Facilitator’s Repair Words

These are teacher prompts to guide students during role-plays and circle discussions. Use them to model calm, empathetic language and keep the practice on track.

During Partner Role-Play

• “Remember to speak in a calm, clear voice when you say what happened. Try: ‘Here’s what happened…’”


• “Good job! Now let’s add how you felt. Start with, ‘I feel…’ and use your feeling word.”


• “Nice apology! Make it genuine by saying, ‘I’m sorry for…’ and naming exactly what you did.”


• “Great question. Ask, ‘How can I make this right?’ and then listen closely.”


• “You’re almost done. Work together: ‘Let’s decide a fair solution.’ What idea do you both like?”

Prompting During Role-Play Feedback

• “I noticed you looked at your partner—that shows you’re listening!”


• “Your ‘I feel’ sentence was clear. That helps your partner understand you.”


• “Your apology sounded sincere. Well done on naming what you did.”


• “Excellent follow-up question. That shows you care about fixing things.”

During Group Reflection

• “How did it feel to share your feelings and hear your partner’s feelings?”


• “Who can share an example of a really good apology they heard or gave?”


• “What was one idea you agreed on as a solution? How will it help?”


• “Remember, mistakes happen. Saying sorry and fixing them makes friendships stronger.”

Circle Check-In Discussion Guidelines

Purpose: Create a safe, supportive space for students to name and share their feelings before diving into today’s restorative circle.

Time: 5 minutes

1. Set the Tone (Teacher Script)

• “Today, we’re going to start by checking in with how we feel. This helps us listen with kindness and be ready to help our friends.”
• Remind students: one speaker at a time, respectful listening, no fixing or solving in this step—just sharing.

2. One-Word Check-In

• Prompt: “Think of one word that describes how you feel right now. When it’s your turn, share your word and then, if you’d like, add a bit more about it.”
  
  
  
  

3. Follow-Up Sharing (Optional)

• After each word, invite a brief elaboration:
  • “Why did you choose that word?”
  • “What would make today feel even better for you?”
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

4. Active Listening Practice

• Encourage students to look at the speaker, nod, or give a thumbs-up to show they’re listening.
• Teacher Model: “I hear Maria saying she feels nervous because of the spelling test later. Thank you for sharing, Maria.”
  
  
  
  

5. Transition to Restorative Circle

• Teacher: “Thank you for sharing and listening. Now that we know how we’re feeling, we’re ready to learn how to fix problems and keep our friendships strong.”
• Move smoothly into the next step: Introduce Restorative Norms with Steps to Repair Slides.

Restorative Talk Rubric

Purpose: Assess students’ ability to practice the five restorative repair steps with clarity, empathy, sincerity, and collaboration during partner role-play.

Scoring Scale:

• 4 – Exceeds Expectations
  - Consistently models the step with depth and insight
• 3 – Meets Expectations
  - Adequately demonstrates the step as taught
• 2 – Approaching Expectations
  - Attempts the step but may be unclear or incomplete
• 1 – Beginning
  - Needs support to perform the step

Students can earn a maximum of 24 points (6 criteria x 4 points). Use this rubric to guide feedback during and after role-plays, highlighting strengths and areas for growth.