WHAT ARE
CIRCLESCircles are a restorative practice that can be used as prevention and intervention practices. Circles can be used to build community and interpersonal relationships in classes, and can also address disruptive behaviors with the entire community. For an entirely restorative classroom, learning circles can take place so the students' voices and experiences can inform the teaching and materials.
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All circle members should come to an agreement on what the group’s values or guidelines should be. We offer a set of values that are often brought into circles that we have facilitated with high school students. While many of these are important, this list is not comprehensive. It may also be beneficial to have a value of turning off electronic devices at the start of a circle if it becomes an issue. We have also integrated these values into our own personal lives to live in a more restorative manner.
- Assume best intentions - act and speak from best intentions. Often, people feel like something that was said was meant to be intentionally hurtful. This is often not the case. Assuming that everyone in the circle is speaking and acting from their best intentions can help diminish misconceptions or miscommunication.
- Speak from your own experiences. Speak about what is true to you, from your own experiences. Avoid making assumptions or comments about others’ experiences (for example, “If that happened to me, I would’ve...”). This isn’t to say not to relate to each other or offer advice when asked.
- Hold each other accountable. Even with the first value, sometimes a person in the circle might say something hurtful, unintentionally or intentionally. It’s important to leave space to talk about what was hurtful and why.