The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education: Fostering Responsibility, Healing, and Hope in Schools

A handbook for teachers and administrators on creating just and equitable learning environments for students; building and maintaining healthy relationships; healing harm and transforming conflict.

Much more than a response to harm, restorative justice nurtures relational, interconnected school cultures. The wisdom embedded within its principles and practices is being welcomed at a time when exclusionary discipline and zero tolerance policies are recognized as perpetuating student apathy, disproportionality, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Relying on the wisdom of early proponents of restorative justice, the daily experiences of educators, and the authors’ extensive experience as classroom teachers and researchers, this Little Book guides the growth of restorative justice in education (RJE) into the future. Incorporating activities, stories, and examples throughout the book, three major interconnected and equally important aspects of restorative justice in education are explained and applied: creating just and equitable learning environments; building and maintaining healthy relationships; healing harm and transforming conflict. Chapters include:

• The Way We Do Things
• A Brief History of Restorative Justice in Education
• Beliefs and Values in Restorative Justice in Education
• Creating just and Equitable Learning Environments
• Nurturing Healthy relationships
• Repairing Harm and Transforming Conflict
• A Tale of Two Schools: Thoughts and Sustainability

The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education is a reference that practitioners can turn to repeatedly for clarity and consistency as they implement restorative justice in educational settings.

Katherine Evans, an Assistant Professor of Education at Eastern Mennonite University, has helped develop EMU’s graduate program in Restorative Justice in Education, which supports educators as they create more just and equitable educational opportunities for all students including those marginalized based on race, ethnicity, ability, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity. She lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Dorothy Vaandering is an associate professor at the Faculty of Education, Memorial University, Newfoundland, and Labrador. After an extensive career as a Primary-Elementary educator, she now researches the implementation and sustainability of restorative justice in education. She passionately works to connect theory and practice in her current role as researcher and teacher-educator. She lives in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.