This innovative and dynamic three-day seminar (6 hours/day) equips school site staff to implement Restorative Practices that typically improves students’ relationships and increases accountability while decreasing misbehaviors, suspensions, and expulsions. The seminars feature Seminar 1: Introduction to Restorative Practices in Schools; Seminar 2: Building Restorative Relationships in School; and Seminar 3: Implementing Restorative Practices in Schools.
Before training begins, a Gateway to Restorative Practices consultant conducts a school site observation, interviews school site leadership, shares Year 1 details, and provides guidance for creating a school site implementation team. School sites are encouraged to plan for school-wide implementation, but Restorative Practices can be implemented partially by individual educators.
Site team leads along with their dynamic cross-section of seven to nine site team members, including both certificated and classified staff, develop a Year 1 Site Team Implementation Plan over the three-day seminar. Secondary site teams are typically larger. To accommodate differences between elementary and secondary students, some training components are offered simultaneously for elementary and secondary participants.
In addition to the three all-day seminars, Gateway to Restorative Practices trainers offer 30+ workshops for educators, parents/caregivers, and students 5th – 12th grades. New workshops are continuously developed. Per the site plan, consultants schedule any combination of ten hours of workshops, consulting, and/or coaching. Throughout the year, consultants maintain regular contact with the site team lead and site team by working alongside them to implement the site’s year one training plan.
Seminars are typically scheduled at least two weeks apart so educators can practice and apply what they’ve learned before adding additional principles and skills in the next session. By the end of the three all-day seminars, site teams are prepared to move forward with site plan implementation.
