1. EachPod

Misfit Minute #2: W.A.I.T.: The De-escalation Strategy That Starts With Silence

Author
Audra Jensen, Caitlin Beltran, Sami Brown
Published
Tue 06 May 2025
Episode Link
None

šŸŽ™ļø Misfit Minute #2: W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?

Sometimes, the most powerful support you can offer during a student’s escalation… is silence. Caitlin introduces the W.A.I.T. strategy ("Why Am I Talking?")—a simple but transformative tool for de-escalation and emotional regulation.

šŸ”‘ Key Takeaways
āœ… Silence can be a strategy—not avoidance
āœ… Extra words = extra demands during escalation
āœ… Give students space to feel, process, and reset
āœ… Speak with purpose: clear, calm, and kind
āœ… ā€œI’m here when you’re readyā€ can be magic

šŸ“š Resources & Inspiration
šŸ“ Pair this with our longer episode 6 Ways to Approach Challenging Behaviors with Trauma-Informed Care and Building Relationships with Students Ā 
šŸ“Œ Follow us on Instagram @MisfitBehaviorists for daily tips and visuals and especially join us on Facebook where we house all the freebies!
šŸŽ§ Subscribe so you never miss your weekly quick win and share this with someone you care about!

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

šŸ˜ More, you say? We’re here for you!


šŸ‘‹ Find us!

šŸ–±ļø Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!



Share to: