Brevig Mission Principal Ginger Crockett has brought Restorative Circles to her school – and her community. The simple, yet profound process of helping people understand the impact of their actions has shifted how students, staff, and even parents interact. The circle-based conversation asks participants to reflect on several simple questions: what happened, what was I thinking at the time, what have I thought about since, who was impacted, and what needs to happen now to make things right?
The school helps extend this practice to families. When struggling to deal with bullying and bad behavior, school staff hosts a Restorative Circle with parents so they can work together to identify solutions.
Principal Crockett cautioned that “progress takes time. Repeated, consistent use is the key. Some students are impacted in leaps and bounds, while others move forward one quiet step at a time. It’s important to stay the course. Our toughest students often did not show progress with the first few circles…then gradually the trust and improvement grew. While restorative practices have a high impact, they are not a “quick fix” solution.”
To learn more, check out restorative resources, Alaska Department of Education & Early Development’s e-learning series, and courses like these from Dr. Jenn Moore.