posted by Marek Rzepecki, Educational Psychologist
“The change process is like moving a load around in a wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow only does its work while we are lifting the handles and pushing. As soon as we put the handles down and take the pressure off, movement stops. This, too, is the case with organisational change.”
Margaret Thorsborne
On 28th January 2016, Restorative Champions in Angus Schools came together for a network meeting about Implementing and Embedding Change. We had an energising and stimulating session focused on sharing practice across schools and using Kotter’s change cycle to reflect on school implementation of Restorative Approaches.
Colleagues who attended found the event enjoyable and motivating. They left with ideas of how to take forward Restorative in school and the understanding that other schools were also facing similar challenges. Through discussing the change process, colleagues reflected on where their school was in the change cycle and where they needed to focus their efforts.
Here are a selection of comments from those who attended:
“i am leaving feeling motivated again”
“i feel rejuvenated”
“I’ve realised the impace that Restorative has on our school as a whole”
“We’ve realised we need to go back and make a case for change”
“We are all in the same boat”
“I have reaslised the importance of RA and raising the prifile with staff”
“Great benefit of getting together and discussin ideas”
“(We’re going to hold) drop in sessions for new staff”
“What i’ve realised: We are doing things right. We are nudging forward”
Colleagues were particularly keen to hold further network meetings, to visit other settings to see how other schools are proceeding with Restorative and to develop Peer Mediation in school.
Lorraine Robertson, Friockheim Primary School HT
Marek Rzepecki, Angus Educational Psychology Service
On behalf of the Restorative Approaches Steering Group
