Behavior isn’t who a student is–it’s what they’re trying to say.

In this compelling episode of Change Starts Here, host Kim Yarris, M.Ed. challenges educators to see behavior as communication, not character. Connecting national trends with real classroom realities, Kim helps leaders and teachers decode what students are truly expressing.

Discover how small, intentional shifts in language, routines, and relationships can transform chaos into calm and turn moments of conflict into opportunities for connection. You’ll walk away with a simple, research-based framework to help you respond–not react–so students feel seen, heard, and safe to learn.

If you’re striving for fewer power struggles, stronger relationships, and classrooms where every student can thrive, this conversation offers the mindset and tools to make it happen–starting this week.

Download the free handout: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/Behavior-is-communication?x=Z1ALfD

Host: Kim Yarris, M.Ed.

Timestamps:

(00:00 - 00:14) Show open

(00:15 - 00:55) Why behavior now

(00:55 - 01:26) What the data shows

(01:26 - 02:18) Beneath the behavior

(02:18 - 03:22) Stories we tell, early teaching lens

(03:22 - 04:36) Behavior is communication

(04:36 - 05:36) Pandemic skill gaps, why it got louder

(05:36 - 06:35) Plant metaphor, adjust conditions

(06:35 - 07:42) From critic to gardener

(07:42 - 08:46) Belief shapes outcomes

(08:46 - 09:27) Introducing CARE

(09:27 - 12:00) C and A, confidence and approach

(12:00 - 13:10) R and E, relationships and environment

(13:10 - 14:07) Takeaways and close