Schools try new approach to detention
Kennebec Journal, January 14, 2008
(excerpt) At Howard Middle School, restorative justice practices are used not only to address misbehavior but to improve communication between students and teachers throughout the school.
Buckheit said the school's former after-school detention program was based on the traditional model used at most Maine schools. If students showed disrespect to a teacher or another student, the offending student was assigned an afternoon detention and that would be the end of the matter.
"The kid put in his hour of time staring at the clock or doing homework," she said.
Now students may choose to attend a community resolution circle led by a teacher. Each student must tell the other students in the circle what they did. The other students and any victim who agrees to participate discuss how the student's misbehavior impacted other people at the school.
The student must come up with a way to make restitution through some sort of community service, such as cleaning a teacher's classroom or - in the case of a food-throwing incident - helping the janitors clean the lunch room. The student must also make a verbal or written apology.
(excerpt) At Howard Middle School, restorative justice practices are used not only to address misbehavior but to improve communication between students and teachers throughout the school.
Buckheit said the school's former after-school detention program was based on the traditional model used at most Maine schools. If students showed disrespect to a teacher or another student, the offending student was assigned an afternoon detention and that would be the end of the matter.
"The kid put in his hour of time staring at the clock or doing homework," she said.
Now students may choose to attend a community resolution circle led by a teacher. Each student must tell the other students in the circle what they did. The other students and any victim who agrees to participate discuss how the student's misbehavior impacted other people at the school.
The student must come up with a way to make restitution through some sort of community service, such as cleaning a teacher's classroom or - in the case of a food-throwing incident - helping the janitors clean the lunch room. The student must also make a verbal or written apology.
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