeginwithsomesortofreflectionormessagetomotivatethemtostart
theirpathintotheirfuturebybeginningtheirinternships.

PDSACycle#6:Introducingamessagetobeginthecircle.

We talked to High school students again about their progress in the Big Picture Learning Project. We
want them to feel like this is a safe space for them to express theirfrustrations,opinions,emotionsand
ideas. We began the circle with the motivation video called Oh the Places youll go. The messageis
based on Dr. Seuss's final book before his death. It is a story about life's ups and downs, told by the
people of Burning Man. It won "Best Short" at the New Media Film Festival, in Los Angeles, CA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahv_1IS7SiE
. We watched the video together, and then Itoldthem
that even though they might not be sure what their path is, and what they want to do in their future,
internships are not a life bounding decision, but alifechangingexperience.Theytook itwell,andwere
open to talk about their fears, their hopes, and how they wanted to personalize their projects to their
13


interests and needs. Teachers were excited to hear them speak from their hearts for the first time since
theybegunHighSchool.Thequestionsaskedduringthecirclewere:
Whatwereyouabletoaccomplishthisweek?
Whatiskeepingyoufrommovingforward?
Whatsuggestionsdoyouhaveinordertocompleteyourassignments?

One of the things High school students asked for in their exit cards was a oneonone orientation, so
after spring break we will focus on this. Introducing the motivational video and talking about it before
thecirclewasagoodidea.

SeeCompletePDSACycleshere:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1phW0dTqqqHHQbyNzXoVXfFNH1PvXHnrA1Ls9njHRMY/ed
it?usp=sharing
CircleTranscripts:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K0Hn5lOaYdlrbvvndeXf5pLev3vwsfG_iKesTmEGyZQ/edit?
usp=sharing

Interviews

After the circles, I decided to interview all theteacherswho hadbeenobserversorparticipantsinthem.

I interviewed
5 teachers, 1 student,theschooldirectorandthemiddleschooldean.The interviewswere
recorded, then transcribed and translated from Spanish to English. Then they were coded for themes.
Theinterviewbasequestionswere:

WhatwasyourfirstreactiontoRestorativePractices
WhatarethebenefitsofRestorativeCircles?
WhatcouldbedrawbacksorchallengesofRestorativeCircles?
WhatdoyouthinkaboutusingRestorativePracticesfamilymeetingsvs.traditional
suspensions?
WhatconnectionsdoyouseebetweenRestorativePracticesandyourownphilosophyabout
teachingandchildren?
HowdoRestorativePracticesalignwithourschoolspedagogicalphilosophy?
WhatadvicedoyouhaveforgettingotherteachersinvestedinRP?
Howwouldyoubeginimplementationinanewschool?
Whatarethebenefitsofcommunitycircles?
Whatcoudlbesomedrawbacksorchallengesofcommunitycircles?
Whatsupporthasbeenhelpful?
Whatsupportisstillneeded?
Whatmightbehelpfulforincreasingteacherinvestmentincircles?

Seecompleteinterviewtranscriptshere:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h3fYLMD7jaHuT_ba7DEnhgvczw3ZOLeAxCtkSE5gX0/edit?u
sp=sharing

14

Findings

There weremany thingsemerging frommyinterviewsandexitcards,buttherewerefivemainaspectsthatmost

teacherstalkedabout.They werethe development of socialemotionalskills,empathyandbelongingness,family
involvement,academic growthandpersonalneed tochange. Thesefour areas are crucialforPBLandareweak
areasatourschoolandprobablyatmosttraditionalschools.

Socialemotionalskills
All interviewees talked about Restorative Practices being a way to develop socialemotional skills, both in
StudentsandTeachers.The5thto7thgradeSpanishteacherexpressed:

I reallylikedhavingthecircle abouther(a5thgrade student) becauseshe was abletorealize

that whenever she did something to defend herself, she was hurtingothers, and eventhoughit
wasreallyhardforher,shewasabletounderstandwhatshewasdoingwrong.Shestoppedacting
like a victim when she realized that many students felt the same way and it was not just one
persontelling her that.Shegave areally big stepthatdayandIwasimpressed bythat,andalso
by the fact that the fifthgraders, eventhoughtheyre little,spokewitha lotof maturity. When
theyfeltthesupportoftheirclassmates,theywereabletospeakfromtheheart.

Theyalsotalked abouttheeffectofemotionalwellbeinginallotherareas.The7thand9thgrades Scienceteacher

stated: I will love it if I can start facilitating circles every day. It will be a mental outlet for my students,
breaking the usual seatingarrangementsis areally good wayto begintheday.The simple fact that everyone is
lookingintoeach other'seyesisreallypowerful.Iteven opens themup toacademic material,towhateveritisI
want themto learn that day.The5th to7th gradeSpanish teachersaid:Icertainlybelievethatwhenastudent
has emotionalproblems,hecan notaccomplishmanythingsinschoolandspeciallywhenhe'shavingproblemsin
the classroom, or when other students isolate him, he's not going to be in the best mindset to learn. So this
techniqueshelpussolveproblemsinanexcellentway.

