Restorative Practices in Education: Building Relationships, Repairing Harm, Restoring Community

Presenters

• Anna J. Clardy, Green River Regional Educational CooperativeFollow
• JoAnna L. Jones, Green River Regional Educational CooperativeFollow

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M. A.

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2009

First Presenter's Field of Study

Education

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Western Kentucky University

First Presenter's Institution

Green River Regional Educational Coooperative

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Anna Clardy Project ACCESS Coordinator, Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) With over 35 years of experience in education, Anna Clardy is passionate about creating learning environments where students and staff feel valued, supported, and connected. As the Project ACCESS Coordinator at the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC), she partners with school districts to strengthen Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), focusing on behavior and social-emotional wellness. A strong advocate for relationship-building, Anna believes that meaningful connections among students, families, and educators are at the heart of school success. She is also a nationally certified Mental Health First Aid trainer, providing educators and community members with evidence-based strategies to recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. Anna holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in School Guidance and Counseling, and a Master of Arts Rank I degree in School Guidance and Counseling, all from Western Kentucky University. She also is certified In Kentucky as an Educational Program Consultant.

Second Presenter's Institution

Green River Regional Educational Coooperative

Second Presenter’s Email Address

joanna.jones@grrec.org

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M. A. Education

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

1996

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Education

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

Western Kentucky University

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

JoAnna Jones is a PBIS Consultant with GRREC and Project ACCESS, bringing a rich and diverse background in education. With experience spanning roles as a Classroom Teacher, School Counselor, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Director of Elementary Instruction, JoAnna offers a well-rounded perspective and deep understanding of school systems and student needs. She holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education with a Reading Endorsement from Western Kentucky University, along with a Rank I in School Counseling and an Educational Leadership Endorsement. JoAnna is an active contributor to state and national efforts supporting student well-being. She serves on several leadership teams and organizations, including the Council of Administrators of Special Education, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the Project AWARE 2.0 and School Climate Transformation Project State Leadership Team, and the Kentucky Department of Education’s Project AWARE ISF Committee. Driven by a passion for helping schools thrive, JoAnna is dedicated to creating safe, supportive learning environments where students and educators can succeed. She finds joy in empowering school teams to implement sustainable systems that make a lasting impact on student outcomes.

Location

Ballroom E

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Restorative Practices

Relevance to Primary Strand

The proposal directly connects to restorative practices by highlighting their core purpose: fostering relationships, repairing harm, and restoring a sense of community within schools. It emphasizes the foundational elements of restorative practices, including:

1. Building Relationships and Belonging: Restorative practices prioritize strong connections between students, staff, and the broader school community. The abstract underscores that safe, supportive learning environments rely on these relationships.

2. Restorative Language and Accountability: The abstract describes using restorative language—such as affective statements and restorative questions—to help students reflect, take responsibility, and develop empathy. This aligns with restorative practices’ goal of promoting accountability in a supportive, non-punitive way.

3. Conflict Resolution and Problem-Solving: By introducing strategies to de-escalate conflict and facilitate problem-solving, the session embodies restorative approaches that repair harm while maintaining community cohesion.

4. Community-Building Circles: The abstract mentions circles as a practical tool for restorative practices. Circles give everyone a voice, foster trust, and create emotionally safe spaces, which are central to the restorative philosophy of inclusivity, fairness, and shared responsibility.

5. Positive School Culture: Overall, the session aims to equip educators with practical methods to strengthen classroom culture, prevent fractures in relationships, and respond to challenges in ways that restore rather than punish—core objectives of restorative practices.

In short, the abstract captures both the philosophy and practical strategies of restorative practices: strengthening relationships, fostering empathy and accountability, and building inclusive, resilient school communities.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

Restorative Practices: Building Relationships, Repairing Harm, Restoring Community Discover how restorative practices can transform school climate by fostering trust, empathy, and accountability. This interactive session introduces educators to restorative language, affective statements, and restorative questions to strengthen relationships, de-escalate conflict, and promote student responsibility. Participants will explore community-building and problem-solving circles that elevate student voice, encourage reflection, and create emotionally safe, inclusive spaces. Whether new to restorative practices or seeking to deepen implementation, attendees will gain practical strategies to cultivate positive, supportive learning environments.

Summary

Restorative Practices in Education: Building Relationships, Repairing Harm, Restoring Community

Creating safe, supportive learning environments begins with strong relationships and a sense of belonging. This session introduces educators to the core principles and practical applications of restorative practices—an approach designed to foster community, accountability, and empathy in schools. Participants will explore how restorative language, including affective statements and restorative questions, can strengthen relationships, de-escalate conflict, and promote student responsibility in daily interactions.

Through interactive activities, educators will practice strategies for reflection, empathy, and problem-solving. The session also highlights community-building and problem-solving circles as tools to elevate student voice, nurture trust, and create emotionally safe, inclusive spaces. These circles encourage fairness, shared responsibility, and equity, supporting the development of positive school climates where every participant feels heard and valued.

Whether new to restorative practices or deepening implementation, participants will gain practical strategies to strengthen classroom culture, repair harm without punitive measures, and respond to challenges in ways that reinforce relationships rather than fracture them. This session equips educators with both the philosophy and actionable methods to foster resilient, empathetic, and connected school communities, aligning directly with the goals of restorative practices: building relationships, promoting accountability, and restoring a sense of community.

Evidence

This proposal is grounded in extensive research and promising practices in restorative approaches within education. Studies show that restorative practices improve school climate, increase student engagement, reduce behavioral incidents, and enhance social-emotional learning. By emphasizing relationship-building, accountability, and empathy, restorative practices align with research on social-emotional interventions that foster positive behavior and academic success.

Restorative language, affective statements, and restorative questions are evidence-based strategies that encourage reflection, self-regulation, and perspective-taking, promoting prosocial behaviors among students. Community-building and problem-solving circles are supported by research demonstrating that structured dialogue increases trust, inclusion, and equitable participation, while reducing conflict and reactive disciplinary measures.

In addition, restorative practices reflect principles from Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), integrating evidence-based approaches to promote emotional safety, student voice, and supportive learning environments. By combining proven strategies with interactive, practical applications, this session equips educators to implement restorative practices with fidelity, ensuring measurable benefits for school climate, student relationships, and overall community well-being.

Learning Objective 1

explain the core principles of restorative practices and identify strategies to build community, address conflict, and foster a positive classroom or school environment.

Learning Objective 2

use restorative language, including affective statements and restorative questions, to promote empathy, responsibility, and accountability in student interactions.

Learning Objective 3

apply community-building and problem-solving circles to strengthen trust, enhance belonging, repair harm, and create emotionally safe and equitable learning spaces.

Start Date

6-1-2026 1:15 PM

End Date

6-1-2026 2:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Clardy, Anna J. and Jones, JoAnna L., "Restorative Practices in Education: Building Relationships, Repairing Harm, Restoring Community" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 19.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/19

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.