Why do restorative practices often fail and what can you do to prevent it?
Restorative practices have gained momentum in schools for their potential to foster a positive school culture, reduce disciplinary issues, and enhance student well-being. However, in some of our partnerships, we have seen that the implementation of restorative practices encounters various hurdles, rooted in both systemic and individual factors. Let's delve into these challenges and explore mitigation strategies to overcome them.
1. Mindset Shifts: One of the fundamental challenges lies in the entrenched mindsets of teachers, staff, and school leaders. Often, educators may perceive student misbehavior through a deficit lens, attributing it solely to individual shortcomings or deficiencies, especially for Black and brown students. We even see this with leaders and their beliefs in teachers’ abilities and motivation to improve their implementation. In both cases, these mindsets are rooted in defensiveness and fear of failure. When something is challenging, it can be difficult to see our shortcomings and ask for support and instead we put the blame on others. IMplementing restorative practices requires deep relational trust, which is impossible without vulnerability and collective ownership.
Mitigation Strategy: Facilitating mindset shifts requires intentional efforts towards fostering empathy, cultural competency, and a deeper understanding of trauma-informed practices. Professional development sessions, ongoing coaching, and reflective exercises during and after a challenging situation can help educators recognize and challenge their biases and take ownership for their locus of control, paving the way for a more inclusive and restorative approach to discipline.
2. Lack of Training: Effective implementation of restorative practices demands job-embedded training and support for educators. This means providing observations and coaching cycles related to restorative practice implementation. It also means establishing clear systems on how educators should respond and what factors they should consider in their response for all possible scenarios. Without comprehensive coaching and deeply planned systems, educators may struggle to effectively integrate these practices into their daily routines.
Mitigation Strategy: Investing in strong partners or leaders who can tailor support to unique needs of each school community is essential.The support should encompass not only theoretical knowledge but also practical strategies for implementation. If a school leadership team plans to take the lead on coaching and training, the responsibility needs to be shared and distributive; systems do not last long when the Dean of Culture is the one solely responsible for implementing the system. Additionally, providing ongoing coaching, modeling, and observations of teachers who are further along in implementation can empower educators to confidently embrace restorative practices in their classrooms and schools.
3. Integration with Instruction: Another challenge, and one we see often, stems from the compartmentalization of restorative practices from social-emotional learning (SEL) and academic instruction. When viewed as separate entities, there's a risk of relegating restorative approaches to disciplinary matters alone, overlooking their potential to enrich the overall learning environment.
Mitigation Strategy: Fair Schools developed a process for integrating restorative practices, SEL, and academic instruction which can be embedded within unit planning, intellectual preparation, and observation/coaching cycles. Educators should be encouraged to embed restorative principles into their teaching pedagogies, fostering collaboration, empathy, and problem-solving skills among students. By infusing restorative practices and SEL into classroom and schoolwide systems and routines, lesson plans, and collaborative activities, educators can cultivate a culture of accountability, respect, and inclusivity throughout every student’s academic journey.
Our partners are the most successful when they embrace a culture of continuous learning, empathy, and collaboration. This allows educators and leaders the opportunity to overcome mindset barriers, receive adequate training, and seamlessly integrate restorative approaches into the fabric of their instruction. If you want support on building capacity in your schools to integrate restorative practices, SEL, and academics, contact us.