✅ Restorative practice…

~ is a process for building relationships in order to establish an effective school community.

~ addresses misbehavior without damaging relationships.

~ explores the harm done, not just rule-breaking.

~ gives students a voice.

~ uses collaboration and creative problem solving.

~ focuses on taking responsibility for one's  actions.

~ is supported by research.

🆇 Restorative practice…

~ does not let students “off the hook’ for behavior violations.

~ is not a program with boxes to check for compliance.

~ is not just for students AFTER behavior violations occur.

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Disarming defiant students by changing our approach is one of the most effective ways to de-escalate a situation while providing a learning opportunity. We tend to rely on knee-jerk responses that often involve shaming and blaming. Our responses also jump to negating the student’s experience and go straight to consequences. A better approach is to help students change how they think about their own behavior and choices. Starting with the phrase:

“Impact means more than intent” provides entry to a conversation rather than to an argument. Helping students understand that responsibility means they take ownership of their actions but accountability means they take ownership of the outcome is a way to build the teacher - student relationship as well as SEL skills.

https://www.weareteachers.com/impact-vs-intent-with-students/

https://www.niet.org/assets/Resources/student-ownership-thinking-problem-solving.pdf 

Understanding the definitions of the most common behavior violations is critical so the appropriate intervention can be applied. Sharing this with the school community prevents miscommunication and increases continuity between grades, teachers, and home/school. This list provides a definition and a suggested intervention to support these common violations. 

Abusive or Inappropriate Language: Use of profanity or words that are aggressive, demeaning, or inflammatory in nature

■       Have student write a script for interacting appropriately with peers.

Defiance : Challenging; non-compliant; confrontational; openly and boldly challenging and resisting authority

■       Provide optional courses of action to prevent total refusal of expectation.

Disrespect: Intentionally ignoring rules and procedures; use of profanity or name-calling; offensive, intimidating, or hostile behavior

■       Reframe expectations in the form of constructive criticism rather than judgements statements.

Disruption: behaviors that prevent teaching and learning, such as, talking without permission, unnecessary sounds or actions (throwing paper, getting out of seat)

■       Have student identify the situations where disruption is most likely to happen to build ownership

Inappropriate Location/Out of Bounds Area: Being in a location without permission

■       Create a movement contract or transition plan.

Technology Violation: Accessing websites, games, videos, etc. without permission or that do not directly connect to an assignment

            ◼   Interact with the student frequently.

Teachers struggle with understanding how or why middle schoolers make particular decisions related to behavior or general school-going. “New research on moral development suggests that middle school is a crucial developmental period for these moral instincts to take root and grow. But because of where adolescents are developmentally, we need to practice very specific strategies for translating  their moral instincts into moral behavior.” Our students are less bound by societal norms, even though they crave social

interactions. They are less likely to do the right thing when their decision would only have indirect effects on others. This means we

have to connect cause and effect when providing interventions and

consequences.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the misunderstood_middle_schooler

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Classroom disruptions interfere with teaching and learning more than other types of behavioral violations. As we continue to work on PBIS and Restorative Practices, it is important to understand where we can make the biggest impact on student behavior. “Effective classroom managers recognize that teacher behavior influences student behavior. As such, they invest time in the logistics of how best to prevent and respond to instances of disruptive behavior.” The goal is to be proactive in our approach by identifying those times in our lessons where disruption could occur. This gives us the opportunity to remind students explicitly of expectations and to adjust the lesson itself. How well does your lesson align to your classroom matrix?

Mitchell, Hirn, & Lewis, 2017; Simonsen et al., 2015 https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/beh1/cresource /q1/p03/#content

We often expect middle school students to be able to sit and get the entire school day or to display a higher level of self-regulation.. For most humans, movement and social interaction drive behavior. Students typically exhibit behavior to GET something (ex: peer attention) or to GET AWAY from something (ex: work avoidance). As Parenting Teens further explores, “the coping skills of a teenager are certainly not fully developed […] They simply can't see far ahead to factor in possible consequences of their actions, no matter how rash they may seem. So they tend to trip over many more obstacles than may seem reasonable because they just don’t have the skills to avoid them.”

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/dealing-with-behavioral-issues-in-middle-and-high-school 

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Individual Disruption

For the student who chronically disrupts by calling out content-related or inappropriate comments, try this strategy.

Put 3 sticky notes on the student’s desk. Remove one if a disruption occurs without any discussion or conversation. Continue teaching and moving around the room as normal. If all 3 are removed, issue a step or appropriate consequence. If all 3 remain, award PBIS points or appropriate reward. Be sure to communicate this clearly with the student and parent so the expectation and outcome are not confusing or a surprise.

