What’s happening for a student who sleeps in class all the time and what should you do? Steve and Stan discuss this question from an online forum. Whatever educators do in this situation, we ask “Who’s being helped or served by this action or response?” Schools are like an early warning system where changes in behaviour are noticed very early so it’s important to find out what’s happening (a very restorative first question, by the way).

Restorative practice suggestions:

1. Ask the question about what’s happening first before going to a punitive response.
2. Be curious.
3. Listen to what the student has to say even if you don’t like what you hear.
4. Consider whether a school response to the student would be the same one for an adult or not.

Visit CircleForum for more information about the HOWTO asking questions to students using restorative practices.

Free practical tools and restorative resources for teachers on restorative.ca

Order Steve’s book The Restorative Principal Leading in Education with Restorative Practices

Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay