Solutions That Heal: Responding to Infectious Behavior in Learning Spaces
Published February 2025 by Alan Bandstra
For educators and youth leaders exhausted by the infectious nature of a few dominant students, Solutions That Heal offers a transformative, faith-based approach to classroom management. Veteran teacher Alan Bandstra introduces the concept of "attitude germ" and provides a framework based on Scripture, neuroscience, and thirty years of classroom experience. Instead of engaging in unwinnable power struggles, readers will learn to diagnose and treat the underlying needs for security and significance that fuel disruptive behavior. Through relatable stories and practical strategies, this book equips leaders to address harmful group dynamics as agents of healing—restoring a healthy, thriving culture to their learning spaces.
Author
Alan Bandstra serves as a middle school math and science teacher at Sioux Center Christian School. Passionate about peer influence, he studies group dynamics through action inquiry and Scripture. Alan’s relatable stories stem from his roles as educator, teacher mentor, youth volunteer, and dad. During summer breaks, Alan loads his tools into the back of “Methuselah,” a vintage school bus, and works on home-repair projects for neighbors in his community.
Have you ever felt like your classroom has been hijacked?
One or two students with a negative attitude can derail a lesson, leaving you feeling powerless and exhausted. You watch as cynicism, apathy, or disruptive humor spreads like a virus, infecting peers and shifting a once-positive learning space into a battlefield of wills. You’ve tried every management technique you know, but nothing breaks the fever of this "attitude germ." You're not just managing behavior anymore; you are entrenched in a struggle for the heart of your classroom.
In Solutions That Heal, veteran teacher Alan Bandstra pulls back the curtain on this frustrating phenomenon. Offering more than just another set of rules—he presents a powerful new mindset. Drawing from decades of classroom experience, Scriptural insights, and cutting-edge neuroscience, Bandstra reframes contagious misbehavior not as a war to be won, but as a wound to be healed.
Alan introduces a framework for understanding the deep-seated needs of Security or Earned Significance (the SorES) that drive both dominant students and their followers, providing you with tools to diagnose the problem and administer care instead of conflict. This book is your guide to becoming a source of healing in your learning space. You will discover how to:
De-escalate power struggles with dominant students by addressing their underlying needs.
Release followers from the grip of negative peer influence and empower them to think for themselves.
Manage your own reactions and stay grounded, even when students push your buttons.
Implement a "teaching and healing" approach that transforms discipline into an opportunity for growth and connection.
Treat specific strains of "attitude germ," from "Comedy Disorder" to "Disgruntle-Bug" and "Silence Syndrome," with practical, real-world strategies.
Stop fighting battles and start fostering restoration. Discover practical, faith-rooted strategies that will help you reclaim your classroom, rekindle your love for teaching, and shape a learning community where everyone can thrive.
Endorsements
Drawing on research from neuroscience, Scripture, trauma-informed practices, and hard-earned firsthand experience, Al shares practical advice about challenging student behaviors.
—Dave Mulder, professor of education at Dordt University and author of Always Becoming, Never Arriving: Developing an Imagination for Teaching Christianly
Al weaves teaching experiences with scientific insights from neuroscience and the wisdom of Scripture, creating a must-read for Christian educators seeking solutions that foster healing and growth.
—Jessica De Wit, director of learning at Central Valley Christian Schools
Al’s approach is wise, stress-tested, and attentive to the hearts of teachers and students. Whether you are a seasoned educator or just getting started, Solutions That Heal will help you transform your learning space into a community of trust and care.
—Justin Ariel Bailey, professor of theology at Dordt University and author of Interpreting Your World
Media Mentions
“This is more than a “how-to” book…it’s also a why-to book that gets at classroom community, classroom culture, an ethos of care, and truly healing practices that teachers and other school staff members can use to address behavioral concerns.”
Table of Contents
Foreword by David I. Smith
Introduction
Section One: Attitude Germ and How to Treat It
Chapter 1—Catching a Case of Attitude Germ
Chapter 2—Be the Teacher
Chapter 3—Eyes on the Target
Section Two: The Brainwork and Beliefs Behind a Teaching Approach
Chapter 4—Spiritual Soft Spots and a Scriptural Perspective
Chapter 5—Attitude Germ and the Nervous System
Chapter 6—Peer Pressure, Status, and the Need to be Noticed
Section Three: Healing Practices
Chapter 7—Personal Conversations
Chapter 8—Isolating the Germ
Chapter 9—Releasing Others From the Hold
Section Four: Common Strains and Stories of Healing
Chapter 10—Comedy Disorder: Making Light of Learning
Chapter 11—Disgruntle-Bug: Spreading Negativity
Chapter 12—Silence Syndrome: Holding Others Back
Chapter 13—Ambush Germ: Targeting From Behind
Chapter 14—Mischief Outbreak: Rooting for Wrong
Chapter 15—Adverse Reaction Cycle: Unleashing in Every Direction
Chapter 16—Epilogue: On the Mend, Once Again
For readers and leaders
Do you need a chapter-by-chapter summary as a quick reference? Click below for a free download.
Looking for all the chapter questions in one convenient place? Click here.
Struggling to remember the meaning of a word or expression? Click below for a glossary of terms.
Book Details for Solutions That Heal
Author: Alan Bandstra
Genres: Christian Education, Teacher Training Resources, Faith-Based Classroom Management, Trauma-Informed Classroom Practices, Educational Psychology and Neuroscience
BISAC Subjects:
EDUCATION / Behavioral Management
RELIGION / Christian Education / Children & Youth
EDUCATION / Philosophy, Theory & Social Aspects
Publisher: Alan Bandstra
Location: Sioux Center, IA, United States
Publication Year: 2025
Length: 288 pages
ISBN (print): 9798230292807
ISBN: (eBook): 9798230969563
ASIN: BODQXPLWZQ
Library of Congress: 2024921842
List Price: $24.99
eBook: $19.99