Imagine you are a teacher, putting your all into a classroom where teaching young children is the priority. The environment you want to create should be nurturing and focused on building foundations for lifelong learning. Instead, even with the youngest children, you often face behavioral challenges that disrupt the learning environment and endanger the safety of both yourself, students and staff. Unfortunately, this is often the norm. The current policies and resources available fall short in equipping educators to manage these behaviors effectively.
Schools across the country are now striving to better support PreK-2nd grade students who display challenging behaviors that impact classroom safety. While these behaviors–violent acting out, aggression towards other students or teachers– frequently indicate unmet developmental or emotional needs, the systems designed to address them often lack the resources or protocols teachers need to foster a positive, inclusive learning environment.
Policies like the “No-Suspension” mandates for PreK-2nd grade students, which are common in many public school systems, were created to keep young children in class and learning. However, these well-intentioned policies frequently leave teachers and administrators without practical solutions for managing challenging behaviors, particularly in classrooms with predominantly young children of color who are disproportionately affected by disciplinary actions.
Teachers need access to proactive support, such as training in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and resources for Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) to address behaviors constructively. Administrators, on the other hand, need structured protocols and dedicated support staff to handle ongoing behavioral challenges with targeted interventions, such as individualized behavior plans, involvement of school counselors, or collaboration with mental health professionals. Providing strategies like mindfulness practices or peer mentoring programs can also help address the root causes of disruptive behaviors. Aligning teachers’ needs for training and resources with administrators’ structured support systems ensures a safe, productive learning environment.
Recent policy changes like Illinois’s Public Act 100-0105 (effective August 2017) and the complementary bills SB 100 and SB 2793 (effective January 2018) mark a positive shift, setting limits on suspensions for young students and requiring data collection on school discipline practices. Such measures are essential to identifying trends in discipline and ensuring that exclusionary practices, particularly for young children, are minimized. By fostering accountability and transparency, these policies enable school systems to make informed adjustments that prioritize more inclusive, supportive approaches.
“Soft suspensions”—temporary, undocumented removals—were once a common approach to handling challenging behaviors without resorting to formal suspensions. However, studies reveal that this tactic often exacerbates issues for both students and educators. In New York City, research showed that initial school suspensions (including soft suspensions) are associated with negative long-term outcomes, such as higher dropout rates and increased likelihood of future arrests. Black students, especially boys, have been disproportionately affected, resulting in a cycle that reinforces behavioral issues and alienates them from the school environment. Administrators report that these students often cycle in and out of classrooms, creating further disruptions that impact the learning outcomes of other students as well
In Illinois’s School District U-46, educators implemented training from the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) to help teachers handle disruptive behaviors without relying on punitive measures. This de-escalation training emphasizes empathy and a deep understanding of child development, equipping teachers with skills to manage disruptions calmly while building supportive relationships with students. For example, when a student begins to exhibit challenging behavior that’s disruptive, a teacher might approach the child at their level, speaking softly and asking, “I can see you’re upset. What’s going on? How can we work together to fix this?” This simple yet powerful approach not only de-escalates the situation but also models conflict resolution, showing the student that their feelings are heard and that there are positive ways to handle frustration.
Over time, U-46 saw a reduction in the frequency and severity of behavioral incidents, allowing teachers to foster more stable learning environments and reducing the cycle of suspensions that often compounds behavioral challenges
Cases like that of Abby Zwerner, a Virginia first-grade teacher shot by a 6-year-old student, highlight the severity of unaddressed behavioral issues in classrooms. Zwerner’s injury, which led her to file a lawsuit against the school district, underscores the need for protocols that protect both students and teachers. Despite administrators having been alerted to the student’s previous threatening behavior, there was an absence of effective response measures. Some may argue that suspensions, even soft ones, are necessary to manage behaviors that disrupt the learning environment. While it’s true that early childhood classrooms must remain safe spaces for all, research shows that punitive measures, especially for young children, often worsen behavioral issues rather than resolve them. Prioritizing support over exclusion is not only more effective but also fosters a healthier learning environment for all students. Proven strategies like PBIS and restorative practices allow educators to address the root causes of disruptive behaviors, creating a classroom climate that benefits everyone
Proven strategies like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), restorative justice, and de-escalation training equip teachers with the tools they need while allowing administrators to implement these efforts systematically. By providing the necessary training, resources, and policies, we can foster learning environments where young children are empowered to grow, and teachers are equipped to manage their classrooms effectively. It’s time to invest in reforms that protect and empower everyone within our schools.