As a restorative practices trainer and consultant, I challenge educators to build relationships with students. When working with secondary educators, I often hear, “I don’t do relationships, I teach …”

But there’s good news. When I do training, I use concentric circles to review restorative practices principles. The easiest circle secondary teachers can use is the concentric circle. This is a perfect strategy for doing a review before a unit exam. Elementary teachers call this strategy inside outside circles.

Concentric Circles Structure

To create two concentric circles, ask the students to form two circles, an inside circle and one outside circle. The easiest way to get students into two circles is to have half the students form an outer circle usually around the perimeter of the desks. Then instruct the remainder of the students to find a partner in the first circle and face each other. Let students know that they are not staying with this partner for very long or they take too long to select someone. This creates the inner circle. The first time you ask students to do this, it will take a few minutes. With practice, students will get into concentric circles quicker.

How to Do the Review

Each student on the inside is paired with a student on the outside; they face each other. If you have an odd number of students, one “pair” will have a third student. This strategy engages students who may not typically work together. When the students are in their circles, the teacher asks a review question to the whole group. Each pair discusses their response with each other. This engages all the students simultaneously. Students with limited English proficiency can easily participate. What I love about this strategy is that if the partners don’t know the answer, they may naturally eavesdrop on those nearby.

When the noise level drops, you’ll know that it’s time to instruct the students on the outside circle to move one space to the right so they are standing in front of a new person. Next, the teacher poses a new question, and the process is repeated. This works well for about six to seven review questions. As students get accustomed to concentric circles, you can lengthen the time by asking more questions.

Parallel Line Option

This strategy can also be done with two parallel lines instead of circles. When I use lines, I call it “Line-up Review.” Depending on your classroom space, two parallel lines may work better than a circle.

If you’re a secondary educator, I encourage you try the concentric circles for review. I’d love to hear how it goes.

Resources

To learn more about this read Inside/Outside Circles or Circle Conversation created by Spencer Kagan in 1994 at https://teachingrecipes.com/wp-content/insideoutsideactivity.pdf.

You can also view the six-minute video Discovering Voice: Inside-Outside Circle. In this video, the teacher numbers students as a one or two. Students move in opposite directions until the bell rings. When they hear the bell, they stop and talk with their new partner.

Image source: students-inside-outside-circle 238-2383883 [clipartmax.com]

Do your students know why they get two days off from school in February? Many lower elementary grade teachers do activities that center on Presidents George Washing and Lincoln. As students move to upper grades, educators can still focus on the meaning of Presidents’ Day. Academic content circles are a perfect way to re-mind students of why they have holidays. You’ll find 20 circles prompts listed by grade levels ready for you to use. ^{1, 2}

 Prompts for K-2^nd

1. What is the president’s main job? (one word)
2. What character trait makes a good president? (one word)
3. Some students are required to memorize all the presidents’ names in order. Do you think this is important for people to know? (Yes or no?)
4. Celebrating Presidents’ Day is important because…
5. If you could ask the president any question, what would it be?

Prompts for 3^rd & 4^th  

1. What is the president’s main job? (one word)
2. If you could have dinner with any president, alive or dead, who would it be? (one name)
3. __________ was the best president ever because…
4. If I were the president, I would…
5. How would you make a hard choice if you were the president?

Prompts for 5^th & 6^th

11. Why do we think of Abraham Lincoln as “honest Abe”?
12. Why is Abraham Lincoln one of the most important presidents in U.S. history?

13. Abraham Lincoln’s powerful words led our country through its most difficult time. Why is learning about Abraham Lincoln important to your life?
14. Abraham Lincoln is remembered as one of the greatest men of all time. He overcame many difficulties and was a determined learner. When America goes through a tough time, what does the president needs to do?
15. What’s a difficulty you’ve overcome?

Prompts for Secondary

16. The president symbolizes…

18. Why is George Washington one of the most important presidents in U.S. history?
19. What do you think was an advantage to being our country’s first president?
20. What do you think was a disadvantage to being our country’s first president?
21. If you were the president, what issue would you focus on?

Sources:

1. 53 Presidents’ Day Writing Ideas for Kids. [No author or date].

https://www.journalbuddies.com/prompts-for-holidays/journal-topics-presidents-day/

 2. Granata, Kassondra, Education World Contributor. Writing Prompts for Presidents’ Day. [No author or date].  https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_prompts_presidents_day.shtml

3. Image source: Presidents Day Free Funny Images [presidents-day-2020.com]

Last spring, I attended a virtual workshop led by Carmen Zeisler on Building Circles and Community Around Picture Books. I was so inspired, I began creating circles scripts for kindergarten through third graders on social justice books and developed a new workshop on the topic for the school district I work with in Modesto, CA.

