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ABSTRACT
Restorative justice (RJ) holds significant potential as a means for nurturing relational school cultures and addressing harm within those contexts. However, educators participating in professional development (pd), often articulate a commitment to RJ in principle but tend to continue practicing a pedagogy that focuses on controlling student (mis) behavior apart from its relational context. Considering the strong philosophical perspective of humanity on which RJ is grounded, this phenomenological case study examines the impact of pd that explicitly (a) engages with core beliefs and values of RJ and (b) invites participants to examine their personal philosophical stance. Employing theory-guided analysis and poetic inquiry to examine participants’ reflections nine months following their experience, results indicate that commitment and practice are better aligned. A significant change in perspectives emerges self; others; current practice; and group engagement. A list of recommended components for professional development concludes the article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. In this paper, restorative justice in education (RJE) is used to refer to education that integrates restorative justice (RJ) beliefs, values, and principles holistically into its daily practice. The term restorative justice (RJ) is used when referring to these foundational concepts and the broader field encompassing arenas that focus on addressing harm such as criminal justice, social work, community justice. Quotes from other sources used in this paper may not differentiate in the same way.
2. For a full description of the design of this pd institute see Vaandering (Citation2014).
3. For a full explanation of this reference point see Vaandering (Citation2011).
4. See footnote 1.
5. Zehr’s multidimensional work in the field of RJ is well known. His books (Zehr, Citation1996, Citation2001; Zehr & Amstutz, Citation2010) of photographs of those harmed, those causing harm, as well as the children of incarcerated people, capture much more than their words about their experience. In a similar way, Sharon Daniel’s installation Inside the distance (Pali, Citation2014) gives rise to critique and engagement in fresh ways. Drama/theatre productions, as well as mainstream and documentary movies about RJ, have also contributed much to understanding the complexity of what occurs in RJ. Finally, personal experience in creating and curating a collage/quilt experience (Vaandering & Vaandering, Citation2013) was equally expressive and challenging and resulted in responses and insights that challenged viewers and participants to critique mainstream media and our complicity in allowing harm to continue.
6. Names with * indicate a quote that was used in Vaandering (Citation2014) in prose form.
7. See Vaandering (Citation2014) for a full description of the centrality of relationship with self in developing and growing into a full understanding of RJ.
8. Talking circles are a process that is used through all aspects of RJ and RJE. They can be used for informal, friendly dialogue, curriculum learning, and/or resolving disputes. See Vaandering, 2016.
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Notes on contributors
Dorothy D. Vaandering
Dorothy D. Vaandering is an associate professor and the director of Relationships First: Restorative Justice Research-Resource Consortium at Memorial University in the Faculty of Education. She has published widely in a variety of journals and is the co-author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education (Skyhorse Publishing).