York Region District School Board high school teachers are seeing positive results in collaboration and peer relationships after introducing community circles and restorative practices into their classrooms.
The teachers, who are teaching the Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices course mandated for the Grade 11 English credit, were invited to participate in training for the program developed in consultation with local Indigenous community partners, according to a YRDSB news release.
"Teachers use community-building circles to build classroom community and relationships between students to promote positive behaviour. They also use restorative approaches to repair relationships when harm has been done," the board stated.
"Students who are provided with intentional opportunities to build healthy relationships with their peers and are part of supportive environments are less likely to engage in or be victims of bullying."
On the second day of training approaching Pink Shirt Day, teachers participating in the program reported increased engagement and collaboration among students, and the development and strengthening of positive peer relationships.
“When we think about Pink Shirt Day, we think about belonging, we think about mattering,” said Kyle Herbert, First Nations, Métis and Inuit education consultant. “In terms of what the pink shirt highlights, those students all put pink shirts on to support their peers, to show support and to show community. That’s really what the crux of the program is. It’s highlighting community building and really how that impacts student well-being.”