Carmen’s new book, Building Circles and Community Around Picture Books! Let’s Learn From Others: A Focus on Biographies, features 25 scripts. She begins her book with a powerful quote by Brene Brown.

I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.

Zeisler understands the power of transforming conflict by using community building circles proactively along with restorative practices approaches. She begins the book with a community circle overview, five universal circle guidelines, and the flow for a community circle. The flow for every circle is welcome/opening activity, round 1, round 2 and round 3, and closing the circle.

The 25 scripts focus on biographies. Several that I’m unfamiliar with and sound interesting are:

• Balloons Over Broadway – The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade,
• Daza! Amalia Hernandez, founder of Ballet Folkorico de Mexico, and
• Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire.

A feature I like are the links to the publisher’s page that provide additional resources, like a picture of an event, listen to ocean waves, a song, or dancers from Mexico. These will enhance comprehension for the children. I also like the opening activities that help introduce the topic.

I was disappointed that the author used the same round 1 check-in question for every community circle. The check-in question is, “Are you mad, sad, glad or afraid today and what is that mostly about?” I prefer that the check-on question is directly connected to the topic. The publisher does provide a link to an eight-minute video that focuses on the check-in question. [essdk.me/ckeckins]

I can’t wait to do my first workshop, Building Circles and Community Around Picture Books for kindergarten to third grade teachers using the social justice books scripts I created and featuring Carmen’s excellent book that is powerful and easy to use.

About the Author

Carmen Zeisler is the Learning Center Director at ESSDACK, an educational service agency. Building relationships with teachers and students is her passion. Carmen specializes in restorative practices in education, creating community circles, a restorative circles facilitator as well as a children’s book expert.

About the Book

Building Circles & Community Around Picture Books! Let’s Learn From Others. A Focus on Biographies by Carmen Zeisler, ESSDACK Resilience, no date. The book is available as a download or paperback for $8.00 at https://market.essdack.org/products/building-circles-and-community-around-picture-books-25-building-community-scripts Also available, Building Circles and Community Around Picture Books- Back to School Edition (Digital Download Only), $6.99.

In a previous blog post, The Role of the Site Team Lead & Consultant in Implementing Restorative Practices in Schools, I suggested that schools wanting to implement restorative practices use a site leadership team approach under the direction of a vice-principal or assistant principle typically designated by the school principal. In turn, the site team lead is responsible for selecting seven to nine classified and certificated staff members for their site team.

I found it helpful for potential site team members to know what the expectations are prior to deciding to join the team. This way they can make an informed decision and are more likely to stay engaged. Here’s a list to consider using for the site team member’s responsibilities.

Site Team Member’s Overall Responsibilities¹

• Demonstrate willingness to learn about restorative practices (RP) with a teachable attitude
• Model RP in your daily responsibilities
• Promote RP at your school, the District, and community
• Provide leadership within your school site (such as: role model, lead small groups on specific implementation tasks, share your stories with staff, parents & community, present RP to others, train staff, etc.)
• Demonstrate willingness to take risks, try new skills, learn from mistakes, and transparently by sharing your journey with others, including staff, parents & community members
• Meet monthly with the site team lead & site team members; communicate regularly

Site Team Member’s Annual Responsibilities

Depending on what trainers the site team chooses will determine specific responsibilities for site team members. Here’s ‘a list of potential requirements for site team members during the first year:

• Specify trainings site t4eam members will be required to attend
• Meet monthly with site team lead & site team members to facilitate implementation
• Follow any implementation plans created during training
• If the training includes a site team’s 15-minute presentation featuring the past year’s highlights, participate in the planning and presentation
• Optional: “job shadow” someone in similar role at another school site implementing restorative practices

What other responsibilities do you foresee for a site team member?

Source: 1. Information adapted from Positive Behavior for Learning: Book One Introduction, New Zealand Ministry of Education, 2014, pp. 13; 15. www.education.govt.nz

Image: team [freesvg.org]

Before I learned about this book, I met one of the authors, Genevieve Price, through a referral from Restoration Matters. I was looking to talk with someone who is actually doing restorative practices with preschoolers. I was so inspired listening to her stories about how she adapts the concepts of restorative practices and how she does circles with preschoolers. I was delighted when she shared about her book, Encircled: Bringing Family Virtue Circles Home, co-authored with Ann Polan.

Virtues-Based

This book is connected to the virtues Lynne Lang developed called Values-Based Restorative Discipline (VBRD^TM) to promote a positive school climate and parish communities while expressing Catholic values and beliefs. I love that this book is a tool to incorporate virtue education and discussion amongst families and is based on Colossians 3:12-15. Paul calls us to “clothe ourselves” in heartfelt compassion, forbearance, forgiveness, gentleness, humility, kindness, love, patience, thankfulness, and unity (p. 5). If you’re parenting and your belief system resonates with these virtues, this book is for you.

