DETAILS
Date: Register anytime between August 21, 2026 - August 20, 2027
Course #: LR 288:726
Number of License Renewal Credit Hours: 3
Registration Deadline: Last day to register is Friday, August 20th 2027 by 5:00 p.m.
How it Works:
Participants will have at least 2 full months after registration to complete their course.
Examples:
- Register FEBRUARY 1ST and start the course as soon as your registration has been processed.
You will have until APRIL 30TH to complete the class. - Register FEBRUARY 25TH and start the course as soon as your registration has been processed.
You will have until APRIL 30TH to complete the class.
Students must monitor their progress and finish the course at the end of 2 months after registration.
If there is a problem, or any questions, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor.
Course Description:
Mary Poppins was right: a spoon full of sugar does make the medicine go down. Let’s face it, learning isn’t always easy for students to lap up or teachers to impart. Thrown into the mix, is the ever present spectrum of behavior issues ranging from distraction and moving to all out acts of aggression. Very few teachers today have problem free classes and all too many have students who display behavior that is totally inconsistent with learning.
What research and our own experience has told us is that punishment, alienation, isolation and pushing students away doesn’t work in the long run…and sometimes it doesn’t work even in the short run. It’s time to rethink the way we manage behavior in our schools and classrooms and provide a framework for restorative practices that empowers our students to change and eliminate destructive behavior for good.
A Spoonful of Sugar…Restorative Practices in the Classroom is a 3-credit Iowa license renewal course that will show educators why punitive practices are ineffective, lead to disaffected and underachieving students and play a role in the school-to-prison-pipeline. Participants will learn how to implement restorative practices from communication techniques and structures and supports to peace-building and peacemaking strategies in order to establish classrooms built on collective respect developing students with the tools and understanding to self-regulate and self-manage. It’s all about sugar and little about vinegar.
Required Materials:
Smith, D., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2015). Better than carrots or stick: Restorative practices for positive classroom management. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Outcomes and Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will...
- Understand the benefits of restorative practices over punitive punishments;
- Understand the role attitudes, SEL and relationships play in restorative practices;
- Know how to establish restorative environments;
- Understand restorative peacebuilding and peacekeeping strategies; and
- Know the key components to establishing a welcoming, inclusive and preventative school mindset.
Course Topics that Support Instructional Practices and Strategies:
Topics that support instructional practices and strategies include:
*Punitive vs. Restorative: What’s the difference?
*The School-to-Prison Pipeline (Suspensions, Expulsions & Zero Tolerance)
*Shame & the 7 Affects
*Relationships (Invitations to Learning & Connecting Positively)
*Restorative Environments
*Self-Regulation & the 5 Domains
*Power
*Peacebuilding (Individual & Class meetings & Circles)
*Peacemaking (Mullet’s 3-Step Process, Victim-Offender Dialogues & High-Stakes Meetings
*Re-entry Plans
*School Mindset: Inclusive & Preventative
Instructor Methods and Course Design:
This is a 3-credit hour Iowa license renewal only course. Course objectives will be met through instructor designed lessons and activities, supplemental readings and videos, discussions & tests.
How Does This Course Support the Iowa Core?
The information and strategies presented in this course improve students’ ability to analyze, monitor and improve their behavior. It provides insight into how to help students reach a point where they are able to develop and maintain positive social interactions, develop and implement non-confrontational ways to meet conflict and use resolution and reconciliation to achieve both internal and external harmony, success and peace.
Restorative practices will impact across all disciplines, subject/content areas, and age levels to improve thinking and learning. All students must be proficient learners and reach their maximum potential. This falls in line with the Iowa Core that states school preparation should produce the following:
1. Students who are college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.
2. Students who are proficient in English, language arts, history, social studies, science, and technical subjects in all grade levels.
3. Students who are proficient in 21st century skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, curiosity, collaboration and leadership.
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**Important Registration Information for You**
Please read through as these are Frequently Asked Questions in which answers can be found within this page.
1. The instructor will email you once the start date arrives with information on how to get started in the class:
- Emails regarding this class will come from the instructor/organization with an email address ending in professional.development@educateteachers.org;
- Be sure to check your junk/spam/clutter folders-mailboxes in case the email address isn't recognized as a known address; and
- IF YOU ARE USING A SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS, many schools have their network security filters set up to push unknown emails directly to spam and you will not even see it - if this is the case you will need to either talk to your IT department and request emails with the email address be allowed through or let us know you want to use a different email address.
2. The Tabs at the top of the registration page have important additional information regarding this class:
- The Syllabus gives information of what will be expected of you in the course. Generally, it will include course policies, rules and regulations, required texts, and a schedule of assignments;
- The Fees will let you know how much this class will cost depending on the type of credit you want to take it for as well as if you are an ISEA member or not;
- The Cancellation Policy is important so you know how to cancel if you need to and how refunds are handled; and
- The ISEA Official Transcript page tells you how to access your transcript once the class has ended.
WHEN
PLANNER
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