Restorative Practices for Educators: How to Get Started

Discipline is much more than punishment and control. Young people can authentically learn from their mistakes and help repair the harm with our empathy, guidance, and support. Join us to learn how to implement strategies to build connection and healing in your classroom and school community. Participants will explore how to support students (and adults!) to manage conflict in healthy ways by taking responsibility for the impact of their actions, repairing the harm, and rebuilding relationships and community in the process.

What are Restorative Practices?

Restorative practices provide students and adults with an intentional, inclusive, and respectful way of thinking about, talking about, and responding to issues or problems that arise. A restorative approach prioritizes the integrity of the school community and the centrality of relationships.

In a school community, restorative practices help:

• Build community and repair relationships

• Support student agency

• Prioritize communication and dialogue to resolve conflict over punitive measures

Restorative Practices Training with Molina Consulting is:

• Experiential - Participants will have the opportunity to participate and lead circle processes.

• Comprehensive - Participants will learn how to engage all stakeholders (students, families, teachers, administrators and board) in an all-school implementation of restorative approaches, including creating systems of of data collection and evaluation.

• Transformative - We know that not all members of our school communities feel a sense of belonging. Sometimes the school community does not need to be restored, but transformed in order to be inclusive of all. Participants will learn how to help evolve school culture to fully live into the mission and values of the institution.

• Grounded - Participants will acknowledge and understand the indigenous roots of restorative practices and learn how to honor the spirit of healing, community, and connection that is foundational to these practices.

Reach out to Jessy Molina at jessy@molinaconsulting.org to learn how your school can implement restorative practices to build community, connection, and healing in the classroom and beyond

“We wanted to thank you for your work with the Nueva community today. It is never easy teaching to a room of 200+ folks from behind a zoom screen. You navigated an unforgiving setup with grace, humility, and a whole lot of joy. I don't know if you could tell, but the room was abuzz with energy today. We had folks laughing, folks crying, and more than a few who didn't want to cut off the conversation at all. Thank you for creating a container in which that rich experience could occur.”

-Savannah Strong, Director of Social Justice and Equity,

The Nueva School