Restorative Happens Now: Natalie Walters on Connection in Schools

Restorative Works!

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Natalie Walters to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Natalie joins us to share her inspiring journey and innovative approaches to restorative practices integration in school settings. This includes the creation of Practice Academy—an initiative revolutionizing in-school suspensions by keeping students within the educational community, guiding them through reflection, learning, and reintegration. She discusses the pivotal role of emotional intelligence and proactive relationship-building through initiatives like Building Rocks, a program fostering classroom connections from day one. Through heartfelt anecdotes and practical insights, Natalie illuminates the impact of restorative practices on students, educators, and families alike. Discover how she navigates complex relationships with families, ensuring every interaction is rooted in understanding and support. Natalie has served as a Restorative Practices Specialist at Roxborough Road Elementary within the North Syracuse Central School District where she focused on supporting students' social emotional development, teacher well-being, and guiding the integration of restorative practices for the district. In this role, she collaborated with educators and staff to implement restorative practices towards greater community building, reflective conflict resolution, and heightened family engagement. A notable aspect of her approach included the involvement of her beloved dog, Sydney, who visited the school to assist in creating a welcoming and supportive environment for students and introduced the district to therapy dog partnership. Natalie also created and collaborated with staff on an actionable approach to the inclusion of restorative circles within the school day entitled Building Rocks. This workbook focuses on the concepts of relationship building in a classroom, focusing on the first 10 days of circle processes for teachers to engage. Building Rocks is a guiding companion for teachers to utilize throughout the school year with supportive lessons and community engagement activities. Through her work, Natalie has built strong meaningful relationships among students, staff, parents, and community leaders, striving to align the district's mission to create a supportive educational environment. Tune in to delve into Natalie's vision for supportive education and her ongoing mission to cultivate compassionate communities within educational settings.