Restorative Practice (Circle) in Schools:

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"The Mason Jar" is a mindfulness activity sometimes used in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).  The activity aims to help people become aware of where harm has been done,  and how conflict, traumatic events, stressors, life, and interactions could negatively impact others. 

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All this to say, my passion is to support  Schools so that they can become a safer and stronger environment. A fellow mediator (from the Katallasso Group) and I are creating a curriculum, to teach/show school staff and students the way Restorative Practices (Circle) work and how useful and effective they are in supporting better interactions, those who are struggling, and how Circle would help to rebuild/restore common ground within the school. 

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The goal is to start introducing/launching before the start of the 2024 school year. ​​​ I hope that once shown the curriculum, schools continue to utilize Restorative Practices vs punitive consequences. Furthermore, I hope to collaborate with schools enough to build, and implement, a Restorative Practice that best fits their needs.  Customize it! 

 

Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) greatly supports the use of Restorative Practices in schools:   https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/safe/prac/

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I have already created "The Mason Jar" (activity/curriculum) to introduce to schools and show how supportive this activity is for students who are struggling with conflict in any area of their life- truancy, home, friendships, school environment, substance use etc.. 

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I am also in the process of creating a separate activity/curriculum to introduce to school staff to support their needs and to show how Circle would be beneficial in the classroom. It starts with the leaders! 

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More to come and I'm so excited for it!! 

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