Let’s bring nervous system regulation into education for meaningful learning

The Dysregulated Student & Teacher

  • On paper, I was the perfect student—color-coded planner, AP courses, high GPA.

    Under the law, No Child Left Behind, we were told: Test well and you’ll succeed.
    So I collected grades and praise as proof that I was okay.

    I believed education—at least the way it was taught to me—was the path to success.

  • After high school graduation, I realized I didn’t know who I was—only how to perform, please, and perfect.

    It left me with a dysregulated nervous system.

    One part of me was always asking, Am I good enough?
    The other was quietly longing to be true to myself.

    But the voice of 'others' was louder:
    Go to college, earn a degree, and you’ll be happy.

  • In 2010, I became a teacher—and the system only deepened my dysregulation.

    Even teachers are burdened with expectations, evaluations, and relentless pressure.

    I found myself caught in constant tension:
    - Do I follow the pacing guide or trust my professional instincts?
    - Teach to the test or teach for real understanding?
    - Keep students quiet in rows or build a classroom community?

    It was a constant tug-of-war: do I meet the system’s demands or support meaningful learning for my students?

Regulate to Educate: Nervous System Regulation as the Foundation of Schools

I’ve spent years in classrooms and in conversations with educators who ask:
“Why are we asking students to do things that don’t help them? What’s the purpose of more memorization, testing, and standardization? Why aren’t we doing what’s best for students?”

Those questions became real when I helped create, teach, and continually evolve a program that placed nervous system regulation at the center of learning. I watched students who had never attended school show up every day. I saw children labeled “defiant” collaborate effortlessly. I supported students who were “too anxious to enter class” fully engage. Disengaged learners transformed before my eyes.

I transformed too. I realized how well-intentioned practices and policies within schools can do more harm than good. Understanding and regulating my own nervous system allowed me to show up differently—for my students and for myself. Reflecting on my experience as a student, I saw that if nervous system regulation had been part of my education, I could have shown up as my whole self, not just a collection of grades and accomplishments.

Now, my work is helping other educators experience the same transformation. Together, we can rebuild education so everyone has the opportunity to flourish. Nervous system regulation is the key, and we must unlock its potential to make it the foundation of schools.