Circle Forum

Our guest this week is Robert Brown, a researcher on the Canadian study Redefining Risk: Human rights and elementary school factors predicting post-secondary access . Look for these risk indicators early: A single year of elementary education with 10% absenteeism rate or higher. A suspension for an elementary student Attending an aggregated special needs classroom. Restorative practices suggestion...

Risk factors can predict concerns with chronic absenteeism. Educators can connect the dots between risk factors like mobility, history of absenteeism, student behaviours, declining student achievement or health. Noticing a change is one thing. Acting on it by telling someone else is another. Restorative suggestions: Know that there are many little things that you can do as a teacher when observing...

Taking a strengths-based approach, individual educators can make a difference in the lives of students at risk of chronic absenteeism. There are so many protective factors that educators can control and influence in order to improve student attendance and engagement. Restorative suggestions: Reflect on your practice regularly using the restorative questions. Adults who are firm and fair give stude...

Our guest this week is Nathan Ngieng, Assistant Superintendent of Abbotsford School District in British Columbia. Heading into the pandemic, the leadership decided to make student health and well-being a priority along with staff health and well-being. That vision helped to create safe spaces and hold space for belonging and connection. Restorative suggestions: Take the opportunity to listen in or...

Our guest this week is Jared Baker, a grade 5/6 French Immersion teacher, who talks about his daily practice. He has some great stories to share about how circles work in his classroom in French. Jared makes some excellent connections between restorative practices, Treaties of Peace and Friendship and setting up his classroom norms. Restorative suggestions: Incorporate restorative practices into y...

Fair process requires three E’s - Engagement, Explanation and Expectation clarity. Looking back on the process of indigenous land treaties, the fair process did not happen. It’s important to educate ourselves in order to have a better understanding of the treaties. Expectation clarity helps us move into actions of reconciliation in schools and in society. Restorative practice suggestions: Get to k...

Join our guest this week,Barbara Coloroso,.  Part 2 continues the conversation with what is described as adult conflict when it’s really bullying, utter disregard for another human being. “Every adult can model caring deeply, sharing generously and helping willingly.” Barbara Coloroso Restorative suggestions: All students need TAO - Time, Affection, Optimism Adults in schools can’t ignore thi...

Join our guest this week,Barbara Coloroso, as we discuss where NOT to use restorative practices. We consider an excellent response to an in-class bullying situation. Part 2 continues the conversation with what is described as adult conflict when it’s really bullying, utter disregard for another human being. “It’s a short walk from bullying to violence to genocide” says Coloroso. In her study of ge...

Our guest this week is Dr. Edward Valandra who encouraged us to keep challenging our thinking and perspectives in restorative practices. As white facilitators, we need to consider our cultural baggage before even entering a circle conversation and listen to the perspectives of participants who are black, indigenous and persons of colour. It was such a great conversation that we had to break it int...

Educators who know their students’ stories will understand the risk factors that can lead to student absenteeism. A trusted caring adult can make a difference in the lives of students. The lived experience of Indigenous students and their families impacts students’ behaviours and is important for educators to learn and to know. The story of a missing and murdered Indigenous girl is referenced belo...

Our guest this week is Dr. Kelly Gallagher-McKay who was a leading researcher in a study of 700,000 Toronto area school boards which showed extreme absenteeism, students missing over 50% of school days, increased 6 fold over the pandemic last school year. Dr. Gallagher-Mckay co-authored a longitudinal study which showed 3 reliable elementary school predictors or indicators that students would not...

Our guest this week is Dr. Edward Valandra who encouraged us to keep challenging our thinking and perspectives in restorative practices. As white facilitators, we need to consider our cultural baggage before even entering a circle conversation and listen to the perspectives of participants who are black, indigenous and persons of colour. It was such a great conversation that we had to break it int...

Steve tells a compelling story about what it’s like in the pandemic when leadership is NOT firm or fair. Leaders who avoid conflict or confrontation risk harm to their staff and to their students. Restorative Practices suggestions: Build your relationships with your staff early. Listen to understand staff strengths from previous years under previous leaders. Use a fair process which has engagement...

Join our guest this week, Brendan Hyatt, Director of The Northwest Catholic District School Board in Ontario as we discuss how the pandemic has amplified student absenteeism. Restorative practices suggestions: Get to know your learners before you take any actions. Start with your attendance data and get to know the story there. Be open to listening to what families and students are saying. Then li...

Circle conversations are essential student attendance and engagement and need to involve everyone impacted by student absenteeism. Looking for patterns in student tardiness can help address student engagement by simply asking the students. Restorative practices suggestions: When in doubt about student engagement, have a circle and ask the students themselves. Is the lack of student engagement due...

The article below by Lyubansky & Shpungin really challenged us in our practices. It’s not an easy read nor is the topic comfortable. It is important to reflect on the power dynamics in our classrooms, meeting rooms and school districts. Restorative practices suggestions: Reflect on your practice by asking who has been impacted and invite them in. Prepare for every restorative conversation by c...

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...

Season 2 Restorative Practice conversations about student attendance and engagement As a teacher of English as a Second Language in Windsor, Ontario, Amina Abdulle views the needs of newcomer students holistically. It’s vital for educators to create a safe space for students to be themselves, to help students build connections and to empower them to make mistakes in learning a new language. As edu...

BIPOC students are absent from school at higher rates than white students. As one high school student recounted “I feel like a ghost at school. I don’t even know if the teacher knows my name.” (Shelley) According to Attendance Works (see link below), “it requires nurturing feelings of belonging to school in the spring for current and prospective students, building bridges to school in the summer,...

The problem presented in the Education Week article (see link below) is that white teachers don’t set up informal mentoring with black or Latino students. BIPOC students are missing out on trusted caring adult relationships. “It isn’t that you have to have all the answers. It was the fact that they (students) trusted that they could ask questions.” (Shelley) In this podcast, we discuss specific an...

In a recent Gallup article, Jim Clifton writes that based on over 100 million employee interviews, the most engaged teams find the difference is “just the manager.” In school terms, we talk about how principals as managers can make a difference by being a restorative coach with weekly coaching conversations.  It takes an intentional casual approach to conversations, connections and relationsh...

Our guest, Sue Howard, discusses what she’s learned from using a whole school approach. Practical suggestions include: listen to the teacher’s issues and concerns for the classroom, be patient with the restorative process, it takes some time be consistent look for your own support network to keep up your practice

Yes, we’re talking about snow in the summertime. Steve’s Story Time has a cupcake solution to a snow throwing situation which illustrates the potential of restorative practices to build relationships within our broader community and within a classroom community. A change in the traditional more punitive approach can be helped by support from senior leadership. And just when should you have a resto...

Conversations in schools are a key to reconciliation with First Peoples. As Hon. Justice Murray Sinclair said "Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out” in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What role can restorative practices have? Listen in to this conversation with Shelley, Steve and Stan that contains some simple things that can be done to work to...

Steve’s story time discusses a conflict between 2 teachers who ended up with shouting matches in the hallway. The structure of the restorative conversation allowed both staff members to listen and ultimately to repair the harm to their relationships as colleagues and friends. Finding the time to fix the relationships requires a restorative lens and saves administrator time in the end. What’s an ap...