Ladson-Billings discusses the need for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to be “fluid” because students and teachers should be growing. She talks about the varied way her teachings were applied and how elements were lost. She then uses an example of a class integrating hip hop culture with student teaching and its success in engaging relevant critical concepts. Winn’s article explains her work with Restorative Justice and how Restorative Justice can be applied in English Education by student’s using the art of writing to express their experiences of marginalization and to find alternatives. Teachers who integrate Restorative Justice take a personal interest in their students’ well-being and form a trust which supports this practice. Buechley’s video examines the contradictory nature of Maker magazine, showing how it aims to be an equitable and inclusive resource, but the reality is that it is exclusive. Their product is produced by, aimed at, and accessible to predominantly white upper-class men. She demonstrates the inequity by the people that work there, the people who are selected for the cover of the magazine and through the readership and high priced products they sell. The magazine falls short of representing the brilliancy of making things embodied across cultures. The podcast talked about restorative justice in two discourses. The interview with Danielle Sered was about a restorative justice program in the criminal justice system. She explained how the root of violence can be tied to isolation, shame, exposure to violence or the inability to meet one’s economic needs and prison replicates these experiences which continues the cycle and does nothing to prevent further violence. There is no healing or reparation in the current system. Sered describes how a restorative justice approach that takes those impacted by the violence coming together and making agreements on how to repair the harm. The process reduces the chance of violence reoccurring. The second part was about using restorative justice to reduce online violence. They had 3 cases and showed how it is a difficult process and not always successful. The successful case involved the offender becoming aware of his aggression, but the other cases were not resolved so easily.
Maisha Winn’s article made me think of the respect that is often lacking in classrooms. It reminded me of an experience I had in my high school English class, senior year. We had to write an essay that was related to a personal experience and present it to the class. I shared a little bit about an unhealthy situation that was going on at home and after I was done presenting the teacher’s only comment was that it sounded like a talk to a woman’s group. There was no acknowledgment of the content of the message I delivered. It was dismissive and disrespectful. It is the opposite of what I understand a restorative justice English teacher to be and makes me aware of the approach I want to use and don’t want to use when I begin teaching.
Have you experienced restorative justice circles in K-12 school?
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