Be Mindful of Classroom Arrangement

used a few neutralizing routines amid her frustration. She first delayed responding by telling the students to turn to their neighbor and share what they’d learned so far from the discussion. With the class focused on talking to classmates, Mrs. Ladino took stock of her body and feelings and took two deep breaths to calm herself down. She then reframed the situation by thinking to herself, “OK, I’m frustrated because Janice appears to be seeking attention. Rather than be annoyed with her, let me understand it as Janice seeking connection. What connection does she need?” Mrs. Ladino then approached Janice and spoke to her privately: “You know I care about you and I want you to be connected in this class, but your comments are off task. Let’s talk at the next break.” Feeling calmer, Mrs. Ladino continued her discussion. After class, Mrs. Ladino was able to speak to Janice about how Janice’s comments were disruptive, and Mrs. Ladino specifically asked the student what she needed so that she would feel more connected in class. They both understood each other’s needs after the discussion; Janice understood why her comments were so disruptive, and Mrs. Ladino understood why Janice needed connection during those moments.

Frame Things Positively

Students with SEB needs may have negative thinking or play negative loops in their head about themselves (Ingram, n.d.; Minahan, 2019). When they experience a mistake or an incident that is aversive, they may play this loop, thereby adding on to an already uncomfortable experience (Minahan, 2019). This places teachers in a delicate position, as they frequently address mistakes and can’t avoid correcting students’ errors or unwanted behavior. To manage this, a teacher can convey positive regard to a student, despite needing to address an error.

Keep in mind that the classroom should have a high ratio (five to one) of positive to negative feedback to create a supportive environment (Kern et al., 2007; Reinke et al., 2013). When addressing behavior, the teacher can frame feedback with positive intent. For example, saying, “I see you used the order of operations we discussed, but there’s one mistake with addition here” instead of bluntly saying, “You made a mistake.” Additionally, framing things positively and encouraging students to take power over their choices can benefit students in managing their emotions, using verbal encouragement such as, “Tomorrow is another chance to apply what you learned!” By framing things positively, students can learn emotion regulation

and self-management, bolstering their resilience and ability to cope with situations (Knight, 2019; Minahan, 2019).

Be Flexible

Some teachers may feel that they need to discipline students immediately when they break a rule or when they are confrontational. We don’t believe this is necessarily the case, although we understand teachers may worry how other students perceive a lack of immediate action. A teacher can always come back to discipline and provide appropriate responses to handle students who are not following classroom expectations or rules. When students break rules, are defiant, or engage in other unwanted behaviors, it’s important not to add fuel to the fire or to let the student push any more of your (or their classmates’) buttons.

By focusing on de-escalation first in heated situations, you’ll ensure everyone is safe and becoming more emotionally regulated rather than dysregulated (Ingram, n.d.). Discipline can come later, but you can’t always de-escalate easily after you’ve escalated the situation. Students who are experiencing trauma or triggers in their environment may not respond calmly to further escalation or discipline in the moment; help them calm down, then come back to discipline and repair for any rule violations when the student is more receptive to listening (Ingram, n.d.; Pickens & Tschopp, 2017).

Anticipate and Offset Triggers

Students with SEB needs may view the environment as a threatening place; in turn, they continuously scan their surroundings for signs of danger (Pickens & Tschopp, 2017). They may also have triggers or stimuli that they’ve associated with traumatic events (Minahan, 2019). Changes in routines, a lack of choice, sensory changes (such as an increase in noise level), or being unaware of surprises can provoke some students. To identify a student’s trigger, teachers can ask students what makes them uncomfortable either one on one or as part of their methods to build relationships. Once teachers know students’ triggers, they can offset them. For example, providing a schedule each morning to students who don’t do well with changes can help them anticipate changes in their routines. Teachers can offer journaling or time for students to process their emotions if weekends or holidays are triggering.

In table 6.1, we indicate some common triggers and ways to offset them. As part of all these examples, we encourage teachers to have students use a coping skill or prosocial skill that they have learned. This allows the focus to be on healing and using adaptive reactions to triggers.