Teachersknowthatifastudentisnotwellemotionally,hesnotgoingtobeabletoperformasexpected,butmost
of them are afraid to approach their students when they sense that there is something going on in their lives
outside schoolorthattheyarehavingtroubleswithclassmates. EducatorsIspoketoidentifiedthatmostofthem
dontknow whatto doafterwards,howto guidethemto findasolutionorcopewiththeirsituation.The school
directorsaid: Sometimeskids are notable toidentify if they are sad,angryor evenhungry.Theyneedtolearn
how express and controltheiremotions properly.Andcircles areaneffectivewaytodoso. Byestablishingthe
circle norms, a safe environment is created, wherestudentscanbegin toexpresstheirfeelings,somethingthey
hadrarelybeenaskedtodobeforeatourschool.Inanexitcard,oneofthe10thgradestudentswrote:

I feel aghast (perhaps too strong a word but I'm a writer, I'm dramatic) and frustrated at
everyone's complaints. Too much work? Grow a backbone. I don't mean to sound mean (pun
intended), it's just not as much work as everybody makes it out to be, their work ethic is
nonexistent (I'm not talking about everyone, obviously, just the ones who redundantly saidthat
this projectwastoo muchwork)and thatmakes themwhiny, butwhatever,that'sallItookfrom
today...thankyouforlettingmerant.

Other interviewees talked about additional benefits, such as students confidence in themselves, more
participation in class, learning how to listen and how to say things so others will understand, and developing

15


public speaking skills. The 7thand9thgrade Scienceteacher said:Learning tolisten toothers, reallylisten to
others, is alife skill that is hard topracticesometimes.The10thgradestudentIinterviewedsaid:Personally,I
feelthatcircles havehelpedmeovercomemyfearofspeakinginpublic,becauseusuallywhenIspeakinfrontof
theclassroom I feel myface turnredandhot, myhandsbegintosweat andI justdon't knowwhat tosay.With
circles,Ihavebeenabletospeakmorenaturallyeachtime.

Finally, they reflectedonRestorativePracticesbeing awaytogetstudentstoexpressthemselves,andto ventand

validate their feelings. Theschool directorstated Weneedtolearntospeaktheirlanguage, butalsogivethema
space totalk.Somethingthatbothers myown two eldest kidsiswhen they feel that otherpeopledontvalidate
what theyaresayingjustbecause theyareyoung.Theyhavegrowninanenvironmentwherewealwayslistento
themandtaketheiropinionsintoconsideration.

Empathyandbelongingness

Another benefit emphasized by the people interviewed was the increase of empathy and the feeling of
belongingness. The 7thand 9thgrade teachersaid: Iknow that practicingtheseabilities everyday isessential
foradolescents,sincetheyare goingthrough toughtimesfiguringoutwhotheyareandwheretheybelong.Most
students reported (in exit cards)thatthey weregladto get to know how other students felt,andeven howtheir
teachersfelt.Theyalsotalkedaboutrealizingwerenottheonlyoneswhofeltacertainway.

Many teachers arenotawareofthingsgoingonintheirstudentslivesandsometimestheyput toomuchpressure

on them. When students fail at what is expected of them, teachers are surprisedthatthey didnotreactwell to
pressure. Theyhave goodintentions,butsometimestheyarenotabletoempathizewiththembecausetheynever
tookthetimeto get toknow themandtheirsituationbetter. The5thgradeteachersaid:EventhoughIhad my
suspicions, I did not know that so many of my students were going through their parents divorce or family
issues.WhenIgottoobservethecircles,Igotadifferentangle,andnowIcanhelpinbetterways

The same teacher also emphasizedtheimportanceofestablishinga connectionwithstudents: Seeing themas

more than students,as human beings.Ihavetriedtoestablishthisinmyclass,anditisnotsomuchofateaching
philosophy, it is more of a human being philosophy. This is important, getting to the students level, and
becoming one more of the group. And yes, itis true you arefacilitating the circle,but,youareonemore. He
added:

Weneed tosetourprioritiesstraight,wearesometimesinvolvedinsomanythings,thatwestart
seeing students as products, and then we wonder why they are not doingwellin school, when
neitherat homenor atschool they are beingtreatedaspersons. Imustbereallyhardforthemas
kids, but this circles help us understandthem better andfigureout whatisgoingonwiththem.
We needto becomesofter,moresensitivetotheirneeds,becauseitwouldbeuselesstojustlisten
tothemandpretendnothingishappening,justcontinuewithourregularclasses.

They also talked about the benefits of empathy among students. The 7th and 9th grades Scienceteacher said:
Community circlesarebeneficial becausestudentsgetto knoweachotherbetter,andthathelpswithtolerance.
There willbelessbullying,ahealthierenvironmentwheretheyknoweachotherbetterandlearnhowtosaywhat
they want to say and solve their problems by talking about them. It is too soon to talk about a decrease in
bullying, butwehavenoticedthateachdaymoreandmore students report toteachersabout situationswhere they
havebeenattackedorwheretheyhaveseenstudentsattackingotherstudents.

