Embedded Files
I believe that strong behavior practices begin with strong relationships. In an elementary setting, students thrive when they feel safe, seen, and supported—and it’s our responsibility as adults to create that environment through consistency, care, and clear expectations. My approach is grounded in Love and Logic strategies, which emphasize empathy, personal responsibility, and meaningful, age-appropriate consequences. I believe that when students are treated with respect and given choices within boundaries, they learn to take ownership of their behavior and build lifelong problem-solving skills.
One of the core values I hold is that fair doesn’t always mean equal. Every child comes with unique needs and backgrounds, and supporting them sometimes means adapting our response. For example, a student who is struggling with emotional regulation may need a calm-down space and a check-in with a trusted adult, while another might benefit from a behavior reflection sheet and a follow-up restorative conversation. While the response may look different, the expectation for respectful, safe behavior remains the same. I work closely with teachers and support staff to ensure consistent expectations across classrooms while still allowing room for flexibility and individualized support when needed.
Follow-through is essential in maintaining student trust and school-wide consistency. If a student is sent to the office for repeated disruption, I make it a priority to follow up not only with the student but with the teacher and family as well. Whether that includes creating a simple behavior chart, arranging a parent conference, or initiating a problem-solving plan through our MTSS team, I ensure each step is documented and purposeful. I believe in coaching students through behavior challenges with patience and compassion, but also in upholding clear boundaries to ensure the learning environment remains focused and safe for everyone.
By using data, communication, and collaboration, we can create a school climate where students learn from mistakes, build resilience, and feel supported every step of the way. My goal is to cultivate a calm, respectful school culture where positive behavior is celebrated, missteps are met with grace and guidance, and every student knows they belong.
PBIS
PBIS
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) acts as a clear guide or outline to ensure that a school has common goals, expectations, and values. We can establish ways to support the different tiers with commonality. All practices help align the overall MTSS processes and the three tiers. I would create a strong tier-one system so that teachers and students see the expectations. When addressing the other tiers, it is important to seek feedback with collaboration. The system will not work without putting a true behavior team together. These meetings will ensure that we are tracking data, measuring success, and preparing for what is in the best interest of each child. No one should be a stand-alone fixture. Two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two...
Love and Logic
Love and Logic
I have trained staff with Love and Logic and I've seen the value of it being implemented. Much of the process is predicated on giving students choices and limiting the language we use. Many times students feel overwhelmed when adults start talking. This overstimulates their brain which makes them shut down. As a school staff member, it is important to have consistency and this includes how we talk to students. No matter the age, no one likes to be told what to do all of the time. By providing choices, students feel they are making key decisions that will impact their outcomes. With Love and Logic, a teacher can give choices that are directly aligned with the expected outcome. The student will feel empowered and can be taught how to make appropriate choices.
Lesson One
Lesson One
This program is a hands on approach to teaching kids to refocus and redirect their minds. The whole program focuses on self control and how no one can make you do the things you do. Many lessons within this program shows students how to step back and collect their thoughts before taking on new tasks. As a classroom teacher you are giving students tools rather than dealing with the outcome of their behaviors.
Pyramid
Pyramid
When using the pyramid model, teachers are truly taking themselves out of the problem-solving process. This is done by guiding students to use key skills. One example of this is offering choices for how to solve any given problem. They call this the solution tool kit. It is designed for nurturing relationships, offering quality support through targeted social and emotional skill sets, and intensive intervention. This process is a switch in mindset because it takes the ownership out of the teachers' hands and puts it back onto the students. Problem-solving is a skill that not all students are not born with. These skills need to be taught just as we would teach reading, writing, or mathematics.
CPI
CPI
CPI has a big emphasis on the de-escalation of a situation. The program gives you the skills needed to work through a situation before it becomes unsafe for the child or a staff member.
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