Teachers don’t just teach the material. They challenge kids, nurture them, help them grow, and keep them focused. They support them while also holding them accountable when needed.
It’s not an easy job. Every classroom has conflicts: behavior problems, fights, rudeness, class clowns, and other disruptions. One recent story shows that the way educators are dealing with these challenges is changing in some surprising ways.
Atlanta school tries new kindness-focused approach
Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School decided to switch things up about two years ago. To get students to be kinder to each other—and to themselves—the school had to rebuild its entire culture and philosophy.
They decided to prioritize relationships and positive culture over lesson plans and instructional time. In practice, it was surprisingly simple. All it took was one small—and admittedly silly—question before opening the books each morning.
“Every class, every day, our teachers start with connection before content,” Principal Kimberly Sewell told CBS News Atlanta. “For 30 seconds, we ask students something simple, like their favorite pizza topping or what makes them happy.”
Teachers are encouraged to take a softer, gentler approach in general, focusing on building positive relationships with students first and correcting behavior second.
It sounds counterintuitive, and it might ruffle feathers for those who are used to a more old-school approach. But you can’t argue with the results.
Sewell says discipline referrals have dropped by half since the school adopted the program. Fewer kids are getting punished or sent to the principal’s office. Attendance has improved, too, and kids are fighting less while embracing a model of positive conflict resolution instead.
Other schools are taking note
In recent years, a philosophy called “restorative practices” has been taking hold in more and more American schools. And it’s getting results.
The old model focused on “exclusionary discipline,” or removing students with behavior problems from the classroom. Suspension, isolation, detention—even expulsion.
But a growing body of research shows that this kind of discipline doesn’t help solve the problem. In fact, it makes behavior problems worse overall and robs students of classroom learning time, often over minor infractions like being late to class or talking back.
Zero-tolerance policies were on the rise in American schools for decades. Now, schools are trying a different approach.
Instead of suspending kids, a school using restorative practices might offer counseling, mediation, and conflict resolution. It might also provide a calm-down area for students who have trouble regulating their emotions. If a student hurts another student or disrupts learning, they don’t just get sent away—they’re expected to take reparative action. They have to make it right.
Some schools have even replaced detention with meditation and mindfulness, with brilliant results.
A landmark study from the University of Chicago Education Lab found that schools implementing restorative practices saw a dramatic reduction in student arrests—not just at school, but outside of school as well. This philosophy can truly make a difference in students’ lives.
The goal is to resolve conflicts, help kids make better choices, and get them back to learning in the classroom.
Data makes a big difference
It’s awesome to see decades of academic research being put into practice in our schools. Kids who act out the most often have the rockiest home lives, and we now know that what they need isn’t harsh discipline that removes them from the learning environment. They need kindness, empathy, and educators who will help them grow into well-rounded adults.
Even just asking about their favorite pizza topping before beginning the day’s work is a terrific place to start.
