Moving a classroom from chaos to calm isn’t about finding one silver bullet. There isn’t a single strategy, curriculum, or system that magically solves everything. It takes two partners: YOU - the adults, and the kids - the students who flow in and out of your room every day.
Both matter. Both shape the dance.
Working on ourselves is usually not the answer people want to hear. We grew up in a culture of blame, shame, excuses, and distraction. Therapy was whispered about like a secret. If you went, something must have been wrong with you.
Looking back, it should’ve been the opposite. It should have been celebrated: You’re choosing to grow. You’re choosing to become a healthier, steadier person, for yourself and everyone around you.
When I started teaching, I raised my voice more than I wanted to admit. Students knew exactly which buttons to push, and I walked out at the end of each day exhausted and confused. I wasn’t struggling with curriculum, planning, or grading. I was struggling with emotional regulation, mine and theirs.
Students’ needs activated something inside me, and I didn’t yet understand what that “something” was. I genuinely wanted to help them, but I didn’t have the internal tools to respond in a way that felt good for any of us.
So in 2014, I went searching. Therapy. Meditation. Self-help books. Workbooks. Anything I could get my hands on.
Within three months of meditating consistently, I almost never raised my voice again.
Three. Months.
It was wild. My negative self-talk softened. My reactivity dropped. I could finally see what was happening in the room instead of being swept away by it.
My nervous system was rewiring, and the impact in my classroom was undeniable.
That’s one part of the tango.
The other part is the “external work” - tools, strategies, and skill building grounded in evidence.
I went into the classroom with tools, but they didn’t work for every student. They worked for some. And… that wasn’t enough.
Back in 2010, when I was considering teaching, almost every teacher I talked to said the same thing:
“Kristy, there’s always at least one or two students with special needs in every classroom.”
So I got my Master’s in Special Education and Elementary Education. It helped, but it still wasn’t enough.
Then I pursued certification in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Game. Changer.
ABA gave me clarity. It gave me structure. It let me focus on the most essential skills instead of trying to fix everything at once. That shift alone was a massive relief.
For the last three and a half years supporting special education teachers and administrators, I’ve seen over and over again: The real transformation happens when neuroscience and behavior analysis come together.
This blend is where teachers regain confidence, balance, and joy.
It’s where students feel heard and understood.
It’s where classrooms shift from tension to safety - from chaos to calm.
I’m getting ready to launch a beta version of Calm Classroom, a membership packed with de-escalation tools, quick regulation activities for students and adults, routines you can sprinkle throughout the day, and simple plug-and-play practices that require absolutely zero extra planning.
This is not “one more thing.”
These are bite-sized, easy-to-use tools that save your energy rather than drain it, especially on the days you’re running on fumes.
Because when you welcome both neuroscience and behavior analysis into your classroom, something big shifts.
You step into the dance.
You move from chaos to calm.
And you bring your students with you.
P.S. If you are a K-12 Teacher and want to be the first to know about the Calm Classroom launch, type, “CC” in the comments. I can’t wait to meet you!