Justice In School
vs. unfairness
Taking personal responsibility to uphold what is pure, right, and true
To practice Justice, I will: 
- speak out for what is pure, right, and true
- educate myself to keep my motives pure
- promote reform, not revenge
- reject bias in myself and others
- respect rules
The Power of Restorative Justice in the Classroom
by Jill Tomey
I am an evaluator for the State School of Character designation from Character.org, a partner organization with the Character Council. I have repeatedly seen the use of Restorative Justice practices in school applications. At its core, Restorative Justice addresses the impact of misconduct, not just punishing the act itself. When conflict arises, students involved are given a chance to take responsibility for their actions and understand their impact on others. I have seen written personal reflection forms and facilitated justice circles where those involved discuss the issue and share their perspectives. Once students understand the consequences of their actions on their classmates, they work collaboratively with those impacted towards solutions. This shift of focus from punishment to repair fosters a sense of accountability, empathy, and respect within students; it teaches students to take ownership of their actions. Restorative Justice does not mean that behavior is consequence-free. This collaborative process can result in apologies, restitution, or participation in mediation to rebuild trust and positive relationships, along with the consequences according to school policy. Restorative Justice creates stronger classroom communities that promote collaboration and positive social interactions.
This month, how can you use Restorative Justice to rebuild relationships?
The Links below will take you to Resources you can use in the classroom or in homeschool
to teach the Character Quality of Justice.
Need to build community in your classroom? Try these team building activities!
Shamrock Shuffle
Arrange the participants in chairs in a circle with one less chair than people. Larger groups may need multiple circles. Have the person without a chair stand in the middle. They are to call out a sentence that describes him or herself. Examples: People wearing a red...
Our other Pillars have resources that can be used in an educational setting or for education professionals.
Visit Justice in Business>>
Teambuilding
Power Up with Character
Interview Questions
Adult Business Books
Visit Justice in the Community>>
Quotes
Character All Month Calendar
Related Qualities
Character Holiday Activities
Family Activity (with a printable for sending home to parents)
Visit Justice in Faith>>
Christian Family Activity
Bible Verses
Christian Poster
Prayer and Reflections
Archived Resources