Is your trauma-informed school ready to learn the language for healthier, cooperative, and more productive relationships?

Let’s face it, the last few years have been a hot mess for teachers. It’s been incredibly difficult to navigate. We know that trauma-informed practices are needed now more than ever to help shift our engagement with one another — but how to make these practices work is the question. Learning how to communicate differently is the answer.

After nearly 30 years in education, it comes down to this - communication.
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I started my teaching career bright eyed and bushy-tailed. I was ready to change the world. I wanted to help challenge the status quo and the systemic inequities in the public school system. And then I got my first teaching job in the U.S. Yikes.

Over the next 20 years, as I held various roles in public education, I found many well-intentioned educators and I encountered many students who were excited to learn. I also found many students who were frustrated, disengaged and sad as a result of trying to navigate a dysfunctional education system. I found pockets of hope and innovation, but not enough to satisfy me. So I went back to school for my doctorate to learn how organizations can change - really change.
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I studied organizational psychology, systems thinking, design thinking, agency, self-organizing systems – and I ultimately realized that all of the initiatives in the world could not change how we work. I realized that how we interact with each other at the most basic level sets the stage for the success of initiatives.
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It was then I started reading about communication and how people talk to each other. I began studying conflict and learned about the ladder of inference. I reflected with colleagues on the language we use at work. When we talked about conflict, I noticed how most recoiled at the word. “Ick!” they said..“I don’t do conflict at work! I avoid all that drama.”

What I realized is that the more people tried to avoid conflict:

• fewer issues got resolved
• fewer goals were achieved
• the less satisfied people felt in their jobs
• the less they enjoyed their working relationships
• the more frustration students and adults experienced

So, I thought…what if educators had tools to communicate in a healthy way that diffused conflict?

What if educators could use healthy communication with students who were struggling with their behavior? Or with irate parents?

What is Restorative Communication?

Drawing from the highly effective Nonviolent Communication method, restorative communication demonstrates how to increase awareness of yourself and others, identify feelings as they relate to behavior and needs, and employ practices that lead to positive outcomes. It works hand in hand with restorative practices, such as Talking Circles.
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When modelled in the classroom, restorative communication empowers students to learn from their actions, to understand their impact, and to grow personally in their ability to make more sound decisions and resolve problems.
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• Resolve conflicts and disagreements in a respectful and cooperative manner.
• Take responsibility for one’s feelings and behavior.
• Intentionally engage in acts of kindness, forgiveness and support of others.

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How to Start Restorative Communication in Trauma-Informed Schools is a 6-module online course designed for teachers to learn and apply a four-part communication framework to their own relationships and then model / teach the principles to their students.
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• MODULE 1 — Do You Speak Jackal or Giraffe? An intro to Effective Communication
• MODULE 2 — Effective Communication Starts with Your... Eyes? The Importance of Observations Over Judgements
• MODULE 3 — The Feelings Behind the Words The Role Feelings Play in Effective Communication
• MODULE 4 — Honoring Your Needs and the Needs of Others? The Power of Identification and Acknowledgement
• MODULE 5 — How to Ask for What You Need The Art of Making Your Needs Known
• MODULE 6 — Common Barriers to Communication How to Troubleshoot Your Way to Effective Communication

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* To request 'Pay What You Can' enrollment, click here *

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What's included in the course: