"Restorative Practices are a framework for building community and for responding to challenging behavior through authentic dialogue, coming to understanding, and making things right." (from Teaching Restorative Practices with Classroom Circles, p.1)

It means shifting our mindset away from punishment oriented responses to behaviors towards allowing an understanding of what was happening for each person involved, and then having a conversation about what can be done to right the harm that was caused.

It is our belief that most of us educators, particularly those of us trained in Responsive Classroom techniques, are already instinctively doing some of this work in our daily interactions with students. We already approach our students with a curiosity about who they are and a desire to have an authentic connection with them. We already work hard to help students connect and navigate relationships with their peers. Restorative practices and restorative circles can help us build on these skills and ways of being that are already embedded in our nature as teachers.

This resource will offer some research about why we might want to implement Restorative Practices and how Restorative Practices have been successful in schools.

Restorative Practices Research

Improving School Climate: Findings from Schools Implementing Restorative Practices-This 36 page resource provides data from multiple schools both within the U.S. and outside of it, highlighting the beneficial impact restorative practices have had on the schools.

Restorative Practices in Schools: Research Reveals Power of Restorative Approach, Part I-The first part of this article offers anecdotal evidence from the viewpoint of educators about the power of restorative practices in the classroom.

8 Tips for Schools Interested in Restorative Justice-This article briefly describes what restorative justice is and why a school might want to implement these practices. It goes on to explain the steps necessary for implementation.