Nurturing Cultural Humility and Responsiveness through Restorative Pedagogy in Graduate Education

In an increasingly diverse world that is characterized by significant social and educational inequities, the development of educators and leaders who embody cultural humility and culturally responsive practices is necessary and transformational. Moving beyond individual and deficit-centered models of student support systems towards ecological and relational paradigms of education are critical to the goals of equity and justice. In order to make progress on these goals, training programs must prioritize and embed the values of cultural humility and culturally responsive practice as foundational constructs for future educators. This multi-authored reflective paper describes the use of Restorative Pedagogy, an approach grounded in Restorative Justice and Practices, as a vehicle to facilitate the development of these important qualities. Key concepts and activities used within a graduate level course designed for students studying to be school counselors, school psychologists, and school leaders are described throughout. Limitations and implications for this pedagogical approach are also included.