Description
Empowering Students and Educators to Strengthen School Communities is about highlighting the power of positive relationships with students and adults in schools. Since students benefit from classrooms that function in predictable ways with predictable classrooms, participants learn how restorative practices positively impact schools and school-related outcomes. This course includes practical tools to encourage belonging and foster connectedness among school community members and provides K-12 educators with tools to learn how vulnerability can impact student performance and responsibility. Through this course, educators will learn practices to reduce conflict in productive ways that emphasize growth, development, and learning, rather than isolation and punishment.
This course is for professional development credit only. VirtualSC PD courses do not count towards any type of degree.
Course Outline
Week 1: Student Orientation
Week 2: The Logic of Restorative Practices
Week 3: Foundations of Respect
Week 4: Establishing Expectations and Teaching For Engagement
Week 5: Restorative Conversations Using Affective Statements
Week 6: Restorative Conversations Using Impromptu Conversations
Week 7: Restorative Circles
Prerequisites
This is an advanced level course for teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists, or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers with Internet access. They will also need speakers and a microphone (or a headset or telephone) to participate in the Virtual Meeting sessions. In addition, participants should be proficient with browsing the Internet, uploading and downloading content, navigating to computer files, and with using word processing software, email, and attachments.
Required Materials
The Restorative Practice Playbook: Tools for Transforming Discipline in Schools First Edition is a required professional book for this class. It can be ordered from Amazon as a digital edition for $13.77 or in paperback for $33.20. All materials in this course are the property of the South Carolina Department of Education Office of VirtualSC PD. All course materials needed/required for the course, other than the book mentioned above, are available online.
Registration
When you register for a graduate course there are two steps: first with VirtualSC PD and then with The College of Charleston. Upon registration with VirtualSC PD, directions will be emailed to you for completing registration with The College of Charleston. Check the email used to create your Genius account often.
- Registration with The College of Charleston is required for each graduate course in order for credit to be awarded.