Although you may think of Restorative Justice as being primarily about repairing harm or as a tool to replace punitive forms of discipline, restorative justice principles can also be used to proactively build the relationships and skills we need to support one another, to put voice to our concerns, and to navigate challenging situations. This session will explore one of the central tools of restorative justice practice, the Circle. Circles can be used in classrooms and with colleagues to build community and to repair harm. We will take time to provide some context and history of Circles as well as to demonstrate some Circle elements. We will also offer space to collectively consider ways we might be able to integrate Circles into our own higher education settings.
