This course is designed to equip educators—especially beginning teachers—with practical, trauma-informed strategies for creating safe, structured, and inclusive learning environments. Emphasis is placed on strong beginning-of-the-year procedures, proactive classroom systems, and relationship-based management practices that support all learners, including students with 504 plans and IEPs. Participants will explore how to establish clear expectations, routines, and transitions that prevent behavioral challenges before they start, while also learning how to confidently “handle the class” when things don’t go as planned. The course addresses how to maintain situational awareness—often described as having “eyes in the back of your head”—and how to respond calmly and effectively to escalating behaviors. Educators will learn de-escalation strategies, co-regulation techniques, and self-regulation practices for staff working with students experiencing behavioral or emotional distress. The course emphasizes the adult’s role in maintaining regulation, modeling calm responses, and preventing escalation through tone, body language, and intentional decision-making. Participants will also learn what to do when strategies are not effective, including how to safely clear a classroom, follow crisis protocols, and restore the learning environment afterward. Through real-life scenarios, case studies, and reflective practice, participants will leave with tools they can use immediately—because classroom management isn’t about control, it’s about connection, consistency, and regulating yourself first so students can follow.