THE DISRUPTION DECODER

Disruptions in a primary classroom are rarely what they appear to be. The shouted answer, the sudden refusal to join circle time, the boy who’s suddenly under his desk for the third time that morning—these aren’t acts of rebellion. They’re a child’s version of a distress call. Their brains, still developing the language to name feelings and the regulation to manage them, default to behavior. When a six-year-old can’t say, “I’m overwhelmed by the noise in this room,” her body says it for her. Humming. Tapping. Running away. The behavior is loud, but the need underneath is quiet. And if we only respond to the loud part, the quiet part never gets heard.