Season 2 Restorative Practice conversations about student attendance and engagement

Teaching students with developmental delays and mild intellectual disabilities, Soukaine Berri, a teacher in Windsor, Ontario, uses daily circles to engage her class. In our podcast this week she says that before circles there were “lots of instances where they were getting in trouble . When we started this (daily circle), the attendance on a daily basis we almost had perfect attendance almost on a regular basis, because they were invested in our classroom.”

Restorative practice suggestions:

1. Start small with circles and don’t give up.
2. Reflect on what worked or not.
3. Teach the skills needed to be in a circle.
4. Invite other staff into your circle.

Soukaine referenced 2 books that we’d also highly recommend:

Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice

Restorative Circles in Schools: A Practical Guide for Educators - Second Edition

Of course, we recommend that you order Steve’s book The Restorative Principal Leading in Education with Restorative Practices

Visit CircleForum for more information about our online trainings in restorative practices

Music - Scott Holmes Music - Upbeat Party