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SEEing to Lead


Oct 31, 2022

John J. Whalen is a leading Restorative Practices pioneer in both theory and application. He has trained thousands of teachers, staff, and students throughout the United States. He is an innovator in professional development and training.  John has spoken at numerous national education conferences including ASCD Empower, ASCD Leadership Conference, the ESEA Conference, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference, the Music City SEL Conference, and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference.

John is the author of the book Classroom Circles: A Toolkit for Building Relationships and Strengthening School Communities.

John currently brings his experience to his role as a principal at the Tioughnioga Riverside Academy, a 4th-8th grade building in Upstate New York. He spent 15 years in the classroom teaching both 2nd grade and 6th grade mathematics.  He also spent over three years as a district Restorative Practices Coordinator leading implementation in over ten primary and secondary schools.

John resides in Conklin, NY, with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys hiking, skiing, and camping. He is a graduate of SUNY (the beer) Geneseo and Binghamton University.

Key Takeaways:

  • Great relationships take come from taking the time to get to know each other.
  • Schools need to change a lot because of all the new digital media.
  • It's important to engage students rather than entertain them.
  • When creating solutions we have to look for effective rather than efficient answers.
  • Let students spin the ruler.
  • To be successful restorative practices must be focused on the community and culture building side.

Stay in Touch:

Twitter: @johnjwhalen

Website: edtomorrow.com

Book: Classroom Circles