Restorative Practices is a proactive approach to whole-school climate change based on communication and responsibility. It is an approach being developed and refined as an alternative to exclusionary and punitive "zero-tolerance" policies mandated in many schools today. In this article, Laura Mirsky of the International Institute for Restorative Practices explores the philosophy and processes involved in restorative practices as used within K-12 education settings, and then relates stories about how they are being used within real world environments. (Contains 1 table.)