Loads of Links on RJE/RP/Circle Processes

Full transparency:   Sometimes I lose my Internet favorites, or do some sort of I-Don't-Know-What with my laptop and I lose a link.   It happens.   BUT... if you are interested in learning more about Restorative Justice in Education, Restorative Processes, and Circle Processes - feel free to figure out a way to save my blog for these resources and more!

This past summer, I did A LOT of reading and work for my grad class through EMU called Facilitating Circle Processes.

This class may have been A LOT of information and quite time-consuming, but it was SO WORTH it.  I can't say this enough - I am SO glad I did NOT let my anxiety WIN!   I was truly on the fence on taking the course or not, and while I lost a lot of pool time, I gained so much more.   

Our class was organized into "Themes" and there was a significant amount of reading in addition to video watching.  NOT all videos assigned are posted, but the ones that can be found on YouTube are.   Some of the videos are seriously super brief, and some are a bit longer.   

Feel free to "save" this page somehow to come back for a looksie.

Theme 1:  Setting the Stage for Circle in Schools:

Talking about Circles in Schools: An Introduction  (5 minutes, 25 seconds)

Restorative Practices and Peacemaking Circles in Schools  (26 minutes of AWESOME)

Theme 2:  Building Your Circle-Keeping Muscle

This theme had a variety of videos but they aren't "public" so I don't feel cozy sharing them.  HOWEVER, feel free to check out the book Circle Forward from www.livingjusticepress.org -- you NEED this book!

Theme 3: Listening and Students with Special Needs

Not gonna lie, the videos for this theme were just a bit "eh" for me, I enjoyed the readings way more.   With that said, get yourself back on to www.livingjusticepress.org and order yourself a copy of Creating Restorative Schools - it's phenomenal! 

The Value of Deep Listening   (17 minutes)

Expanding the Webinar   (1 hour, 18 minutes)

Theme 4:  Implementing RJE and Circles School Wide

Theme 5:  Youth-Led RJE and Circles 

Oakland Public Schools Peer Mediation  (7 minutes)

Exploring Youth-Led RJ  (1 hour, 22 minutes, loved!)

Theme 6:  Whiteness and Harm

Theme 7:  Repairing Harm 

Teacher-Student Restorative Circle  (One of my absolute favorites!!!  14 minutes)

Restorative Justice - Circle on Harm in Cafeteria  (4 minutes, 30 seconds)

Restorative Justice in Oakland Schools:  Tier One Community Building Circle (9 minutes, 31 seconds)

Repairing our schools through restorative justice  (13 minutes, 26 seconds)

Restorative Welcome and Re-entry  (14 minutes)

Theme 8 was for our first week "live" in class on Zoom and Theme 9 was about Decolonizing Restorative Justice

Again... no videos to share for these themes BUT I can't stress enough the importance of checking out our class texts!   You will want the 2020 version of Circle Forward and Creating Restorative Schools.  Ideally, it would be awesome if you order from www.livingjusticepress.org 

Theme 10:  Consistent Circle Practice in the Classroom

Restorative Practices Circle (4 minutes)

Community Circles  (3 minutes)

Restorative Circles: Creating a Safe Environment for Students to Reflect  (4 minutes)

Theme 11: Social-Emotional Learning

CASEL videos

Theme 12:  Difficult Conversations and Staff Circles

Weekly Circles: Building Community to Foster Academic Achievement (6 minutes)

For themes 13-15, our videos were in our Google Folder and I'm not comfy with sharing those out.  However, again, look into Eastern Mennonite University Graduate Programs and Graduate Certificate Programs!!!! 

Theme 13:  When Things Go Wrong

Theme 14: Addressing Inquity and Injustice

Theme 15:  Mindfulness and Trauma-Informed Practices

Introducing #phs121 (pretty much done)

If you're on TikTok you can try to see my new classroom here (click click) or here (click again)

I must say, I am quite impressed with what we got done.   Furniture is finally how I like it and super simple to move out of the way to hold Circle.    

I still have a few things to bring in such as lesson planning stuff, a coat rack since I no longer have a personal closet, goodies for designing my bulletin board, and I just ordered some new colorful letters and such for the light boxes.   

My desk is something I'd like to keep as minimalist on the top as possible, but I still need to organize drawers.   I can not work in a mess and I absolutely LOATHE leaving with a mess on my desk only to return with a mess.

Now while I do have some more to do in there, the next thing I need to do and I mean NEED to do is spoil my custodian.  He's amazing and he's always so kind despite how much of a freaking mess I make.   Our entire maintenance crew ROCKS.  

So if you couldn't give a click-a-roo to links one and two above, here are some photos.

#Facts

 

Tid-Bits...

As I put the final touches on my last assignment for my summer class... I thought I'd jot down some of the tidbits shared this past week while we were in Zoom.    

This class was A LOT of work, but it was SO worth it.   I am optimistic on so many levels.

Again... just random tidbits that I wrote down 

• Shame is not a prerequisite for growth.

• What perspectives are being missed by schools being so white?

• Be curious.  Be the detective and not the judge. 

• We need to not rely on the emotions of others to heal our own.

• You may never physically see a change in a kid while doing restorative practices, it doesn't mean change isn't happening, it doesn't mean you should stop.

• If a student chooses to not be in Circle physically, that is okay.   It shouldn't be a time to do nothing though.   Students can be in Circle and pass each time.

• It can take the brain at least 18 minutes to come back from a harmful microaggression.   18 minutes!  

• Do not speed through the process of creating class values!