Restorative Inquiry is a way of talking with a student or students about a situation using nonjudgmental active listening (see questions below). It is a form of Restorative Practice. Restorative Practices focus on repairing harm and restoring relationships when misbehavior occurs. The fundamental unifying hypothesis of restorative practice is disarmingly simple: that human beings are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things WITH them, rather than TO them or FOR them. This hypothesis maintains that the punitive and authoritarian “to” mode and the permissive and paternalistic “for” mode are not as effective as the restorative, participatory, engaging “with” mode.

Restorative Questions I — To respond to challenging behavior
– What happened?
– What were you thinking of at the time?
– What have you thought about since?
– Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
– What do you think you need to do to make things right?

Restorative Questions II — To help those harmed by another’s actions
– What did you think when you realized what had happened?
– What impact has this incident had on your and others?
– What has been the hardest thing for you?
– What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

CRE Calendar Usage: 2nd Edition