The Giraffe (Restorative Language)
The giraffe is known as the restorative animal as it has the biggest heart of all the land animals so it speaks from its heart, promoting empathy. It also has the longest neck so it can see everyone’s perspective which is a key component of empathy building and a bridge towards conflict resolution. When things go wrong, as they sometimes do, we will try to channel our inner giraffes and think restoratively. We will seek to model and use restorative language, questions and intentions as a compass to work together and find a solution, to fix harm that may have happened, and to honour, build or repair relationships / friendships as best as we can.
This restorative way of being builds skills for a happy and connected life. Restorative Practice aim is to support the wellbeing of our school and the lovely community it serves. We are on this long-term restorative journey in our school, it’s a work in progress and we are still learning with you all. We may not always get it right but we hope that we can all work together along the way.
For more information visit www.connectrp.ie or look at the following TED talk