Restorative Dialogue

Refer to the hot moment that occurred previously and share the definition of a hot moment: an instance where “people’s feelings or emotions — often conflictual— rise to a point that threatens teaching and learning”.

Emphasise the importance of reflecting on this moment to create a safe learning environment and to learn from it by listening actively, expressing their viewpoints and reflecting on emotions and thoughts. Explain the differences between a discussion or debate versus a dialogue.

Describe as briefly and factually as possible what happened:

• Background: where did it happen, who was present and who was involved?
• Situation: what were the circumstances? What did you see and hear?
• Feelings: what did you feel when the hot moment occurred?
• Actions: what actions did you take (e.g. moved on, had a break)?

Each student is given 10 minutes to answer the following reflective questions in keywords individually.

Regarding what happened previously in class,

• What did you feel during the situation?
• What did you think?
• What principle or value did you feel was at stake?
• What did you do, or not do?

Collect the students’ answers using menti.com or another online interactive presentation tool. On a computer with a projector, share their answers in this chart:

Individually, look at all the information revealed in the matrix, without paying specific attention to the feelings and thoughts of the students directly involved in the hot moment. Then, as a group, students observe the variety of feelings, thoughts and principles or values expressed.

Begin with a brief reiteration of the session’s objectives. Emphasise that the goal is to learn and restore, not to win or convince. You will cultivate a restorative dialogue based on the following attitudes:

• Wonder 
• Empathy 
• Courage 
• Curiosity 
• Tolerating the not-knowing 
• Judging and not taking that judgment seriously 
• Tolerating irritation 

Using the handout on Restorative and Socratic Dialogue, briefly explain what each attitude entails and why it is important for a fruitful dialogue.

To embody these attitudes, ask one of the students who was not involved in the hot moment to share their perspective. This helps reduce tension and provides a neutral starting point. Emphasise that reality and what is morally “good” is not fixed and can be interpreted in multiple ways. Allow this student to share their perspective without interruptions. Encourage the group to listen actively and reflect on what is being said.

Next, to suspend judgment, encourage the group to ask questions aimed at understanding the speaker. Example questions include: “Can you explain more about how you felt?” or “What did you mean by…?”. 

Then, ask a few other students who were not directly involved in the incident to share their perspectives as well. Aim to have at least two students share.

Your role as a facilitator is to: 

• Regularly summarise what has been said to ensure everyone understands the speaker’s meaning. This helps prevent misunderstandings. 
• Ensure all communication is respectful and non-judgmental. Remind the group of the attitudes they need to adopt. 

Allow the group to collectively reflect on the information on the board and in the interactive presentation. Ask questions like “What common points do we see?” and “What differences stand out?”. 

Note down feelings, thoughts and values on a board or flipchart as students speak. This helps the group visually see common grounds and differences in perspectives. 

Allow the students who were involved in the hot moment to speak now. They do not have to defend themselves, but:

• describe what they see on the matrix or flipchart and what they heard;
• describe the value or principle that guided their actions.

To summarise the key insights and lessons from the session, ask students what they have learned and how they can apply this in the future. Conclude with a thank you to all participants for their openness and contribution to the dialogue.

Assessment as learning aims to strengthen the learning process and the development of metacognitive skills. It empowers students to direct their learning and to become independent, critical self-assessors.

Self-assessment

Self-regulated learning

Reflective questions and instructions for the 5-minute paper