Restorative Circles

Many public and private schools are using restorative circles to build relationships within the classroom and school. This book helps bring families closer to one another and to God by using circles at home.

To give you an overview of circles, every circle includes these components: an opening prayer, a one-word check-in, the circle topic, discussion or an activity, a one-word check-out, and a closing prayer. I was disappointed that the opening and closing prayer is the same for every circle. You may want to involve your children in saying their own prayers. Typically, a circle can take 15 to 30 minutes.

How to Do Circles

After some introductory pages, the authors explain how to get started with circle guidelines, information about virtues, the Colossians virtues, and a one-page materials list for the circles. Most families will find that these materials are easily accessed within the home.

Pages 14 to 120 contain the meat of the book – the step-by-step circles that families can do together. Since the format is the same for all circles, parents and caregivers and their children and teens will quickly learn circle basics.

The Talking Piece

Part of every circle is to use a talking piece. This is a common item that can be passed from person to person. The purpose of the talking piece is to allow only the person holding the talking piece to speak. I can tell you that my experiences with educators using a talking piece is challenging. It may be even more challenging for children, but I’ve seen students quickly adapt to talking one person at a time.

The reason I brought up the talking piece is because creating a family talking piece out of popsicle sticks is one of my favorite circles activities. Another favorite is creating virtue rocks for each of the Colossian’s virtues. This book can be done in the order it is written or families can skip around and do the circles that best fit what the family is currently experiencing.

As parents, you can now experience the positive impact that students experience at school with your children and teens at home. I’d love to hear your stories about using virtue circles in your school or home.

About the Authors

Ann Polan, MA, MCC, is a certified school counselor in St. Louis, Missouri. For over 10 years she’s been working with elementary and middle school students in Catholic education.

Genevieve Price, BS, ECE, currently teaches Pre-K. She has six years of experience in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. She has experience facilitating circles and restorative practices with Pre-K to 8^th grade.

About the Book

Encircled: Bringing Family Virtue Circles Home, by Ann Polan and Genevieve Price, Imagine That Enterprises, LC, 2019, 128 pages. This book is available from https://www.restorationmatters.org/product-page/encircled-bringing-parent-virtue-circles-home Email at info@restorationmatters.com

Before I learned about this book, I met the author, Lynne M. Lang, founder and Executive Director at Restoration Matters. She contacted me through LinkedIn. I’m always happy to connect with a restorative practices colleague. I do my restorative practices training for a large school district through Central Valley Youth for Christ while she does many trainings for Catholic schools. With common interests and values, we met on zoom.

The internationally recognized initiative Virtue-Based Restorative Discipline (VBRD^TM) began in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis with a focus on cultivating virtues as a strategy for ending bullying behaviors. Those with a faith-based background, will appreciate their six key virtues: wisdom, justice, temperance (self-control), courage, humanity, and transcendence. For those unfamiliar with transcendence, as I was, “Transcendence is linked to the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. It takes into account beauty, creativity, humor (joy), and the belief in something greater than us at work in the world.” (p. 39)

The Foundation of Virtues

Each of the 14 chapters begins with a scripture quote. Lang devotes an entire chapter on laying a spiritual foundation of virtue and another chapter on becoming a student of virtue. The VBRD^TM Guiding Principles listed on their website are:

• “We will dedicate ourselves to living virtue.
• We will support others in living virtue.
• We will commit to constructive thoughts, words, and deeds.
• When faced with challenges or conflict, we will find solutions that cultivate virtue for ourselves and for one another.”

This call to virtue principles reminds me of working with educators. The past eight years I’ve done restorative practices trainings. I found that participants are eager to learn how they can use restorative practices with students. When I mention that restoring relationships is not just about restoring relationships student to student, but also about restoring relationships between a student and a staff or between a staff and another staff, some feathers get ruffled. Educators need to model restorative practices by treating everyone with respect and dignity and apologizing to students and/or staff for something they’ve done or said.

Restorative Practices Foundations

If you’re unfamiliar with restorative practices, you’ll be interested in the fifth chapter that provides the history of restorative practices. Long before schools began implementing restorative practices, indigenous tribes used restorative practices informally that spans many cultures and time periods.

Most books compare punitive or traditional discipline to restorative discipline. In chapter six, Lang compares traditional discipline to virtue-based restorative discipline. An interesting chart compares traditional discipline, restorative discipline, and VBRD.^TM Another table features the key goals of restorative discipline and how these principles are adapted with VBRD.^TM

Chapter seven offers a brief overview of a framework for a vision, while another short chapter provides information on steps to implementation. This is useful for those desiring to implement restorative practices within the school setting.

Putting It All Together

The next three chapters feature beginning with the adults at school, followed by bringing parents onboard, and finally, teaching our children. The author concludes with three short chapters on putting it all together, measuring success, and final thoughts. The book ends with eight appendices that are very helpful.

