Classroom peace circles: Teachers’ professional learning and implementation of restorative dialogue

Abstract

Teachers’ professional learning about how to facilitate dialogue about conflicts is a core element of both peacemaking and democratic citizenship. Dialogue enables students to develop relationships and skills for handling conflict, proactively in classroom pedagogies and in response to disputes. Yet, such practices are challenging to fully implement and sustain in schools. Drawing on classroom observations and interviews with teachers and students, this article shows how four middle-grade public school teachers in Southern Ontario, Canada facilitated peace circles and how their students responded. The research sheds light on key principles and challenges in facilitating restorative dialogue in diverse classrooms.