Class Disruption

Secret Student is a great way to build community in your class. 

Choose 1 student at random each day but do not share who the student is. Share the daily expectation and determine a class reward for the day or week. If the Secret Student meets the expectation, the class can earn the reward. For example, they can earn a letter to spell “Longhorns” when the Secret Student meets the expectation. Once the word is spelled, the class earns recess or sit with a friend, etc.. If the student does not meet expectations, simply say the class will try again tomorrow. Do not identify the student. Require positive peer support during class.

Review your class matrix consistently and reteach expectations as needed.

●      Adhere to the school’s expectations for all students equally.

●      Provide clear expectations prior to activities or transitions.

●      Allow students to have choice when possible. This includes activities, workmates, and seating options.

●      Use non-verbal interventions, such as sticky notes, hand signals, or timers.

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Let’s consider that every behavior is a form of communication. Students use positive and negative behavior to send a message about needs, especially when they lack the language or skills to self-advocate in an appropriate way.  Behavior choices typically demonstrate the need to get something or to get away from something. Our job is to figure out what that is. Easy, right? Not always! Some students crave attention or they are letting us know the learning environment isn’t working for them. Sometimes it’s a cultural difference or an issue with classroom procedures. What are your students communicating to you?

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-are-positive-behavior-strategies

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Student engagement can mean a variety of things depending on where you are. Given its origin as far back as Dewey in the late 1800s, we can easily see how context, purpose for education, politics, testing, etc. have shaped what it actually means. As educators, we use that expression loosely and inconsistently. Engagement could mean the student is raising a hand, or completing work as assigned, or developing a novel application for knowledge, or has a high/low level of interest in learning. The Glossary of Education Reform defines student engagement as “the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education.” One could argue that we can be more specific

and focus on three areas of engagement: behavioral, emotional, cognitive. When we think of engagement in those terms, our actions change in the classroom or building. Some students are super bright but begin to show school refusal (emotional engagement). Some students show up but don’t participate, i.e. refuse to complete an activity, or take ownership (behavioral engagement). Some students are well-behaved and follow directions but rarely work to their potential (cognitive engagement). Think about how you would approach students or a class differently if you know

where engagement deficits could be. Your strategies would change hopefully!

https://www.edglossary.org/student-engagement/

Middle schoolers doubt their academic ability more than any other group. Data indicates a Task-Oriented learning environment translates into higher engagement.

Strategies to increase engagement:

~ Relating lessons to students’ lives

Adolescent development provides a unique opportunity to build moral development while we work on intellectual prowess.

~Making the learning authentic

Addressing preconceptions directly prevents students from relying solely on experiential knowledge.

~Choices

Offering more chances to use positive decision-making opportunities allows students to develop more meta-cognitive stamina. 

https://www.adlit.org/topics/motivation-and-engagement/stuck-middle-strategies-engage-middle-level-learners 

Increasing Engagement

“Provide frequent opportunities to respond along with appropriate wait time. When students are responding frequently, they are engaged and less likely to be off-task. Vary opportunities to respond individually or chorally. Use different methods of response like white boards, gestures, or verbal. Be sure to provide verbal reinforcement for the specific behaviors that the students demonstrate.”

https://www.ncld.org/reports-studies/forward-together-2021/positive-behavior-strategies/

Brain Breaks

“In the classroom, brain breaks are quick, structured breaks using physical movement, mindfulness exercises, or sensory activities. Brain breaks can be done individually (like deep breathing) or as a whole class (like a round of Simon Says). No matter what the form, brain breaks take only a few minutes of instructional time. They give your students a brief rest from what they’re doing to help their brains shift focus and return ready to work and learn.”

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/evidence-based-behavior-strategy-brain-breaks

Setting realistic expectations for your students or children goes a long way in setting them up for success. Differentiated instruction is key to ensuring that your students are receiving the support they need, but you can't differentiate your instruction without knowing your students' strengths and abilities.

Creating a Task-Oriented Classroom

“Research points to orientation of the learning environment as a critical factor for motivating and engaging students. A school or classroom that is performance-oriented emphasizes ability relative to others. By contrast, a task-oriented environment is focused on effort and improvement, which research shows is correlated with greater levels of student engagement and achievement.

