In Restorative Practices we apply mindfulness every time we sit down to participate in a circle or a restorative conversation. In fact, mindfulness is essential for the success of a restorative process in a number of ways–through active listening, speaking from the heart, and remaining open to others' truths.

Restorative Practices help to build, maintain, and repair relationships between individuals living, working and functioning as a community. They foster communication and increase mutual understanding and empathy, leading to an overall sense of connection and increasing the capacity to handle conflict in a way that promotes growth and repairs relationships. 

In some cases, our focus becomes to teach Restorative Practices skills to a small group of individuals within the community, so that they are empowered to use these tools as needed going forward. This is capacity building: the process of developing a community’s ability to address issues in a way that will help them fulfill their mission.

Restorative classrooms ask questions rather than punish, include rather than exclude, and build cooperation and student buy-in in the process. 

What does it mean to be a Circle Keeper? What do they do and why are they important? In Restorative Practices, both talking circles and circles to address harm are facilitated by a Circle Keeper who is responsible for guiding the group through a process that helps all feel comfortable participating and directs the conversation toward its intended purpose.

A highly supportive work culture provides the safety to learn and grow, raise concerns, and try new things. Restorative Practices provide a process for establishing group norms, managing expectations, and developing the interpersonal skills essential for collaboration.  

Here we share two stories of how individuals implemented Restorative Practices with heart and creativity this year, after attending our trainings in Restorative Practices and Circle Keeping.

Chronic trauma can cause serious problems with learning and behavior. Students who act out due to anxiety and/or trauma need safe, supportive consistent classrooms and a respectful, consistent and collaborative approach to discipline.

Circles are not just for SEL lessons and Advisory!

Circle are incredibly versatile. They can be used to discuss content, reflect on learning approaches and learning style, provide structure to both small and large group discussions and give teachers the opportunity to hear from every student.

Incorporating circles into academic classrooms brings a range of benefits, including supporting the goals of SEL and PBIS. A circle can take 10 minutes at the beginning or end of class, or the entire class period if it complements the learning material.

In this unprecedented year, we saw how Restorative Practices were essential to the resilience and transformation required by so many schools & communities.

This time of quarantine and remote schooling has presented unique challenges for all of us working in fields that typically rely on face-to-face communication. We feel for everyone who has had to shift and adapt their work rapidly while keeping up with the changing demands of this unpredictable situation. As we continue to communicate with one another remotely, we are all doing the best we can to use existing online platforms to enhance relationships and community, which is more essential than ever. And, we have had some wonderful experiences doing just that! Here are some things we have learned about facilitating Community Building Circles on Zoom.