Educator Toolkit for Behaviour
Understand the needs behind children's behaviour and plan calm, confident support with your team. Self-paced, for educators in early childhood and school-age care.
About this course
When behaviour challenges you, start with the need
You know the child. The one whose day can turn in a moment, and who you're still thinking about on the way home. Maybe you've tried the sticker chart and planned ignoring, and they sat uneasily with you.
Behaviour is a person's best attempt to meet a need, with the skills they have right now. Once you have a hunch about the need, you can plan for it and test it.
You'll learn the Phoenix Cups® Framework, a shared language for five needs we all carry, and plan with your team the same week.
Try this reframe
You hear
They don't listen.
ReframeAm I communicating in a way that the child can listen?
From the course's Watch your language activity.
Who this course is for
Built for educators across education and care settings
Early childhood educators
Long day careFamily day careKindergartenPreschool
Bring the child on your mind, and leave with a plan for them.
School-age care educators and teachers
OSHCVacation carePrimary school
Sandi started this work in school-age care. The Cups suit older children too.
Leaders and educational leaders
DirectorsEducational leadersCoordinators
Each educator needs their own licence. Volume discounts start at five licences.
In this course
Look for the need, then plan the support
You'll explore how to
- read behaviour as a clue to an unmet need, and test your hunch
- use language that builds children's positive stories about themselves
- turn team observations into a plan everyone follows
- shift your daily interactions with a child towards connection
- rethink routines that interrupt play and flow
Why this course
Start the week with a plan and a shared language
Approach behaviour support with confidence, compassion and clarity.
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One language for your whole team
The Phoenix Cups give your team a shared language and philosophy, so you guide children's social and emotional learning with consistency and care.
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Tools for this week
Practical templates, downloadable resources and fresh videos with Sandi, designed to spark reflection and critical thinking.
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Your own Cups matter too
Map your own needs and write a wellbeing plan. You can't pour from an empty Cup.
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Learn at your own pace
Dip in and out, revisit key lessons, or work through it together as a professional learning team. Twelve months of access.
Enrol now
More than 10,000 educators have enrolled in this course.
Course curriculum
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Introduction
FREE PREVIEW -
Finding your way around
FREE PREVIEW -
Acknowledgement of Country
FREE PREVIEW -
A quick check-in
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Copyright & your agreement
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Preface: How the Phoenix Cups came to be
FREE PREVIEW -
About the author - Sandi Phoenix
FREE PREVIEW -
Activity booklet
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Critical reflection book download
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Activity 1 - What is challenging you?
FREE PREVIEW -
Jacob - the advocate for childhood
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Activity 2 - How do children learn?
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What does being storm ready and inclusion readiness have in common?
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Activity 3 - Watch your language
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Perspectives
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Activity 4 - Starting the inclusion conversation with your team
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Behaviour management - What is it?
FREE PREVIEW -
Behaviourism - where has it come from and how do we use it now?
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Fun break 1 - Behaviourism timeline
FREE PREVIEW -
Case study - Behaviourism; the only tool in Emily’s toolkit
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Activity 5 - Emily’s toolkit
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Activity 6 - Separate the child from the behaviour
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Beliefs about children’s behaviour
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Activity 7 - The influence of the behaviourist movement
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An alternative to 'Behaviour Management'
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A timeline of psychology that focuses on human potential and strengths
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Activity 8 - Maslow and Glasser’s theories about basic human life needs
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Activity 9 - Understanding your understanding of human behaviour
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The need for a framework
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Introduction to The Phoenix Cups with Sandi Phoenix
FREE PREVIEW -
Cup filling behavioural choices
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Your Cups Profile (Big Cups and Small Cups)
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Activity 10 - Draw your profile
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Fulfilment (Full and Empty Cups), Will, and Skill
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Nature Vs Nurture
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Activity 11 - Your Wellbeing Plan
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Activity 12 - The Phoenix Cups pop quiz
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Children are efficient Cup fillers
FREE PREVIEW -
Noticing Children's Cups - Hope's Story
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Recognising and responding to empty Cups - Seth's Story
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Meet Jayden
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Meet Sally
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Jayden's Story
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Sally's Story
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"It's not Fair"
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Activity 13 - Develop Cup filling plans for children
FREE PREVIEW -
Activity 14 - A solution-focused conversation framework for discussing children’s behaviour
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Activity 15 - Reflecting on your team meeting
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Activity 16 - Cup filling strategies in practice
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Activity 17 - Case study - Josie's behaviour
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Connection seeking
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Case study - Josie's Connection Plan
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Activity 18 - Connection Plan
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A magic ratio
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Activity 19 - Your interaction ratio
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Say what you see, ask a question
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Activity 20 - Say what you see, ask a question
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So what are they seeking?
