About the Author, Nichi Aviña and

Nichi Aviña is a veteran educator with over 20 years of classroom experience and a deep commitment to supporting students who face trauma and adversity. Drawing from her own lived experiences, she has focused her career on closing opportunity gaps for minority and disadvantaged students. Trained in somatic experiencing and the Community Resiliency Model (CRM), Nichi integrates body-based, trauma-informed practices into teaching and professional development to help both educators and students regulate their nervous systems and thrive. Through her work with EduProtocols, she partners with colleagues to design lesson frames that embed resilience skills into everyday instruction, equipping schools with practical tools to foster safety, connection, and engagement.

Susan Reedy is a school counselor, play therapist, and trauma-informed educator with over a decade of experience teaching health and wellness in K–8 schools. Trained under Elaine Miller Karas, co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, Susan specializes in the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and body-based regulation practices that help students and educators return to balance in moments of stress. She has dedicated her career to integrating these tools into classrooms, equipping teachers and students with simple, practical skills to strengthen resilience, emotional regulation, and readiness to learn. Through her Regulate to Educate work, Susan empowers schools to embed nervous system awareness into daily instruction, transforming behavior management into opportunities for connection and growth.

About the Book: EduProtocol: Regulate to Educate

Educate to Regulate gives teachers practical tools to help students build balance, focus, and resilience through classroom-ready EduProtocols. Drawing from body-based trauma practices from the Community Resiliency Model, the book shows how simple strategies—such as Thin Slides for resourcing or Sketch & Tell for tracking—can be integrated into daily lessons without adding extra prep or losing instructional time. With teacher stories, therapist insights, and step-by-step guidance, it equips educators to create classrooms where students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.