Dr Lindsey Pointer: games for teaching RJ

United States / Adult justice, Schools, Youth justice, Academic

Dr. Lindsey Pointer is an internationally recognized expert in restorative practices education and implementation. She has a PhD in Restorative Justice from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, where she designed and implemented the Restorative University initiative. She is a former Fulbright Fellow and Rotary Global Grant recipient and has completed extensive research on restorative justice best practices. Author of The Little Book of Restorative Teaching Tools. She is passionate about building more connected and caring communities. She currently lives in Colorado.

Grounded in an understanding of restorative pedagogy, a paradigm of teaching in alignment with restorative values and principles, this presentation will share games and activities for teaching restorative practices. Games and activities provide a way for learners to experience and more deeply understand restorative practices while building relationships and skills. These games can be used in facilitator or community trainings, with youth in schools, or in the classroom to develop and encourage skills and principles related to restorative practices. In addition to being fun and decreasing resistance to new ideas, game-based learning allows a safe environment to test out new skills, make mistakes, or create a microcosm of a larger social issue. Teaching in a restorative way also redistributes power and truly honors learners’ voices, experiences and perspectives. This presentation will introduce participants to games and activities to take back to their organizations, classrooms, or trainings.