16

High schoolstudentsexpressed that circleswerehelpfulingettingtoknowthemselves,theirclassmatesandtheir

teachersbetter.One studentwrote: Withcircles you get toreallyknow whatyouropinionisonacertainissue,
because sometimeswe nevereven think aboutthosethingsuntilyouareaskedinacircle.She wastalkingabout
the time whenweasked herhow shefelt aboutwritingherautobiography andwhyithad beensohardforher.
Another student wrote: Well, the thing that was goodabout this circleisthatI got toheareveryone'sopinion
aboutthe project,andwell,Ithought I was the onlyonestressingoutaboutthis,butIguessImnot,referingto
realizing that othershad beenfeelingstressedabout having tofind amentorsoon,whentheywerenotevensure
what career they wantedtoexplore.Onestudentwrote:Mytakeawayfromtodayscirclewaslearningwhatmy
teachers think about the project. It gave me the motivation to continue, knowing that I have my teachers'
support. These realizationswere themotivationforstudentstobeginworking ontheassigmentsthathad been
presented tothemmonthsago,andthatthey didnotwish tofulfill,mostlybecausethey wereafraidtomakean
important decision about their future. Talking to them during the circlesgave themthe confidenceto explore
different areas withouthavingtosticktoonlyone,andrealizingthatwhatevertheylearninaninternshipisuseful
tothem,eveniftheyendupdecidingtogoonadifferentpath.

FamilyInvolvement
We havealsobeen implementingFamily Circlesin caseswherethestudentshavehadrepetitivemisconduct and
areaffectingnotonlythemselvesbutotherstudentsandteachers.Sixintervieweestalkedabouttheuseoffamily
circles as ways to involve parents in their childrens school life. The 5th to 9th grades English teacher said:
...when I suspend a student,Idontknow whathappenedafter, whatwent onathome,what he toldhismom.
Sometimes parents want to speak to you but sometimes they dont even care. Sothisisa wayto getthem all
togetherand give theman opportunityto commit,to analyze,toobserve.Itis toosoonstilltoponderresultsof
familycircles,butmostteachersarehopefulthatthemisconductincidencewilldecrease.

Fourteachersandstudentsagreedthatfamily circles canbecome away topromote betterbehavior,andamuch

better choice than suspension. The 3rd and 4th grade Spanish teacher said: Using RJ family meetings vs.
traditional suspensions isgreat,because with suspensiontheyjust dont come, andwiththis,parentsknowwhat
theproblemwas andwecan getto the rootof theproblem. The7thto12thgradeSpanishTeacher and Tutor
said:

Myopinionaboutusingfamilycirclesinsteadoftraditionalsuspensionis that isideal,becauseif

this isthepathwe wanttogoon,families canlearnhowto solveconflictsinthis way.Andalso,
we will all agree, starting with what a fault is, because some parentsthinkthere are thingswe
shouldn't consider as suspension worthy, so, this familycirclescan help us come toterms with
why the incident is incorrect and howitis affectingothers.Everyoneisonthesamechannel,and
familiescanlearnthismethod,whichisnecessary.

AcademicGrowth
Six teachers talked about ways that circles canbecome toolstoimprovetheirpractice and toreallyimplement
PBL. Theytalked aboutusingcirclesas warmupsto begintheirclass.Theyalso thought aboutusingacademic
topicsincommunitycircles,totalkabouthistoryorevenmath.

One theme that emerged was using restorativecircles tomotivatestudentsto work andalso toengage them by
learningtheirinterestsandwhatchallengesthem.AsKohnstates:

17

Every teacher who is told what material to cover, when to cover it, and how to evaluate
childrens performance is a teacher who knows that enthusiasm for ones work quickly
evaporates in the face ofbeing controlled. Not everyteacher,however,realizesthatexactlythe
same thing holds true for students: deprive them of selfdetermination and you have likely
deprived themofmotivation.Iflearningis amatter offollowingorders,studentssimplywillnot
taketoitinthewaytheywouldiftheyhadsomesayaboutwhattheyweredoing(Kohn,1993).

The use of circles as checkins for projects as a way to motivate students to work was mentioned by three
teachers.Oneteachersaid:

Sometimeskidsjust wantfunclassesbuttheydonotdotheirpart,they don'tparticipateinsome

activities, or do not bring the materials for a project. I like circles because if kids become
responsibleforwhat theythinkandwhattheydo,theywillbecome moreresponsibleintheother
areastoo.Circlescanbeawaytopushworkforward,whensomeoneisnotdoingtheirjob.

Allintervieweesmentionedthatoneotherissuethattheydealwithconstantlyisconflictsbetweenstudentsduring
teamwork. One teacher said: Part of it (the problem) is teamwork, andrestorativepracticescanhelp alot to
solvethoseconflictsthatalwaysariseduringteamwork andthatsometimesdon'tletusadvance.Anotherteacher
stated: ...wehaven't been helping them developtheirsocialemotional skills,workingasateam,beingtolerant,
beingandalso beingassertive.Socircles areagreatsupportforProjectBasedLearning.RJiscompletelyaligned
withthephilosophythattheschoolistryingtoadopt.Wereallyneedsomethinglikethis.

