�Introduction to Restorative Justice Practices�and Effective Use of Circles ��Carlsbad USD 10/11/2023

Anthony Ceja aceja@sdcoe.net

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Goals for our Shared Time

To facilitate​ an experience with participants to increase understanding of restorative justice practices while demonstrating how these practices can be promoted to improve school climate by strengthening people’s sense of value and importance in the school community

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Increase understanding how the use of circle practices can be helpful to build positive relationships between students, staff and parents

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Mindfulness

Acknowledgement of Ancestors

We give respect and gratitude to all of our ancestors who sacrificed and worked hard so that we might have a better life. Take one minute in silence while taking nurturing breaths, to remember those who have gone before us.

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Community Agreement Offerings

Confidentiality (What we say here stays here)

Be present

Stay curious

Be open minded

Be nonjudgmental

Seek understanding

Be vulnerable

Be vision minded, bring this back to our schools

Validate your listening

Assume best intent

Acknowledge our own biases

Permission to speak in draft form

Honor someone’s right to pass

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Why Restorative Practices?

• The need for healing and restoration
• Indigenous wisdom (In Lak’ech, All My Relations)
• Honors and values each member in community
• Helps to restore human dignity
• Promotes accountability to each other
• Empowerment vs oppression (colonialism)

Penguins and Redwoods

Check in Circle

PURPOSE

• Check in with members
• Increase understanding and connections

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PROMPT

• Please tell us your name, school/organization, role. Choose a number 1-10 that expresses how you feel

Restorative Practices Training

The intention of restorative practices training is to provide strategies to educators and service providers that helps us in our efforts to accept each person as they are, and to provide them the supports they may need to be successful.

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We primarily seek ways to change our behavior in order to meet the needs of those needing restoration and support.

Teach Effective Listening as Service to Help Restore

Human Dignity

Students as Healers Through Listening

Empty the Cup

What’s one concern on your mind?

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What’s one thing you are grateful for?

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Defining Restorative Practices

Restorative Practices are based on principles that emphasize the importance of positive relationships as central to building community. They promote values and principles that use inclusive, collaborative approaches. When broadly and consistently implemented, they promote and strengthen positive, transformational school culture.

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Restorative Practices also involve processes that repair relationships when harm has occurred. Accountability is achieved through understanding impact, repairing harm and restoration.

School to Prison Pipeline

PARADIGM SHIFT

Fundamental Hypothesis

Human beings are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things WITH them, rather than to them or for them.

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Restorative Practices Continuum

Restorative Communication

Restorative Questions

Formal Conference

Small Impromptu Conference

Group or Circle

INFORMAL

FORMAL

Circles in Elementary

Please watch the video and identify at least three circle strategies the teacher uses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTr4v0eYigM&t=174s

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Restorative Practices all the Time

• Develop a caring community where all individuals feel a sense of belonging, value and importance.
• Every interaction teaches, so we must be intentional, strategic and consistent with how we communicate with each other.
• Teaching and learning intensifies as we are responding to harm. Accountability and support are provided together.
• The entire community is responsible and accountable to each other.
• Every community member is an important resource to help to achieve the goal of building a caring community.

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Restorative Practices in Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

Integrated MTSS

• All interventions lead back to integration into Tier I with growth mindset plan for success

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• Continuous Improvement – Assessing what adults need to change to improve support services to be more effective and successful

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• All members of the school, both in and outside of the classroom, including students are integrated to provide support to each other

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Tier III

Tier II

Tier I

CIRCLE SHARE

What do you think are the most important social emotional needs that students come to school with?

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SOCIAL DISCIPLINE WINDOW

International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP)

Compass of Shame

REFLECT and SHARE

• Reflect on what is your typical response to shame and/or conflict?

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• Share what is the best way a person you trust can help you through conflict?

Respond to Shame with Empathy

• Listen to what they have to say
• Be present with them without trying to problem solve
• Reflect on what has caused the shame feeling
• Acknowledge their feelings
• Encourage them to talk about their experience
• Remind them to reach out to someone they trust
• Teach to talk to themselves as they would someone they love

Restorative Communication

Intentional communication that intends to restore a person’s sense of safety, high value and worth. Restorative communication includes the way we honor another person through our listening. It also includes our choice of words and tone, as well as non-verbal communcation that includes facial expression, body language, and written communication (email, texts, letters). Restorative communication can happen in every human interaction.

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Affective Communication

PURPOSE

• Sets Boundaries
• Provides Feedback
• Shows Human Impact
• Teaches Empathy

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TRANSFORM THESE STATEMENTS

• You are just lazy!
• Stop being so disruptive!

