Recommended Reads on Restorative Practices

These are books that inform my practice on a daily basis. They are key elements in the toolboxes of the educators I work with and now they can be a part of yours as well! Read on to expand your library with restorative practices.

1. "The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools; Teaching Responsibility; Creating Caring Climates" Amstutz, L. S., & Mullet, J. H. (2005).

  Can an overworked teacher possibly turn an unruly incident with students into an "opportunity for learning, growth, and community-building"? If restorative justice has been able to salvage lives within the world of criminal behavior, why shouldn't its principles be applied in school classrooms and cafeterias? And if our children learn restorative practices early and daily, won't we be building a healthier, more just society?

2. "Hacking School Discipline: 9 ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice" Nathan, M., & Brad, W. (2019).

Are you or your teachers frustrated with carrots and sticks, detention rooms, and suspension--antiquated school discipline practices that simply do not work with the students entering our classrooms today? Our kids have complex needs, and we must empower and embrace them with restorative practices that not only change behaviors but transform students into productive citizens, accountable for their own actions.
 

3. "Managing Your Classroom with Restorative Practices" (Quick Reference Guide) Pamphlet. Smith, D., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2017).
 

Keep your restorative practice tips hand with this awesome quick guide:

The goals of restorative practices are twofold: 1) build and maintain relationships and 2) repair relationships that have been harmed. Restorative practices are helpful for:

-Creating a respectful classroom

-Developing rapport with students

-Managing conflicts

-Establishing routines and expectations for positive student behavior.

This guide’s tips, strategies, sample questions and statements, and peacemaking tools will help teachers successfully use restorative practices in their classrooms.

4. "All Learning is Social and Emotional: Helping Students Develop Essential Skills for the Classroom and Beyond" Frey, N., Fisher D., & Smith, D. (2019).
 

While social and emotional learning (SEL) is most familiar as compartmentalized programs separate from academics, the truth is, all learning is social and emotional. What teachers say, the values we express, the materials and activities we choose, and the skills we prioritize all influence how students think, see themselves, and interact with content and with others.

5. "The Little Book of Restorative Justice" Zehr, H. (2002).

Vengeance and bitter violence have had their turns -- without redemptive results. How should we as a society respond to wrongdoing? When a crime occurs or an injustice is done, what needs to happen? What does justice require?
 
 

6. "The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking" Pranis, K. (2005).

7. "The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education: Fostering Responsibility, Healing, and Hope in Schools" Evans, K., & Vaandering, D. (2016).

8. "Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators" Costello, B., Wachtel, J., & Wachtel, T. (2009).
 

9. "School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It" Gruenert, S., Whitaker, T. (2015).
 

10. "Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes" Casas, J. (2017).