The Oakland Unified School District’s restorative justice project has released this graphic for use as a teaching tool. You may use this poster to help people identify their own feelings as well as the feelings of others including characters in books, movies, poems etc. These emotions go beyond the usual “happy, angry, sad and tired” to include feelings that may arise during RJ processes such as talking circles and circles for conflict, harm and healing. The National Center for Restorative Justice has partnered with OUSD to make printed copies of the poster available via this shop.
Archive
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning School Posters
The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) materials from the UK Primary National Strategies curriculum provide seven posters for use across the school. They are available for download as pdfs (see attachments in site sidebar). The topics include the following:
Feelings detective & understanding my feelings and understanding the feelings of others. These two posters support children when trying to recognise their own feelings and the feelings of others.
Assertiveness
This poster uses the ideas covered in the theme sets and provides a reminder about how we might behave assertively rather than timidly, aggressively or manipulatively.
Problem solving
This poster outlines a problem-solving process that might be used in social or learning situations.
Peaceful problem solving
This poster provides a reminder of the SEAL approach to resolving conflicts within the school.
Circle time
This poster is an aid to those who use circle time and provides useful reminders for children to ensure the sessions are positive and productive.
The Fight
This is a copy of The Fight by L. S. Lowry. It is used as a stimulus for work in Say no to bullying
Classrooms in peace: Teaching strategies
22-page PDF article from the “Interamerican Journal of Education for Democracy, vol. 1, no. 2, June, 2008. Abstract: “In recent times citizenship competencies have arisen as a very valuable alternative for education for democracy and peace. The formative evaluation of the Aulas en Paz program has provided for analyzing various teaching strategies for the development of eight citizenship competencies which are essential for constructive conflict handling and the prevention of aggression – i.e. handling anger, empathy, distance-taking, creative generation of alternatives, considering consequences, active listening, assertiveness, and questioning beliefs. Preliminary results of the Aulas en Paz program were published in the previous issue of this Journal. This paper supplements the previous one by highlighting the teaching strategies that have been most successful in getting these citizenship competencies put into practice in an environment which is motivating and significant for the students.”
Teacher insights from an intercultural peace curricula development project
25-page PDF article from the Interamerican Journal of Education for Democracy, vol. 2, no. 2. September 2009. Abstract: “Data garnered from an eight month critical ethnographic action research project tells a story of prejudice and discrimination in a white, Euro-American dominant context at Junction High School in the U.S. Midwest. However, counter-normative efforts aimed at transforming the situation for newcomer students were conducted by both the researcher and a group of teachers who developed and implemented intercultural peace curricula. White, Euro-American constructions of “others†and teacher reflections on their engagement in the process are presented in this article. The article aims to provide a case study and to encourage deeper dialogue on intercultural peace education in schools for achieving an authentic democracy.”
VOV activities: Strengthening your sense of self-identity, grades 7-12
8-page PDF document with activities for 7-12 graders to build communication skills and self-esteem.
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL): Improving behaviour, improving learning
This fully articulated curriculum resource from the United Kingdom is available as a 90MB zip file containing the full kit or as individual pdfs. It aims to develop the underpinning qualities and skills that help promote positive behaviour and effective learning. It focuses on five social and emotional aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills.
The materials help children develop skills such as understanding another’s point of view, working in a group, sticking at things when they get difficult, resolving conflict and managing worries. They build on effective work already in place in the many primary schools who pay systematic attention to the social and emotional aspects of learning through whole-school ethos, initiatives such as circle time or buddy schemes, and the taught personal, social and health education (PSHE) and Citizenship curriculum.
The materials are organised into seven themes: New Beginnings, Getting on and falling out, Say no to bullying, Going for goals!, Good to be me, Relationships and Changes. Each theme is designed for a whole-school approach and includes a whole-school assembly and suggested follow-up activities in all areas of the curriculum. The colour-coded resources are organized at four levels: Foundation Stage, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6. Pupil reference material and photocopiable teacher reference material accompany each theme.
Social emotional learning scenario
Web-based interactive resource which introduces social emotional learning which “refers to knowledge, habits, skills and ideals that are at the heart of a child’s academic, personal, social, and civic development … this type of learning enables individuals to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish and maintain positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively.”
What have I done: Victim empathy pack responsibility exercises
13-page Word document presenting a “new victim empathy resource designed to keep victim awareness high in Restorative Justice practitioner’s priorities.” Contains a number of exercises about taking responsibility for one’s actions and exploring feelings.
Statement of restorative justice principles: As applied in a school setting: 2nd edition
24-page PDF document of “Principles [which] form the basis for restorative practices in all settings, using all models, where the primary aims are to repair harm and promote dialogue … Restorative practices are underpinned by a set of values, these include: Empowerment, honesty, respect, engagement, voluntarism, healing, restoration, personal accountability, inclusiveness, collaboration, and problem-solving.”
