Division K Fireside Chat: Restorative Justice in Teacher Education: Empowering Classrooms for Justice and Systemic Change

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

This session examines how restorative justice (RJ) practices can be leveraged to challenge power dynamics in the classroom, creating spaces where students’ voices are not only honored but also empowered to disrupt systemic inequities. The panel will focus on the practical integration of RJ into teacher education, discussing the complexities of embedding these practices within curriculum development, field experiences, and professional development. This session will explore how RJ can be a radical approach to rethinking community building in schools. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how RJ can equip future educators to create classrooms that are not only inclusive but also deeply engaged in the work of justice and systemic change.

Sub Unit

• Graduate Student Council

Cosponsor

• Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education

Chairs

• Sonnur Ozturk Ebadollahi Noudeh, University of Texas at Austin

• Martha Lorena Hernández Flores, Florida International University

Panelists

• Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Jeffrey M.R. Duncan-Andrade, San Francisco State University

• Awo Okaikor M. Aryee, Independent Scholar

• David O. Stovall, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Erica D. McCray, University of Florida