Resources

Mindfulness

Phone Apps

    • Simply Being: a no-frills app that you can set for 5-30 minute guided medtations with a few music or nature sound background
    • Simple Habit: 5-minute meditations for busy people
    • Insight Timer: great app that has all different kinds of guided meditations or options for a meditation timer. Can track your meditations and connect with other users worldwide if that helps you keep up with your practice
    • Calm: No longer a free app, but it does have great "Daily Calm" images, sounds, and meditations. There is a library of "Sleep Stories" as well as videos on gentle stretching to help you meditate while you move.
  • Dharma Seed is an organization that helps people gain access to Buddhist teachings as well as talks by people who specialize in Insight Meditation. Over 25,000 free guided meditations and talks available: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/
  • The article "Pausing" by Claire Stanley of the Center for Mindful Inquiry has excellent tips for teachers on how to "pause" in the midst of their busy day in order to become more grounded and bring awareness and attention to interactions with those around you. It's worth a try!


Restorative Practices

Center for Restorative Process: great images and videos about RP, as well as a free downloadable Teacher's Guide

http://www.centerforrestorativeprocess.com/resources.html


Restorative Resources: toolkit for educators on what Restorative Practices are, how they can be beneficial to schools, Circle planning guides, research, videos, and even games! https://www.restorativeresources.org/educator-toolkit.html


Great downloadable resources and infographics from Living Justice Press, the publishers of Circle Forward: http://www.livingjusticepress.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={B158346E-2E21-48C6-94DC-A71301BE3D0F}


If you think your school might be ready to discuss using Restorative Practices, check out these Implementation Guides:


Videos

PBS News Hour segment on RP in schools: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/schools-resolve-conflicts-by-getting-kids-to-talk-things-out

Why We Need Restorative Practices in Schools (focuses on Restorative Justice). Includes an interview with Arne Duncan (former Secretary of Education) as well as stats about racial disparities in discipline systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6eIxxzYLMU&t=0s&index=11&list=PLAm5SVUD3IJmvC2BL3YRDudIqEv8TQhDS

NPR Ed podcasts on Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice from 2014 https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/12/17/347383068/an-alternative-to-suspension-and-expulsion-circle-up and on the racial discipline gap (that starts in pre-school): https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/03/21/292456211/black-preschoolers-far-more-likely-to-be-suspended


Tier 1 Circle Examples:

A student-led Circle at MetWest High School, Oakland Unified School District: https://youtu.be/RdKhcQrLD1w

Students in Maine talking about Circles at their school: https://youtu.be/QNrON9SzHM0

Teacher-led circle on Bullying at an elementary school: https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teacher-facilitated-restorative-circle-discuss-bullying


Tier 2 Circle Examples:

Restorative approach to solving conflict at an elementary school in Australia: https://youtu.be/JfiGiA2bpoY

2nd half of the video is a clip from a restorative conference about bullying at an elementary school: https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teacher-facilitated-restorative-circle-discuss-bullying


Tier 3 Circle Example:

A re-entry meeting for a student in the Oakland Unified School District in California: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSJ2GPiptvc


Should Emotions Be Taught In Schools?

TedTalk by Grace Rubenstein about the benefits of teaching kids about emotions, which include better relationships, less frequent unhealthy behaviors, and even better performance in school: https://ideas.ted.com/should-emotions-be-taught-in-schools/


The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain

TedTalk by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a cognitive neuroscientist, that explains the neuroscience behind adolescents' developing brains: https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain


Help for Kids the Education System Ignores

TedTalk by Victor Rios about ways that educators can help "at-promise" youth: https://www.ted.com/talks/victor_rios_help_for_kids_the_education_system_ignores