George Lucas Educational Foundation

Restorative Practices

Educators across the country are replacing punitive discipline with a restorative approach, resulting in fewer suspensions and expulsions. Learn how educators make these practices successful in their classrooms and schools.

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  • A Relationship-Driven Strategy for Addressing Challenging Behavior

    Putting relationships first can yield positive results in student success.
    Laura Wheeler
    4.1k
  • Using Talking Circles for Restorative Justice

    Using talking circles in the elementary grades provides teachers with a way to discuss student behavior with care and concern.
    210
  • An Administrator’s Strategy for Calming Disruptive Students so They Can Stay in Class

    When an administrator is called in to deal with a disruptive student, the situation is serious. This is a model for helping the student calm down so they can remain in class.
    7.9k
  • 3 Alternatives to Assigning Detention

    Developing relationships with students to help them make positive choices requires planning and patience, but the work pays off.
    5.5k
  • Using Restorative Justice to Transform School Culture

    When restorative justice is implemented on a schoolwide level, it has the potential to transform relationships between teachers and students.
    3.4k
  • Weekly Circles for Students and Faculty

    See what happens when students and faculty participate in regular meetings to build trust and promote deeper learning.
    20.1k
  • In the multipurpose room, a large group of middle school students fill one side of the bleachers, some clapping.

    Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools

    Explore resources and case studies that demonstrate how to bring restorative justice to your school or classroom.
    16.6k
  • Building Community With Restorative Circles

    A technique for proactively building the skills and relationships students will need when challenges arise.
    11.2k
  • An Alternative to In-School Suspension

    In lieu of a more punitive approach, students use restorative practices to resolve conflicts and reflect on their behaviors.
    11.2k
  • 4 Steps to Discussing Challenging Behavior With a Student

    Addressing students’ behavior can be tough, but it’s possible to approach them in ways that show compassion and help them feel ready to discuss the issue.
    2.3k
  • Justice Committee: Using Restorative Practices to Resolve Conflicts

    Students at Pittsfield Middle High School are trained to mediate conflicts between their fellow students—and between students and teachers.
    11k
  • Why Restorative Practices Benefit All Students

    Punitive discipline can be harmful and unfair—restorative practices offer hopeful solutions.
    12.2k
  • How to Safely Manage a Student in Crisis

    A trauma-sensitive, proactive plan for safely managing disruptive behavior includes knowing when to call for support and how to help a student de-escalate.
    1.7k
  • A Proactive Approach to Discipline

    Restorative discipline seeks to create an environment in which problem behavior is less likely to occur.
    6.6k
  • Suspensions Don’t Teach

    Restorative practices—an alternative to punitive justice—keep kids in school, where they can learn how their behavior affects others.
    7.4k

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.
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