Affective Communication

OBSERVATION -- FEELING -- NEED -- REQUEST

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• “When I heard you speaking to Marcos the way you did, I felt concerned because we agreed that we value respect. Would you be willing to speak more respectfully with others?”
• “When I hear you talking at the same time I’m talking, I feel frustrated because I would like to be heard. Would you be willing to raise your hand when you want to talk?”
• “When I saw you walk in late to class, I felt concerned because I would like everyone to have the same experience of the lesson. Would you help me understand what is blocking you from arriving on time? What can I do to help you arrive on time?”

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Restorative Questions

Processing incidents of harm or conflict

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Restorative Questions

• Designed to be open-ended and non-judgemental to help people reflect and express their role in harmful situations.

• Provides people with the opportunity to educate us what they are thinking rather than us making assumptions.

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• The first step toward healing is to provide a safe environment where people trust that they will be heard and accepted as they are.

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Restorative Questions (combined)

1. From your point of view, what happened?�2. What were you thinking and feeling at the time?�3. What are you thinking and feeling now?�4. How have you and others been affected?�5. What would make this situation as right as possible?�

Play Prison Circle Video�https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p4pvPd0SRQ

Video Review

• Something helpful you saw in the video
• Something you could do to help restore students’ sense of value and importance in the school community

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Ice Breaker Circle

The Wind Blows is an icebreaker that is a light activity that builds community by finding commonalities. Facilitator begins by saying “the wind blows for…” Everybody who agrees with the statement stands up. Then choose another volunteer to say “the wind blows…”

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Review Restorative Mindset and Practice

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Restoring a sense of hope, belonging, and importance through strategic practices that honor and value those we serve.

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Which quote resonates?

• “There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.”

(M. Scott Peck, Psychiatrist and Best-Selling Author)

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• “Circles create soothing space, where even reticent people can realize that their voice is welcome.”

(Margaret J. Wheatley)

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• “If people stand in a circle long enough, they’ll eventually begin to dance.”

(George Carlin, Comedian)

Developing A Circle Centerpiece

Why Circles?

• All members can see each other
• Is flexible to develop small to large group dialogue
• All voices/ideas are encouraged and honored
• Promotes equality and equity
• Keeps members engaged and accountable

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Talking Piece

• A physical reminder that the person talking should receive the group's full attention
• Gives fidgety people something tactile to calm them when it’s their turn to speak.
• Can be a common organizational object or something symbolic to the organization or a specific project.
• Can be a ball passed by foot or a “virtual talking piece.”

Circles in Elementary

Please watch the video and identify at least three circle strategies the teacher uses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTr4v0eYigM&t=174s

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Triad Share

• What inspired you to serve in education and one positive impact you hope to make?

(One volunteer to begin by sharing 90 seconds, then pass the virtual talking piece. “Thank you”)

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Circles and Community

“The Universe is circles within circles, and everything is one circle,

and all the circles are connected to each other. Each family is a

circle, and those family circles connect together and make a

community, and the community makes its circle where it lives on

the Earth.”

(Black Elk)

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Reflection:

How does the school fit as a circle within the community, and what circles exist in schools?

Types of Circles

Proactive: Should be used 80% of the time to build understanding, commonalities and empathy to humanize and strengthen relationships and sense of belonging and importance in community.

Responsive: (20%) Used for problem solving, can be used to address harm in the community. May involve all that were involved in the harm.

Sequential: Used to encourage hearing from every participant. Often used in a check in.

Non-sequential: Used for reflection/discussion of ideas or an event.

Fishbowl: Used to listen/learn from a specific group

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Triad Share

• How could circles be used in schools to help build positive relationships and community?
• How could circles be used to encourage engagement in learning content?

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Sequential Go-Around

Specific question

Done in order

Participation expected

Non-Sequential Circles

Can be

Structured

Loosely structured

Unstructured

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No order (Popcorn)

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Participation voluntary

Fish bowl

Can be used with sequential or non-sequential circles

Empty chair

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Feedback

Restorative Circle Video

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Please watch and listen to the video to find restorative interactions in the circle that resonate with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKhcQrLD1w&t=2s

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• What different circle activities/strategies do you recognize?
• What are your thoughts on the youth leaders and the teacher involvement?

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Circle Facilitators

• Be authentic (authenticity breeds authenticity)
• Consistently review the circle agreements
• Be patient, trust takes time to build
• Every interaction is an opportunity to teach
• Express gratitude often. Focus on the behavior you want to see more

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• Select 5 circle questions that prompts easy to deeper sharing (2-getting acquainted, 2-exploring values, 1 storytelling)

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• Facilitators set a positive, authentic tone. All members answer the facilitator’s question

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• Remember to actively listen to others

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Circle Facilitation Practice

Circle Sharing

Please answer the following prompt:

• How can you develop circles to promote restorative relationships with all the school stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and support staff)?

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Restorative Practices Resources�

For those who would like to, please express an appreciation for our circle community

Closing Circle