We were able to witness this after the circleswehadwith8thand9thgrade.Thenextweektheyhad towork

together to create aprojectfromscratch. Theteacher only told them the theme and theyhadto comeupwitha
driving question, the products, the timeline, etc. (another positive effect of circles, teachers letting go). The
teacher facilitateda circlewiththemthenextdaytotalkabout challengestheywerefacing,and theywereableto
solve their differences and move forward with their work. When students are given a chance to decide, they
usuallyworkalotharder.

Other comments on RestorativePracticesas PBLsupportwere inrelationtocircles beingspacesfor reflection,

autocorrection, spaces to learn how to give and receive aconstructivecritique,withoutgetting defensive, and
spaces todevelopcriticalthinking. These are allnecessarytraitsfor successful PBL.With this same group,we
were able to facilitate a ProjectTuningsession,wherekids from9th gradecritiquedthe8thgrade projectsand
viceversa. We had circles at the end of the session to see what had worked andwhatcouldhave beenbetter.
They said that space was too small and it was too much having to do both sessions (critiquing and being
critiqued)at once.Theydidsay thattheyhadenjoyedtheexperience,theyhadlearnedhowtogivekind,specific
andhelpfulfeedbackandtheyhadbeenpushedtocreatedeeperprojects.

PersonalNeedtoChange

Having teachers experience circles was helpful, in the sense that everyone got to experience thepower
of sitting together, looking into eachothers eyes, with no distractions from phones or tablets, and a
common goal, to share thoughts, feelings and goals.But also,becauseafterthecircles, theylearnedthat
in order todoPBL,theyneededtochangetheirteachingpractices,they neededtolistentostudents,and
haver them work in teams, during schoolhours.Theyneededtohavethemexperienceconflictandhelp
them solve it. They needed to become guides in their learning process and not the beholders of
knowledge,astheyconsideredthemselvestobebefore.

18


One ofthe things that came upintheinterviewswasapersonalneedtochange.Threeteacherstalkedabouttheir
personality and teachingstyle, and howtheyneeded toworkonthemselvesto beabletoimplementbothcircles
andPBL.The7th12thgradeSpanishTeacherandTutorsaidthat

The challenge I cansee inimplementing this inmy ownpracticeismypersonality. I am from

theoldschoolandIamusedto givingorders,andexpectingthemtobe followedimmediately. I
need to work on myself, to be able to give students a voice,itis hardforme, and throughthe
circles I have become even more aware that I need to change. I am used to always being in
control ofevery situation, I might askstudentsforanopinionaboutaproject inastructuredway,
but I never let go. The other thing I need to grow on is emotional intelligence, I am really
workingonthisonmyselfbeforefeelingreadytofacilitateacircle.

The5thto7thgradeSpanishTeachersaid:

After listeningto whatmy studentshadtosayinoneofthecirclesyoufacilitated,Irealizedthat

Ihave been puttinga lotofeffortintocreatingattractiveprojectsformyelementarystudentsand
Ihaven'tbeen doingthe sameformy middle school students. Sothatis the reason whytheyare
frustrated, overwhelmed, or justnot interested.Iwasnot doingrealprojects in middle school, I
was just telling them how to do products to answer a question, but I left out their voice and
choice.Aftertalking toyou,I decidedto letthem create their own projectto endtheyear, andit
has been a wonderful experience seeing how motivated they are to come up with their own
driving question, their own products,andeventheirownrubrics...Theyare reallyexcited about
this,andinstead ofmetryingtopushthemtothinkfurther,ortodothings,theyareaskingformy
help and pushing me to make the project more meaningful and deeper. This time,they arethe
onesasking metotakethemonfieldtrips,toconnectthemwithexperts,etc.This ismyfirsttime
allowing them to make all the decisions about their learning, andso far it looks good. This all
cameaftera circlewiththem and ourmeeting.Andletme tellyouthatthishasnotbeeneasyfor
mebecause I amusually acontrolling teacher, Iliketelling peoplewhattodoandhow.ButIam
tryingtobecomemoreflexible,andcirclesarehelpingalot.

Anotherteachertoldme:

Sometimesevenusasteachersarenot motivatedtocomeandwe justcomebecausewehaveto,

and we are not giving our best. Circles are a way to connect with your students again and for
them tobecome your allies,andandtheconstantstrugglebetweenteacherswanted toteachand
studentsnotwantingtolearn.Howgreatitwillbeifcirclescanaccomplishthis,andmotivateme
tobecomeabetterteacher.

Conclusions

19

AreRestorativePracticesreallythemissinglink?

