Greg:
Welcome to another exciting episode of the International Teacher Podcast. I’m Greg — Greg the Single Guy. And with me, of course, is Kent, coming from Washington. Say hello, Kent.

Kent Arimura:
Hey, great to be here, Greg. Thanks for having me.

Greg:
Awesome. And JP Mint, down in Mexico — welcome to the show.

JP Mint:
Hello, hello.

Greg:
And also from Washington, we have our special guest, Nicholas Bradford. Thanks for joining us, Nicholas.

Nicholas Bradford:
Yeah, thanks for having me. Pleasure to be here.

Kent Arimura:
Wait—are you Vancouver, Washington or Vancouver, BC?

Nicholas Bradford:
Vancouver, Washington.

Kent Arimura:
Okay. I stand corrected.

Greg:
Audience—anyone want to send Kent a map? He’s been out of the country for a while.

Kent Arimura:
I know more about the Middle East than I know about my own state.

Greg:
Fair enough. Nicholas, welcome. Can you give us a quick elevator pitch on your experience in education and what brought you to the work you do now?

Nicholas’s Background

Nicholas Bradford:
Sure. I come from a family of teachers and I worked with young people who had behavioral challenges. While I was doing that in Vermont, I got involved in restorative justice work—volunteering evenings and weekends.

Eventually I moved back to Washington State and wanted to bring this approach into schools. I earned my master’s in Education Policy from the University of Washington and have been doing this work since 2012. In 2016, I founded the National Center for Restorative Justice. Next year will be our 10-year anniversary—so we’re planning celebrations in Seattle and Portland.

JP Mint:
Let’s do an ITP reunion.

Nicholas Bradford:
Absolutely.

What Is Restorative Justice?

JP Mint:
Can you give an elevator pitch on what restorative justice is?

Nicholas Bradford:
Definitely. My simplest definition is: restorative justice is a relational approach to conflict.

It’s trying to do two things at the same time:

1. engage the conflict, and

2. build relationships.

Relationships are essential in teaching, and when something goes wrong—whether it’s small and annoying, or something major like fighting, cheating, or serious incidents—restorative practices help you respond in ways that keep people connected and accountable.

JP Mint:
Is this K–12? Even kindergarten?

Nicholas Bradford:
Yes—our work is K–12. There’s also application in early childhood, higher education (especially dorm settings), and in the community through diversion programs and juvenile justice.

Relationships, Classroom Culture, and Power Dynamics

Greg:
You’re right—knowing students is key before you can resolve conflict. Kent and I have been fighting for years, so we might need your help.

Kent Arimura:
Nicholas, please tell the Single Guy how wrong he is so we can resolve this today.

Nicholas Bradford:
There’s a quote I love: a lot of fights start with two words—“I’m right.” A good example is arguing about the “right” way to load a dishwasher. There is no right way.

JP Mint:
I learned the hard way that you can’t just “hammer” a class into compliance. Once I started building relationships, things changed—but it took time.

Nicholas Bradford:
Exactly. And relationships aren’t only teacher-to-student. When students know each other and care about each other, they’re less likely to hurt each other. You’re less likely to hurt people you know—and even less likely to hurt people you care about.

Kent Arimura:
Let me ask something: no matter how kind we are, teachers still represent the institution. There’s an imbalance of power—we hold the cards. What do you think?

Nicholas Bradford:
You’re right. Schools aren’t an egalitarian system. But that doesn’t prevent us from being kind, inviting students into conversations, and building trust. We can acknowledge the power structure while still doing relational work.

JP Mint:
It also feels like we’re losing the “slow down and connect” piece—phones, quick answers, AI… kids want everything instant.

Nicholas Bradford:
That’s real. Restorative work is often described as slow—and that’s a feature, not a bug. Young people need practice building relational skills, and many are operating in more “parasocial” dynamics—even with peers—where they don’t actually know each other deeply.

What Training Looks Like

Greg:
If someone attends one of your workshops, what does it look like?

