Lesson Plan
Restore & Rise Lesson Plan
Students will define restorative conversations, differentiate them from punitive approaches, and practice applying restorative principles in peer mentor scenarios.
Learning restorative conversation techniques equips peer mentors with essential skills to foster positive relationships, resolve conflicts constructively, and build a more supportive school community. It teaches empathy, active listening, and problem-solving.
Audience
8th Grade Peer Mentors
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive presentation, group discussion, and scenario practice.
Materials
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Restore & Rise Lesson Plan, Restore & Rise Slide Deck, Mentor Conversation Script, and Restorative Scenarios Activity to ensure familiarity with content and flow.
- Print copies of the Restorative Scenarios Activity for each small group.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What is Conflict?
5 minutes
Begin by asking students to share their initial thoughts on conflict resolution. What usually happens when there's a disagreement? (Teacher should use the Mentor Conversation Script for guidance).
Step 2
Introducing Restorative Conversations
10 minutes
Use the Restore & Rise Slide Deck and Mentor Conversation Script to introduce what restorative conversations are (and are not). Focus on key principles like empathy, understanding harm, and repairing relationships.
Step 3
Scenario Practice
10 minutes
Divide students into small groups. Distribute the Restorative Scenarios Activity. Each group will work through one scenario, discussing how they would approach it using restorative conversation principles. Circulate to provide support and guidance. (Teacher should use the Mentor Conversation Script for guidance).
Step 4
Wrap-Up & Reflection
5 minutes
Bring the groups back together. Ask each group to briefly share their approach to the scenario. Facilitate a quick discussion on the benefits and challenges of restorative conversations. (Teacher should use the Mentor Conversation Script for guidance).
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Slide Deck
Welcome, Mentors!
Today's Journey:
- What are Restorative Conversations?
- The Power of Empathy
- Practice Time!
Let's think: How do we usually resolve disagreements at school or with friends?
Welcome students and introduce the topic. Ask them to think about how conflicts are usually resolved and jot down a few ideas. This is a warm-up to get them thinking before introducing restorative conversations.
What's a Restorative Conversation?
It's a way to deal with conflict that focuses on:
- Repairing Harm: What happened, and who was affected?
- Taking Responsibility: How can we make things right?
- Rebuilding Relationships: How can we move forward together?
It's about listening and understanding, not just blaming.
Introduce the core idea of restorative conversations. Emphasize that it's about repairing harm and rebuilding relationships, not just punishment.
What It's NOT
Restorative Conversations are NOT:
- About Punishment: It's not about finding someone to blame or giving out penalties.
- Ignoring Rules: It still acknowledges rules, but seeks to understand why they were broken.
- Easy Fixes: It takes effort and willingness from everyone involved.
- Just for Teachers: YOU, as peer mentors, can use these skills too!
Clarify what restorative conversations are not. This helps to dispel common misconceptions and highlight the difference from traditional punitive approaches.
Key Restorative Questions
When something goes wrong, ask:
- What happened? (Get the facts)
- What were you thinking and feeling at the time? (Understand perspective)
- Who has been affected, and how? (Acknowledge impact)
- What do you need to do to make things right? (Plan for repair)
- What do you need to do to prevent this from happening again? (Future focus)
Introduce the key questions in a restorative conversation. These are the tools mentors can use. Highlight the importance of asking these questions to understand the full picture.
The Power of Empathy & Listening
To have a restorative conversation, you need to:
- Listen Actively: Pay attention, ask clarifying questions, and show you care.
- Show Empathy: Try to understand how the other person is feeling.
- Stay Neutral: Your role is to help facilitate, not to take sides.
- Encourage Responsibility: Help individuals identify their role and what they can do to fix it.
Emphasize empathy and active listening as foundational skills for restorative conversations. Remind them that mentors are there to facilitate, not to solve it for them.
Setting the Stage: Ground Rules & Consent
Before you start, make sure:
- Everyone Agrees: Both people want to have this conversation.
- Clear Guidelines: Agree on how you'll talk: respectful language, no interruptions, focus on the problem.
- It's Voluntary: No one is being forced to participate. Restorative conversations work best when people choose to engage.
This new slide focuses on the crucial step of setting up the conversation for success before it even begins. Emphasize that both parties must agree to participate and understand the basic ground rules for a respectful discussion.
Your Turn! Restorative Scenarios
Now, let's put these ideas into practice!
We'll work in small groups to tackle some real-life (but pretend!) situations.
Think about:
- How would you start the conversation?
- Which restorative questions would you ask?
- What would be your goal for repairing the harm?
Transition to the activity. Explain that they will be working through scenarios to apply what they've learned. Encourage them to use the questions they just reviewed.
Be a Restorative Mentor!
Restorative conversations help build a stronger, more understanding community.
As peer mentors, you have the power to make a real difference by helping others repair harm and grow from their experiences.
Thank you for being amazing mentors!
Conclude the lesson by reiterating the value of restorative conversations and empowering them as peer mentors.
Script
Mentor Conversation Script
Warm-Up: What is Conflict? (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Good morning, future leaders! Today, we're diving into a super important skill for peer mentors: how to have powerful conversations that help people solve problems and get along better. To start, I want you to take a moment to think about conflict. When there's a disagreement or a problem at school, or even with friends, what usually happens? What are some ways people try to resolve it?"
Teacher: "Great ideas! We often see things like apologies, consequences, or even just ignoring the problem. Today, we're going to learn about a different approach that can be incredibly effective: restorative conversations."
