This model of social and emotional learning emphasizes mutual aid, restorative justice and safety by design.

Over the last school year, Bridger Middle School leaders decided to take a different approach to deal with the fighting and students acting out.

Linnea Ionno, executive director at The Cottage, shares how accepting the inevitability of conflict and building skills help her organization navigate both internal and external conflicts.

That predictable, structured place to safely share is critical, especially for students who want to take on society’s bigger challenges, Swearingen said. “It puts us in a spot where we can be vulnerable with each other, and because we can be vulnerable together we can be productive.”

Jabari Cobb, the Director of Behavior Supports & Discipline for Clarke County School District, shares the impact that GCC has made--school by school--and how his involvement with restorative practices has strengthened.

As a second post in a two-part series, Jodi Barnes goes into more details about how reframing two important Cs, communication and conflict, lay the foundation for a healthier, more productive work culture.