Ifirmly believethatRestorative Practices werethecatalystthatallowedthe12 yeartransitionofHPAtokeepon

movingforward,aftera long stall. Wearenot yet aPBLschool, but haveacceptedthatwearenotthereyetand
thatweneedto take stepsto reallybecome one.Before, wewere in denial,thinkingthatweweredoingthebest
wecouldwithwhat we had, and that wasnotthecase. Thetransitionisover becausewehavebeguntakingreal
steps.We are now ina stage ofTransformation. Therehavebeenmanybumpsintheroad,butwearefinallyata
crossroads, andready totakea leap.Inthissection, Iwilltalkabout thereasonswhy RestorativePracticeswere
themissinglink,thechallengesthatanyschoolmightencounterandrecommendationsforimplementation.

Afterthecirclesand the meeting we hadwithteachers,atransformationbeganatourschool. Themiddleschool

teachersbegancollaborating,as they lettheirstudentsdecide everythingabout theirfinalprojectoftheyear. At
themeeting,teachersasked us toorganizea tripto HighTechHigh tosee howreal PBLisdone. Fiveteachers
came to me to talk about ways to improve their teaching practice. I was called to cofacilitate two circles in
middleschooltodealwithprojectrelatedproblems.Theschool directoraskedmetohelphercreateachecklistof
what real PBL should consist of,soteachersmay useitas areferenceguidetoevaluatethemselvesandimprove
theirmethods. Thedirector said: Iam reallyhappythatthey(theteachers)areallwillingtostarttrying,thatyou
donthavetodo500circlesperyear..Ilovedtheirreactiontocircles.Icanseethatarealteamisemerging.They
areasking for more collaborationtime,more meetings,moretraining.Andwithcircles,teachersare beginningto
feeloursupport.

Challenges
Findingthetime
Themost commonchallengeteacherstalked aboutistime.The7thgradeteachersaid:Adrawbackorchallenge
for me to begin implementing circles in my classroom is having the time. Sometimes I need to coveralotof
contentandIdon'tfeellikeIwillhavetime,because,onceyoustartit(acircle)youneedtofinishit.

The5th gradeteacherstated:Achallengeformeisfindingthetimetodothecircles,sincetherearemanythings
Iamaskedtodo.Forexamplerightnowwehavetheplayrehearsals,picturestaken,projectexhibition, theendof
theyearfair,so,...timeisdefinitelyoneofthelimitationstodocircles.

Another teacher said:Myadvice to otherteachersis tojustrestructurethe planthatyoualreadyhave foryour

class, and dedicate someof your time tothis. Itismerelyaplanningissue,andsometimesteachersdontwantto
changetheirplans,butifyoudedicateasmallamountoftimetocircleseveryday,youwillsegreatresults

As Dubinexplains:While suchpracticestake time... theyarea necessary partofinstruction.Ifeducatorstryto

teachcontentoverdisruptivebehaviorsoremotionsthatmanifestthemselves innegativeways,learningwillnot
andcannotoccur(Dubin,2016).So,makingtimeisimportant.

After talking to more teachers informally, we realized we needed to create time in the school schedule to
incopororate circes. So far, the director and I have been working on the elementary schedule for next year
(Appedix E).We willcollaborateto continueto modifytheschedulesforalltheotherlevels.Todothis,wetook
the advise from the What every Teacher needs to know Series, from the Responsive Classroom approach
(Wilson,2010).Oneach oneoftheirbookthey havea SchedulesandRoutinesSection,wheretheyspecifyhow
to arrange schedules so thereistimefor communitycircles everyday(theycall themmorning meetings)andalso
forclosing circles. Weassigned30minutesverydayatthebeginning ofthedayandfiveattheendofthedayfor

20


circles.To accomplishthis,wetookfiveminutes fromevery subjecttaught atour school. Wealsomodifiedthe
timessokidscanhaveschedulesthatmeettheirphysicalanddevelopmentalneeds,assuggestedintheseries.

Therightstaff

One harsh reflection we came uponis that not everystaffmemberis right for ourschool. Somepeoplearejust
not ready for change, and they are pulling us back. We have tried many things, such as Professional
Development, coteaching, peer observations, collaboration time, and they dont seem to work. The school
directorcame tothisconclusion:Myadviceforteacherswhoarebeginningthisjourney istobe willingtolearn.
To knowifsomeonewasborntobea teacher, they have tolovelearning.Weshouldnotlosethatasteachers.If
wefeelaswealreadyknoweverything,itbecomesarealchallengeforanythingnewineducation.
She also told me: My classes are Project Based, but after hearing the students and having a circle with the
teachersyesterday,Icametotheconclusion that not everyoneisonboardyet.Iwanteverybodytocatchon,but
itishard.Becausepeopledontwanttounlearnwhattheyknow.

The5th gradeteacher saysaboutthisissue:...wecouldstartbyputtingouregoaside,andbecomingevenalittle

vulnerable. It is truethattheclassroom is ours,butsometimes we behavelikeanimalsmarking their territories:
"thisismine",controllingeverything, tellingkidswheretositandall.Anditisfine, butwemustneverforgetthat
beingateacherisjustoneaspectofourlives,arollweareplaying,andtheremustbetimeswhenyoutakeoffthe
mask,andyoubecomeahumanbeing.

