Three
things that stood out:
1. Understanding
the issues that students bring into school and simply understanding the
students makes an obvious huge difference in their behavior. I have seen through personal experiences as
well as what I have learned in class this semester that understanding and
caring about your students will make a huge difference in the way that they
interact with administration and each other.
2. Communication
without violence was the most powerful act.
The amount of violence in the school decreased drastically when they
began to communicate with eachother.
3. I
was impressed at how much the students seemed to actually enjoy this method. The students all talked very highly about
the circle method that the school incorporated.
Questions
about restorative way to manage difficult behaviors:
1.
If a student transfers to a school that uses restorative justice methods does
it take a while for the student to adjust to this new disciplinary method?
2.
How long does it take for a school to use this restorative justice method
successfully.
Grace, I really like your first question. That would be very interesting to know more about, because I would assume that it would take time for anyone to get used to especially someone who likes to take their anger out in a more aggressive way and has a hard time communicating their feelings. Also your second question is very interesting, because I think it would depend on the school and the setting of the school. If it is a school that only has minor fights over little things I think it would be easier to get used to than a school that has huge fights amongst a variety of students, as often as the high school in the video did.
ReplyDeleteI was also impressed how easy going the circle times were, and how in such little time everyone was getting along again.
As for you main point #1 I feel like the hardest thing would be to understand the purpose behind the students feelings and actions, especially when we as teachers generally do not know the whole story behind the situation.
Grace,
ReplyDeleteI really liked that you implemented caring into your blog. It is very important for staff and students to show respect and care for one another. I also agree that communication was a key factor in stopping the violence. It really blew my mind in a way because I think so many educators before our generation didn't have the immense violence that we see in schools today, so we are now trying to solve this rising problem. I think communication is a great place to start.This positive student feedback about the circle also impressed me, which is absolutely a positive thing! Great Job!
Grace, I liked the questions you asked. I hadn't really though about a teacher transferring to a school where these practices are already instilled. Would the environment change for the teacher or for the students? If she was to transition with her old practices or rows of desks and hand raising would this affect the climate negatively? I also liked how you talked about caring and I agree with what Brittany and you had to say. In a responsive environment students begin to feel that as a teacher you care what happens to them not only academically but in their future. Once this teacher-student relationship is established, i feel that they are more likely to succeed in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think the first point you made about understanding the issues the students bring to school everyday is such a huge point! I feel like there are many teachers that forget about this. We talked about this in one of my other classes, that students aren't "a blank slate" for learning. They come with prior knowledge and emotional/social baggage just like each of us. If we remember that, we will have a better sense of them as an individual and can attend to their needs more efficiently. We can interact with them better. Administrators and each individual teachers needs to have some understand of each student's issues that he/she deals with on a regular basis. Without that understanding/knowledge about the individual child, it becomes increasingly difficult to connect with and educate the child properly.
ReplyDelete