Sitting in a circle and talking sounds easy. But using a \u201ccircle process\u201d to ensure every voice is heard and respected takes discipline and hard work. That\u2019s what K-12 teachers at Eastern Mennonite School are learning as they commit to restorative practices in education.<\/p>\n
Using a \u201ccircle process\u201d is one way administrators and teachers help to make sure every voice is heard and respected at EMS. In a circle, participants face each other and pass a \u201ctalking piece.\u201d Only the person with the talking piece may talk; others listen. Participants can \u201cpass\u201d when the piece comes to them. Everyone has a chance to be heard.<\/p>\n
Each week, middle and high school students meet in Los Grupos de Vecinos<\/a> of eight to 10 student where they often practice the circle format to discuss a common theme. A recent theme was the role that technology plays in each person\u2019s life and the impact that has on relationships, study habits and learning.<\/p>\n In a disciplinary situation, the circle provides space for those who have been hurt to share how they were affected by others\u2019 actions. Perpetrators listen and learn to understand the consequences of their choices; they get a chance to talk too.<\/p>\n At a practice session with teachers, Justin King<\/a>, high school principal noted that some students \u2014 and adults \u2014 may be skeptical about the process. \u201cWhat is this \u2018mumbo jumbo?\u2019 students may ask,\u201d he laughed. But, he explained, there is something special about sitting in a circle. \u201cIt slows us down. When we make time for one person to share and others to focus on them, it\u2019s hard not to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are committed to making sure we \u2014 students and teachers \u2014 are accountable to each other,\u201d says Maria Archer<\/a> K-8 principal. \u201cWhen restorative practices become a part of our everyday lives, conflicts are addressed and, most importantly, each person has a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n