How the Brain Impacts Behavior & What You Can Do About It
Description
Welcome back to our month-long focus on behavior management in the special education classroom.
In this episode, we’re digging into the science behind student behavior with special guest Sam Parmelee. This isn’t your typical conversation about clip charts and consequences. We’re talking about regulation, relationships, and the real reasons behind challenging behavior.
We know that classroom behavior can be one of the most overwhelming parts of a special education teacher’s job, and often the one we feel least prepared for. That’s why this episode focuses on brain-based regulation and a powerful framework that helps educators respond to behavior with clarity, compassion, and confidence.
Sam shares what every educator should know about the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and how our brains process stress, threats, and relationships. We also explore why so many behavior plans fail (hint: it’s not just about the students) and why emotional regulation is just as important for adults as it is for kids.
💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why understanding brain function is essential to supporting behavior
- Why we need to stop asking dysregulated students to “think about their choices”
- How to regulate yourself first, especially in heated moments
- Practical tools for improving staff buy-in to behavior plans
- The CALM technique Sam uses to guide de-escalation
- The difference between responding to behavior vs. reacting to it
🔧 Strategies You Can Use Tomorrow:
- Use the phrase “This behavior is happening in front of me, not to me” to help emotionally detach in the moment.
- Teach your team the CALM acronym: Connect, Affirm, Listen, My Plan.
- Normalize the idea that behavior interventions, like academics, require collaboration, data, and adaptability.
- Provide staff with the tools they need to implement plans—think timers, visuals, checklists.
- Host team discussions that change the narrative around student behavior from “defiance” to “a skill that hasn’t been taught yet.”
📘 Article Mentioned:
Sam’s article on Emotional De-escalation (Edutopia):
Read it here
📱 Follow Sam on Social Media
@theedqueen on instagram, facebook & tik tok!
🧠 Resource Mentioned:
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