Aug 8, 2024
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.