2.1 Relationships

Relationships are central to building community. To achieve the benefits of restorative practices in the classroom:

• Considerable effort and time is spent on building and sustaining positive, trusting relationships among all members of the school community.
• Every student, teacher, administrator, staff member, and parent/guardian must be treated as and be seen to be a valued member of the school community.
• All members of the school community are involved in a process of naming the values and principles to live by within their school community.

This requires that all voices are valued and everyone is heard, ensuring equity of voice among all members of the community. To accomplish this:

• Systems and structures are established to ensure that all members of the school community have equal opportunities for meaningful participation.
• A culture of non-judgmental, authentic listening and sharing is encouraged and reinforced.
• Inclusive decision-making practices are utilized to ensure that those impacted by decisions have a voice in the process by providing opportunities for input. Once decisions are made, the reason for the decision and new expectations are clearly communicated.
• Negotiation and cooperation are key components towards building a collaborative classroom and school environment.