Redemption and Restoration: An Effective Approach to Managing Student Behavior in our Schools

The most wonderful treasure of our salvation is the redemption and restoration offered by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. God loves us so much that He showed us grace and mercy that we did not earn and do not deserve. This is a precious concept that brings great hope to all of us who believe in Jesus. Along with that redemption is the promise in His Word that offers a restoration of what Satan tries to rob from us. God gives us a fresh start and the promise of a fulfilling life in Him. Our faith gives us this hope.

Is there a way to model redemption and restoration to our students and give them a different perspective than punishment and loss of trust? There is, and it may allow us opportunities to share a Christlike attitude with them and their families. At the same time, these practices may create a positive and organized environment in our classrooms and go a long way in creating a supportive community of learners.

The difference between more traditional forms of discipline and punishment and a restorative approach is that the latter concept is both proactive and supportive as much as it is responsive. Bathed in prayer and constant attention to maintaining a caring environment, the restorative approach creates a setting where negative issues are less likely to arise. If they arise, we have already built the connections between people and developed the skills to address the issues and restore a positive classroom.

What might this approach look like in real classrooms?

• First, really get acquainted with your students as individuals. Learning is foremost about relationships. If we foster strong connections with our students and their families, we develop a better understanding of behaviors. Encouraging knowledge and the resulting goodwill gives us a positive “bank account” of caring that we can draw from when the going gets tough.
• Clearly teach classroom expectations. Students cannot fulfill our expectations if they do not understand what we want them to do. Do not assume the students have learned appropriate behavior and routines before they come to your classroom. You are the authority figure of your classroom, and you need to clearly articulate your systems. Teach the rules, model them, and remind the students about them from the first day. Take the time to discuss them and get the students to agree to the rules.
• Develop classroom norms with your students. Having students collaborate with you on what your room will be like empowers you and your students. Introduce this process by telling the students that we need to decide what we need to do to accomplish our best work. Do not just make a list; talk about each item and why it is important that we include it. For example, talk about what respect means and how to earn it. Then decide together which norms will be easy or hard to follow. Talk about case scenarios and what you will do and how the class might support each other in following the norms.

What are the steps to implement this type of system?

• Model the behavior you want from your students. Use kind words, be respectful in your tone, and offer your support.
• Regularly review and refer to the norms and classroom expectations you agreed on together.
• Continually monitor and remind/assist students in rewording language you hear that might be putting others down or promotes other negative behaviors.
• For students who are frustrated, sit with them and acknowledge their frustration. Offer your support and help them problem-solve when they are ready.
• Celebrate student effort and the progress they make even if it is minimal. For example, something like a student’s listening for 10 minutes when it formerly was for only five minutes is worth a celebration!
• Use non-verbal signals to remind students to get back on task. Agree on the signals ahead of time.
• Use one-on-one chats to understand better a struggling or non-compliant student. Active listening can bring calm and allow a student to reflect and problem-solve. If someone is late to class, instead of pouncing on the student, let the person settle into the class. Then go to the student later, pull up a chair, and chat with him or her. Help students solve the problems for themselves.

All these strategies take the form of teaching good behavior and fostering great relationships at the same time. When more serious issues arise, you will be in a much better place to draw on the positivity you have implemented in your learning community. The result is restoration/repair to any harm that happened and the creation of a more productive learning environment.

God bless each of you as you model Christ in your classrooms and schools.

Marilyn Dominick lives in Syracuse, New York, and is chair for Nazarene Educators Worldwide. She served as superintendent of the Jordan-Elbridge School District and retired in 2017 after 34 years of service in public schools. She currently serves as an advisor to the public charter schools in the Syracuse area. You may contact Marilyn at mjdominick77@gmail.com.