Evaluation report: Life skills project implementation in the Armenian education system
45-page PDF report which
“represents an evaluation of implementation of the Life Skills Project being conducted in the Armenian education system as [a] component of an overall effort in education reform … the project was piloted in the first and fifth grades in 16 schools in 1999-2000. In 2000-2001 the project was expanded to 100 schools and to the second and sixth grades. UNICEF provided funding and some logistical support and the MOES provided administrative and logistical project support and workspace for the curriculum development team.”
Evaluation report: Life skills project implementation in the Armenian education system
45-page Word report which
“represents an evaluation of implementation of the Life Skills Project being conducted in the Armenian education system as [a] component of an overall effort in education reform … the project was piloted in the first and fifth grades in 16 schools in 1999-2000. In 2000-2001 the project was expanded to 100 schools and to the second and sixth grades. UNICEF provided funding and some logistical support and the MOES provided administrative and logistical project support and workspace for the curriculum development team.”
Peace education curriculum: Programa pendidiken damai (pdf)
84-page pdf translation of the Indonesian “Kurikulum Pendidikan Damai” which “was the first of its kind to be developed in Indonesia, representing peace education from an Islamic and Acehnese perspective. It promotes a positive, comprehensive peace encompassing peaceful relations with God the Creator, with oneself, with one’s fellow humans, and with the environment. The curriculum teaches communal peace in accordance with the positive Islamic approach, namely the absence of war and discrimination and the necessity of justice in society. This manual emphasizes that peace is neither a subjugation to situations nor a passive acceptance of injustice, discrimination, and war, but rather a recognition of these problems and addressing them in a peaceful manner. The curriculum also stresses the importance of process and ends, since peace is both process and results, as reflected in active involvement of students in a system of learning by doing … The materials and learning activities were authored in such a manner to allow the students dominant roles in the learning process. The students are guided to observe, analyze, and seek for solutions to existing conflicts. We feel that this strategy can better improve the students’ knowledge on conflict and peace, build their skills in managing conflicts without violence, and actualize them all in their real life.”
Peace education curriculum: Programa pendidiken damai
92-page word document translation of the Indonesian “Kurikulum Pendidikan Damai” which “was the first of its kind to be developed in Indonesia, representing peace education from an Islamic and Acehnese perspective. It promotes a positive, comprehensive peace encompassing peaceful relations with God the Creator, with oneself, with one’s fellow humans, and with the environment. The curriculum teaches communal peace in accordance with the positive Islamic approach, namely the absence of war and discrimination and the necessity of justice in society. This manual emphasizes that peace is neither a subjugation to situations nor a passive acceptance of injustice, discrimination, and war, but rather a recognition of these problems and addressing them in a peaceful manner. The curriculum also stresses the importance of process and ends, since peace is both process and results, as reflected in active involvement of students in a system of learning by doing … The materials and learning activities were authored in such a manner to allow the students dominant roles in the learning process. The students are guided to observe, analyze, and seek for solutions to existing conflicts. We feel that this strategy can better improve the students’ knowledge on conflict and peace, build their skills in managing conflicts without violence, and actualize them all in their real life.”
SACSC Toward a safe and caring secondary curriculum
Web site developed by the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada whose mission “is to encourage home, school and community practices that teach, model and reinforce socially responsible and respectful behaviors, so that living and learning can take place in a safe, caring and inclusive environment. Achieving this mission requires the involvement not only of parents, teachers, and children, but of all the important adults in children’s lives.” The “purpose of the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities Toward a Safe and Caring Curriculum Secondary Unit and Lesson Plans web-based resource is to provide units, lesson plans and other resources that integrate safe and caring knowledge, skills and attitudes into all subject areas in the Alberta secondary curriculum… this resource was developed by Alberta reachers in whose classrooms the accompanying lessons have been field tested.” The lessons address 6 topics: Living Respectfully; Developing Self-Esteem; Respecting Diversity and Preventing Prejudice; Managing Anger; Dealing with Bullying; and Resolving Conflicts Peacefully for junior and senior high school students.
SACSC Elementary unit and lesson plans
Web site developed by the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada whose mission “is to encourage home, school and community practices that teach, model and reinforce socially responsible and respectful behaviors, so that living and learning can take place in a safe, caring and inclusive environment. Achieving this mission requires the involvement not only of parents, teachers, and children, but of all the important adults in children’s lives.” The site houses a number of lesson plans and educational units “focusing on adult modeling, the SACSC programs prevent negative social behavior through character education, conflict management training and building respect for diversity. They promote a problem-solving approach to discipline that encourages positive social behavior by expecting young people to fix the wrong they have caused, thereby learning from their mistakes.” They focus on 5 topics: Living Respectfully; Developing Self-Esteem; Respecting Diversity and Preventing Prejudice; Managing Anger and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment; and Resolving Conflicts Peacefully for grades K-6.