In my last blog, we explored my three favorite California school’s websites. Many educators expressed interest in them. Although some Californians can be arrogant, there are plenty of excellent non-California Restorative Practices program’s websites to explore. Whether I’m developing content for a workshop or all-day seminar, I always provide related resources on the topics. This blog post features the first of three restorative practices program websites not in California. Today we’re exploring Restorative Practices in Minnesota Department of Education. I’m hoping my readers will enjoy exploring these websites as much as they did the first three.
Minnesota Department of Education: Restorative Justice.
You can access their website at https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/safe/prac/
Minnesota’s Department of Education for Restorative Practices provides a wide variety of excellent restorative practices in schools resources. Restorative Practices are under “Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools.” In addition to Restorative Practices, you can also access Bullying Prevention & Help, School Climate, and Social Emotional Learning.
When you land on their home page it doesn’t appear to offer much from the table of contents on the side. However, they have endless links to documents throughout their main sections.
Links for Those Newer to RP
As a researcher who wants to cite sources accurately, I wish they had dates on all their publications. One of the links I like is, “Key Principles” leads you to a 12-page document titled, Principles of the Restorative School. A closely related link is the 11-page document, Practices of Restorative Schools. For those wanting general information on implementing RP in schools, The Restorative Practices Implementation Guide is another 15-page document. These three links are excellent sources for those newer to RP.
Using Circles with Staff
A favorite link on the drop-down menu is The Annual Trainings for Restorative Practices and Resources tab that leads trainers to Resources. If you’re newer to RP, you may also appreciate the link to the 2023 Books and Manuals on RP in Schools. Many educators are fine with RP for students but are hesitant about using it themselves. For example, students can apologize to one another and adults, but the adult is unwilling to apologize to students. Another favorite is the 2019, 24-page document, Building and Learning with Adult Circles. It is an excellent resource for everything you need to know about using circles with your staff.
Resources for Trainers
The Restorative Practices Trainer’s Guide Training Activities is an activity booklet that accompanies the 2019 Trainer’s Guide for Working with Schools to Implement Restorative Practices. There’s endless content on restorative practices but fewer free resources that feature training activities. One of my favorite activities on page 8 is, “How Restorative am I?”
Finding Something New
I love it when I visit one of my of my favorite sites and find something new. That’s what makes it a favorite. The Coaching and Whole-School Implementation and “Whole School RP Implementation Resources for Districts” links provide more advanced specifics. The two new documents are 2024 Re-Entry or Exit Process: A Principal’s Circle Practice and 2024 Non-exclusionary Discipline: Restorative Responses. I can’t wait to see where I can integrate this content and share with principals and educators.
I hope you’ll look forward to learning more about two of my other non-California based restorative practices program’s websites.