1 of 8

Fostering a Restorative Mindset

A research-based approach to improving school culture

Bodruz Jamir

Head of Year

and Teacher of English

#CollabUAE

2 of 8

Why Restorative Practices Matter

#CollabUAE

  • Focus on repairing relationships, not just punishment.
  • Reduces exclusions and suspensions (Osher et al., 2018).
  • Improves school culture and academic outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2019).

72%

3 of 8

The Power of Teacher Expectations

#CollabUAE

  • Teacher expectations can act as self-fulfilling prophecies (Rosenthal, 1994).
  • Positive expectations lead to better engagement and academic success.
  • Importance of equity: All students deserve the same level of support.

4 of 8

Building a Restorative Culture

#CollabUAE

  • Ongoing coaching and mentoring for teachers.

​

  • Reflection and feedback loops foster growth.

​

  • Peer learning and team teaching to model restorative practices.

5 of 8

The Role of Social Emotional Learning in Restorative Practices

#CollabUAE

  • SEL builds empathy, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution.
  • Integrates seamlessly with restorative conversations.
  • Enhances relationships between teachers, students and peers.

“[SEL is a] method to improve students’ intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competence”

(Penrose et al., 2007)

6 of 8

Creating a Supportive Class Climate

#CollabUAE

  • Positive class climate boosts life satisfaction and wellbeing (Rathmann et al., 2008).
  • Support autonomy and healthy peer interactions.
  • Teacher-student relationships at the core of classroom success.

7 of 8

Making Restorative Approaches Work

#CollabUAE

  • Professional development for all staff.
  • Align restorative practices with school policies.
  • Provide ongoing coaching and student voice opportunities.

8 of 8

The Path Forward

#CollabUAE

  • Restorative practices create safer, more equitable schools.
  • Start small: Classroom environment, restorative dialogue.
  • - 'Every action we take brings us closer to a truly supportive school culture.'

“The most powerful thing that teachers can do is to see learning through the eyes of the students.”

John Hattie