Introducing Restorative Conversations (10 minutes)
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: Welcome, Mentors!)
"As peer mentors, you're in a unique position to help your classmates navigate tricky situations. Sometimes, problems can feel overwhelming, but with the right tools, you can help turn conflicts into opportunities for growth and understanding."
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: What is a Restorative Conversation?)
"So, what exactly is a restorative conversation? At its heart, it's a way to deal with conflict that focuses on repairing harm. Instead of just asking 'Who broke the rules and what's their punishment?', we ask: 'What happened? Who was affected? How can we make things right?' It's about really listening and understanding everyone's perspective."
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: What It's NOT)
"It's just as important to understand what restorative conversations are not. They are not about just punishing someone, or ignoring rules. It's also not always an easy fix. These conversations take effort, but the results—repaired relationships and true understanding—are worth it. And here's the best part: this isn't just for teachers. You, as peer mentors, can use these powerful skills!"
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: Key Restorative Questions)
"These are your secret weapons! When you're helping two people work through a problem, these questions will guide you. Read them with me. Notice how they help everyone involved think about the situation, their feelings, the impact on others, and what they can do to fix it and move forward."
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: The Power of Empathy & Listening)
"The foundation of any good restorative conversation is empathy and active listening. As a mentor, you're not there to judge or take sides. You're there to create a safe space for people to talk, listen to each other, and figure out a solution together. Show you care, pay attention, and encourage everyone to really hear what the other person is saying."
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: Setting the Stage: Ground Rules & Consent)
"Before you even dive into the conversation itself, there are some really important ground rules to establish. First, make sure both people genuinely want to have this conversation. It's voluntary! Restorative conversations work best when everyone chooses to be there. Second, help them agree on some clear guidelines: how will they speak respectfully? Can they interrupt? What's the main goal? Setting these expectations upfront makes a huge difference in having a successful conversation."
Scenario Practice (10 minutes)
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: Your Turn! Restorative Scenarios)
"Alright, mentors! It's time to put these powerful ideas into practice. I'm going to divide you into small groups. Each group will receive a Restorative Scenarios Activity with a common peer mentor situation. Your task is to discuss how you would approach this situation using the restorative conversation principles we just learned. Think about:
- How would you start the conversation?
- Which of those key restorative questions would you ask?
- What would be your goal for repairing the harm and rebuilding the relationship?
"You have about 10 minutes for this. I'll be circulating to answer any questions and hear your brilliant ideas. Go ahead and get into your groups."
(Circulate and listen to group discussions, offering guidance as needed.)
Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Alright, bring it back together, everyone! Let's hear some of your amazing strategies. Who would like to share how their group approached their scenario? What was challenging? What felt effective?"
(Allow 2-3 groups to share briefly and facilitate a short discussion, reinforcing key concepts.)
Teacher: (Transition to Restore & Rise Slide Deck - Slide: Be a Restorative Mentor!)
"Fantastic work, everyone! Remember, restorative conversations are not just about solving problems; they're about building a stronger, more understanding community where everyone feels heard and valued. As peer mentors, you have the incredible power to make a real difference by helping others repair harm and grow from their experiences."
"Thank you for being such thoughtful and amazing mentors. Keep practicing these skills, and you'll be creating positive change all around you!"
Activity
Restorative Scenarios Activity
Instructions: In your small group, read the scenario assigned to you. Discuss how you would approach this situation using the principles of restorative conversations. Use the "Key Restorative Questions" we discussed to guide your conversation. Be prepared to share your group's plan with the class.
Scenario 1: The Misplaced Project
Two students, Alex and Ben, are peer mentors themselves. Alex spent hours working on a group project, and left it on their desk to print. Ben, rushing to clean up, accidentally knocked it off and spilled a drink on it, ruining a significant portion. Alex is very upset and accusing Ben of being careless. Ben feels terrible but also defensive because it was an accident.
Discussion Questions for your group:
- How would you, as a peer mentor, start the conversation with both Alex and Ben?
- What restorative questions would you ask each person to understand what happened, their feelings, and the impact?
- What might each person need to do to repair the harm? What would a good outcome look like?
- How could you help Alex and Ben move forward and prevent similar accidents in the future?
Scenario 2: The Online Comment
Maria comes to you, her peer mentor, very upset. She saw a comment about her outfit on social media from another student, Chloe, that wasn't very kind. Maria feels embarrassed and hurt, and now she doesn't want to wear that outfit again. Chloe insists it was just a joke and didn't mean any harm.
Discussion Questions for your group:
- How would you, as a peer mentor, approach Maria first? What would you do to understand her feelings?
- How would you then engage with Chloe? What restorative questions would you ask her to help her understand the impact of her words?
- What steps could be taken for Chloe to take responsibility and make things right for Maria?
- What might be a good plan to help both Maria feel better and ensure kind online interactions in the future?
Scenario 3: Group Project Troubles
During a group project, one member, Sam, hasn't been pulling their weight. The other two members, Liam and Olivia, are frustrated because they're doing all the work, and the deadline is approaching. They are considering telling the teacher but want to try to resolve it themselves first, so they come to you, their peer mentor.
Discussion Questions for your group:
- How would you, as a peer mentor, bring Liam, Olivia, and Sam together to discuss the issue?
- What restorative questions would you use to help Sam understand the impact of their actions on Liam and Olivia, and to help Liam and Olivia express their feelings constructively?
- What could Sam do to take responsibility and contribute meaningfully to the project now?
- What agreement could the group make to ensure fair work distribution and successful project completion?