Hello ETTC Teaching Trailblazers! I am thrilled to present another addition to our Vlog series: “Teaching Trailblazers with Chris from Education to the Core”. The series will include interviews with a variety of professionals across multiple disciplines in our field of education. In this episode, I have a conversation with an amazing leader in our field, Rufus Lott III.
Continue to check our YouTube Channel for additional videos within this series as well as other great sneak peeks and tutorials of some of our amazing educational resources!
Rufus Lott provides a great overview of Restorative Practices and how to incorporate them into our daily routines. A truly “out-of-the-box” approach to building relationships is introduced through a three-phased cycle. In addition to creating this cycled approach, Mr. Lott is the founder of LOTT Educational Consultants. He is also the lead consultant specializing in the area of Restorative Practices in schools.
Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices help create safe learning environments through community building. Let’s face it… when kids feel and know you care about them, a sense of community occurs. This community feeling allows for these practices to proactively build healthy and appropriate relationships. Restorative practices also address conflict and how to improve discipline and student consequences.
Restorative practices can be applied with an individual in mind, a classroom, or even a district. School climate will typically improve when a team approach ensues and these practices are implemented. The main focus of these practices are positive and appropriate relationships. These relationships include peer to peer as well as the teacher to student.
Benefits of restorative practices:
- Builds Positive Relationships
- Community of Respectful Learners
- Encourages All to Take Responsibility
- Social-Emotional Learning
- Goal Setting
- Decision Making
- Self-Awareness
- Appropriate Relationships
There are many ways to implement restorative practices in the classroom. For instance, teachers can incorporate daily morning meetings to build relationships with students, get a sense of their social/emotional mindset, and set the tone and focus for the instructional day. In addition to morning meetings, you may look into additional circle times throughout your day. Also, modeling, critique, and examples should be given to allow the students to discuss the events and outcomes.
Looking for more information on Restorative Practices? Check out a great opinion piece from Education Week: “Ways to Implement Restorative Practices in the Classroom“.

Connect, Correct, Consequence
Mr. Lott’s 3 phased cycle is an interesting take to building and sustaining relationships. The 3 Phases include: (1) to connect, then (2) correct, and finally (3) the consequence occurs. This systematic approach cycles around the concept of effective language within all three phases.
1. Connect Phase
This phase is all about connecting to your students on a professional and personal level. For instance, lessons should be engaging and your students should feel part of your classroom community. It is all about building positive relationships and building self-awareness skills.
Positive and long-lasting implications on both academic and social success are a result of improving students’ relationships. This part isn’t just about positive praise. In addition to praise, students enjoy when they have a voice in their learning, choice, and receive constructive guidance. Therefore, they are more likely to trust their role models and teachers.
2. Correct Phase
Next, let’s focus on the second phase, which occurs through dialogue with the students. Strategies include restorative chats, conferences, and circles to collaborate with students. The behavioral incident, occurrence, or consequence shouldn’t be ridiculed or in other words… critiqued. However, the incident should be the focus of the chat. These collaborations focus on appropriate ways to repair relationships. To continue building relationships, examples and non-examples are provided and even modeled. In conclusion, a plan to prevent future incidents based upon acceptance of personal accountability should be created.
3. Consequence Phase
The third phase is the consequence phase. It is determined by considering the desired outcome or function. First, consider the desired outcome, rather than just a general punishment. After that, a strategy is selected to achieve that outcome in a more appropriate way. However, this is not as easy as it may sound. Need some ideas of interventions or strategies that match student function? Check out ETTC’s Free Behavioral Course!
Looking to Connect with Mr. Lott?
Want to learn more about Mr. Rufus Lott III or Restorative Practices?
Visit his website of Lott Educational Consulting for more information, contact details, and resources.
Do You Inspire and Empower?
Do you feel you can inspire and empower Teaching Trailblazers of Education to the Core? If so, you could be interviewed for our YouTube series “Teaching Trailblazers with Chris from ETTC”! Click here for your chance to share with ETTC what you are most passionate about and begin to pave the way for a better future for our teachers, for our students, and for education.
Written by: Christopher Olson
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