Schools today are navigating a uniquely challenging moment. Student needs are increasing, behaviors are more complex, and teachers are carrying a tremendous emotional and instructional load. In this environment, one truth has never been clearer:
The way we support students is also how we support teachers.
Just as students thrive with clear expectations, positive relationships, consistent reinforcement, and doable systems – teachers thrive when principals offer the same.
In other words:
If we PBIS the classroom for students, principals can PBIS the school for teachers.
This isn’t about programs or posters. It’s about behavior leadership, the intentional, observable leadership behaviors that create a supportive, predictable, relational climate where teachers feel valued and students can succeed.
Below are five high-leverage leadership moves any principal can use to strengthen behavior systems and strengthen teacher satisfaction, confidence, and retention.
1. Build and Communicate a Clear MTSS Vision for Behavior
Teachers want consistency. They want to know what’s expected, what supports exist, and how behavior decisions get made across tiers.
A clear MTSS vision does more than guide students, it reduces teacher stress by removing ambiguity and helping teams work from the same playbook.
Effective behavior leadership includes:
- A small set of observable schoolwide expectations
- Consistent language about Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports
- Clear definitions of what “good implementation” looks like
- Transparent communication about processes and responsibilities
When principals lead with clarity, teachers feel safer, more aligned, and more confident responding to student needs.
And just as important as setting a clear vision is closing the loop with teachers.
When principals follow up after a referral, a concern, or a behavior plan conversation – letting teachers know what steps were taken, what support is coming, or what the team is trying next – it builds trust and reduces uncertainty.
A quick check-in or “Here’s where things stand” message goes a long way in helping teachers feel seen, supported, and part of a coordinated system.
2. Promote Collaborative Practical Problem-Solving With the Three Essential Questions
When behavior feels overwhelming, teachers often just want to know they aren’t facing it alone. One of the most powerful leadership behaviors a principal can model is practical problem-solving, the kind that reassures teachers that there is a path forward and a team standing beside them.
Principals can guide teams with three simple, shared questions:
- What’s our plan?
This reframes behavior support as a collective effort, not something one teacher is expected to manage alone. - How will we implement the plan?
Clear roles and steps reduce anxiety and help teachers feel supported and prepared. - How will we know our plan is working?
This invites teams to define success together and identify what progress will look like, even if it’s small or gradual.
These three essential questions shift the focus from “fixing the student” to collaborative problem-solving, where teachers feel heard, valued, and guided – not judged or isolated. When principals consistently lead teams through this simple process, they build trust, reduce overwhelm, and strengthen the school’s collective capacity to support students effectively.
3. Protect Time for Team-Based Behavior Planning
Teachers want to feel that their leaders are in the work with them.
One of the most supportive leadership behaviors a principal can demonstrate is protecting time for collaborative behavior planning. Even short, 15–20 minute meetings can make the difference between “I’m handling this alone” and “My team has my back.”
Strong behavior leaders:
- Schedule regular Tier 2 or problem-solving meetings
- Use simple pre-meeting tools so data and observations are ready
- Keep the focus on solutions and implementation . . . not blame
- Build structures where every voice (including gen-ed teachers) is heard
When time is protected, teachers feel prioritized. Collaboration signals respect, and reduces burnout.
Looking for resources to help improve your MTSS process? Make sure to check out our MTSS Referral Form.
4. Make Data Practical, Doable, and Easy to Use
Data should make teachers’ jobs easier, not harder.
Too often, teachers are asked to collect more data than is reasonable, leading to inconsistency, frustration, and discouragement. When principals simplify data expectations, teachers feel supported and empowered.
Behavior leadership in this area means:
- Choosing small data systems that take seconds, not minutes
- Reinforcing that imperfect-but-consistent data is enough
- Removing unnecessary or duplicated data demands
- Using tools that generate simple, clear graphs and trend lines
Teachers feel more confident in their decisions when they can see progress clearly, and more supported when data feels manageable rather than burdensome.
5. Model 5:1 and Celebrate Implementation Wins
This is where leadership behaviors matter most.
Just like students thrive when they experience more positive interactions than corrective ones, teachers thrive when principals reinforce their efforts, celebrate their progress, and recognize their strengths.
Great behavior leaders:
- Name specific effective practices during walk-throughs
- Send quick “I noticed…” notes
- Acknowledge implementation at staff meetings
- Celebrate small steps, not just big outcomes
These actions aren’t about fluff, they’re about cultivating a relational climate where teachers feel valued, trusted, and emotionally safe.
Consistency in 5:1, clear expectations, and positive relationships doesn’t just improve student behavior, it improves teacher morale, retention, and wellbeing.
Final Thought: Lead the Way, Shape the Climate
Teachers aren’t asking for perfection. They’re asking for leadership behaviors that reflect empathy, clarity, support, and shared purpose.
When principals:
- Build a clear MTSS vision
- Promote function-based thinking
- Protect collaboration time
- Make data manageable
- Reinforce teachers generously
…schools become communities of trust, not systems of pressure.
Behavior leadership is not abstract theory, it’s how principals shape the behavioral climate for both students and staff. And when teachers feel supported, students benefit immediately.
Give Your Teachers – and Yourself – the Tools to Lead with Clarity and Confidence
The leadership behaviors in this article become even more powerful when principals have tools that make consistency easier. Behavior Advantage helps schools do exactly that.
Our platform gives teachers simple plans, practical data tools, and ready-to-use resources—and it gives principals the visibility, structure, and confidence to lead MTSS behavior systems effectively.
If you want to make behavior support easier for teachers and strengthen your leadership impact across the school, I’d be glad to give you a short walkthrough or explore what a partnership could look like.
