CAAEP students share school culture on podcast

In the space of about four years, the culture at the Cloquet Area Alternative Education Program has been transformed, thanks to a school-wide, top-to-bottom adoption of Restorative Practices, which focuses on building relationships and including all voices.

And people from all around the state are noticing.

Last week, student ambassadors from CAAEP were interviewed for the "Student Voice in Creating Positive School Climates" podcast developed by the Minnesota Department of Education. This interview rose from MDE's interest in Restorative Practices in schools and how to engage students in creating a positive school climate.

Our local school has become a model for others to follow in this area.

Critical to the development of a positive school climate is the engagement of students. To increase student activity and voices in restorative practices, CAAEP Restorative Practice teacher Dave Perry selects students and trains them in restorative philosophy, mentoring, talking circles, and basic conflict resolution skills.

Students then become contributors in the development of their own school culture. The student ambassadors facilitate talking circles with other students experiencing conflict or who need support because they are having a bad day.

"Talking circles are definitely effective because it gives you a chance to speak your mind without interruption," said Travis, a student ambassador.

The ambassadors are mentors to the junior high students and are often called into the classroom to be peer supports for learning and resolving issues. The ambassadors also assist other students with a restorative thinking report, which allows them to process what happened, what the thinking was at the time of the incident, who was impacted, and what needs to be done to make things right.

Schools that value the importance of healthy relationships in the learning process have seen the benefits of adopting restorative approaches to behavior management. The gift in this approach is a new language defining how we think about and manage our own and student behavior. Compliance and accountability lead to a sense of understanding and community, rather than being an end in itself. Options ranging from restorative mediation, school conferencing, and talking circles are ways to engage students and staff in the very important topics of conflict resolution and developing a safe and effective learning environment.

Ambassadors take on the role of a welcoming committee, hosting "welcome circles" for new students as well. They also have an outreach program that brings them into the community to educate the public about their experiences as ambassadors and the benefits of restorative practices in schools.

"It's nice that we all are equal," said student ambassador Gabe. "No one is better than anyone else, and in circle we all listen to each other without any distractions."

Cody, another student ambassador, states that, "We are here for one common reason and that is to bring us together. Restorative practices removes the barrier of being scared to talk."

During the podcast, a few of the student ambassadors also commented on how they take their experience and learning home with them. They said it has helped them communicate better with their parents and siblings.

Our community should be incredibly proud of these students. Stepping up into a leadership role is a courageous act and these students are doing it every day. One student ambassador, Hunter, put it perfectly: "We are making the world a better place."

What is school climate?

School climate is based on patterns of people’s experience with school life and reflects goals, values, social norms, relationships, learning and leadership practices. Research has shown that being intentional about developing a positive school climate improves attendance, academic achievement, student and staff retention, graduation rates, and also reduces discipline disparities.

Writer Laraine Mickelson is a Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices trainer and consultant with Mickelson Consulting, LLC. She has been part of the Restorative Practices efforts at CAAEP since the beginning.