Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Nicholas Steffner, M.A., to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Nicholas shares his personal path with restorative practices, from his beginnings as a teacher and counselor to becoming a leading advocate and trainer in restorative practices approaches. With insights from his ongoing doctoral research, he discusses the profound impact of proactive community-building and effective communication in fostering a sense of belonging and accountability among students. Learn how Nicholas and his team have integrated restorative practices into their school culture, creating an environment where students and staff alike feel valued and heard. Discover the innovative strategies they've employed to address behavioral threats and reintegrate students, ensuring a safe and supportive community for all. Nicholas is the Principal of Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park, New Jersey. He is currently obtaining his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Saint Elizabeth University. His dissertation, which focuses on the impact of restorative practices, is titled, "Building Restorative School Communities: A Study on the Impact of Restorative Practices," and will be released in Spring 2026. He has earned a Master of Arts in Counseling in addition to postgraduate credits earned in the field of Educational Leadership. During his 16-year career in education, he spent 8 of those years in service as a building-level administrator. He serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Restorative Leadership Consulting, LLC, which specializes in training administrators and staff members in restorative practices, implementing behavioral interventions, best practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment Management Teams, master scheduling, mentoring, and mediation. Tune in to learn more about Nicholas' perspective as an educator and how his work with restorative practices is making a sustainable difference in his school community.