As a teacher who has used these approaches, I bring empathy, experience and humility to my work. As a life-long, passionate learner, I bring an ever-expanding pool of resources and curiosity. Teachers tend to view me not as a sage on the stage, but as a compatriot working hard to empower them with the tools needed to create learning communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging, safety, respect, and voice.
The services below reflect the ways that I have served schools and teachers in the past. Below that list are some current offerings. Please let me know if you have a need not listed here. And please contact me if you'd like to be connected to a principal or teacher who has worked with me before.
Full Day or Multi-Day Workshops
- The Restorative Classroom: Using Circles and Restorative Communication to Improve Learning,
- Mindfulness & Restorative Practices: A Powerful Partnership,
- Building a Vital Learning Community with Restorative and Mindful Practices.
- The Mindful Teacher: Developing Resilience and Compassion in Challenging Times
- Increasing Our Capacity: Building Teacher Resilience to Better Serve All Youth
- Connected or Disconnected? The impact of connection on student and teacher stress and success.
- Restorative Practices: Why? What? & How?
- Restorative Circles and The Power of Presence: Transforming School Culture Through Restorative Practices
- Restorative Practices Institute – 4 Day (3-credit course component)
- Restorative Circles and The Power of Presence
- Using Restorative Practices to Respond to Harm
Half Day:
- Restorative Practices: Creating a Culture of Equity and Belonging
- The Art of Circle Keeping
- Trauma-Informed Restorative Practices
- Mindfulness for Educators
- Restorative Practices Overview for Admin
- Working with Resistant Youth
- Restorative Communication
- Equity, Mindfulness, Trauma Informed, Restorative Practices Intersection.
- PBIS & Restorative Practices Working Together
Consulting:
- Conflict mediation with staff using Restorative Conference
- Restorative Practices core team support
- Student engagement support and training
- Tier 1 Implementation
- Circle Keeping Coaching and Support
- School Implementation
- Teacher Coaching and personalized Professional Development.
- School leadership support in shifting school culture (messaging, meeting design, mindful leadership coaching)
Key Note
I enjoy the opportunity to engage educators and inspire whole school change. In 2018, I kicked off the Burlington School District's opening event with a keynote speech on re-examining the word respect and the ways we build relationship with students. I introduced the idea that respect literally means to "look again"; it is a verb that asks us to look at each other again when we have been lost in conflict or when we have acted out of our bias, when we have made assumptions, and created judgements. Respect asks us to drop what we think we know of each other and to look again for what we don't know, to discover or rediscover our shared humanity. And building relationships with students is something many of us think we are good at, but how do we know we are equitable? How do know we aren't just building relationships with kids we like, who are like us, or who share our values. I propose that we need practices that insure equity in the way we connect with students. And the restorative approach of circles is just such a practice. Circles ensure that every students feels seen and heard every day.
Mindfulness for Troubling Times
A 4-Week Online Cohort Series
When:
May 6, May 13, May 20, May 27
Time: 1 – 2:15 pm
Location: Online Zoom
What:
Learn the skills of creating restorative and engaging online spaces while also taking care of yourself. In this ongoing cohort series, Annie O’Shaughnessy will introduce tips, tools and resources for teaching and leading restoratively online while also creating space for your own self-care and healing.
Each 75-minute virtual session will offer a mindfulness activity, circle sharing, and skill building. This 4-part series is motivated by the unprecedented stressors experienced by educators and hopes to provide a supportive home base for you.
Visit here for more info and to register.
NEW Holistic Restorative Education Certification Program
I am happy to announce I've collaborated with Saint Michael's College to start Vermont's first Certification Program in Holistic Restorative Education. Each course below also provides micro-credentials in discrete skills.
Course sequence offered annually:
- Transforming Teaching & Learning Through Mindfulness and Restorative Practices (Summer, Winter & Spring)
- Creating Equity-Focused, Healing Centered Classroom and Schools (Summer)
- Prevention and Response to Harm through a Holistic Restorative Approach (Fall)
Visit here for more information about this program or write to me at info@truenatureteaching.com
Custom Professional Development Offerings
Alongside presenting to large groups with the goal of informing and energizing schools and districts, I have a special dedication to supporting teachers and schools with unique professional development goals. Visit here for a list of PD events I have designed and led this past year.
One of my strengths is helping school leaders with messaging around professional development and teacher buy-in. My eight years as a professional editor and writer support me in this role, as does my career as a classroom teacher.
I had the pleasure of taking one of Annie's workshops last year. I left my time with her that day with a new sense of relief and understanding. To date no one had clearly articulated the philosophy behind Restorative Practices until Annie so eloquently weaved together my understanding. At the district opening event this year Annie took it a step further and synthesized the why behind restorative practices in a way that made me want to jump to my feet and scream "Amen!" The work of being an educator is the work of being human. To do it well we must listen deeply and carefully and ultimately be completely vulnerable. Annie models this with passion and in partnership.
- Megan McDonough, Principal
For more endorsements visit here.
Here are a few of my current offerings:
The Restorative Classroom
A 90 minute to 3 hour training
In this PD offering participants examine their relationship to the core principles of Restorative Practices, learn about the role of Restorative work in working with traumatized and dysregulated youth, and explore how our own habits of communication and reactivity influence our classroom. With longer trainings I include an experiential exploration of Restorative communication.
The Art of Tier 1 Classroom Circles
A 2-3 hour training
In this training teachers get to experience the simplicity of the community building circle and gain confidence in leading their own.
Introduction to Restorative Practices
Time can vary
In this presentation designed primarily for administrators and stakeholders, I offer an overview of Restorative Practices and why it works, the evidence that it does work, an experiential understanding and an overview of the different ways schools have implemented it.
Mindfulness for Educators
Times can vary
In this training I provide theoretical, experiential and research-based understanding of the importance of Mindfulness in a teacher's life and the classroom. This training often has a powerful effect on the lives of teachers!
Email me at annie@truenatureteaching.com with your questions and needs. For more on services and fees visit here.