FREE PREVIEW
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About this course
- $198.00
- 74 lessons
- 1 hour of video content
Course content
Each chapter leaves you with something to use
We'll explore together
You'll walk away with
Jacob's story, inclusion readiness, and the words we use about children
You'll walk away withA reframe for a phrase your team uses, and prompts to open the inclusion conversation
Behaviourism, from Pavlov to Positive Behaviour Support, and the guidance approach
You'll walk away withA written reflection on your own beliefs about behaviour and where they came from
Five needs, your Cups profile, and the Will to Fill™ and Skill to Fill™
You'll walk away withYour own Cups profile and a personal wellbeing plan
Children as efficient Cup fillers, through case studies
You'll walk away withCup-filling plans for a child or a group, and a four-step framework for team meetings
Connection seeking, the magic ratio, and say what you see, ask a question
You'll walk away withA two-week connection plan and your own interaction ratio
Play, flow and uninterrupted time, and the day we met Jet Pack Man
You'll walk away withTeam prompts to rethink a routine, and your own critical reflection questions
Not sure yet?
Try the free preview before you enrol
Committing to professional development is a big decision, so see what's inside first. The free preview opens a selection of sample lessons and a few bonus downloadable resources.
🎬 Sample video lessons📄 Bonus downloadable resources✨ No credit card required
The thinking behind this course
Grounded in the guidance approach and human needs research
You can read every source behind this course for yourself. The course moves away from behaviourism. You'll meet it early, from Pavlov's dogs to Positive Behaviour Support, so you can see where familiar strategies come from.
The Phoenix Cups Framework
Phoenix, 2022
A shared language for five basic human needs: Safety, Connection, Freedom, Mastery and Fun. It turns the research on this page into plans for children and for your team.
The guidance approach
Porter, 2015; Gartrell, 2004; Kohn, 2006
Two principles carry the course: every behaviour is an attempt to meet a need, and children need skills to behave well (Porter, 2015).
Choice Theory
Glasser, 1998
Behaviour as our best attempt, at the time, to meet our needs. Glasser's need-strength profile sits behind your Cups profile.
Self-Determination Theory
Ryan and Deci, 2000
Autonomy, competence and relatedness support intrinsic motivation and wellbeing. The course uses it to ask how your program meets those needs.
Positive psychology and flow
Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Csikszentmihalyi, 2008
The science of human flourishing, including flow, a state of deep, absorbed involvement. You'll use it to notice and protect children's deep play.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
Gartrell, D. (2004). The power of guidance. Delmar, Cengage Learning.
Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory. Harper Perennial.
Kohn, A. (2006, March). Why we shouldn't focus on students' "behaviors". Alfie Kohn. https://www.alfiekohn.org/behaviors/
Phoenix, S. (2022). Educator toolkit for behaviour (Rev. ed.). Phoenix Support Publishing.
Porter, L. (2015). The guidance approach for practitioners (2nd ed.). Small Poppies International.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5
More than 10,000 educators have taken this course
Take a look at what they have said about it...
A fresh approach
Nancy Green
This course provides a fresh perspective of understanding children's needs to understand and guide behaviour rather than bunch of strategies to redirect beha...
Read MoreThis course provides a fresh perspective of understanding children's needs to understand and guide behaviour rather than bunch of strategies to redirect behaviour. All based on theory, evidence and science with links to our frameworks makes it easy to relate to and apply in practice. Love the Phoenix Cups framework analogy and relatable stories. Several things to reflect on with educators and teams. Thank you :)
Read LessEducator Toolkit for Behaviour 2025
Dina Frost
I loved this training and have learned so much I am going to reflect on myself and see how I can change to help children full fill their cup and mine and wil...
