WELCOME TO THE RJ ED NEWSLETTER!
JANUARY 2025
We invite you to read and explore what is going on in our world. We hope to bring you relevant content in the world of restorative principles and practices and periodically highlight events, people, schools, and research. We also want to connect you with other passionate educators that are committed to this important work; co-creating with you, a system of support and a community of practice!
Feel free to share your journey with us at [email protected] and if you are open to it, we may publish your progress in an upcoming newsletter.
-The RJ Ed Family
Feel free to share your journey with us at [email protected] and if you are open to it, we may publish your progress in an upcoming newsletter.
-The RJ Ed Family
Promoting a Culture of Care in Public Schools in the City of Bogotá, Colombia
Written by: María Carolina Nieto, PhD
Illustration 1: The Spiral of Care and the Tree of Life.
Source: Cultivar Paz. With permission from teacher
Clara Liliana Rodríguez.
Source: Cultivar Paz. With permission from teacher
Clara Liliana Rodríguez.
Since 2021, Cultivar Paz, a Colombian organization dedicated to education and research, adapted the Training of Trainers Program in a Culture of Care for Colombia, based on principles and practices of restorative justice (hereinafter referred to as the Program). Colombia marks 8 years since the signing of the peace agreement between the FARC and the national government, and 4 years since the publication of the final report by the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition. Therefore, the Program began to be implemented in a favorable context for proposing new non-violent imaginaries and conflict resolution practices from within the school. The Program enriched the field of education in a Colombia that is striving for peace. However, the vision of a peaceful country requires pedagogies that educate in a new way of building interpersonal relationships and restoring them when conflicts arise.
In 2023 and 2024, Cultivar Paz implemented the Program in a hybrid format, with both virtual and in-person sessions, for 150 public school teachers in Bogotá. The participants included teachers, principals, area-coordinators, and counselors. These educators serve approximately 5,200 students, from preschool to secondary education.
In 2024, the main strategy of the Program was to encourage the participating teachers to implement three key practices in their respective schools: community-building circles, agreement-building circles, and restorative circles (RJEd©). These three practices, based on the Restorative Justice approach, aimed to promote changes in school culture. Another key strategy was to invite educators to reflect on their experience of facilitating circles with students and colleagues. Participants could document their reflections in a logbook as texts, drawings, or diagrams, connecting with their feelings, emotions, and critical stance on the changes involved in the pedagogy of care and restorative practices. An example of these drawings can be seen in Figure 1, created by teacher Clara Liliana Rodríguez, who works at La Victoria school in Bogotá.
Teacher Clara Liliana explains: "It is possible to promote a culture of care with practices such as community-building circles and restorative circles. The circles are already recognized by students and fellow teachers. I am part of the school conviviality committee, and I feel that restorative practices are gaining importance in the institution as a way to repair the wrongdoings in the school. The students themselves have taken it upon themselves to highlight these practices by acknowledging the importance these spaces for * 'sentipensar' hold for them."
Like Clara Liliana, other teachers shared reflections in their logbooks, where they highlighted significant changes in their pedagogical approach and practice. These changes involved the following:
In conclusion, the Program has proven to be relevant in the Colombian context, and its adaptation has been positive. In two years, Cultivar Paz has observed changes in the focus and pedagogical practice of participating teachers. Looking ahead, we aim to continue improving the program and generating evidence and systematization of its outcomes.
María Carolina Nieto, PhD,
Founder and Director of Cultivar Paz.
Lead Representative of Restorative Justice in Education (RJEd) in Colombia.
The “Trainer of Trainers program in a Culture of Care based on the Principles and Practices of Restorative Justice and Culturally Appropriate Relationships and Interactions” is a creation by RJEd. Cultivar Paz and RJEd signed an MOU with RJEd in 2021 in order to adapt and promote the program in Colombia
*Sentipensar is a term in Spanish that refers to the practice of “thinking through the heart”
In 2023 and 2024, Cultivar Paz implemented the Program in a hybrid format, with both virtual and in-person sessions, for 150 public school teachers in Bogotá. The participants included teachers, principals, area-coordinators, and counselors. These educators serve approximately 5,200 students, from preschool to secondary education.
In 2024, the main strategy of the Program was to encourage the participating teachers to implement three key practices in their respective schools: community-building circles, agreement-building circles, and restorative circles (RJEd©). These three practices, based on the Restorative Justice approach, aimed to promote changes in school culture. Another key strategy was to invite educators to reflect on their experience of facilitating circles with students and colleagues. Participants could document their reflections in a logbook as texts, drawings, or diagrams, connecting with their feelings, emotions, and critical stance on the changes involved in the pedagogy of care and restorative practices. An example of these drawings can be seen in Figure 1, created by teacher Clara Liliana Rodríguez, who works at La Victoria school in Bogotá.
