You’re Misreading Student Behavior: What Educators Get Wrong About “Challenging Kids” With Michelle Farrell | Episode 3

What if the “problem” in your classroom isn’t the student—but the story you’re telling yourself about their behavior?

In this powerful episode of Human Skills Training, early childhood expert Michelle Farrell joins host Chris Danilo to unpack what’s really happening when kids “act out.” Drawing on her decades of experience as a teacher, director, and Pyramid Model-certified trainer, Michelle shares practical ways to turn moments of frustration into opportunities for connection and growth.

You’ll learn how to replace power struggles with curiosity, decode the root causes of behavior, and build team cultures that support both educators and students.

💡 Key Takeaways:

✅ Why kids aren’t “giving you a hard time”—they’re having a hard time
✅ The educator behaviors that unintentionally make things worse
✅ How to stay calm and respond instead of reacting
✅ What strong team culture looks like (and what red flags to watch for)
✅ How empathy and curiosity transform classroom behavior
✅ One mindset shift that makes every educator more effective

If you’ve ever felt stuck managing challenging behaviors, this episode will remind you: the right skills aren’t just classroom strategies—they’re human skills.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction & Michelle’s background
• 1:13 What gives Michelle hope for the future
• 3:00 Why behavior challenges feel so hard
• 7:00 From theory to real classroom practice
• 13:00 Rethinking “challenging” kids
• 20:00 What to do when usual strategies don’t work
• 23:00 Curiosity over control: shifting your response
• 30:00 The role of team culture in behavior management
• 37:00 Red flags of struggling educator teams
• 46:00 COVID’s developmental impact on behavior
• 56:00 Well-meaning interventions that backfire
• 1:06:00 Setting expectations and creating response plans
• 1:09:00 The one skill every educator needs
• 1:13:00 What gives Michelle hope for the future