The single most important thing we can do for our young people is to give them access to their civic identity and help them to have the tools to shape their own civic story. We can do this by sharing our civic identity, what is our motivation, and encouraging them to find their civic story. Democracy is participatory and our work to provide them with the tools and roadmap, with understandings of steps to get a response that makes it feel real and that it can work for ALL our students, is our charge.

When we have difficult interactions with others, instead of trying to find a solution or always be right (having to do with power and control), start with building a relationship. And it’s best if we can start with a relationship BEFORE we get to a contentious issue. This resonates with the work I have done to build in Restorative Practices in which I aim for 80% of time spent on relationship building proactively to yield no more than 20% reacting (or transacting). www.iirp.edu/.../what-is-restorative-practices

Nisse Welchman Thank you for sharing your thoughtful observations.  

Nisse Welchman Thank you for sharing your thoughtful observations.