Identify & Share What Works... Do It
My time after high school was spent as a Combat Correspondent Photographer in Vietnam - 221st. Signal Co. This exposed me to the urgent need to find less bloody (more compassionate) ways and means of settling our differences. This quest continues today as I serve as an educator seeking more effective and restorative ways to build connections with students, parents, faculty, staff, etc.
In this context I am thrilled to see Restorative Practices receiving the spotlight it deserves as a tool to help us make these mission critical connections. Beating any of us over the head with judgments, demands, dictates, mandates, etc. may produce, at best, only limited term results and unproductive fallout. And inherent in such domination strategies is toxic stress. Building connective bridges based on empathy and compassion joins us at the human-heart-level from which sustainable growth takes place.
Identifying feelings and meeting the needs behind the behavior is key to approaching resolution and relieving the inherent toxic stress.?This issue of toxic stress is a very high priority of Dr. Nadine B. Harris, our State of California Surgeon General. I predict we will see more about toxic stress in future state mandated student assessments and accommodations. And with suspensions in California made illegal starting in August 2020 (K-8), the need for truly effective restorative alternatives is even more mission critical.
Identifying the strategies and tactics of successful Restorative Process programs is a first step and that requires total focused commitment from a dedicated and qualified staff member(s) who functions as lead.
I urge you to start with Life-Enriching Education & HACKING School Discipline. Both Dr. Rosenberg (cnvc.org) and the HACK series (https://hacklearning.org/times10/) have a wealth of support material. Hacking School Discipline authors: https://behaviorflip.com/
ACTION Plan: Have a person collect specifics of what’s working and share it with your colleagues. Read these two books and apply the strategies and tactics. Share what works.
Do what works… tell me what works so we can spread the good news! Want to troubleshoot a hot situation? ... let me know.
RuezArt@gmail.com
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Owner/Manager at Star Sales/Consulting, DBA
5 年Paul , keep up the good work. Jeremy Argent
PTSD Research, CTE & Restorative Workplace Skills and Exobiology
5 年Thank you Jon! I appreciate your role in my pathway... about 20 years ago you trusted me and passed the baton to me as I took over teaching your Flash class at Palomar College which led to where I am today. Let’s keep paying it forward.
Author ~ Memorist & Trembling Futurist at Autumn Of The Species ~ autumnofthespecies.com
5 年Paul, this is awesome & inspiring! You bring a depth of heart & a wealth of experience to this initiative; & this initiative is something that has been missing from education for centuries. Kudos. ~jwl