Restorative what?!?

Source: (2008) Changing ways / building skills, 12(2): pg. 3

I remember this as my initial response to a conversation that our guidance counselor, Penny Linn, had with me towards the middle of the 2007-2008 school year, as she introduced me to a concept being used at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. Several months have since passed, and now “enlightened”, I’m happy to say that our implementation of circling and fundamental Restorative School Practices [RSP] has proven beneficial to our small school! The staff members who are using these “new skills” on a regular basis have reported diminished behavioral outbursts in their classrooms, and are looking for further guidance with respect to special situations. Maryann Nyman, our circling coordinator, has done a tremendous job getting these principles put into schoolwide use; we are certainly fortunate to have her expertise! As we continue to hone our use of RSP’s, I’m excited about the concentric circle effect that we hope to have within our community, specifically towards the secondary level as time passes.