Environmental Engineering

Student behavior and the classroom environment are deeply connected, yet we often rely on consequences alone when behavior escalates. This article explains why discipline fails when the environment overwhelms a student’s nervous system, and how intentional classroom design can reduce dysregulation, increase access to accountability, and stop behavior before it starts.

Calm classrooms don’t explode without warning. By examining student behavior and the classroom environment, teachers can uncover the quiet factors that turn ordinary moments into sudden crises and learn how to respond with clarity, confidence, and care.

If you’ve ever stood in front of your class while one of your students was having a major meltdown, with your heart pounding and mind racing, wondering how you were going to pull everyone back from the edge, you know this truth: managing extreme behaviors isn’t just about strategies. It’s about mindset. Our mindset shapes the way we see our students. It colors the tone of our voice, the words we choose, and the way we carry ourselves in the moment. The right mindset doesn’t..

Understanding and managing extreme emotional dysregulation in our students is a skill that is becoming more and more necessary. If we are to succeed in creating safe classroom environments that foster high levels of growth and learning for all our students, we must learn to quickly and efficiently handle students’ emotional outbursts. How could Mrs. Trudeau have reacted to Devyn’s behavior? How would you have reacted? Let’s face it! Gone are the days when assigning standards

Ever notice how life can feel like a rollercoaster? One minute we’re on cloud nine, and the next minute we’re plunging into an emotional thunderstorm. This is not an experience exclusive to adulthood. Kids are also bombarded with their own whirlwind of emotions. Over the course of a single day, kids can feel happiness, sadness, excitement, boredom, stress, anxiety, frustration, embarrassment, and even fear! Moreover, just like adults, in order to attain and maintain...