Teacher Clara Liliana explains: "It is possible to promote a culture of care with practices such as community-building circles and restorative circles. The circles are already recognized by students and fellow teachers. I am part of the school conviviality committee, and I feel that restorative practices are gaining importance in the institution as a way to repair the wrongdoings in the school. The students themselves have taken it upon themselves to highlight these practices by acknowledging the importance these spaces for * 'sentipensar' hold for them."
Like Clara Liliana, other teachers shared reflections in their logbooks, where they highlighted significant changes in their pedagogical approach and practice. These changes involved the following:
- The objective of school education shifted from content transmission to the learning and holistic care of students.
- The educator’s primary responsibility was no longer to maintain order and meet academic goals, but to build relationships with their students by recognizing each one as a culturally situated individual.
- Giving voice to students to democratize relationships within the school became a main goal. However, the ability of teachers to listen was essential, requiring both training and commitment.
- While academic training for students and teachers remained important, socio-emotional development took precedence for the entire school community. This was so significant that it required "repositioning the heart at the center of the school," as expressed in the drawing by teacher Clara Liliana Rodríguez (Illustration 1).
- Conflict ceased to be viewed as an undesirable problem and instead became an opportunity for learning for everyone. One teacher wrote in their logbook: "The teacher's responsibility [includes] recognizing students' emotions and seeking to address conflicts peacefully. We, as teachers, must set an example for students by showing that it is our responsibility to care for others."
In conclusion, the Program has proven to be relevant in the Colombian context, and its adaptation has been positive. In two years, Cultivar Paz has observed changes in the focus and pedagogical practice of participating teachers. Looking ahead, we aim to continue improving the program and generating evidence and systematization of its outcomes.
María Carolina Nieto, PhD,
Founder and Director of Cultivar Paz.
Lead Representative of Restorative Justice in Education (RJEd) in Colombia.
The “Trainer of Trainers program in a Culture of Care based on the Principles and Practices of Restorative Justice and Culturally Appropriate Relationships and Interactions” is a creation by RJEd. Cultivar Paz and RJEd signed an MOU with RJEd in 2021 in order to adapt and promote the program in Colombia
*Sentipensar is a term in Spanish that refers to the practice of “thinking through the heart”
New Mexico: Los Alamos High School Creates a "Justice Brigade"
Written by: Diego Sena & Kristine Coblentz
Los Alamos students and teachers who participated in the 2024 NMPED sponsored Intro to Culture of Care Training in Albuquerque, NM
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Closing circle during the Tier 1 Intro to Culture of Care training at the Los Alamos School District, NM
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We became involved with RJEd through a grant from the New Mexico Public Education Department. Our school had identified a need to strengthen relationships, not only between students and their peers, but also between students and staff, especially after the isolation we experienced during the COVID pandemic. High school leadership had set the vision of creating a community of learners, not just a school, and we thought that adopting more restorative practices could help us realize that vision.
RJEd provided the opportunity for schools across New Mexico to participate in the four day intensive training. This was the first year that school teams were required to include student representatives. Intentionally including student voices and perspectives had a huge impact on everyone involved and helped our team unify around bringing these ideas back to our school. This was a stark contrast to most other school initiatives we have seen.
Our team stepped into this training with little knowledge of restorative practices and left with a strong understanding of the principles and a drive to implement the practices in our school. Since the training, we have led both staff and student circles. We collaborated with another student group to facilitate student focus groups in order to have a deeper understanding of students’ day to day experiences at school. With our grant funding we were able to purchase furnishings and supplies to create a calm room for students to come reset and get support when they are struggling. Finally, I was able to help co-facilitate a district-wide training with the RJEd staff to help increase understanding of restorative practices and how they can be used in schools. As a result of that training, two of our team members were invited to present an overview of the Tier 1 principles to our middle school staff members during their back to school meetings.
Throughout the four day intensive training I was shown the positive effects these practices have on other schools, and I was apprehensive, but driven to do the same at ours. I wasn’t sure how everything would be received by both staff and students. However, the more work we did, the more positive feedback we received. Our team was told time and time again that something as simple as participating in community building circles had made an impact on the school’s community as well as the personal well-being of everyone involved. I have now seen firsthand the transformative power that restorative justice has in my school, and it has driven me to keep doing this work and to urge others to get involved.
