MODULE 1: Between the Trigger and the Response: Understanding Student Distress and What Calms It in the Classroom

Settling the Storm: Distress Tolerance Skills for Moments of Emotional Overwhelm in the Classroom

This is a two-part professional learning series for educators who want to build their confidence and clarity when responding to student distress.

Module 1 lays the groundwork and must be completed before attending Module 2, which builds on those foundations with practical, in-the-moment tools.

Why can’t we just feel whelmed? Not flooded. Not shut down. Not about to explode. Just… whelmed.

That’s the function of distress tolerance. It doesn’t fix the feeling, but it gives students something to reach for in the feeling. A way to ground, distract, or steady themselves just enough to choose a better next move.

This workshop series equips educators with practical, psychologically informed tools to support students through moments of emotional intensity, responding in ways that reduce impulsive reactions and gently redirect emotional momentum, while preserving a sense of safety and flow in the classroom