Stephanie Holloway and Renette McLellan spoke about being teachers in Restorative Justice, which helps students right the wrongs of their decisions.
Please tell me about yourself, and why you chose to become a Restorative Justice teacher?
My name is Stephanie Holloway, and I am the Schools Restorative Justice Advisor for Region South. While I support all Communities of Schools in the south, my designated Community of Schools is Carson. I attended a five-day training on Restorative Justice in 2014 and started my fantastic journey of supporting all stakeholders in becoming restorative.
My name is Renette McLellan. I am the Restorative Justice Teacher Advisor for Region South. Like Stephanie, I support all schools in the south, but have a special focus on the Fremont and Harbor City/Lomita Communities of Schools. In 2016, my principal asked me to become the lead RJ teacher at my school and I fell in love with RJ. It has been a privilege to work with students and teachers to repair relationships a build stronger school communities.
What is Restorative Justice?
Renette: Restorative Justice is a philosophy and an approach to discipline that moves away from punishment towards restoring a sense of harmony and well-being. RJ provides every member of the school community with the blueprint for developing healthy and respectful relationships.
Why is Restorative Justice necessary? How does it support students?
Stephanie: Restorative Justice is necessary because schools that implement restorative practices empower and teach students how to become respectful members of their school communities and navigate conflicts that inevitably arise in communities.
What are the greatest challenges to Restorative Justice?
Stephanie: One of the most significant challenges to Restorative Justice is time. Every educator feels like he/she/they always need more time to accomplish tasks. The feeling of needing more time also applies to implementing RJ practices. Another challenge is addressing the notion that "RJ doesn't work." Restorative Justice is a mindset and approach that takes time.
Are there certain situations in which Restorative Justice doesn't work?
Renette: There aren't any situations where Restorative Justice won't work. We may not consistently achieve the outcome we expect when working with students, but we should still be restorative in our delivery. Our goal should always be restoring the relationship to a healthy state instead of trying to institute the most damage possible.
Give an example of how you implement Restorative Justice at schools?
Stephanie: We provide three levels of RJ support to schools. The first level of support is school-wide community building. We provide professional development for teachers and staff, workshops for parents, and facilitate circle activities with students. The second level of support is working with the BSAP Restorative Justice Teachers. We provide training for the RJ teachers all over the district who implement the strategies and practices on their campuses. The third level of support is crisis support for schools. We provide immediate support during incidents when students need help sharing their thoughts, feelings, and concerns.