While building a community is important in the classroom, there may come a time when conflict arises and restorative practices may be necessary to build your class back up. A peace circle is a restorative practice that can be used to address conflict holistically and solve problems. Peace circles emphasize healing while addressing the harmed relationships and focusing on moving forward.
Peace circles give everyone a voice while resolving conflict in a non-punitive way. It inspires students to take responsibility for their actions, yet allows them to transform a relationship that may have developed into a negative relationship that may distract the class or school environment. A part of restorative practices is the natural development of problem-solving skills because students are charged with action.
Peace circles give everyone a voice while resolving conflict in a non-punitive way. It inspires students to take responsibility for their actions, yet allows them to transform a relationship that may have developed into a negative relationship that may distract the class or school environment. A part of restorative practices is the natural development of problem-solving skills because students are charged with action.
As the facilitator of the peace circle, you may have such responsibilities as monitoring student emotions and creating a respect agreement amongst all parties, while also setting up the rules of the process. There is no guarantee that restoration will occur but something good may indeed come out of the process and help to build meaningful relationships in your school environment.
Here are four restorative practices to focus on when building meaningful relationships:
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