Book excerpt: In 15-Minute Focus: Behavior Interventions, Amie Dean gives educators, counselors, and parents knowledge, strategies, and resources to teach children and teens how to communicate and make decisions to get their needs met in positive ways through behavior instruction and coaching. If a child or teen is struggling to manage emotions or make good choices, it is rarely because they want to be "bad" or disrespectful. Most adults look for the "right" way or a magic formula that will transform challenging students, with no luck on finding one. Impacting behavioral change in another person is hard work, and every individual has unique needs and circumstances that should be considered. This book will help you view children's words and actions as a lack of coping skills in the moment, or a skill deficit that can be taught and improved. You'll discover: - The function of behavior - Ways to rethink responses to behavior - De-escalation techniques - Steps to create a trauma-sensitive classroom - Principles for a positive classroom - Actionable strategies, curated resources, and more! This guide will ask you to consider that there is likely a barrier keeping children from being successful, and it is our opportunity as the adults who care for them to help them through it.