Fostering a strong, connected classroom starts with building relationships. When students feel seen, heard, and valued, they engage more deeply with learning, collaborate with peers, and develop essential social-emotional skills.
But how do you spark those meaningful conversations?
The Connected Classrooms question sets provide age-appropriate prompts designed to help elementary, middle, or high school students open up, reflect on their experiences, and build empathy for others.
For over a decade, I’ve worked with educators, community leaders, and organizations to integrate Restorative Justice (RJ) into their spaces. One of the most common challenges I hear is:
"I want to bring RJ into my classroom, but I don’t know where to start."
These question sets are your entry point. They provide an accessible, simple way to cultivate a restorative classroom culture—one built on trust, respect, and open communication.
When students are used to sharing stories, listening to each other, and reflecting on their feelings, they become better equipped to navigate conflict and harm restoratively. These small daily interactions lay the groundwork for deeper restorative work.
Each edition is tailored to the developmental stage of students, with engaging prompts that encourage self-expression, empathy, and critical thinking.
Fun & engaging prompts for morning meetings & class discussions
Encourages playfulness, curiosity, & deeper emotional reflection & awareness
Helps students build confidence in sharing & listening
Perfect for: Morning meetings, circle time, and journaling prompts.
Encourages critical thinking, perspective-taking, and self-reflection
Supports students in handling emotions & understanding social dynamics
Lays the foundation for resolving conflicts restoratively
Perfect for: Community circles, advisory periods, and group discussions.
Thought-provoking prompts on power, justice & mental health
Encourages deeper conversations about real-world topics & personal growth
Supports students in developing emotional intelligence.
Perfect for: Community circles, group discussions, and reflective writing.
Each edition is organized into sections, making it easy to find the right questions for the moment!
🟢 Getting to Know Each Other: Fun icebreakers to help students connect
🟢 Sharing Stories About Ourselves: Questions to encourage personal storytelling
🟢 Exploring Feelings & Emotions: Helping students express & process emotions
🟢 Understanding Others & Social Issues: Building empathy & perspective-taking
🟢 Friendship & Community: Strengthening relationships & classroom culture
🟢 Recognizing Differences & Similarities: Encouraging inclusion & appreciation of diversity
🟢 Imagination & Storytelling (Elementary & Middle School): Creative, playful prompts
🟢 Gratitude, Legacy & Life Lessons (Middle & High School): Reflecting on values & impact
🟢 Power, Privilege & Perspective-Taking (High School only): Encouraging critical thinking
There are many ways to integrate these questions into your daily classroom routine, including:
✔ Morning meetings & advisory check-ins
✔ Restorative circles & class discussions
✔ Partner or small-group sharing
✔ Journaling & reflection prompts
✔ Icebreakers & team-building activities
You don’t have to go through the questions in order! Use them flexibly based on your students' needs and comfort levels.
Restorative Justice (RJ) is about building relationships, strengthening community, and repairing harm when necessary. These questions:
-Encourage storytelling & personal reflectionHelp students express emotions & practice active listening
-Lay the foundation for addressing conflict restoratively
-Promote equity, belonging, and social-emotional growth
By using these prompts, you’re proactively creating a classroom culture where students feel safe, valued, and connected.
Absolutely! These questions are designed to be accessible to all educators, whether you are new to RJ or already practicing restorative approaches in your classroom. While structured restorative practices (like peace circles or conflict resolution processes) will enhance their impact, you can use these questions immediately to start building trust and connection.
While these questions were designed for students, many educators and RJ practitioners find them useful for adult learning spaces, team-building, and even personal reflection! The high school edition, in particular, includes prompts that spark deep discussions on identity, justice, and relationships that resonate with people of all ages.
Yes! Feel free to share this page with your fellow educators. If you'd like to purchase multiple copies for your school or organization, please contact us at [email protected] for bulk pricing and licensing options.