Implementation of Restorative Circles in a Second Grade Classroom

The purpose of this qualitative action research project was to determine how the implementation of restorative circles in my Second Grade classroom could contribute to the class community. The project also sought to determine in what ways the use of restorative circles in conjunction with explicit Social and Emotional Learning lessons could impact the Social and Emotional development of the Second Graders in my classroom. This project was conducted in a Title I public Elementary school in the intermountain west. I implemented this project with all 20 of my students but chose a small group of six students to interview and observe more closely for the purpose of in-depth analysis. The data collection methods included video recording of each restorative circle, field journal notes, researcher journal notes, and four rounds of one-on-one student interviews with six of my Second Grade students. Upon analyzing the data collected, findings demonstrated that many of my students expressed an appreciation for the community building benefits included in the restorative circle process. They enjoyed being able to learn more about and from their peers and gain a sense of being known by their classmates. Data also showed that students benefited from the explicit Social and Emotional Learning lessons that were included in the restorative circles, especially in the areas of social awareness and relationship skills and that the restorative circles aided in instilling a sense of ownership over class practices.