Overcoming Fear of Failure

Reluctance to engage with difficult material can be mitigated with deliberate instruction about the learning process. By explaining that it is normal to experience difficulty and even confusion when learning new material, students are less likely to believe that it is their lack of ability keeping them from immediately demonstrating proficiency. This helps create a virtuous circle: In addition to possessing a desire to learn, successful students believe they can learn.”

https://www.adlit.org/topics/motivation-and-engagement/stuck-middle-strategies-engage-middle-level-learners 

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During adolescence, serotonin levels are low, which can result in increased aggression and impulsivity.  Children need more dopamine to balance out levels so risky behaviors also increase. Executive functioning, including problem-solving, decision-making, and sustained attention, are affected during this time because the frontal lobes are developing. Sounds like fun for us, right? We have to meet them where they are and surround them with consistent expectations and procedures.  In their quest for identity and belonging, they will question authority and seek out safety and connectedness. Understanding the brain development process helps us respond to students in a productive way.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/huge-emotions-and-adolescent-brain/

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“A solid and growing body of research suggests that students who are frequently called out for low-level misbehavior, such as not paying attention or chatting with a friend, are more likely to become disengaged and apathetic in the classroom— leading to more behavioral issues in the future. Research suggests that to keep students motivated, teachers are better off picking their battles and keeping in mind that the most effective classroom management strategies are based on building relationships. [This does NOT suggest excusing or ignoring chronic or high level behavior violations.]

Instead of reacting as if you know the reason behind a student’s behavior… ask questions like “Are you OK?” to indicate your concern for them personally—not for the choice they just made—and try to shift from reactive mode into “nonjudgmental investigative” mode.

Take a breath and attempt to gather information that might lead to the deeper root of the problem

Show students that it’s OK to be vulnerable,” writes educator Alex Shevrin Venet. By “modeling authenticity”—while remembering your role and professional boundaries—you can help students feel comfortable being authentic, too.”

https://www.edutopia.org/article/tapping-compassion-when-students-push-your-buttons/

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When behavior escalates, we begin the discussion of discipline and/or punishment so it’s important to distinguish between the two. “Punishment will teach a behaviour because of fear of consequences, discipline will teach a behaviour because that behaviour comes to makes sense.” Discipline allows for us to empathize while not accepting errant behavior. 

In order to build relationships and create positive returns on our efforts, the focus needs to be on the value of the lesson rather than how “wrong” or “bad” the behavior was. Identifying the character trait (respect, honesty, etc.) violated, societal contribution required by certain expectations, and value added of required actions will help students connect the why to what we are asking. This helps answer the ever-present: Why do we need to do/know this? Finally, three practices will provide opportunities for improving behavioral choices: (1) Be consistent; (2) Stick to the facts and hide (as much as possible) your emotion at the time; and, (3) allow time for young people to de-escalate before trying to have any type of conversation increases the likelihood of being heard. 

https://www.heysigmund.com/positive-discipline-for-anxious-and-non-anxious-kids/

Image courtesy of HighFive on X.

What is the difference between relationship building and classroom management? Relationships allow you to get to know your students so you know what they need. Classroom management includes the tools you use to make sure they get those things. Let’s use a birdhouse analogy. “If we know and understand the steps to build a birdhouse (relationship), but don’t have a hammer, nails, or wood, we aren’t going to successfully build a birdhouse. On the flip side, if we have a decked out toolbox and some beautiful pieces of wood (classroom management) but don’t actually know

how to build a birdhouse, we still aren’t  going to be successful.” Both are  valuable components.

https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/2022/08/08/classroom-management-relationship/

It takes practice and mindfulness to create a truly supportive classroom. These are some phrases you can use to begin this process in your classes.

1. “I believe in you.” In a seminal study in The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, when teachers used language like “I have high expectations but I know you can reach them” for an essay, for example, the number of kids who submitted revisions doubled, from 40 percent to 80 percent.

2. “We missed you” instead of asking, “Where were you?” shows their presence matters.

3. “I’m listening”signals that there is space and respect for student voice in your classroom.

4. “Oops, I made a mistake” models accountability and owning mistakes.

5. “We’ll figure it out together” builds a collaborative and supportive culture.

6. “You’ve really improved…” and “I really admire…” Feedback that is specific, measured, and focused on a student’s process or effort is motivating and actionable.

7. “I’m sorry” instills trust, signals respect for the receiver, and makes you more accessible.”

https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-things-teachers-say-create-supportive-classroom/ 

Image courtesy of Eat Teach blog

The W.A.I.T. Strategy (shown in the image to the left) offers students a clear road map to addressing unsolicited comments in the classroom. The visual helps students think through the intention and possible outcomes before comments are made in the classroom. This also helps students understand the difference between appropriate participation and disruptive comments. 

Disruption encompasses a variety of classroom behaviors; each with its own rationale and underlying cause. Many of the reasons behind disruptive actions fall under lack of self-regulation or self-awareness. We see impulsivity and anxiety driving negative social interactions as well as negative school-going actions. This chart from IEPFocus.com offers suggestions for different challenging behavior along with potential strategies to build coping mechanisms and strengthen interpersonal skills.