An educator’s main focus should center on nurturing the social and emotional well-being of their students. Teachers must provide support, handle conflicts, encourage accountability, and inspire students to be their best. This is necessary for creating a safe and collaborative learning environment.
To accomplish this, educators must adopt a restorative justice-rooted approach to conflict resolution. By exploring its historical context and distinguishing it from punitive justice, we aim to emphasize the importance of restorative justice training in promoting an inclusive educational experience.
Read on to gain insights into the profound impact that restorative justice can have on educators, students, and the overall school environment.
Explore our resource on restorative justice in schools; download the guide today.
The History of Restorative Justice in the Classroom
Restorative justice in education has gained prominence in recent years, with its roots stemming from the application of restorative practices in the criminal justice system. The practice began to emerge in the mainstream during the 1970s as a complement or alternative to punitive measures for resolving conflicts. However, it wasn’t until the 2010s that the use of restorative justice practices in schools gained large-scale attention from teachers and school boards.
Various factors drove the adoption of restorative practices in education, including evidence of racially imbalanced school discipline and the recognition of the importance of relationships between educators and students, justice, and equity in schools.
Today, restorative justice continues to grow as a powerful approach in education, offering educators and students alternative ways to address conflict, repair harm, and build stronger relationships within school communities. Its principles align with promoting social-emotional learning, fostering dialogue, and empowering students to take responsibility for their actions and contribute to a positive school climate.
Reasons to Prioritize Restorative Justice Training for Educators
Restorative justice training plays a pivotal role in equipping educators with the necessary skills and knowledge to create a transformative classroom experience. Here are three key reasons why restorative justice training in schools is essential.
1. Restorative justice fosters a supportive and inclusive school environment
By learning restorative practices such as proactive community building, circle processes, and addressing harm, educators can establish a culture of respect, empathy, and accountability among students.
This approach encourages open dialogue, active listening, and collaborative problem solving, creating a sense of belonging and safety. Restorative justice training enables educators to build strong connections with students, promoting positive behavior, academic engagement, and emotional well-being.
2. Restorative justice improves discipline outcomes in education
One of the significant advantages of restorative justice training for educators is its potential to transform the corrective process. Restorative justice offers alternative approaches focused on repairing harm, addressing the root causes of misconduct, promoting personal growth, and developing strategies to repair the harm caused to individuals and the school community
This shift from punishment to healing fosters a more positive and constructive approach to discipline outcomes, reducing suspension rates, and promoting a stronger sense of ownership and responsibility among students.
3. Restorative justice enhances relationships between educators and students
Restorative justice training for educators emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining positive relationships with students. By including restorative practices in their teaching strategies, educators can create a space where students feel seen, heard, and valued. Implementing restorative justice techniques such as attentive listening, understanding individual perspectives, and facilitating dialogues helps build trust and respect between educators and students.
These improved relationships contribute to a more conducive learning environment, where students feel supported, motivated, and encouraged to reach their full potential.
An Inside Look at USD’s Graduate Programs Focused on Restorative Justice
“We recognize that restorative justice is an emerging global movement with many traditions and approaches. It embraces personal and community empowerment, collaboration, and personal accountability to address harm and strengthen relationships."
—David Karp, PhD, Director, USD Center for Restorative Justice
At the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Educational Sciences (SOLES), we currently offer two certificate programs that provide a comprehensive introduction to restorative justice facilitation and leadership, empowering participants to effectively lead the implementation of restorative justice practices.
Students may also choose to customize their graduate experience in the Department of Leadership Studies' master’s programs (MA in Leadership Studies or MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management) or PhD programs (PhD in Leadership Studies or PhD in Education for Social Justice) by completing the Restorative Justice Facilitation and Leadership graduate certificate as part of their coursework.
But, in response to the critical need for education leaders with a robust background in restorative justice, the professionals at USD are designing a unique graduate program for driven change makers: the Master of Arts in Restorative Justice Facilitation and Leadership (MARJ). Graduate students who choose the MARJ program, which will be available fall 2024, will experience the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
- Understand the philosophy and practice of restorative justice.
- Articulate the unintended harmful consequences of contemporary practices in organizational development, conflict resolution, and punishment.
- Distinguish various applications of RJ in a variety of institutions from a cross-cultural perspective.
- Demonstrate familiarity with the research on restorative justice including the criteria used for assessment of restorative programs.
- Understand the relationship between theory and practice of restorative justice.
Skills
- Demonstrate competence in facilitating a trauma-informed restorative process from pre-dialogue preparation to dialogue facilitation to post-dialogue mentoring and support.
- Skillfully integrate a variety of conflict resolution skills into restorative facilitation, such as conflict analysis, nonviolent communication, conflict coaching, mediation, shuttle negotiation, and design thinking.
Abilities
- Evaluate effectiveness of restorative justice implementation through critical assessment of grassroots (bottom-up) and administrative (top-down) initiatives.
- Create new restorative organizations, policies, programs, or processes across contexts.
- Develop a restorative leadership style that initiates and supports restorative efforts.
- Customize a restorative approach for particular audiences (such as K-12, sexual harm, reintegration after incarceration, etc.)
Harness the Power of Restorative Justice at USD SOLES
Through the graduate programs offered at USD SOLES, you will find a flexible and dynamic curriculum, innovative faculty, and comprehensive support services to provide you with an exceptional education experience. We are committed to producing empowered change makers who make the world a better place in myriad ways.
We invite you to request more information about obtaining the new/upcoming master’s in restorative justice program (fall 2024), a groundbreaking and unique field of study that promotes inclusivity, collaboration, and social justice. You can also take this opportunity to schedule a call with an admissions advisor or attend an admissions event.
If you are ready to take the next actionable step in your future, start your online application today.
Unlock our resource, An Overview of Restorative Practices in Schools: A Hands-on, Healing Approach to Conflict in the Education System, to learn more about restorative justice in schools.
