EDCT 5731 - Restorative Practices in the Classroom
Course Description
Relationships are at the heart of learning and success in school and life beyond. Many of our students come to us without the skills to build and maintain positive relationships. Restorative practices help to “prepare teachers at all levels to ensure that their classrooms are welcoming, enriching, and constructive environments built on collective respect and focused on student achievement” (Better than Carrots or Sticks). This course will motivate and inspire you to get started with Restorative Practices in your own classroom today! Grade Levels K - 12
Learner Outcomes
By the end of the course:
- Students will understand the concepts behind Restorative Practices and how they apply to the classroom.
- Students will understand the importance of building relationships.
- Students will understand formal and informal practices for peace-building and implementing restorative practices.
Notes
This course can be taken for 2, 3, or 4 credits. Select the appropriate section for your desired number of credits.
Testimonials
“I found this course to be refreshing, exciting and sort of a “missing piece to the puzzle,” if you will. The perspective I’ve gained about using restorative practices with students and in other relationships is highly valuable. The text, Better Than Carrots or Sticks, is well written and full of great information that can be used both in and out of the classroom. I found many of the online links to articles just as helpful. Thank you for taking the time to create a meaningful course that will no doubt improve my experiences and interactions as I move forward in my teaching career. This course truly exceeded my expectations. Thank you!” —TINT Student“What I found most beneficial in this class is that every assignment was action oriented. I saw how each piece of learning could be addressed in my own classroom. I felt like I had many strategies and created a lot of things for my classroom space that allowed me to build more authentic relationships with my students. This also led to higher achievement for them. I appreciated assignments that were structured around taking this piece of the text and trying it out directly in your classroom. It made me actually practice things instead of just saying cool! And then never trying it. It felt like applied PD. This class did meet my expectations! I felt like there were a variety of learning opportunities that were aligned with course goals. I feel like I am leaving a better teacher with identified steps to make my classroom environment better for each and every student.” —TINT Student
“I found so many resources helpful throughout this class. I especially appreciated the open-ended style of assignments so that I could peruse through the book and websites in a way that fit my professional needs. For example, there was an article on introducing students to a study on their brains which I was able to partially integrate into a current unit about the nervous system. I also received useful feedback on items pertaining to my current setting (like how to publish student work using Canvas during comprehensive distance learning). This course exceeded my expectations. I learned about restorative practices as well as heard a number of school examples, and gathered many tools to instantly implement into my own classroom. The course was great! Thank you.” —TINT Student