My Heart for Restorative Practices
My journey into restorative practices began long before I ever carried the title of coach. It started in the summer of 1992 on the Band of Ojibwe, Mille Lacs Reservation in Northern Minnesota. I was a young college student then, full of passion but still learning how to truly listen. We would gather around a large drum, and the Chief would guide us as we sat shoulder to shoulder. That drum was not just an instrument. It was a heartbeat. It taught me that people heal in circles, not rows. That relationships, not rules, change lives. And that when people share their stories face to face, something sacred happens. That drum circle showed me the power of community, rhythm, vulnerability, and spirit. It planted the seed of everything I would later practice and teach.
Years later, my training deepened inside the Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago. From 1998 to 2008, I served on the Juvenile Impact Panel, speaking to more than seven thousand youth every year and receiving ongoing restorative and trauma informed training from juvenile correctional staff connected to Umoja Student Development Corporation, now known as NewRoot. Those young people, many of whom were hardened by pain long before they were old enough to understand it, taught me something I have carried ever since. Accountability means nothing without connection, and hope grows only in places where people feel truly heard.
As my work expanded, restorative practices became the foundation of everything I did. I used it in circles with youth, in conflict resolution sessions, in conversations with families, and in the quiet moments when someone’s heart was breaking and they did not know how to say it. The principles I learned on that reservation found new life in the hallways of Chicago’s toughest schools, in the cells of Division 10 at Cook County Jail and everywhere I was found working with people.
My formal training continued through Chicago Public School’s OSEL Summer Leadership Institute from 2014 to 2020. I received training in Courageous Conversations, Trauma Informed and Restorative Practices for All, Tier 2 and Tier 3 teaming, MTSS problem solving, climate and culture practices, adult SEL development, supporting youth transitioning from detention, and creating trauma sensitive schools. Every workshop, every circle, every conversation added another layer to the work I was called to do.
By the time I stepped into my role as a Restorative Practices Coach, I was not just teaching a framework, I was living a belief system. I mentored staff and students through circles that brought healing. I helped teams understand the power of relationship building and emotional safety. And I learned that even in the most challenging environments, when young people saw me walk in, their voices would rise with joy and familiarity, “It’s Mr. Stevens!” That moment, every time, reminded me why I do this work.
Restorative practices is not a technique for me. It is a way of seeing people. A way of honoring their stories. A way of remembering that every soul longs to be valued, heard, and restored.
This journey has shaped the way I mentor, the way I speak, the way I serve, and the way I see humanity. And I am grateful for every circle, every drumbeat, every young person, and every moment that taught me how powerful it is when we choose connection over punishment, community over isolation, and healing over harm.