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Holistic Restorative Education (HRE), a new certificate program in the Graduate Education Department at Saint Michael鈥檚 College, provides educators with the ability to integrate 鈥渞estorative practices鈥� into a class setting.

Restorative practices are gaining wider currency in education and law as a concept rooted in repairing harm by focusing on a variety of practices that move a community to a place of healing. The 鈥渞estorative justice鈥� aspect of HRE is part of a larger movement to build community and inclusion, and repair harm in the classroom. Proponents say experiences prove that HRE shifts the dynamic of teaching, allowing educators to understand the true meaning of inclusivity in a classroom.

Originators of this new certificate option say that this 4-course, 12-credit program caters to educators of all kinds. Enrollment will be capped at 18 students per 鈥渃ohort.鈥� They would take the sequence together as a group from start to finish 鈥� about a year all told.

The Saint Michael鈥檚 program derives from an approach pioneered by Annie O鈥橲haughnessy, founder of True Nature Teaching and an educator of restorative practices since 1990. O鈥橲haughnessy offered virtual workshops through the College this past summer, and they proved to be so popular that it inspired this new offering.

鈥淗aving participated in and led circles personally and professionally since the 鈥�90s around the country and in the classroom, I have witnessed the tremendous impact of these experiences on my own and others鈥� lives,鈥� O鈥橲haughnessy is quoted as saying in her website testimonial, which emphasizes the importance and essential role that 鈥渕indfulness鈥� plays in successful restorative work. 聽Paired with integrated mindfulness practices, HRE helps to build a foundation for the intricate, nuanced work of restorative practices, O鈥橲haughnessy said, 鈥渢ransforming how we view student behavior and the factors that influence our every interaction with students and colleagues 鈥� positionality, race, trauma, toxic stress, neurodiversity, mental health, and culture.鈥� Mindfulness refers to the practice of paying attention in the present moment intentionally and with non-judgment. Mindfulness meditation practices refer to the deliberate acts of regulating attention through the observation of thoughts, emotions and body states.

鈥淎 focus of the program is supporting students so they have internal tools to find balance when shaken,鈥� said Amy Saks-Pavese, director of Graduate Education. Additionally, the Holistic Restorative Education program utilizes trauma-informed practices to aid educators in providing support to students to be successful members of a classroom and the greater community.

Rooted in neuroscience, trauma-informed practices recognize that children arrive at school having experienced trauma. 鈥淢any ongoing traumas are experienced as fallout from living in poverty, housing insecurity, and food insecurity,鈥� Saks-Pavese said. Further, students of color experience ongoing traumas as a result of racism, she said.

Trauma-informed practices acknowledge that these experiences alter the brain, and respond to these changes in a way that supports students in building resilience when faced with challenges. According to Saks-Pavese, schools increasingly are seeking out this kind of professional development as they recognize how challenging school can be for students who have experienced trauma, as manifested in the behavior of such students. Schools strive to help build resilience and serve as a vessel of support, she said.

Hoping to attract students beyond the local Vermont area, this new Saint Michael鈥檚 program will be delivered virtually (on-line), providing accessibility to learners across the country. It specifically caters to those interested in beginning a master鈥檚 program and those with a master鈥檚 degree who want to focus on restorative practices.

The four-course program 鈥� one course per semester launching in January 2021 鈥� follows a cohort model designed for students to begin and end the program at the same time. Students take one course in the spring, summer, and fall, reaching completion the following spring season. One of the courses is a practicum in which enrolled students place their learning into practice. As one cohort completes its program, another begins. 鈥淚t is designed to support educators in various stages of their own careers,鈥� Saks-Pavese said.

This past summer, the Graduate Education program at Saint Michael鈥檚 offered an online teaching and learning webinar series, 鈥淓ngaging All Students in a Remote Classroom,鈥� taught by O鈥橲haughnessy, which effectively provided a sort of preview or 鈥渢railer鈥� for the four-course program. The webinar quickly rose in popularity and demand, according to Saint Michael鈥檚 education faculty, and four school districts requested to schedule the webinar for their educators after participating in the summer series.

O鈥橲haughnessy says she feels all educators might benefit from learning about 鈥渢rauma-sensitive practices, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning.鈥� In recognizing that equity and restorative practices build efficacy for leaders and educators, she said, engaging in these restorative practices promotes wellness for all, 鈥渁llowing us to become agents for change.鈥