There isalsoanother factor, teachershavetobementally preparedtoassesssituationswherestudentsmightneed

more support,sincesometimes victimsandoffendersarenotintherightmentalstate tosolveconflict.Sometimes
the victims and the offenders mental status have not been considered or their needs have notbeen analized.
Theyshouldbepsychollogicallyprepared,andgiventheinformationneededsotheyknowtheprocessangoalsof
thesession(LaPrairie,1995Hudson,2003Daly,2003).

After talking to the director abouth how to begin implementation, we concluded that tellingteachersthatthey
have to do it is not the rightway,and it goes againstRestorative Practices principles and againstteacher voice
and choice. The best way to approach it is byhaving the teachers whohave participated in circlessharetheir
experiences with others during Professional Development sessions or other meetings. This way, they can
motivateotherstotrythem.Shealsostated:

We willsupportteacherswhoarewilling tomake the changewithin themselves.They haveto

prove to us that theyarewilling.And we will bethere for them. Sothefirst stepisto havethe
rightpeople, with the rightattitude.The second stepis getting themtrained,showingthemhow
weexpect themtodoPBL.Thesecirclescanhelpusgettothebottomofthis,by knowingwhere
westandwithourstudentsandourteachers.

Recommendationsforimplementation
Training
Six interviewesstalkedabouttrainingasaformofbeginningimplementationinschools.Ateachersays:Iwould
recommend teacher trainingfor starting upthispractices,being observers,watchingvideos,seeing examples of
what ateacher candowhenthereisaproblem.Theyhaveexperiencedobservingandcofacilitatingcirlceswith
me, but they also want to experience them even further as participants, One teacher suggested we can have a

21


series ofcirclesduringProfessional Development sessions,wherewecangettoknoweachother,aswepracticed
thecircle normsandprocess. Otherteacherstalkedabouthaving amentor orcoach,andaccesstomoreliterature
andresources.

InteractiveModeling

Observation, participation and cofacilitation were suggested by all eight people interviewed. They way we
startedthis process atHPAwasthrough me facilitatingthecircles,andteacherswere abletodecideiftheyonly
wanted toobserve,ifthey wanted toparticipatein thecircleortheywantedtocofacilitatewithme.Oneteacher
said: The support that has been helpful has been participating and observing circles before facilitating them
myself. Another teacher added: Itisuseful tofacilitate circles with you orsomeoneelse, just so we cangive
eachotherfeedbackabout howwemanage each situation. Justsomeone tosupportyou inthosetoughmoments
whenyoudon't knowwhat todo orwhyyouevendecided tohave acircle.Itwouldbegreattohaveacoach,to
guideusthrough this process. Mostofthem saidthattheywouldprefertocontinuetobecofacilitiatorssothat
they can be given feedback and support on how they handle tough situationswithstudentssuchaswhenthey
openupaboutsomethingpersonaland/oremotional,orwhenonestudentisnotwillingtospeak.

Wewillusetheinteractivemodelingtechnique,suggestedbyTheResponsiveClassroomApproach,whichisa
simplebutpowerfulwaytohelpstudentspictureandpracticeourexpectationsforcertaintimesandroutinesof
theday(Wilson,2010).Sincewewantteacherstogetusedtothisapproach,wewillbepracticingtheseven
stepswiththem:
1. Describeabehavioryouwillmodel.
2. Modelthebehavior.
3. Askparticipantswhattheynoticed.
4. Askvolunteerstomodelthesamebehavior.
5. Asparticipantswhattheynoticed.
6. Haveeverybodypractice.
7. Providefeedback.

Usingthismodel,wewillbeabletoprovideinstructionandfeedbackonhowtohandledifferentsituationsduring
circles,andalsoprepareteacherstobegininteractivemodelingintheirclassrooms.

Startinglight
Fourteacherstalked aboutbeginningwithcommunity circles, which are easier tofacilitatebecause theyarenot
as personal. Theyalso talkedaboutbeginning with one question andbuildingituptothree.Ateachersays:My
advice tootherteacherswould be tostarttheway Idid, with community circles, withgames,and lightertopics.
Thestudentslovethese,becauseitispartoftheclass,butitisrelaxingandtheyfeelliketheyarejusttalking.

The 10th grade student I interviewed also tapped on this: For example, in my case, there are people in my
classroom who arefromupper grades, since we'reall together and the high school, and I don'tevenknow their
names.Sotalking aboutpersonal things with themit's hard.Butifwe couldhaveactivitiesbeforethecirclethat
canprepareusforititwouldbealotbetter.