Read MoreI loved this training and have learned so much I am going to reflect on myself and see how I can change to help children full fill their cup and mine and will most definitely take this training ideas to my team. Will mention this training to anyone in the near future.
Read LessHelpful, practical, relatable
Rory Kaatz
I didn't think this online course would be helpful when I started. "Just another round of theory which I can't apply practically. Not when you have the kids ...
Read MoreI didn't think this online course would be helpful when I started. "Just another round of theory which I can't apply practically. Not when you have the kids I work with!" But, this course has actually been helpful for my day-to-day practice with the kids I work with, yes even with the kids that feel the most challenging. It's been a change of perspective now, understanding that the kids are just trying to meet their needs. You build that relationship with them, and you can help them meet their needs in a more appropriate (respectful to others) way.
Read LessJet pack man
Cindy Mikolic
I really enjoyed this toolkit and a special mention to jet pack man’s story. I can relate this to quite a few children and the story made me emotional. I lov...
Read MoreI really enjoyed this toolkit and a special mention to jet pack man’s story. I can relate this to quite a few children and the story made me emotional. I love this theory!
Read LessMind blown!
Adela Moreno
Not only do I feel validated, I FINALLY have a framework from which to bring my pedagogy together. Thank you.
Not only do I feel validated, I FINALLY have a framework from which to bring my pedagogy together. Thank you.
Read LessPhoenix Cups framework
Mee Choo
Facilitating solutions Provides common language to communicate ideas and strategies Provides templates for team to collect useful data as professional con...
Read MoreFacilitating solutions Provides common language to communicate ideas and strategies Provides templates for team to collect useful data as professional conversations Facilitates reflections, critical thinking and changes to support children’s behaviour and social learning Lead educators and team new ways of thinking about children’s behaviour.
Read LessAmazing!
Kayla McLachlan
The video 'Jayden and Sally story' was very helpful and interesting! The phoenix cups has already started to help me within myself and my practice at work.
The video 'Jayden and Sally story' was very helpful and interesting! The phoenix cups has already started to help me within myself and my practice at work.
Read LessA Practical and Insightful Toolkit for Educators
Sapna Gupta
This course gave me useful strategies to understand and manage children's behaviour in a positive way. The examples and tools were easy to follow and apply i...
Read MoreThis course gave me useful strategies to understand and manage children's behaviour in a positive way. The examples and tools were easy to follow and apply in real-life situations. A great resource for educators!
Read LessPhoenix Cups
Bianca Hillbrick
Thank you for some amazing tips. This has really made me question the way I approach dealing with the children I educate and has allowed me to look at the b...
Read MoreThank you for some amazing tips. This has really made me question the way I approach dealing with the children I educate and has allowed me to look at the behaviours they exhibit in a completely different light.
Read LessIt can lead educators to new ways of thinking about children
Anna Haddara
Helped me to understand to meet most important life needs for children.
Helped me to understand to meet most important life needs for children.
Read LessIncredible!
Melea Oakden
As always, the course is amazingly informative and exceptionally presented!
As always, the course is amazingly informative and exceptionally presented!
Read LessEducator Toolkit for Behaviour 2021
Jennifer De Bruyn
Chapter 7 a brilliant flow of the Phoenix Cups Framework essence
Chapter 7 a brilliant flow of the Phoenix Cups Framework essence
Read LessA Brilliant Tool for Supporting Children's
Chandani Chandani
As an educator, I now feel more confident in supporting emotional regulation, fostering stronger relationships, and creating a more balanced and empathetic a...
Read MoreAs an educator, I now feel more confident in supporting emotional regulation, fostering stronger relationships, and creating a more balanced and empathetic atmosphere. The course is thoughtfully structured, engaging, and backed by research. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve personal or professional relationships through a lens of compassion and self-awareness.
Read LessComprehensive and Practical Behaviour Support Resource
Zarna Amin
The Educator Toolkit for Behaviour offers a clear, well-structured approach to understanding and supporting children’s behaviour. I appreciated how it integr...
