Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2011, "Restorative approaches: Relationships, Respect and Responsibilities - Three R's for the 21st Century?" athttp://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/r/genericresource_tcm4657842.asp?strReferringChannel=educationscotland&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-615801-64
This article is centred around the behaviour of children in schools and how to deal with "bad" behaviour through positive coping strategies.
Restorative Approaches build upon the notion of positive regard which is based on the premise that we all need to be regarded for who we are. This moves our thinking away from only our actions/achievements having value. It also helps us differentiate between the person and her/his behaviour.
The philosophy of Restorative Approaches are based on the philosophy of the child having rights and responsibilities. The child has many rights to do what they want but they have to understand the responsibility that comes with it and the consequences of their actions. This is important as it leads the focus away from punishment for doing something "wrong". The child is then responsible for their own behaviour and knows the difference between right and wrong leading to more independence for the child.
When using Restorative Approaches in the classroom, it leads to a more positive relationship between teacher and pupil. It is not only about teaching the pupil to understand their behaviour but also allows the teacher to evaluate his/her approach to different kinds of behaviour and which approaches seem to be more effective in developing a happier and respectful environment for everyone.
This article described the differences between "Restorative Approaches" and "Traditional Approaches" within discipline. This was really interesting and allowed me to see all the different approaches we can now use in the classroom. Traditional approaches were mainly punishing bad behaviour, breaking rules, accountability leading to punishment and often the affected person being ignored. Restorative approaches oppose these traditional styles of discipline and state 'dialogue and negotiation' being an important aspect to allow the child to realise where he/she has gone wrong. Restorative approaches include accountability leads to putting things right, i.e. being honest and realising the child has done something wrong will then lead to the child knowing not to do it next time.
'Promoting Positive Behaviour' is the best way forward for discipline in primary schools as children are more encouraged by hearing that they are doing something well as opposed to being shouted at for doing something wrong. We have to allow our pupils to develop a sense of their own rights and responsibilities in the classroom and allow them to solve the behavioural rights and wrongs. This leads to children becoming more autonomous in their school life and setting them up more effectively for life in the 21st century.