Nicholas Bradford:
Most people start with a three-day training. We work in small groups (usually 20–30 people), covering nuts-and-bolts practices up through serious incidents. Participants leave with resources like workbooks, slides, and my book, plus ideas for implementation.

We also offer a two-day advanced training for deeper facilitation skills. Sometimes schools bring teams; sometimes it’s one person who brings strategies back and shares them.

Kent Arimura:
Teachers can be tough in training. Everyone groans at icebreakers and “get to know you” activities. Should adults model this better?

Nicholas Bradford:
Yes—teachers often realize within hours that this work is useful for adults too. Schools are hard work, and strong staff relationships matter. When adults are siloed and cliques form, it can damage the fabric of a school. Relationship-building isn’t optional.

JP Mint:
If only one person goes to training, it can feel lonely—but word spreads when people see positive change.

Nicholas Bradford:
That’s often how it happens. It’s slow, but it moves—especially as students move through grades and teachers notice “something is working.”

Discipline, Accountability, and Language

Greg:
Without a safe classroom, learning doesn’t happen. Building that structure is crucial—especially early in the year.

Nicholas Bradford:
Discipline is an interesting word. It comes from disciple—a learner. I don’t think there’s a meaningful difference between discipline and self-discipline. External control is often just punishment. The goal is helping students own the behavior and the change.

A big takeaway from our work is speaking less and doing less thinking for students.

Instead of lecturing, we use observation and a pause:
“I noticed you were running in the hallway.” (pause)
Then questions that prompt thinking:
“What are the expectations?”
“What are your classmates doing?”

The pause gives students room to think and take ownership. Repetition builds the mental pathways: what we practice becomes what we do.

We also do structured accountability processes—sometimes in groups—where peer pressure (positive and honest) helps students name what happened, understand impact, and plan repairs.

JP Mint:
Is there written reflection too?

Nicholas Bradford:
Sometimes. For efficiency, we might use a short worksheet first. If the behavior continues, we move to conferences or group processes. Written work can also help when something bigger happened—so we can prepare and stay “shoulder to shoulder” with the student rather than feeling adversarial.

Restorative Justice in International Schools

Kent Arimura:
A lot of our audience works in international schools. Do restorative practices work differently with more privileged students, or is it for everyone?

Nicholas Bradford:
It’s for everyone—behavior just looks different. For example, at high-performing schools, harm may show up as exclusion, social manipulation, and subtle online bullying. That kind of harm can be harder to spot, and it often gets internalized.

Strong adult relationships and peer connections act as a protective factor. We also see issues like cheating as a big theme—especially now with AI. It raises the question: are students here to learn, or just to get an A?

Where to Find Nicholas

Kent Arimura:
Where can people learn more? Website, book, events?

Nicholas Bradford:
You can find us at NationalCenterforRestorativeJustice.com, and on LinkedIn (best place to connect). We have some presence on Instagram and Facebook as well.

We’re doing work internationally too—my colleagues and I are returning to Seoul International School, and we expect to be at EARCOS in Thailand in the spring.

Police Story

JP Mint:
We always ask for a police story—anything you can share?

Nicholas Bradford:
I stayed mostly under the radar—but here’s one from childhood. I grew up in a tiny town in California with one store called the “Plug and Jug.” My brother stole a stack of adult magazines. My dad made him go back, confess, and pay the store owner—face to face. It was accountability, repair, and relationship pressure all at once… and it definitely cured me of stealing.

Final Thoughts

JP Mint:
Thank you, Nicholas. This made me think back to being a new teacher who was struggling. I would have signed up for something like this early in my career. I hope people connect with you and learn more.

Greg:
Thank you, Nicholas. I’m excited to read your book. Also—stores out there, protect your candy bars.

Nicholas Bradford:
This work is personal. These tools can make us better educators, partners, and parents. And maybe the next book is about parenting.

Kent Arimura:
We’ll have you back for that. Thanks to everyone listening. You can find JP at JPMintConsulting.com. You can find Greg’s book Finding the Right Fit on Amazon. And Nicholas’s book is A Real World Guide to Restorative Justice in Schools. Thanks for joining us—and have a great week.