Read MoreThe Educator Toolkit for Behaviour offers a clear, well-structured approach to understanding and supporting children’s behaviour. I appreciated how it integrates evidence-based frameworks like Positive Behaviour Support and the Phoenix Cups, making complex theories accessible and applicable in everyday early childhood settings. The practical strategies, especially around building authentic connections and tailoring responses to individual children’s needs, are very helpful. This toolkit has definitely deepened my understanding of the “why” behind behaviours and provided me with tools to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. It’s a valuable resource for both new and experienced educators aiming to create supportive, inclusive learning environments.
Read LessSocial and Emotional Learning
Myrna Stoddard
Five basic and human need's
Five basic and human need's
Read LessEducator toolkit for behaviour 2026
Natalie G
Lots of engaging resources and reflection tools. Thanks!
Lots of engaging resources and reflection tools. Thanks!
Read LessFacilitator
Written, produced, and recorded by...
Principal Facilitator Sandi Phoenix
Sandi Phoenix founded Phoenix Support for Educators in 2011 and created the Phoenix Cups® Framework, revolutionising how education and care professionals and parents understand the behaviour of, and proactively plan for the wellbeing of, children and young people. She began her career supporting the inclusion of children in school-age care, and early childhood education, and has spent more than twenty years supporting educators to foster children's social and emotional learning. The course draws on stories from her work alongside educators.
Ready when you are. Twelve months of self-paced access, with videos, readings and templates to use with your team.
Quality Areas 1, 4 and 5
NQS alignment
Open a Quality Area to see the Elements this course prepares you to demonstrate in your practice. Wording is from the National Quality Standard, Guide to the NQF (ACECQA, January 2026).
ELEMENT 1.1.3Program learning opportunities
All aspects of the program, including routines, are organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child's learning.
ELEMENT 1.2.1Intentional teaching
Educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions.
ELEMENT 1.2.3Child directed learning
Each child's agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions that influence events and their world.
ELEMENT 1.3.1Assessment and planning cycle
Each child's learning and development is assessed or evaluated as part of an ongoing cycle of observation, analysing learning, documentation, planning, implementation and reflection.
ELEMENT 1.3.2Critical reflection
Critical reflection on children's learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, drives program planning and implementation.
ELEMENT 4.2.1Professional collaboration
Management, educators and staff work with mutual respect and collaboratively, and challenge and learn from each other, recognising each other's strengths and skills.
ELEMENT 5.1.1Positive educator to child interactions
Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
ELEMENT 5.1.2Dignity and rights of the child
The dignity and rights of every child are maintained.
ELEMENT 5.2.2Self-regulation
Each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts.
Kindy Uplift (Queensland)
For Queensland kindergarten services using Kindy Uplift funding in 2026, this course supports two of the program's six priority areas.
PRIORITY 1.2Equity and Access for all
In this course: inclusion readiness for the child whose behaviour challenges you, and prompts to start the inclusion conversation with your team.
PRIORITY 2Social and emotional learning
In this course: Cup-filling plans that support children to build the social and emotional skills to meet their needs.
Priority area names from the Kindy Uplift program page, Queensland Government, updated 6 May 2026.
Before you enrol
Frequently asked questions
Probably, if your training drew on rewards, consequences or Positive Behaviour Support. This course traces those strategies back to behaviourism, then gives you an alternative built on human needs and the guidance approach, with plans you can use the same week.
Queensland kindergarten services eligible for Kindy Uplift in 2026 can use the funding for professional development that builds educator capability. The course supports two priority areas: Equity and Access for all, and Social and emotional learning. Talk to your advisory support organisation about including it in your Kindy Uplift plan.
No. The course starts from the beginning and suits educators new to the framework. Read more about the Phoenix Cups.
Each educator needs their own licence, and you can buy several in one checkout. Volume discounts apply automatically: 10% off for 5 to 9 licences, 15% off for 10 to 14, and 20% off for 15 or more. For a whole organisation, contact Phoenix Support to discuss a bulk arrangement.
No. One licence covers one learner. The team activities are built for each educator to bring their own work to a team meeting.
Twelve months from enrolment. Work at your own pace and come back to any lesson.
Yes. Thinkific issues an attendance certificate automatically when you complete the course.
All three share the framework. The online course adds videos with Sandi, on-screen readings and downloadable activities, and works on its own or alongside the book or a face-to-face workshop. See all Phoenix Support courses.
Ready when you are. Twelve months of self-paced access, with videos, readings and templates to use with your team.