Restorative Practices at St Matthew’s

If you have more than two children living at home, I wonder what it was like in your house during remote learning? Did the siblings always cooperate? Was it always peaceful? Were there never any unkind words? Not surprisingly, now that our students have returned to school, we’ve noticed that they’re learning, once again, how to be cooperative, collaborative, and peaceful learners and friends.

We all know that students are going to make mistakes and errors of judgement as they learn and grow, and as they take risks and try new things—it's how we respond that matters. Here at St Matthew’s, we believe that students should have a chance to learn from their mistakes and to restore any damaged relationships with others. Our view is known as the restorative approach to discipline. The rationale behind this approach is that when offenders reflect upon their harm to victims, they become remorseful and act restoratively. They are offered opportunities to make amends. This can help children regain their footing in a nurturing environment with consistent classroom practices and high expectations.

Traditional tools for addressing behavioural issues among students—rewards and consequences, shame and humiliation, suspensions and expulsions—run counter to our belief in the innate dignity of each person, and do not result in lasting change, much less a productive learning environment. Children who are habitually criticised, humiliated, or shamed internalise negative feelings about themselves that affect healthy development. By contrast, children accustomed to loving support and guidance are much more likely to become healthy and productive citizens. Restorative Practices help all students learn to resolve disagreements, take ownership of their behaviour, and engage in acts of empathy and forgiveness.

Restorative Practices can also work for you at home. You may want to use restorative questions to help your child move through disagreements or behavioural issues. We invite you to read more about these practices here and to support us as we build a positive culture of teaching and learning.