Adults in schools aren’t behaviour controllers, they’re climate shapers.
Once we see ourselves that way, everything begins to shift.
Kids will always arrive with their own emotional weather: a storm from home, a downpour of frustration, or a low-pressure mood settling in.
Restorative practices give us the tools in Language, Conduct and Mindset to gently guide those conditions toward calmer, sunnier moments.
Tanya, the Principal at Wallan Primary School shared a first-hand account about how powerful this can be.
She shared a proud moment about a staff member: “She noticed a student, tension was brewing and, instead of reacting to the behaviour punitively, the teacher offered a simple, question… “What’s happening for you today?” No lecture. No shame. All connection.
Just human connection and a safe space to name the weather inside.
From that place, accountability becomes possible, repair feels natural and the atmospheric pressure is released so learning happens!
This is the gentle breeze of a restorative climate. We can normalise emotion and honour relationships by shaping the climate.
If connection came first, how would it change tomorrow’s classroom forecast?
(Oh, and for those who don’t know, Jane Bunn is a Meteorologist in sunny Melbourne!)
