A restorative mindset describes how a person understands community and one's role in the community. The values and concepts that underlie a restorative mindset include:

• Relationships and trust are at the center of community
• All members of the community are responsible to and for each other
• Multiple perspectives are welcomed and all voices are equally important
• Healing is a process essential to restoring community
• Harm-doers should be held accountable for and take an active role in repairing harm
• Conflict is resolved through honest dialogue and collaborative problem-solving that addresses the root cause and the needs of those involved.

• What happened?
• What were you thinking at the time?
• What have you thought about since?
• Who was affected and how?
• What needs to happen to make things right?

Affective Statements ...

• Are “I” statements that express a feeling.
• Make students aware of either the positive or negative impact of their behavior.
• Provide a precise description of a student’s behaviors and the specific impact of those behaviors.
• Do NOT protect students from the consequences of their behavior.
• Are delivered in a personalized manner directly to the student who impacted others.
• Focus on behavior, not on the intrinsic worth of the person (separates the deed from the doer).
• Are respectful in tone.
• Encourage students to express feelings.

Example:

Common response: “Laura, put your chair down now.”

Affective Statement: “Laura, I feel concerned when you tip your chair back because I need my classroom to be a safe place.”