Restorative Practices Skills for Positive Classroom and School Norms Online Summer Course 2022

Overall this course aims to:

• Provide participants with knowledge and understanding of the use of Restorative Practices (RP) in schools;
• Equip participants to use RP to support their teaching practice;
• Equip participants to use RP to support their work and life outside the classroom;
• Inspire and enable participants to use restorative skills in their work and life;
• Provide an introduction to the philosophy and processes of Restorative Practices (RP) in schools and to the evidence from Irish and international research of how RP can support the aims of the Primary and Secondary Curriculum; i.e. to enable the child to develop as a social being through living and cooperating with others and so contribute to the good of society.
• A key course objective will be to explore the potential of a Restorative approach for creating and maintaining a positive relational environment in the classroom and school as a whole.
• The language and processes practiced throughout the course will enable teachers to gain skills identified as national priorities for the Summer Course Programme 2022 i.e. skills for School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and that support teachers to impart SPHE related skills (including competencies in dealing with bullying and development of child well-being).
• The steps and mechanisms for implementing a whole-school approach to RP that supports the process of School Self Evaluation will be a key component of the course.

Participants will be supported to examine how restorative skills can support effective and highly effective teaching and learning practice in achievement of standards identified under Domains Three and Four of the Digital Learning Frameworks for Primary and Post Primary Schools.