A recent GAO report revealed disparities in discipline that Black students — especially Black girls — face in the classroom. When I reflect on reports like these, I sometimes feel this is a cautionary tale: I first began my teaching path working with eighth graders, providing academic and high school transition support at a charter school in Washington, D.C. That first year of teaching was a crash course on one of the key issues many novice teachers face: classroom management. Novice teachers in high-needs schools, where students are more exposed to adverse environments, are more likely to be “top-referrers” who contribute disproportionately to the racial disparities within office discipline referrals and suspensions. It is imperative, then, to ensure that novice teachers receive training in best practices for discipline.

Currently, many discipline protocols for novice teachers are written from the remains of zero tolerance policies — teaching novice educators to handle their classrooms by enforcing punishments such as in-school or out-of-school suspension. School discipline also typically involves School Resource Officers (SROs) as a way to enforce punishments which further contributes to the issue of criminalizing children by the police presence.

I have seen from my own experiences that over-criminalization can plant negative seeds in children impacting their social, emotional, and academic development. I have also seen the opposite effect —novice teachers are not given any tools to create discipline policies that support students’ well-being. Neither of these extremes work.

Instead, teachers need sufficient training and support to create clear discipline policies and evidence-based positive discipline practices. Restorative justice is an alternative discipline approach that holds students accountable while also supporting their social, emotional, and academic development by providing students with opportunities to repair the harm caused by conflicts. By utilizing research-based practices such as restorative justice and integrating them with activities that can grow the talents they already possess, we would provide teachers the skills and intrinsic motivation to address classroom management in ways that build and support relationships. By consistently reinforcing desired behaviors in a supportive environment, restorative justice helps both students and teachers build healthier relationships and improve classroom management, moving away from punitive measures and fostering a more constructive, empathetic approach to discipline.

One way to effectively integrate restorative justice into more schools is by implementing restorative justice with an artistic focus. It can be an innovative and effective approach to addressing behavioral issues in schools, particularly in higher-need communities. By integrating the arts into restorative justice programs, students are offered alternative means to express their emotions and experiences. The arts provide students with a non-threatening medium to explore and communicate their feelings, which can lead to healthier emotional development and a reduction in negative behaviors.

The ALIVE model being implemented in a high school in New Haven, Conn., serves as a compelling case study for integrating restorative justice within educational settings, particularly through the arts. The ALIVE model leverages drama therapy to create a more engaging and empathetic classroom environment and an associated humanities course uses techniques that include assessments through unique learning styles including journals and writing, role-plays, and artistic projects. The model allows students to express themselves more productively so that they do not act disruptively and receive harsh punishments. The model’s impact is clear in the data, showing a significant reduction in suspensions and serious fights.

In my own teaching experience, I saw that many of my students needed additional support learning to communicate their emotions the way they felt them. One thing I saw get through to the boys was a small music producer corner in the music room where students could write and record their own music. I saw that many of my students could express their truth when given the tools to learn how to produce their own songs and art. I would have loved to see a formal music-based restorative justice program like the ALIVE model in my school.