We will beusingtheTeachingRestorativePracticeswithClassroomCircles7lessoncurriculum.Ithasaplanfor
the first 7 lessons to introduce circle format teach the circle guidelines introduce the talking piece cultivate
connection among students establish trust and safety introduce restorative justice develop ability to identify
how an incident may affect many people in many ways introduce the concept ofmaking thingsright as an
alternative to punishment engage students inidentifyingissuesthataffect them, the classroom, and the school

22


use restorative questions to discuss issues affectingthe classroomlearn how touse the fishbowlcircle format
gain experience with asking restorative questions use restorative questions to explore and move toward
resolution of conflicts with other students use RestorativeQuestions toexpressappreciation of otherstudents
identifyanddiscussanyissuesthatmayhavearisenwithGuidelinesandAgreementsanddeepenstudentssense
ofownershipandresponsibilityforcirclesandclassroomclimate(Amos,n.d.).

Resources

1. AlamedaCountyHealthCareServicesAgency.(2011).RestorativeJustice:aworkingguidefor
ourschools.SchoolHealthServicesCoalition.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/D2_RestorativeJusticePaper_Alfred.pdf
2. AmosC.(n.d.).TeachingRestorativePracticeswithClassroomCircles.CenterforRestorative
ProcessDeveloped.SanFranciscoUnifiedSchoolDistrict.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.healthiersf.org/RestorativePractices/Resources/documents/RP%20Curriculum%20an
d%20Scripts%20and%20PowePoints/Classroom%20Curriculum/Teaching%20Restorative%20P
ractices%20in%20the%20Classroom%207%20lesson%20Curriculum.pdf
3. Ashley,J.,Burke,K.Implementingrestorativejustice:Aguideforschools.BureauofJustice
Assistance,OfficeofJusticePrograms,U.S.DepartmentofJustice,throughtheIllinoisCriminal
JusticeInformationAuthority.Retrievedfrom:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/pdo/ppw/SESAP/Documents/SCHOOL%20RJP%20GUIDEBOO
OK.pdf
4. Blanchard,K(2006)LeadingChangeataHigherLevel.PearsonEducationLtd.,NewJersey.
Retrievedfrom:
http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780137011704/samplepages/9780137011704.pdf
5. Brady,K.,Forton,M.B.,Porter,D.,Wood,C.(2003).RulesinSchool.Strategiesforteachers
series.NortheastFoundationforChildren,Inc.
6. Daly,K.(2003).MindtheGap:RestorativeJusticeintheTheoryandPractice.InVonHirsh,
A.,Roberts,J.,Bottoms,A.,Roach,K.,Schiff,M.(ed).RestorativeJusticeandCriminalJustice.
Oregon:HartPublishingOxfordandPortland.
7. Dubin,J.(2016).LearningtoSwitchGears:InNewHaven,aRestorativeApproachtoSchool
Discipline.AmericanEducator.Retrievedfrom:http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1086545.pdf
8. ElementaryJusticeCommittee(2012),ParenttoParentGuide:RestorativeJusticeinChicago
PublicSchools.StoppingtheSchooltoPrisonPipeline.ACOFIProject.Retrieved
from:
http://www.cofionline.org/COFI/wpcontent/uploads/2015/04/COFI_ParentGuide.pdf
9. FixingSchoolDisciplineToolkitforeducators,retrieved
from:
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/fixschooldisciplinetoolkitforeducators/0264187001
429224353?short
10. Gohard,A.,Zehr,H.(2003).TheLittleBookofRestorativeJustice.GoodBooks,Intercourse,
Pennsylvania,USA.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.unicef.org/tdad/littlebookrjpakaf.pdf
11. Hudson,B.(2003).VictimsandOffenders.RestorativeJusticeandCriminalJustice.Oregon.
HartPublishingOxfordandPortland.
12. Jennings,P.A.andGreenberg,M.T.(2008).TheProsocialClassroom:TeacherSocialand
EmotionalCompetenceinRelationtoStudentandClassroomOutcomes.AmericanEducational
ResearchAssociationsandSAGEPublications.Retrievedfrom:

http://rer.sagepub.com/content/79/1/491
13. Kohn,A.(1993).Choicesforchildren:Whyandhowtoletchildrendecide.
PhiDeltaKappan.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/cfc.htm
14. LaParo,K.M.&Pianta,R.C.(2003)CLASS:Cl
assroomAssessmentScoringS
ystem.
Charlottsville:UniversityofVirginiaPress.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virginia.edu%2Fprovost%2Ftneuva%2Fd
23


