restorative

Everyday

1. Something restorative makes you feel healthy, strong or calm again. tree →
2. (school, law) Restorative ways of dealing with wrongdoing bring the person who did harm and the person harmed together to talk, put things right and mend the relationship, rather than only punishing. tree →
3. (old) A restorative is a drink or medicine that gives you strength back. tree →

In the lessons

In many schools «restorative conversations» or «restorative justice» replace plain punishment after a fight or bullying: both sides talk about what happened, how it felt and how to make it right. In health and everyday talk a walk, a sleep or a cup of tea can be restorative. Phrases: «restorative justice», «restorative practice», «a restorative sleep».

Examples

• A long sleep can be very restorative after a busy week. tree →
• The walk by the sea was restorative for Mum. tree →
• After the fight, the teacher held a restorative meeting with both boys. tree →
• Restorative justice lets the victim tell the offender how the crime hurt them. tree →
• In our school we use restorative questions: What happened? Who was hurt? tree →
• The nurse gave him a hot sweet drink as a restorative. (old-fashioned) tree →

Note

Comes from «restore» (to put back as it was). Stress on «stor»: re-STOR-a-tive. It is mostly an adjective; the noun use is old-fashioned. Restorative does not mean «no consequences»: the wrongdoer must still face what they did and help put it right.