Restorative philosophy and practices at Hammond High School are a series of tools that help build community in ways that create a safe school climate, enhances and enriches learning. In a positive and nurturing climate there are fewer classroom disruptions and fewer out-of-school consequences with lost academic instruction. Restorative processes at Hammond is not about introducing new programs as much as it is about providing a new framework which takes a little more time but brings about more long term results. Hammond's restorative experience began by handling behavioral problems restoratively and making a shift from a punishment based philosophies to holding students accountable for their actions and assigning them to The Strategy School Program. Students use responsive circles and the Five Restorative Questions which challenges them to consider the harm caused by their misconduct, and to create a plan to make things better.
If you want to solve a problem, you cannot solve it if you continue to think the same way you were thinking when you created it.
- Albert Einstein
- Albert Einstein
Restorative Questions - Used to respond to challenging behavior
- What happened?
- What were you thinking at the time?
- What have you thought about since?
- Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
- What do you think you need to do to make things right?
Restorative Questions - Used to help those harmed by other's actions
- What was your reaction at the time of the incident?
- How do you feel about what happened?
- What has been the hardest thing for you?
- How did your family and friends react when they heard about the incident?