ocs%2FLaParoCLASS.doc&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH9pFsAE814g74OTRinhOKjDPyvX
g
15. LaPrairie,C.(1995).AlteringCourse:NewDirectionsinCriminalJusticeSentencingCircles
andFamilyGroupConferences.In:TheAustralianandNewZealandJournalofCriminology.
Retrievedfrom:
http://anj.sagepub.com/content/28/1_suppl/78.abstract
16. Marzano,R.J.,Marzano,J.S.,&Pickering,D.J.(2003).Classroommanagementthatworks.
Alexandra,VA:ASCD.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/103027/chapters/TheCriticalRoleofClassroomMana
gement.as
px
17. McCluskey,G.,Lloyd,G.,Kane,J.,Riddell,S.,Stead,J.,&Weedon,E.(2008).CanRestorative
PracticesinSchoolsMakeaDifference?EducationalReview.Retrievedfrom:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ821669&site=ehostlive
McCluskey,G.,Lloyd,G.,Stead,J.,Kane,J.,Riddell,S.,&Weedon,E.(2008).IwasDead
RestorativeToday:FromRestorativeJusticetoRestorativeApproachesinSchool,Cambridge
JournalofEducation.Retrievedfrom:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248998963_%27I_was_dead_restorative_today%27_fr
om_Restorative_Justice_to_Restorative_Approaches_in_School
19. Morrison,K.A.(2008).DemocraticClassrooms:PromisesandChallengesofStudentVoiceand
Choice,PartOne.EducationalHorizons.
20. RimmKaufman,S.E.,Larsen,R.,Curby,T.,Baroody,A.,Merritt,E.,Abry,T.,Ko,M.&
Thomas,J.(2012,September).EfficacyoftheResponsiveClassroomApproach:Resultsfroma
threeyear,longitudinalrandomizedcontrolledtrial.SocietyforResearchinEducational
Effectiveness,Washington,D.C.Retrievedfrom:
https://www.sree.org/conferences/2012f/program/downloads/abstracts/683.pdf
18.

21. Robinson,K.(2015).CreativeSchools:TheGrassrootsRevolutionThatsTransforming
Schools.Viking.
22. Shah,N.(2012).RestorativePracticesOfferAlternativestoSuspension.EducationWeek.
23. Wachtel,T.DefiningRestorative.InternationalInstituteforRestorativePractices,Graduate
SchoolofEducation.LicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlike3.0Unported
License.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.iirp.edu/pdf/DefiningRestorative.pdf
24. Wilson,MargaretBerry(2010).Whateveryteacherneedstoknowaboutsettingupandrunning
aclassroom.NortheastFoundationforChildren,Inc.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/whateveryteacherneedstoknow/
25. Wood,C.andFreemanLoftisB.(2011).ResponsiveSchoolDiscipline.Essentialsfor
ElementarySchoolLeaders.NortheastFoundationforChildren,Inc.Retrievedfrom:
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/sites/default/files/RSDintro.pdf
26. YouthJusticeBoardforEnglandandWales.(2004).NationalEvaluationoftheRestorative
JusticeinSchoolsProgramme.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.creducation.org/resources/National_Eval_RJ_in_Schools_Full.pdf

24

Appendices
AppendixA

AppendixB

PLANDOSTUDYACT(PDSA)CYCLE

Date:

Aim:

25


ChangeIdeaTitle:

TargetedDriver:

QuickDescriptionoftheChangeIdea:

PLAN
Whatisthe
purpose
ofthiscycle?
(i.e.totest/refineachangeidea,seehowitworksinadifferentcontext,seeifitleadsto
thedesiredoutcomes,testadatacollectiontool/strategy,etc.):

When?

Who?

Where?

Whatdoyouneedtodotogetready?

Questions:
Whatdo
youwanttolearnfrom
thiscycle?
1.

Data:
Whatdatawill
youcollecttoanswer
yourquestions?

Predictions:
Whatdo Results:
Whatweretheresults?What
youthink

willhappen? didyoulearn?
(completedafter
implementation)

2.

3.

4.

DO&STUDY(i.e.REFLECT)
Whathappenedwhenyouimplementedthechangeidea
observations,surprises,questions,challenges
?Whatareyour
keyfindingsandtakeaways
fromthiscycle?
(Itishelpfultorefertotheresultsinthetableabove.
)

ACT(i.e.NEXTSTEPS)
Whatarepossible
nextsteps
?Whatadaptations/refinementswouldyousuggestforfuturecycles?Ifyourecommend
abandoningthechangeidea,why?

AppendixC

Timeline
August2015:
Experiencingandtalkingaboutcircles.
ProfessionaldevelopmentaboutRestorativePracticesandInclusion.
26


Prezihere:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h3fYLMD7jaHuT_ba7DEnhgvczw3ZOLeAxCtkSE5gX0
/edit?usp=sharing

SeptemberDecember2015:

Someteachersbeganimplementationintheirclassrooms.

JanuaryFebruary2016:
Someteachersaskedmetofacilitatecirclesintheirclassroomswhenincidentshappened.
March2016:
Ifacilitated8circlesingrades5thto12th.
Transcriptionofcircles.
PDSACycles.
Meetingwithallmiddleschoolandhighschoolteachers.

April2016:
Interviewswith5teachers,onestudent,theschooldirectorandmiddleschooldean.
Interviewtranscripts.
Codingofdata
Istartedseeingresultsfromcircles.
WholestaffvisittoHTHCV,proposedbyteachersatthemeeting.

May2016:

FindingsandConclusionssectionsfinaldrafts.
POL
Reportfindingstoothercolleagues.
LaunchofWebsiteaboutRestorativePractices,incollaborationwithRheaBrownandMelissa
Mouton.

JuneJuly2016:
CowritingofarticleaboutRestorativePracticeswithRheaBrownandCharlieHoff.

August2016:
Publisharticle.
PresentPreziaboutRestorativePracticestoparents.

27

AppendixD

28