What is the is book about?
In From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs, we offer ten practical strategies educators can use to create classrooms that heal instead of harm. Rather than relying on traditional behavior management, this book helps teachers understand behavior as communication, focus on student strengths, and build meaningful relationships, especially for learners carrying invisible burdens from trauma, foster care, and family instability.
Who is this book for?
This book is for educators, administrators, counselors, and others who work with children and know there’s more to behavior than meets the eye. Maybe you work with students in foster care, or you’ve seen how trauma shows up in the classroom long after the crisis has passed. Maybe you’re supporting teachers, mentoring pre-service educators, or just feeling deep in your gut that punishment isn’t the answer. If you’ve ever looked at a student and thought, “Something deeper is going on here,” then this book is for you.
Why this book matters?
Students bring more than academics into the classroom. They bring their experiences, emotions, and the weight of unseen challenges that shape how they learn and engage. From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs matters because it gives educators the practical strategies to move beyond traditional discipline and foster healing. Instead of focusing on compliance, this book helps teachers recognize behavior as communication, offering tools to build trust, strengthen relationships, and support students who carry invisible burdens from trauma, foster care, or family instability. By shifting the approach to classroom culture, educators can create spaces where students feel safe, valued, and empowered to thrive.
What are people saying?
“Fields and Davis remind us that behavior is communication, and their Hacks provide clear steps for creating classrooms built on safety, connection, and hope. This book not only equips educators with immediate tools but also reinforces a truth I deeply believe: relationships are the key to lasting change. A valuable resource for any educator committed to reaching every student.”
- Dr. Brad Johnson, #3 Global Guru in Education, international speaker, and author of Room 212 and Relational Intelligence
“Based on solid principles of neuroscience and human development, the ideas they present not only apply to children who have experienced maltreatment and trauma but to all students. And there are practical steps you can implement tomorrow in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. A helpful read for all teachers seeking new tools to meet the challenges of classroom life.”
- Dr. Barbara Sorrels, 25-year educator and university professor, Executive Director of the Institute for Childhood Education in Tulsa, founder of Connected Kids, and author of Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma and Trauma-Sensitive Care for Infants, Toddlers, and Two-Year-Olds
“These extraordinary authors provide us with an invaluable resource, calling out what is real in education and providing us with trauma-responsive ways to address it…I especially love the section on how to address the pushback, and the practical tidbits and refreshing reframes resonated deeply with me. .. It truly is a must-read.”
- Dr. Kristin Souers, Trainer, Consultant and Co-Author of Fostering Resilient Learners and Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation
“As Fields and Davis remind us, strategies that are necessary for our underserved, exploited, and traumatized students are invaluable for the entire class, regardless of their backgrounds. Every school, every student, every teacher will thrive and grow by reading this book.”
- Jeffrey Benson, 50+ year Educator, Consultant, Presenter, and International Author of numerous articles and books, including Hacking School Discipline Together
“[From Breakdown to Breakthroughs] should be required reading for everyone in education…This isn’t just another book about discipline alternatives; it’s a call for more empathy in education across the board. It’s also a blueprint for all public education stakeholders because, if we really want to help every student feel seen, safe, AND ready to learn, this engaging book shows us how.”
- Oklahoma State Representative Jacob Rosecrants, author of HB 1569 “The Play to Learn Act”
“Whether you’re a teacher Googling “How to survive teaching” at 2 am, a parent wondering if you’re the only one whose child has emotional avalanches over socks, or a teacher educator preparing future professionals for tomorrow’s classrooms, this book is for you. From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs is as practical as it is profound, as hopeful as it is honest, and both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving. It should be required reading for every educator, every parent, and every leader who believes that education can be both academically rigorous and profoundly humane.”
- Dr. Vickie E. Lake, Associate Dean, Professor, Teacher Educator, and Author of From ABD to PhD and EdD: Navigating the Final Stretch of Your Doctoral Journey
“As a school psychologist, I am always looking for practices that improve learning for every student while especially protecting access and dignity for students with disabilities. This book delivers exactly that and more. It is practical, strength-based, and built for real classrooms… Whether or not a child has experienced trauma, the approaches in this book support well-being and keep instruction moving. I recommend it for teachers, special educators, and anyone dedicated to ensuring students learn in psychologically safe spaces.”
- Dr. Kelsie Reed, Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Co-Author of Hacking Deficit Thinking, and Founder of Strength-Based Collective
“This book is a powerful guide and compassionate companion for teachers seeking to respond, rather than react, to the emotional realities their students bring to school each day… With actionable tips on how to create responsive learning environments, this book equips educators to meet all children where they are. This is more than a teaching manual; it’s a call to transform our classrooms into spaces of healing, resilience, and hope.”
- Dr. Kimberly Phillips, Early Childhood Professor, CASA volunteer, and Advocate for all
“Like popcorn, children don’t all ‘pop’ at the same time … our job is to create the conditions for every child to thrive. From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs offers educators the compassionate and practical tools to do just that. It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes ‘hugging a porcupine’ is the most important part of our work.”
- Rob Miller, Retired Superintendent, Bixby Public Schools, Bixby, OK
“One example of why I find this book especially powerful and informative is that it calls out a practice so common in schools: public behavior charts. The authors make a compelling case that these systems shame children, undermine learning, and retraumatize our most vulnerable students. Katie Fields and Jill M. Davis don’t just critique the problem but also offer clear, practical solutions (such as private conversations, restorative practices, and ways to build intrinsic motivation) that honor student dignity while still maintaining accountability.”
- Dr. Barbara Jones, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership/School Administration, Northeastern State University
Dr. Jill Davis 