A student in your class is struggling with an assignment, but doesn’t want to ask for help. They sigh loudly, put their head down, and completely disengage. They snap at a friend who asks if they are ok. After a few minutes, the student stands up, roughly pushes their chair in, and storms out of the room, kicking a chair over as they leave.
Now what?
What you’re imagining (or have experienced) is a student moving through the crisis behavior cycle—a process that psychologists and behavior specialists use to describe the emotional stages of a crisis. Crisis behavior cycles occur when a student gets overwhelmed and struggles to manage their emotions or actions.
While we call this a cycle, our graphic below shows the cycle more like a mountain, as emotions escalate and de-escalate.
It’s important to know how to address each step to keep the student in crisis, the rest of the class, and yourself safe. Below, you’ll find explanations of each stage and strategies to help manage crises more effectively. Having a plan in place before crisis behavior occurs makes a huge difference!
1. Triggering Event (following Calm):
In a triggering event, a student encounters some sort of distress. This distress can occur either outside of school or during classroom time, and it could be anything from a fight that morning with dad to, as you saw above, struggling with an assignment. Often, you may not witness the trigger, especially if a student is trying to maintain focus in class.
- What the student’s brain does:
The amygdala is activated, noting that a threat is detected. Stress hormones are released, and the ability to reason decreases.
- What you can do:
If you do spot a trigger, do what you can to avoid any further escalation. Building relationships ahead of time can help bridge the student from feeling alone to having an ally who wants to help. You also might consider identifying some potential triggers and solutions, and sharing these with students.
2. Agitation:
At this stage, the student might display signs of frustration or emotion, such as disengaging, fidgeting, or disrupting other students.
- What the student brain does:
The emotional part of the brain takes control and intensifies emotions. There are early signs of stress response, such as an increased heart rate or tension. Some impairment of logical thinking may be present.
- What you can do:
Sometimes, just acknowledging feelings without judgment can help the student calm down. Give them a sense of control by offering choices such as, “Would you like to work on this alone or with a partner?” can be helpful. In conversation with the student, use short, clear, and calm instructions to reduce verbal demands. If appropriate, encourage self-regulation techniques, such as deep breathing or a movement break.
3. Acceleration
Acceleration or escalation is the stage right before a full-blown crisis. At this point, a student’s frustration, anxiety, or distress is growing, and their behavior is becoming more intense. They may not be entirely out of control yet, but they are moving in that direction. If not addressed effectively, the situation can quickly spiral into a full crisis.
- What the student brain does:
There is heightened limbic control, further intensifying emotions, high adrenaline, logical thinking is significantly impaired, and defiant, aggressive, or avoidant behaviors are present.
- What you can do:
The key here is to stay calm and ensure interactions with the student are calm and measured as well. Maintaining an open and non-threatening posture and using a calm voice with the student can be helpful as you acknowledge their feelings; “I can see that you are frustrated right now, but you cannot speak to me that way.” Other strategies include inviting the student to make choices, and minimizing the “audience” by providing a safe and quiet environment in which the student can calm down.
4. Peak
At the peak of distress, the student may exhibit out-of-control behaviors (e.g., yelling, aggression, self-harm, or complete shutdown), and high levels of stress hormones impair rational thought, making it nearly impossible for the student to communicate, process instructions or consequences. This phase might prompt you to call the school’s crisis team if you are unable to secure the student or keep other students safe.
- What the student’s brain does:
The brain goes into survival mode, or Fight-Flight-Freeze Self-protection is prioritized through extreme emotional or physical reactions like yelling, hitting, shutting down, or running away.
- What you can do:
The first concern is safety: maintain enough physical space around the student and remove other students if needed. When you are speaking to the student, remain calm and neutral, and avoid power struggles or raising your voice.
5. De-escalation – Support & Reassure
This phase is where the student is beginning to regain control but may still be emotionally vulnerable and sometimes, fearful. You may still observe behaviors that are remnants of the crisis at a lower emotional and less tense state.
- What the student’s brain does:
The parasympathetic nervous system, which prompts the “rest and digest” functions, begins to kick in, stress is reduced, and gradually, the ability to communicate returns.
- What you can do:
Maintain a calm and supportive presence, and begin offering reassurance. Speak in a nonjudgmental tone and acknowledge the student’s feelings to help them know you are there to feel safe and understood. Providing choices, such as a quiet space to regroup or a simple task to regain focus, can provide the student with a sense of control. Encourage self-soothing, like drinking water or stretching. Avoid revisiting the triggering issue at this point; that can come during the recovery phase.
6. Recovery
During the Recovery phase, the student has returned to their baseline level of functioning, but they may still experience emotions such as embarrassment, exhaustion, or defensiveness. While they are no longer in crisis, they might struggle with processing what happened and how to move forward. Pushing for immediate discussion or consequences can reignite distress, so focus instead on creating a supportive environment where the student feels safe and respected.
- What the student’s brain does:
As the prefrontal cortex resumes control, it allows for rational thinking and self-reflection. The brain becomes more receptive to problem solving and reflection.
- What you can do:
Allow time for the student to reset before addressing the situation. When ready, use non-punitive reflection questions such as, “What was difficult for you?” and “How can I support you next time?”. Remind the student about positive coping skills and problem-solving strategies to help them build resilience for future challenges. Instead of excessive consequences, focus on restorative approaches, such as guiding students to repair relationships and rebuild trust.
Understanding these steps helps you move from just reacting to tough behaviors to responding with empathy and care. It also lets you adjust your approach in the moment to match what the student can handle emotionally. So, next time you have a student who is struggling with self-regulation, you have the tools to lessen their stress, and be the supportive person they need you to be.
About the Author
Betsy Butler (she/her) is a Professional Learning Specialist at Teaching Channel. She holds a B.A. in English, a Master’s in Education, and has been teaching since 1992. Betsy uses her three decades of teaching experience to write and revise our courses while selecting the perfect accompanying texts. Her specialty areas include ELA, special education topics, behavior management, and mental health.
Fun Fact: Betsy’s daily conquest is solving the New York Times crossword puzzle!
