Circle Essentials
This object is passed hand to hand around the circle — only the person holding it may speak?
What is a talking piece?
This is the one thing the talking piece rule asks of everyone who ISN'T holding it.
What is listen?
Restorative justice asks "who was harmed" instead of asking this classic punitive question.
What is "who broke the rule?" or "who's to blame?"
Instead of raising your voice at a distracted student, the toolbox says to use this instead.
What is proximity or moving closer?
This step happens first — before chairs are even arranged in a circle.
What is an icebreaker?
This is placed in the middle of the circle: a cloth, a candle or LED light, or meaningful objects, to anchor focus.
What is a centerpiece?
This guideline means what's shared in circle is never repeated outside of it.
What is confidentiality?
After asking who was harmed, this is the second core question restorative justice asks.
What is "what do they need?"
Give a restless student one of these — like holding the centerpiece cloth or passing the talking piece.
What is a job or task?
This step comes right after check-in and guidelines and covers the discussion prompts and activity.
What is Step 4: Discussion Prompts?
For a circle to work, chairs must be arranged this way.
What is a circle?
Circle guidelines ask participants to speak from their own experience using this kind of statement.
What is an "I" statement?
This is the third core question in the circle's simple definition of restorative justice.
What is "whose obligation is it to make things right?"
This one-word response should always be treated as a full and respected answer during a round.
What is "pass"?
Every circle closes with this — a brief final round using the talking piece.
What is a check-out?
Every circle must open with a check-in using the talking piece, and this second required step.
What is stating the guidelines?
No matter what's asked, every participant always holds onto this right during a round.
What is the right to pass?
According to this session's framing, harm to one person is harm to this larger group too.
What is the whole community?
his is the name of the icebreaker used in Class 1, where students cross the room if a statement is true for them.
What is "Common Ground"?
This is the estimated total time listed for the entire Circle 1 session, start to finish.
What is 50–60 minutes
This is the total number of required components/steps listed in the Facilitator Prep guide's "Circle Essentials" box.
What is five?
This guideline pairs with confidentiality and asks participants to avoid side conversations and put-downs
What is "show respect"?
This is the general shift restorative justice makes compared to traditional school discipline — moving away from focusing only on rule-breaking and punishment.
What is focusing on repairing harm and restoring relationships instead?
The toolbox says to always end a circle this way — with a genuine one of these before dismissal.
What is a high note (a genuine affirmation)?
If a discussion round goes quiet and energy starts to drop, this is what a facilitator should already have ready to keep things moving.
What is the next prompt (question)?