What I like most about Lang’s book, is the insight she has on connecting our Christian beliefs and scripture to our practices. If you’re looking for a book that bridges your personal beliefs to the implementation of restorative practices in schools, this book is for you.

About the Author

Ms. Lang is founder of a nonprofit, Restoration Matters, and facilitates restorative practices professional development, restorative staff retreats, restorative discipline for parents, virtue-based restorative discipline, and conflict restoration and transformation, amongst other areas. Additionally, she is a trainer for the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) and trains on Introduction to Restorative Practice & Facilitating Circles. She also provides restorative leadership training and conflict transformation in parishes and community organizations.

About the Book

Virtue-Based Restorative Discipline: Comprehensive Guide – A Catholic Response to Bullying by Lynne M. Lang, Our Sunday Visitor, 2013. Paperback, 190 pages. This book is available from https://www.restorationmatters.org/product-page/virtue-based-restorative-discipline Email at info@restorationmatters.com

Implementation Team

There are many ways to implement restorative practices at schools. The cost of training every person in a district can be prohibitive. When I created the restorative practices in schools program for a large school district in Modesto, CA, I developed a site team system that includes administrators, certificated staff, classified staff. It is unusual to include classified staff in most district-wide initiatives. But if restorative practices are to be implemented school wide, the classified staff must be included because they have their own unique sphere of influence. The training model involves training seven to nine team members from each school site for at least three years.

Administrator Leadership

The site teams are under the leadership of an administrator who works alongside the trainers and consultants and the site team members. At the elementary level, this person is typically the vice principal. At the secondary level, the site lead is usually an associate principal. The training and consultant’s assistance and input equips site teams towards successful implementation. Ultimately, the site team is responsible for implementation. Research says that Restorative Practices (RP) in schools takes three to five years for full implementation, but my experience over nine years is that it takes much longer.

Consultant’s Role

The heart of what consultants do happens with the site leads by building a strong connection over time. As consultants get to know site team leads, they must be mindful of confidentiality. Consultants often serve a significant role as confidant to many administrators who are often isolated, struggling, fearful of being let go, and don’t know from supervisors if they’re doing a good job or not. There are many opportunities to offer reassurance and support. Sending cards of encouragement when appropriate and congratulations cards when promoted helps build these vital relationships.

Site Team Lead’s Responsibilities¹

The site team lead is typically designated by the school principal. In turn, the site team lead is responsible to the selection of seven to nine members on the site team. It is vital that the administrator communicate contact information for each of the site team members to the consultant. Unfortunately, with turnover, the site team lead needs to add new site team members periodically.

Restorative practices were new in the district I work with as of the 2013-14 school year. We asked the site leads to serve as a visionary, risk taker, and encourager to the site team and model restorative practices in their daily responsibilities. Leads also promote Restorative Practices (RP) at their school, The District, and community.

School Site Data

The first year of implementation, the site lead provides data on the school site’s previous year to use as a baseline. Particularly important are demographics, attendance records, school climate surveys, student discipline, home suspensions, and expulsions (if applicable). The site leads provide data annually as soon as the district data is compiled, usually in July.

It is ideal if the site team lead coordinates a monthly meeting with the site team members. This gives the site lead opportunities to work on the site implementation plan throughout the academic year with site team members. The lead and site team members can also collect documentation from RP strategies, i.e., photos, copies of projects and presentations, outline for Restorative Conferences, letter about a student changed by RP, or any other documentation.

 On-going Training

Site leads were asked to take 10 minutes each month during a staff meeting to allow for restorative practices training, mostly led by site team members. We encouraged site team members to use Restorative Practice Kete: Book Two Restorative Essentials² to train their site staff. It features 28 training modules that take from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. Other training suggestions include do activities from RP trainings; ask the RP consultant to be a guest speaker; ask site team member(s) to share about how they use RP; do a Q and A session; show video clips; give updates on the site’s progress/statistics; etc.

Although the consultants tried to require the monthly training, we discovered that administrators have limited time for staff meetings and many requirements from the district that limits their ability to implement the trainings. Even though it is challenging, we still encourage it.

Also, the site leads carry a great deal of responsibility. They also experience joy as they see first-hand the differences that restorative practices can have on them, their staff, the students, and families.

Sources:

1. Information adapted from Positive Behavior for Learning: Book One Introduction, New Zealand Ministry of Education, Crown, 2014, pp. 13; 15. https://pb4l.tki.org.nz/content/download/304/1385/file/Restorative%20Practice%20Book%20One.pdf education.govt.nz
2. Crown, 2014. education.govt.nz https://pb4l.tki.org.nz/PB4L-Restorative-Practice/Restorative-Practice-Kete-Book-Two
3. Image: Leader [hang_in_there Flckr.com]