Why We Need Restorative Practices
In my twenty-one years as an educator, I have witnessed time and time again the power that teachers, staff, and leaders can have on educational systems and, most importantly, on students.
Human beings are social by nature, and we rely heavily on our relationships with others to form who we are in this world. We can all turn to our childhoods and recognize that who we have become is largely a result of our experiences with those who raised us (or were supposed to). When we were adolescents, our friends also had a tremendous influence on us. As adults, we continue to be shaped by our relationships with others. We learn so much from them—how to behave, communicate, and speak. Our values are based on this learning. Just as love, joy, celebration, and achievement are a part of our human experience, so are pain, loss, and fear.
We need restorative practices because of this reality. Many of us walk in this life without having healed from the pain, loss, or fear that we received in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Many of us also carry historical and ancestral trauma that, if unhealed, will be passed down to our future generations, causing continuous pain through a cycle of trauma. Healing and learning from our pain and trauma are possible, but only when we are willing and able to reflect on and own all of our experiences—the good, the bad, and the ugly. The truth? This is tremendously hard and scary work. But when we don’t do it, we continue to keep ourselves from reaching our true potential for goodness.
Restorative practices provide a framework for being, reflecting, forgiving, and growing. We need this framework because there are so many of us who are carrying trauma that can show itself as fear, hurt, anger, disappointment, blame, distrust, control, self-aggrandizing, insecurity, and so much more. When we don’t face these truths within ourselves, we continue to inflict our pain onto others.
Restorative practices are transformational in that they also offer a way of being through which systems and organizations can heal. Educational systems and those who work in them have a great deal of influence on students—on who they are and who they are becoming. Adults in school systems deserve the opportunity to grow and heal from the personal and professional harm that has occurred in their lives. By engaging and becoming truly restorative, teachers, leaders, and school staff can then offer this transformational way of being to students, parents, and their community. Imagine every person being able to communicate their remorse and acknowledge the suffering they inflicted—and ask for forgiveness and the ability to repair the damage. In order for this to happen, adults in school systems need to have the opportunity to grow and heal from the personal and professional harm that has occurred in their lives.
Public education systems carry the tremendous responsibility of providing a free basic education to all students. It is time for the United States to step up and guarantee each student a high-quality education regardless of their zip code or learning needs. The American public education system struggles to meet the needs of our Black and Brown students and has therefore created deep inequities in schools that continue in society.
Our school systems are in crisis. The struggle to ensure equity for our students becomes deeper, darker, and more difficult with each passing day. Why is equity needed? Our school systems were created to promote the ideals of white supremacy, leaving our students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, low-income, or disabled without the access, opportunity, and sense of belonging of their white peers.
Equity is not a destination; it is a journey that includes institutional reckoning and transformation through healing. The transformation of our system can only happen when we accept the reality of why and how the system was formed and how it has harmed generations of students. Restorative practices provide a compassionate, authentic, and loving way to do this hard work.
Systemic oppression exists as a result of prejudice, discrimination, and racism fueled by microaggresions and implicit biases. This has created inequity that has resulted in academic disparities; the school-to-prison pipeline; generational poverty; and poor mental, physical, and emotional health. To focus on equity requires a transformation of the systems that created the inequity. This transformation must be centered in healing and connection and begins with resetting the foundation upon which these systems are built. The work of resetting the foundations must be collective and include the voices of all those in the community. Then the community must commit to individual, communal, and systemic healing and connection through culturally responsive and culture-sustaining practices; trauma-aware and -informed care; an intentional development of resiliency; and the embracing of restorative mindsets, heartsets, and actions. In order for this transformation to continue, the work must be consistently monitored and adjusted by the community as a whole. This is hard work, but it is so very possible. And we are all worth the work.
Highlights from the Classroom by Pedro Terrazas
Introduction to Restorative Practices
Our ancestors have been communicating in circles through ceremony for centuries, long before restorative circles were a thing. Some of us are born into these ways; others find our way there through the various teachings of life. I was eighteen when I first found myself in a ceremonial sweat lodge.
When my uncle poured water onto the glowing stones left behind by my ancestors at the sweat lodge during my first experience with restorative circles, I felt the desire to speak or express myself. I needed release. In ceremony, elders will tell you not to speak unless spoken to and to make sure you are clear and direct with your thoughts and intentions if you’re asked to say something. They tell you to focus on your prayers and ask your ancestors for guidance, clarity, and help. In that moment, I remember praying for myself and at the same time praying for forgiveness. I was carrying a lot of cargas, not only mine, but those of my ancestors. In this temazcal, I was able to express my thoughts and feelings on a deeper level than I had ever been comfortable doing before. In this círculo, I felt connected, I felt a sense of belonging, and I felt loved.
