my educational journey

My Community Field Experience took place in Langley, BC, working with the Langley School District and Community Justice Initiatives. My community contact was Cristy Watson, a District Restorative Action teacher, and through working with her every day for three weeks, I experienced the restorative action and community-based activities she led with students from grades 3-7 in 7 different elementary schools. The main activity I participated in and led was Peace Circles, as inspired by Indigenous practices. In Peace Circles, students were introduced to problem-solving and empathy-building ideas and strategies. I saw that in many peace circles, with the facilitator’s help, students had built an atmosphere of trust and kindness towards each other, and some had shared about painful things in their lives. We worked with schools with different socioeconomic statuses and students at risk, including working at inner-city schools. I also participated in a mediation between grade 3 students, which was an excellent learning experience. My experiences taught me that Community Justice Initiatives is an indispensable resource for classes that are experiencing turbulence during the year; teachers are able to call for help when they are unsure of what to do, and many of these students need as many opportunities to communicate as possible. Overall, my CFE taught me a lot and influenced my educational philosophy to become even more inclusive, and it gave me new strategies to do so.