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Calm Classrooms Start with Confident Teachers. We train the coaches and leaders who develop teachers.
Together, we create the conditions where challenging behaviors decrease and children thrive.
06/17/2026
Reflections from Virginia Beach 🌊
Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting two sessions for Virgina Head Start Association. Leaders across Virginia’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs. In the room were education leaders, coaches, mental health managers, family advocates, nutrition leaders, site managers, assistant directors, and others who dedicate their lives to supporting children, families, and educators.
What struck me most wasn’t the number of people in attendance—it was the energy in the room.
The conversations flowed naturally. People laughed, shared their experiences, asked thoughtful questions, and filled pages with notes. Instead of rushing through slides, we followed the needs of the audience, and the learning became a true conversation rather than a presentation.
My favorite part of the day was the second session, when we shifted into live coaching. Leaders brought real challenges they were facing, and together we explored solutions in the moment. I also had the opportunity to connect one-on-one with several attendees throughout the day—something that is always the most meaningful part of any conference for me.
One piece of feedback I received keeps echoing in my mind: people appreciated that the session felt relatable and interactive. They said it felt more like a conversation than a training.
As speakers, leaders, and humans, it’s easy to focus on the few people who may not connect with our style or message. Yesterday reminded me that our goal is not to be everything to everyone. Our goal is to serve the people who are ready for the message we have to share.
I left feeling grateful—not just for the opportunity to speak, but for the opportunity to learn, connect, and plant seeds. Every conversation matters. Every connection matters. Every perspective shift matters.
This work continues to remind me why I do what I do: helping leaders move from stress to joy, from compliance to connection, and from overwhelm to possibility.
Today, as I watch the sunlight dance across the ocean before heading home, my heart is full.
Meeting dear friends and making new friends!
Grateful. Purposeful. Blessed.
If children are moving, they’re telling you something. Are you listening?
When they can’t sit still, wiggling, tapping, jumping, pacing, it’s usually not misbehavior.
They're communicating a need!
Instead of shutting it down, work with it. A few ideas that have worked:
Put down masking tape and make a jumping game.
Do some quick stretches or a few yoga moves.
Acknowledge it: “I see your body needs to move.”
Children spend a long time in our classrooms. If they don’t get what they need, they’ll find another way to get it.
Want help coaching your teachers to recognize these signals and respond with confidence, not just correction?
Comment MOVE and I'll send you my FREE guide: Easy Movement Hacks to Calm & Refocus Your Class!
Can I tell you something simple… that most teams skip?
Vision boards!!!
When there is no shared vision, everything will feel reactive because everyone is just trying to get through the day.
But when there is a vision (that your staff and teachers have created), then you can begin moving with intention!!
This is the work we do inside the Behavior Coaching Academy, turning scattered teams into aligned, coachable, consistent ones.
Comment COACH and I will send you the details!! 💛
If you're a leader and you feel like you have tried everything with your staff… and nothing is sticking, you are not alone!!
Watch this.
P.S. The small shift I talk about is what we build inside the Behavior Coaching Academy.
Registration is open now, and spots are limited.
Comment COACH and I will send you the link to register!!
06/09/2026
🚨Free Webinar for Early Childhood Leaders🚨
Hard conversations.
Staff accountability.
Team drama.
Teacher turnover.
Nobody taught us how to navigate these parts of leadership... but they might be the most important.
I am joining Famly's Tiny Chair Academy on June 18 at 3:00 PM EDT for a powerful conversation called:
Beyond Fear: Leading with Compassionate Accountability in ECE
We are diving into how to hold people accountable without damaging relationships, reduce conflict, build trust, and create the kind of culture where teachers actually want to stay.
If you are a director, owner, administrator, or leader who wants practical strategies you can use immediately, I would love for you to join us.
Comment FEARLESS and I will send you the registration link. 💛
P.S. A certificate of attendance will be shared with all attendees. Tiny Chair Academy is approved continuing education for NECPA, CCP and NAC!
If you want your children to feel calm, it starts with the teacher in the classroom.
They borrow your nervous system before they can regulate their own.
P.S. If you're a director, administrator, owner, or coach who is seeing the stress on teachers and rising challenging behaviors, our Behavior Coaching Academy is for YOU!!
The Academy is a one-year coaching experience that helps early childhood leaders reduce challenging behaviors, support their teachers, and build consistent, calm classrooms.
Interested in learning more? Comment COACH and I'll send you the information.
If you want your children to listen to what you ask, try this:
KLFF: Kind, Loving, Firm, and Fair.
Speak with kindness and love.
Be firm with boundaries and expectations.
Be consistent and fair with your follow-through.
P.S. Tired of a chaotic classroom? Comment CODE and I'll send you our course: Cracking the Behavior Code - Sensory Insights and Temperaments in Creating a Thriving Classroom. Certificate awarded upon completion!
One small word can change the entire feeling of a sentence.
“This went really well but…”
The moment you say but, everything before it loses its value.
If you want more connection in your classroom and with your team, start changing your 'but' to 'and'.
Want to shift from stress to more success in your classroom?
Comment SUCCESS, and I will send you our free resource: How to Turn Your Struggles Into Success.
You might disagree with me...
Challenging behaviors don’t start with the children… 👀
They start with stressed, unsupported adults!!
And when teachers feel overwhelmed, they move from responsive → reactive (we’ve ALL been there).
If we want calm classrooms, we have to support the grown-ups in the classrooms first.
That’s exactly what we do inside the Behavior Coaching Academy: real tools, real coaching, real transformation (for your team AND your children).
Comment COACH and I’ll send you all the details!
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