School Discipline: Restorative Practices with Diana Beitz

Restorative practices are a teaching and learning approach that focuses on building relationships and repairing harm in schools:

• Building relationships: Restorative practices help students and staff build relationships and create a safe learning environment.
• Repairing harm: When harm is caused, restorative practices help students understand how their actions impact others and work to repair the harm.
• Accountability: Restorative practices help students take accountability for their actions.
• Community: Restorative practices help create a sense of community where everyone feels they belong.
• Positive school culture: Restorative practices can improve school culture and reduce the need for stronger responses over time.
• Indigenous traditions: Restorative practices are rooted in the traditions of Indigenous people and communities of color.

Restorative practices can help with: 

• Bullying prevention, Improving attendance,
• Reducing suspension rates
• Narrowing gaps in suspension rates between student sub groups

Our guest, Diana Beitz, has 31 years in public education, mainly working with at-risk populations in grades K-12. Her experience ranges including a classroom teacher, a learning coach, Achievement Coordinator and School Principal. She holds a Master’s in Educational Technology from Washburn University. She shares her knowledge and experience in meeting student achievement through the use of restorative practices. 

For more information about the the topics discussed, contact us at
Bryan Wright: [e-mail]
Mark McBeth: [e-mail]

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Thanks for listening. Until next time, keep leading with heart—and stay educationally relevant.