In my work helping schools implement restorative practices, I have found the most satisfying conversions often start with, “Will that work with our students?”
Meet Deputy Vikki, a no-nonsense leader for whom the phrase, “You’re suspended,” was a well-honed reflex. Let’s face it – as leaders in schools, that’s what we grew up with, and it is what was (and still is) widely modelled.
Vickki’s school was exploring a new framework for incidents just like the one she was about to face. This approach focuses on the Past (what happened?), the Present (who was affected?) and the Future (how do we make it right?).
And then came the pasta. Specifically spag bol – super saucy and meaty.
Two students, emerging from Hospitality class, had bypassed the lunch tables, and slipped two giant bowls of spaghetti bolognese into the bathrooms. What ensued was less a food fight and more an art installation. A stunning exhibition of how far two servings of al dente spag bol can travel when propelled by excited teens.
Vikki arrived on the scene. Every surface, walls, mirrors, doors wore a new coat of pasta paint. And then there were the students, literally caught red handed. Her limbic system hit red alert. Every instinct, forged over years, screamed for the suspension forms and a nice black pen. This was blatant disrespect. This was a slap in the face.
But she paused. She took a breath. Okay, she thought, let’s try this RP 2.0 stuff.
The, “What is the problem?” was obvious, no need to try and find the “gist.” So, she moved straight to the powerful present tense question, “Who has been affected by this?”
The list started predictably, themselves, each other, the school… but then it landed where it mattered most, the cleaners. The invisible crew who would have to wage war on this cemented-on mess.
The future question wrote itself. The restorative solution was not a punishment; it was a lesson. The students would partner with the very cleaners they had inconvenienced to learn how to mop, scrub, and return the bathroom to its pre spag bol artwork.
But the real lesson, the WOW moment for Vikki, came later. She saw one of the students stop a cleaner in the hall. “Sorry again,” they said. “And thanks for showing us how to get it off the ceiling.” The cleaner smiled, a genuine moment of connection built on repaired respect.
A suspension would have only taught them to be more careful, plan an escape route and lie to avoid punishment. Restoration taught them accountability and empathy. It forced them to see the human cost of their actions.
Deputy Vikki is now RP 2.0’s biggest advocate. She saw, in the most visceral way possible, that fixing a problem is infinitely more powerful than just punishing it. All it took was a little spaghetti and the courage to try something different.
Check out other articles Sheila has written here.