In this book, Nancy Riestenberg
writes warmly and from long experience about the challenges facing school communities, and
how restorative measures—specifically Circles—create a safer space for learning and development
for all. Using stories direct “from the hallways,” she brings heart to subjects that are often divisive
and controversial: bullying and other violence, suspension, drug use, staff conflicts, and more.
Nancy’s focus is always on strategies that actually work for the whole school community.
Nancy Riestenberg is the Prevention Specialist in the Minnesota Department of Education Safe and
Healthy Learners unit. She has twenty-five years of experience in the fields of violence prevention
education, child sexual abuse prevention, and restorative measures in schools. She has worked with
school districts in Minnesota and 20 other states and speaks nationally on restorative measures at
conferences and through trainings.
"Restorative practices are 'what's happening' in schools today. This book, by one of the leaders in the field, ... is comprehensive but practical and readable: it includes the why, the what, and the how. Every teacher, every administrator - indeed, many parents - ought to have this book."
- Howard Zehr, author of Changing Lenses, and The Little Book of Restorative Justice
