Restorative Practices

"Restorative practices is a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in a specific conflict and to collectively identify and address harms, needs, and obligations in order to heal and put things as right as possible.” -- Howard Zehr from "The Little Book of Restorative Justice"

Restorative practice works to encourage positive relationships, to repair relationships when they have been harmed, and to build a school community based on cooperation, trust, and respect. It's about teaching expectations and pro-social behaviors through restorative communications, problem solving, making agreements, and resolving conflicts with students -- not to them or for them. 

Seven Options for Schools

1. Affective statements
2. Restorative questions
3. Classroom circles
4. Rupture-repair agreements
5. Mediation process
6. Conflict resolution circles
7. Formal restorative conferences: re-entry and repairing harm

Why take this approach?

• It defines our learning community with a sense of belonging and the importance of relationships.
• Conflicts happen and are opportunities to strengthen relationships when the harm is repaired.
• It teaches problem solving, cooperation, and accountability when all voices are heard and valued.

Questions for when things go wrong …

• What happened?
• What were you thinking of at the time?
• What are you thinking now?
• How did your harm affect others? In what way?
• What do you think you need to do to make things right?
• What will you do differently next time?

When someone has been hurt …

• What did you think when you realized what happened?
• How did this incident impact you and others?
• What has been the hardest thing for you?
• What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

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Contact

Sara Pickering, safe schools specialist
(859) 422-0601

email us