TESTIMONIES
EDUCATOR
As a seasoned teacher, there are many trainings/workshops/classes that come and go, but then there's the circles lead by Fallon Henderson that stick. The way Fallon orchestrates circle and makes you feel safe in sharing and reflecting has afforded me the opportunity to grow in who I am as a teacher. The way Fallon facilitates makes you want to reflect on who you are, so you can bring your best self forth and offer those learnings to anyone who shares space with you. Sharing space with a circle keeper like Fallon has given me opportunities to truly dig deep with who I am as a teacher and who I aspire to be for my scholars. Fallon has been a driving force in my navigation on this restorative journey that I am on and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with/from her.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Since 2016 it has been my joyful privilege to “circle” alongside the incomparable Shawn Davenport, Fallon Henderson, and Jim Yang. I am more delighted than I can say that their gifted energy is collaborating via Connected Restorative Voices. I recommend them with the same love and faith that I pass and receive a talking piece.
For Shawn, Fallon, and Jim, circle keeping is a love language and practice. As practitioners and leaders in restorative work, each of them bring enduring patience and empathy for a school community’s learning journey and braid that to the vital urgency of equity and justice.
Care for more evidence of my faith and regard for them? I placed my son at the school where Shawn and Jim led whole school restorative practice implementation and my daughter, at Fallon’s school. Their artful coaching, meaningful modeling, and dedicated organization are steeped in principled restorative paradigm, innovation, and play.
The more I think of their chosen name, Connected Restorative Voices, the truer it feels: it is who they are as collaborators and it is the vision and values for their every circle.
AUTHOR AND COMMUNITY LEADER
Restorative practices are about relationships, caring for the people—the students and the adults around you, in your family, in your community. Fallon, Shawn and Jim embody caring relationships like a flower embodies beauty. They have shared their experiences, lived and grown, with the Minnesota Department Of Education and with educators through trainings, circles and their stories of growing the caring community in their schools. It has been my pleasure to work with them.