Course Description

The de-escalation course empowers para-educators, certificated staff, and school personnel to manage student agitation and escalating behaviors through effective and thoughtful verbal communication. It teaches participants to view behavior as communication, enabling them to identify and address escalating situations while choosing appropriate responses. Participants will actively seek to understand, learn and question their own beliefs and assumptions about others by learning the function behind various behaviors, invisible triggers and why it is important to know student identity, community and culture by gathering information about students. The course will explore how ones' own behaviors and biases can influence the escalation cycle and impact student outcomes. The course provides practical culturally responsive strategies, resources, and tools for engaging with students during challenging times, emphasizing the importance of maintaining student dignity during behavioral crises.

Course Objectives

Familiarize with the Escalation/De-Escalation Cycle

· Identify intersectionality of factors impacting behavior such as basic needs, diverse cultural expectations, language and verbal barriers, and non-verbal cues (Understanding Self and Others)

· Learn adaptable, culturally responsive strategies to prevent escalation (Understanding Self and Others)

· Reflect on own beliefs, assumptions and biases related to student behavior (Understanding Self and Others)

· Explore approaches to strengthen responses at each stage while maintaining student dignity (Understanding Self and Others)

· Acquire skills to support student recovery and repair through empathetic, non-judgmental, and non-harmful restorative practices (Understanding Self and Others)