The Re-Set Process: Trauma-Informed Behavior Strategies

When students with histories of trauma struggle with self-regulation and challenging behaviours, traditional interventions often fall short. The educators on your staff need a clear and consistent trauma-informed process to help students re-regulate and return to learning—and that's what they'll find in this reader-friendly guide to the revolutionary Re-Set Process.

Developed by two seasoned educators who specialise in trauma-informed teaching, the Re-Set Process is a neuroscience-based approach to improving behavioural success in children from Grades K–8. This four-step process is structured yet flexible, refined through nearly a decade of field testing, and easy to integrate into any individual teacher's classroom or an entire school's student support system. Blending best practices from behavioural approaches, mindfulness practices, and trauma-informed care, the Re-Set Process not only addresses behaviour, but also guides schools in meeting the neurological and attachment needs of dysregulated students, reducing barriers to social and academic success. This book is a vital resource for classroom teachers, school counsellors, administrators, and other professional support personnel.

With this comprehensive guide to the Re-Set Process and its continuum of practice—from whole-class proactive approaches to individual student reactive approaches—educators will be able to:

• Understand the science of trauma, including its physiological and emotional impacts on children
• Interpret students' behaviour through a trauma-informed lens
• Successfully implement all forms of the Re-Set Process with clear and specific step-by-step instructions
• See the Re-Set Process in action with case studies and insightful Notes from the Field
• Integrate the Re-Set Process with other behaviour support efforts, including Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
• Address challenging behaviour proactively and reactively
• Design classrooms effectively by creating predictability, protecting emotional safety, and nurturing relationships
• Build students' regulation skills with a wealth of activities and exercises
• Provide timely, specific behavioural feedback that promotes a positive classroom culture
• Integrate essential self-care strategies into the school day

Educators have access to a complete package of more than 30 online downloads to help them implement the Re-Set Process, including planning forms, blank templates, activity sheets, and a book study guide suitable for individuals and groups.

Click on Free Stuff for a free tip-sheet - 8 Tips for Delivering Trauma-Informed Feedback

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Table of Contents

About the Online Companion Materials

About the Authors

Foreword - Melissa Sadin, Ph.D.

Preface

Acknowledgments

Section I - Defining and Understanding Trauma

1. Trauma Foundations
2. Trauma in the Room

Section I Resources

• Glossary

Section II - The Re-Set Process

3. The Re-Set Process Overview
4. The Re-Set Process: Proactive Forms
5. The Re-Set Process: Reactive Forms
6. The Re-Set Room
7. Re-Set Process Planning and Implementation

Section II Resources

• Appendix A: Re-Set Activities Organized by Step
• Appendix B: Scripts for Regulating Activities
• Appendix C: Fiddle Objects and Marble Maze Directions

Section III - Trauma-Informed Behavior Practices

8. Classroom Culture
9. Building Regulation Skills
10. Providing Behavior Feedback
11. Educator Self-Care

Section III Resources

• Appendix A: Team Collaboration Survey
• Appendix B: Seating Positions
• Appendix C: Spotlight Strategies: Simple Ways to Create Predictability
• Appendix D: Spotlight Strategies: Simple Ways to Protect Emotional Safety
• Appendix E: Spotlight Strategies: Simple Ways for Nurturing Adult-to-Student Relationships
• Appendix F: Spotlight Strategies: Simple Ways for Nurturing Student-to-Student Relationships
• Appendix G: Cooperative Learning Structures
• Appendix H: Modulation Exercises
• Appendix I: Behavior Management Systems: Risk Assessment
• Appendix J: Ticket and Pocket System
• Appendix K: Playing Card Reinforcement System

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"Implementing The Re-Set Process and associated practices have been game-changers for many of our students with trauma. Because of that success, implementation is expanding throughout our district. This book provides extensive classroom and school-friendly strategies that have proven to de-escalate and re-regulate students while maintaining an environment that maximizes learning."
- Angela Marley, School Principal, Denver Elementary School, Cocalico School District, PA

"The Re-Set Process has changed our school into a place where our highly reactive students feel more academically successful and positive about school. It gives them a chance to use adults as advocates, practice self-reliance, and feel happy about the school environment as a supportive place to learn."
- Florence Krane, School PrincipalPrice Elementary SchoolSchool District of Lancaster, PA

"The Re-Set Process provides a clear and concise ‘how-to’ guide for teachers and administrators seeking trauma-sensitive, practical ways to work with students demonstrating challenging behaviors. Dyane brings her extensive real-life experiences and expertise to this resource, sharing her highly effective strategies with educators, mental health professionals, parents, and others seeking to implement proactive methods to positively impact the lives of children."
- Jill Koser, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, School District of the City of York, PA

"The Re-Set Process provides the tools that teachers are constantly seeking to move from ‘behaviour management’ to learner engagement and resilience."
- Ross Bernay, Deputy Head of School, Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland, New Zealand

"With this text, educators can quickly implement meaningful and impactful strategies by the end of each chapter! Congruent with Dyane’s approach to coaching school teams, the processes and recommendations outlined in The Re-Set Process are based on lived interactions and experiences from Dyane’s deep background in positive and proactive behavior support. Wynne’s mindfulness lens enhances this work even further. As a school and district leader, I have utilized many of the strategies outlined in this book with a high degree of student success."
- Josiah Keene, Assistant Superintendent, Annville-Cleona School District, PA

"Underlying many deficits in academic learning and prosocial school behavior is a lack of ability to self-regulate, which is foundational for progress in academics, in friendships, and overall, in school and life. Self-regulation is best taught and practiced through healthy relationship-building. The Re-Set Process offers a step-by-step behavioral guide to give students this essential tool of self-regulation, leading to success in school and beyond. I love this work."
- Lark Eshelman, Educator; Author; Former School Principal; School Psychologist; Eshleman Mental Health Consulting; Mt Joy, PA

"The Re-Set Process is one of the most comprehensive approaches to teaching a struggling student the skills for self-management."
- Melinda Wells, School Principal, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, School District of Lancaster, PA.