Learn about the need for Restorative Practices in the classroom and explore the positive benefits of using Restorative Practices in your classroom and school.
Restorative Practices are about creating positive relationships. Using Restorative Practices in classrooms requires a paradigm shift from a rule-based, punitive mindset to a focus on building relationships and a community throughout the school. When conflict arises, Restorative Practices help repair the harm and restore the relationships, thus promoting a calm, safe, learning environment for all.
Before tests and academics, we must begin with connecting to the human beings in front of us in our classroom. Restorative Practices professional development through UTeach can help to provide language, practices, and strategies to establish this connection.
Enhanced Remote Learning Features:
- live webinars with topics that address remote learning situations;
- reflections that include remote learning, and
- discussions centering around remote environment topics.
Course length: 6 weeks
CPE hours: 20
Cost: $500
Discounts available for groups.
Cohorts begin monthly. For more information about registering for the Restorative Practices course, please complete this form.
If you have any questions, please contact us at pdinfo@uteach.utexas.edu.
Register for Foundations of Restorative Practices
Driving Question
How do I create a classroom environment that sustains a culture of respect, responsibility, cooperation and accountability by using Restorative Practices?
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to describe the meaning of Restorative Practices in their own words by engaging in a series of examples that analyzes their relevance and impact in the classroom with all learners.
- Participants will be able to conduct Restorative Practice circles with other stakeholders.
- Participants will create evaluation tools such as progress-monitoring documents and an action plan for implementation of Restorative Practices in their classroom.
- Participants will be able to synthesize and analyze scenario-based structures to increase knowledge of the Restorative Practices culture.
Module 1 What Are Restorative Practices? (1 week)
- Connect personal classroom experiences to the Restorative Practices culture and analyze similarities and differences.
- Learn about Restorative Practices through guided exploration.
- Review the importance of parent integration when creating a Restorative Practices classroom and culture.
- Meet synchronously at the end of the first week through Zoom and participate in activities to further understanding about Restorative Practices.
Module 2 Restorative Circles (2 weeks)
- Reflect on the definition of Restorative Circles and share findings.
- Observe Restorative Circles and explore the purpose in various schools and with various types of students.
- Create a circle script for classroom use.
- Practice script with cohort members in a scheduled Zoom meeting at the end of the third week of the course.
Module 3 Connecting Restorative Practices with Behavior (2 weeks)
- Explore and reflect upon student interactions and the impact of using Restorative Practices to positively correct innate behaviors.
- Create Restorative Practices Anchors and strategies that are visible in the classroom to support Restorative Practice Culture.
- Analyze student scenarios and provide explanations.
- Meet synchronously at the end of the fifth week through Zoom and participate in activities that focus on Mindfulness and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) integration with Restorative Practices.
Module 4 Implementation of Restorative Practices (1 week)
- Create an action plan for incorporating Restorative Practices in the classroom.
- Reflect on the action plan and discuss the logistics of implementation within the classroom and plan to eventually involve campus, parents, and community.
- Create a progress-monitoring tool to use in the classroom to track behavioral changes throughout the school year.
- Meet synchronously at the end of the sixth week through Zoom and participate in activities that compare and contrast the cohort’s Restorative Practices action plans.