Looking back, I now realize how bound I have been to restorative practices. I started my career in education in 1998 as a substitute paraprofessional for the Sweetwater Union High School District in the city of Chula Vista, California. I then became a special education teacher and an administrator. Now I serve as a restorative practice resource educator. I’ve always felt a deep connection with the teaching and learning that comes from the relationships that I’ve built within the communities I have worked. Over the years, I began to see the people who I am in community with as relatives. I use this term because when you reach out to someone for help or guidance or just to say “hi,” you have made a relation.
I have had many experiences that required me to make significant changes in order to be the best instructional leader I can be. One change in our school district was the implementation of restorative practices during the 2016–2017 school year. The term “restorative practices” became a buzzword in the district during that school year. I was curious about what this new term meant and how we could use the practice in the classroom, so I decided to invest some time and energy into it. I attended some introductory trainings for teachers and staff, but I was still unsure about what it was and how it worked. I guess you could say I was looking for an instructional manual, a breakdown, or a how-to guide on implementing restorative practices in my daily classroom routine. Initially, I was given several resources—books, manuals, and websites—to gather information that I could use at my own site. I also attended many training sessions to help me grow with regard to this topic. There, I was inspired to learn more about restorative practices and how I could bring these teachings back to my school and embed them in the teaching community.
Restorative practices is a philosophy that promotes a healthy learning environment by building a culture of equity, emphasizing the importance of building community, and developing healthy, positive relationships while restoring relationships when harm occurs. As an educator, my goal has been to implement these practices at a pilot school in my district. It has been wonderful to lead our students, staff, and community with this initiative. I work with students, teachers, and other administrators to develop and implement what is recognized as a restorative practices model program.
One of the first things I learned was that educators have used punishments as their primary source for consequences when students misbehave. At our school, we’ve used out-of-school suspensions, in-school suspensions, detentions, parent conferences, and zero-tolerance policies. Trying to understand these attempts at intervention and why they are not effective is as important as any other concept about learning. Only once we’ve understood these interventions can we begin changing the traditional or “old school” educator mindset where control is high but—too often—support is low. Implementing a restorative philosophy in a school means using strategies that can help students in situations in and out of the classroom. One of the most important things to focus on is helping a child take responsibility when they have done something wrong, and repairing the harm that’s been done.
As a restorative practitioner, it is my personal goal to walk this lifestyle in every aspect of my life, not only at work or at home but in all aspects of my daily routine. This is the beginning of how I build my system of support. I believe there is a purpose for restorative practices at every school site and that when properly implemented, it will change the culture and mindset of the whole school. The purpose of these practices is to address all harm done to children and adults on our campus and provide them with a space to heal. The healing that is produced can come in many shapes and forms.
Offering a system of support such as restorative practices on our campus has allowed victims to express any and all harm that has been done to them. Having this safe space lets them be vulnerable enough to express how they have been harmed and what they need for their healing to begin. I have witnessed this process through mediation meetings that I have facilitated. The participants have not always said “sorry” or repaired the relationship, but there has always been an agreement that all participants will respect each other mutually, as human beings. This is part of the healing that can come from having an effective RP system. Often, we feel the need for an apology to get past issues or harm that others have imposed on us. Giving an apology can be very difficult, especially if the perpetrator doesn’t feel they are at fault or they owe the victim anything. Clarity with all persons involved is important here. What I’ve come to learn is that that clarity can come in the form of an apology but also in the form of an agreement.
What Does It Mean to Be Restorative?
Let’s begin by sharing what restorative practices are not: They’re not new. They’re not simply a step-by-step process to fix students and staff. They’re not a manual full of topics to get students to share their experiences, thoughts, and emotions. They’re not a training that you complete or a book that you read. They’re not just about mediation or forgiveness.
Pedro and I have each been working in education for over twenty years. We understand the educator’s need to see restorative practices as a framework for designing lessons or learning processes in the classroom to change student behavior. As educators, we have a tendency to try something new with a hard focus on outcomes. We want to know, “How does this work? How will this improve my classroom/teaching? When will I see a change in my students?” But restorative practices are not just an outcome.
Restorative practices are sagrados, sacred. These practices are rooted in indigeneity and offer a way of life that recognizes our responsibility for self, others, our community, our Mother Earth, and all earth’s creatures. Restorative practices provide a way to both build and repair relationships with self, others, and the broader community. We adopt these teachings—this way of being—so that we can improve and build a stronger society for future generations.
Restorative practices are based on the belief that all human beings want and deserve to be heard, seen, and accepted. They are based on the belief that all human beings intrinsically want to do the right thing and embrace growth. People who have a restorative mindset and what we refer to as a heartset are authentic and reflective; they can build trust, listen with their hearts as well as their minds, embrace dif...