Tatiana Rudiander Conte
Elon M.Ed. Alumni Voices
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Restorative Practices
Tatiana Rudiander Conte ’23
Tatiana Rudiander Conte’s journey from the southern tip of Argentina to the classrooms of the United States wasn’t just a physical move—it was an educational odyssey that brought her face-to-face with a cultural clash in teaching styles. “It was a great shock, educationally speaking,” she recalls, her voice carrying the weight of an experience that transformed her approach to education.
In the U.S., Rudiander Conte found herself navigating the behaviorist approach to discipline predominant in US, a stark contrast to the relationship-centric ethos she was accustomed to in Argentina. “I struggled to find the harmony and the balance between my approach to education and the approaches here in the U.S.” she says, highlighting the sharp dichotomy she encountered in the punishment and rewards system in U.S. classrooms. The pressure on American teachers, fueled by standardized testing and rigid pacing guides, left her wondering how the system could truly meet students where they were.
When she heard about Elon’s M.Ed. in Innovation through her visa sponsoring organization, Participate Learning, something clicked. “This is what the U.S. system needs,” she realized, and as she delved into the program, theoretical insights began to weave a narrative that explained the educational disparities between Argentina and the U.S. The revelation came with the study of restorative practices—something she realized mirrored the compassionate approach she knew back in Argentina. “In Argentina, we build relationships,” she says, drawing parallels between her roots and this transformative educational philosophy. The M.Ed. program provided the research-backed foundation she needed to justify her approach. “It’s about building a healthy and safe classroom culture and community,” she explains. Restorative practices became her toolkit for fostering an environment where students feel safe and happy…and ready to learn.
Rudiander Conte credits the M.Ed. program at Elon with giving her the perspective and ability to implement restorative practices in her own classroom, and, equally important, to share the knowledge with others:
“As I went through the M.Ed., I knew my capstone project was going to be about classroom management and approaches to discipline. I wanted to keep on learning about restorative practices and I wanted to share this with people, because many times, I feel like teachers keep on doing the same thing because they do not know another way to do it. The solution is to share with those people.”
Rudiander Conte’s journey from Tierra del Fuego to the U.S. classrooms is not just a personal tale—it’s a testament to the power of innovation, cultural exchange, and the unwavering belief that education can be a force for positive change.
You can listen to Tatiana’s podcast ‘Perspectivas’ on Spotify.
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