Practical leadership moves to help your staff build trauma-informed strategies to support the emotional regulation of students.
When a student begins to escalate, every interaction matters. In Part 1 of this “Quick Take” video series, we explored the foundation of crisis prevention, the stress model of crisis, and walked through the first four behavior support strategies educators can use before behaviors intensify: managing the environment, prompting, caring gestures, and hurdle help.
In Part 2 of our “Quick Take” video series, we expand the toolkit with the final four strategies. These approaches help redirect students, reset the moment, and prevent a full crisis while maintaining connection.
It’s important to remember, these strategies are tools, not scripts. You’ll choose the one that fits the learner, the moment, and your own regulation.
“Trauma-informed crisis prevention begins with adult behavior, not student behavior. ”
— Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents, Holden, Holden, & TCI-S Instructors of the Residential Child Care Project, 2012
1. Redirection & Distraction
Shifting a student’s attention — whether through a new task, a light joke, or a quick “help me with this” — can interrupt escalating thoughts and help a student regain composure. Redirection and distraction work especially well when a student is stuck on a stressor or fixated on a peer’s behavior. Even a 10-second shift can reset their nervous system and reduce emotional intensity.
Try This
Introduce a tiny “task interruption” when you notice a student escalating:
- Ask them to hand you something
- Invite them to help with a quick job
- Offer an alternative tool or material
2. Proximity
Proximity is more than standing closer. It’s using space intentionally; this could include moving toward a student to show support, stepping back to reduce pressure, or positioning your body to shift attention away from a trigger.
Try This
Use “supportive positioning”:
Kneel or sit at the student’s level, angled slightly so you’re not blocking an exit or intensifying pressure. Alternatively, try strategically place yourself between peers to reduce visual triggers and redirect focus.
3. Directive Statements
When students are escalated, they have reduced access to logical thinking (Holden, Holden, & TCI-S Instructors of the Residential Child Care Project, 2012). Clear, calm, concise directives help anchor expectations without adding emotional heat. The key is tone and relationship: a directive should sound like support, not correction. If you think a directive might escalate an already triggered student, default to a classroom-wide reminder rather than singling them out.
Try This
Be clear & kind:
- Start with a calm tone
- Keep it short (“Voices stay off during work time.”)
- Match your affect to the goal — steady, not stern
4. Time Away
Time away is most effective when it is non-punitive. It’s not a consequence, it’s a breather. Used proactively, time away offers a student space to regulate, reset, and return.
Try This
Normalize breaks before you need them:
- “If you ever need a minute, here’s the space you can use.”
- Offer choices: “Would a quick walk help, or do you want to sit in the quiet corner for a minute?”
This reframes time away as a regulation tool rather than a punishment.
Putting it all Together
These eight strategies work best when paired with your knowledge of the learner and your understanding of the moment. Not every situation needs every tool, but every tool becomes more effective with practice, reflection, and consistency.
Consider a recent incident where a student began rising up the stress model of crisis. Which strategies did you use instinctively? Which strategies could you try next time to prevent escalation earlier?
The more you lean on these tools, the more automatic and natural they become for you and your students.
Lead the Way
According to Holden, Holden, & TCI-S Instructors of the Residential Child Care Project (2012), trauma-informed crisis prevention begins with adult behavior, not student behavior. Administrators play a crucial role in modeling calm decision-making, supporting teachers’ emotional regulation, and creating systems that honor student and teacher dignity.
Try This:
- Build a shared language of the eight strategies with your team
- Incorporate these strategies into coaching cycles and walkthrough feedback
- Celebrate staff when they use preventative supports — not just when crises are avoided
- Protect time for reflection after incidents so teachers can refine their practice
When leaders center regulation, connection, and proactive support, they set the tone for how the entire building responds to student needs.
Final Thoughts for Leaders
These four strategies don’t require a new program, a lengthy training, or a full-team rollout. They require something far more powerful: a shared commitment to understanding stress, predicting triggers, and responding with compassion and clarity.
When school leaders champion these small, doable strategies, they create conditions where teachers feel supported, students feel safe,and crises become far less frequent.
Your Next Step
Miss the Part 1 Quick Take” video? Click on the link to complete your toolkit of strategies!
If a crisis hit today, how confident would you feel? This quick assessment gauges your readiness!
✨Remember: A calm adult can interrupt an entire crisis cycle. Every intentional move you make—one prompt, one gesture, one redirect—creates the conditions for safety, dignity, and learning.