Diego Sena
LAHS Student
Justice Brigade Member
Kristine Coblentz
Prevention Program Coordinator
Los Alamos Public Schools
RJEd provided the opportunity for schools across New Mexico to participate in the four day intensive training. This was the first year that school teams were required to include student representatives. Intentionally including student voices and perspectives had a huge impact on everyone involved and helped our team unify around bringing these ideas back to our school. This was a stark contrast to most other school initiatives we have seen.
Our team stepped into this training with little knowledge of restorative practices and left with a strong understanding of the principles and a drive to implement the practices in our school. Since the training, we have led both staff and student circles. We collaborated with another student group to facilitate student focus groups in order to have a deeper understanding of students’ day to day experiences at school. With our grant funding we were able to purchase furnishings and supplies to create a calm room for students to come reset and get support when they are struggling. Finally, I was able to help co-facilitate a district-wide training with the RJEd staff to help increase understanding of restorative practices and how they can be used in schools. As a result of that training, two of our team members were invited to present an overview of the Tier 1 principles to our middle school staff members during their back to school meetings.
Throughout the four day intensive training I was shown the positive effects these practices have on other schools, and I was apprehensive, but driven to do the same at ours. I wasn’t sure how everything would be received by both staff and students. However, the more work we did, the more positive feedback we received. Our team was told time and time again that something as simple as participating in community building circles had made an impact on the school’s community as well as the personal well-being of everyone involved. I have now seen firsthand the transformative power that restorative justice has in my school, and it has driven me to keep doing this work and to urge others to get involved.
Diego Sena
LAHS Student
Justice Brigade Member
Kristine Coblentz
Prevention Program Coordinator
Los Alamos Public Schools
Paper Proposals Accepted to Present at the 2025 AERA Conference
Dr. Tom Cavanagh, RJEd Founder & Director of Research and Development
Dr. Tom Cavanagh has received word that both proposals that were submitted to AERA (American Educational Research Association) for presentation at the 2025 conference were accepted.
We are honored to be accepted to present at this respected international gathering of educational researchers. AERA received more than 11,000 submissions this year. Here are the texts of the two acceptance letters:
We are pleased to inform you that your paper, "Neurodiverse Students and Restorative Practices: One Teacher, One Story," submitted for consideration for the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting has been accepted. Congratulations on this accomplishment. To ensure the highest quality papers presented at the Annual Meeting, your submission was reviewed by highly qualified reviewers serving on a panel constituted by the SIG-Special and Inclusive Education Research.
Your paper has been placed in a Poster Session titled, “Innovative Approaches and Methodologies for Enhancing Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities”
We are pleased to inform you that your paper, "Strengthening Relationships to Respond to Challenging Behaviors of Culturally Diverse Children in Schools," submitted for consideration for the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting has been accepted. Congratulations on this accomplishment. To ensure the highest quality papers presented at the Annual Meeting, your submission was reviewed by highly qualified reviewers serving on a panel constituted by the SIG-Critical Peace Education.
Your paper has been placed in a Round-table Session titled, “Global and Citizenship Education through Language, Literacy, and Cultural Diversity”.
We are honored to be accepted to present at this respected international gathering of educational researchers. AERA received more than 11,000 submissions this year. Here are the texts of the two acceptance letters:
We are pleased to inform you that your paper, "Neurodiverse Students and Restorative Practices: One Teacher, One Story," submitted for consideration for the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting has been accepted. Congratulations on this accomplishment. To ensure the highest quality papers presented at the Annual Meeting, your submission was reviewed by highly qualified reviewers serving on a panel constituted by the SIG-Special and Inclusive Education Research.
Your paper has been placed in a Poster Session titled, “Innovative Approaches and Methodologies for Enhancing Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities”
We are pleased to inform you that your paper, "Strengthening Relationships to Respond to Challenging Behaviors of Culturally Diverse Children in Schools," submitted for consideration for the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting has been accepted. Congratulations on this accomplishment. To ensure the highest quality papers presented at the Annual Meeting, your submission was reviewed by highly qualified reviewers serving on a panel constituted by the SIG-Critical Peace Education.
Your paper has been placed in a Round-table Session titled, “Global and Citizenship Education through Language, Literacy, and Cultural Diversity”.
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Thank your for all of your time, care, and commitment to creating a Culture of Care at your school, district, and organization! We wish you all a wonderful and joyful New Year! |