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How Can We Calm the Storm?

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Lesson Plan

Storm Calm Strategy Plan

Staff will identify key factors shaping school climate and learn trauma-informed de-escalation strategies to proactively support students during behavioral challenges.

Aligning on terminology and empathy builds a shared understanding, reduces reactive incidents, and empowers all staff with practical, trauma-informed tools to calm behavioral storms before they escalate.

Audience

All Staff Professional Development

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Interactive, reflective presentation with hands-on practice.

Materials

Navigating School Climate, and De-escalation Self-Assessment Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Session Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Welcome & Objectives

5 minutes

  • Greet participants and outline session goals
  • Review the foundational importance of positive school climate
  • Share the session agenda and expected outcomes

Step 2

School Climate Reflection

10 minutes

  • Ask staff to individually list factors that influence school climate
  • Pair up and discuss reflections
  • Facilitate a brief share-out of common themes

Step 3

Trauma-Informed Practices Presentation

15 minutes

  • Present core trauma-informed principles using Navigating School Climate
  • Highlight real-world examples of de-escalation
  • Encourage questions and clarifications

Step 4

Self-Assessment Activity

10 minutes

  • Distribute De-escalation Self-Assessment Worksheet
  • Participants complete the worksheet individually, rating confidence and identifying areas for growth
  • Collect or have volunteers share key insights

Step 5

Scenario Role-Play

15 minutes

  • In small groups, assign a de-escalation scenario
  • Practice trauma-informed responses, rotating roles (student, staff, observer)
  • Observers provide feedback based on worksheet criteria

Step 6

Debrief & Next Steps

5 minutes

  • Facilitate a group discussion on lessons learned and best practices
  • Share available resources and follow-up supports
  • Encourage staff to implement one new strategy and reconvene for reflection later
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Slide Deck

Navigating School Climate

Building Empathy & De-escalation Strategies
60-Minute Tier 1 Professional Development

All Staff • Trauma-Informed Practices • Practical Tools

Welcome participants and introduce the slide deck. Emphasize that positive school climate and trauma-informed de-escalation go hand in hand.

What Is School Climate?

• The collective mood, relationships, and culture of a school
• Influences engagement, safety, and learning outcomes
• Shaped by policies, interactions, and environment

Define school climate and invite a quick chat: “What words come to mind when you think of a positive school climate?”

Key Factors Shaping Climate

• Relationships: Staff–student and peer connections
• Physical Environment: Classroom setup, aesthetics, routines
• Policies & Practices: Consistency, equity, clear expectations
• Emotional Safety: Trust, respect, sense of belonging

Walk through each factor. Ask participants to jot down one example from their experience under each heading.

Trauma-Informed Principles

  1. Safety – Physical & emotional security
  2. Trustworthiness & Transparency
  3. Choice & Collaboration
  4. Empowerment & Skill-Building
  5. Cultural, Historical & Gender Responsiveness

Introduce core trauma-informed principles. Stress that understanding these builds empathy for students whose behavior signals distress.

De-Escalation Framework

• Calm: Regulate your tone, posture, pace
• Connect: Use active listening, validate feelings
• Contain: Set clear, respectful boundaries
• Collaborate: Brainstorm solutions with the student

Explain “C³” Approach. Offer a real-life example for each step.

Practical De-Escalation Techniques

• Active Listening & Reflective Statements
• Simple, Clear Language & Grounded Posture
• Offer Choices & Small Adjustments
• Modify Environment: Space, noise, visual cues

Share specific techniques. Encourage staff to identify one they already use and one they’ll try.

Interactive Reflection

• Describe a recent behavioral challenge
• Identify how trauma-informed principles apply
• Role-play using the C³ framework
• Debrief: Lessons learned

In small groups, pick a recent challenging scenario. Apply C³, note what worked and what you’d adjust.

Next Steps & Resources

• Complete the De-Escalation Self-Assessment Worksheet
• Implement one new strategy this week
• Join a follow-up reflection session

Resources:
De-Escalation Self-Assessment

Remind participants of available resources and next steps: worksheet, follow-up meeting, peer coaching.

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Worksheet

De-escalation Self-Assessment Worksheet

Part 1: Confidence Rating – C³ Framework

For each step, circle your confidence level from 1 (Not confident) to 5 (Very confident), then reflect on a recent example.

  1. Calm (Regulating tone, posture, pace)
    Rating: 1 2 3 4 5


    Reflection: Describe a recent situation where you used this step. What worked? What could you improve?





  2. Connect (Active listening, validating feelings)
    Rating: 1 2 3 4 5


    Reflection: Describe a recent situation where you used this step. What worked? What could you improve?





  3. Contain (Setting clear, respectful boundaries)
    Rating: 1 2 3 4 5


    Reflection: Describe a recent situation where you used this step. What worked? What could you improve?





  4. Collaborate (Brainstorming solutions with the student)
    Rating: 1 2 3 4 5


    Reflection: Describe a recent situation where you used this step. What worked? What could you improve?





Part 2: Trauma-Informed Principles Reflection

Choose two principles from Navigating School Climate and complete the prompts below.

Principle 1: ____________________
How do you currently apply this principle in your de-escalation practice?











Area for growth:










Principle 2: ____________________
How do you currently apply this principle in your de-escalation practice?











Area for growth:










Part 3: Personal Action Plan

Identify one new de-escalation strategy you will implement this week and outline the steps.

Strategy:















Steps & Timeline:















Support/Resources Needed:














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