Creating restorative spaces, mindsets and cultures makes students, staff and families feel safe, included and engaged in the classroom. In this session, we will explore what makes a classroom environment restorative and what to consider when designing your space to support youth engagement, safe learning spaces, healthy community-building practices, and social-emotional learning. Teachers, behavior and…

Building relationships, routines and resilience are an integral part of connecting with students during the first weeks of school. Restorative practices create spaces for balancing joy and celebration, as well as increasing restorative resilience when encountering pain, sadness and frustration in routine and proactive ways. Teachers, behavior and restorative justice staff, social workers, instructional coaches…

Co-developing shared student-staff expectations for engagement and behavior will help set the stage for learning throughout the year. Successful restorative classroom agreements include a clear pathway for accountability and repair, as well as a process to review agreements throughout the year. In this session, teachers, behavior and restorative justice staff, social workers, instructional coaches, and…

Advisory periods provide key opportunities to build community, develop communication, leadership and self-awareness skills, deepen peer support and create pathways for academic, career and healthy relationship goals. In this session, middle and high school teachers, behavior and restorative justice staff, social workers, instructional coaches and deans will create a vision and structure for advisory periods…

Restorative justice is increasingly applied in schools worldwide to manage classrooms and create inclusive, socially connected, and supportive learning environments for every student, including those with disabilities.. Restorative practices help students develop self-advocacy and social-emotional skills at the same time they are building academic competencies. This experiential workshop will help teachers, administrators, and special education…

Addressing challenging student behavior is a critical part of creating a safe and welcoming learning environment. This workshop will explore strategies and practices to redirect and de-escalate negative student behavior. Teachers, behavior and restorative justice staff, social workers, instructional coaches and deans will identify their previous practices and work through unpacking what works and unlearning…

This workshop is specifically for teachers to learn, practice and review how to use the circle process for teaching any academic subject. Participants will discuss creating culturally competent and trauma-informed flows and processes to support learning and sharing. We will discuss several strategies for teaching a variety of subjects to prepare students for learning, encourage…

The Circle Forward Book is a key resource for both experienced and developing circle keepers. In this session, teachers, behavior and restorative justice staff, social workers, instructional coaches and deans and other school staff will explore the book and work with selected chapters to understand circle concepts, identify ideas that fit specific needs and gain…

Community building is fundamental to creating a school culture that meets the needs of both staff, students, and the larger school community. When relationships are fostered and nurtured, students thrive, adults experience less burnout, and the overall learning environment feels welcoming to everyone. This session will guide you through the restorative practice of building community…

Classroom, hallway, lunch, and other daily transitions are critical components of the school day. When transitions are approached through a restorative, trauma-informed lens, they can provide opportunities to strengthen relationships and create the conditions needed to foster purposeful learning environments. Teachers, behavior and restorative justice staff, social workers, instructional coaches, and deans will leave this…

As educators, we have a keen understanding of the meaning of the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” We also know what it feels like when our teams work in silos. This session will identify existing supports in your school and learning environments to refine, co-construct, and coordinate holistic and sustainable…

When students experience prolonged absences for a variety of reasons, including a death in the family, sickness, disciplinary actions, medical appointments, homelessness and other issues, using restorative practices to re-integrate returning students is critical to their academic success and social-emotional wellbeing. This session is an introduction to restorative strategies that help ease the process of…