"When a student is in crisis, there is one person everyone trusts to bring calm, connection, and hope — Bobbijo Duncan," said Sara Bucknam, School Counselor at (Mason City School District, IA).

That trust is no accident. As a behavior interventionist, Bobbijo is called on by teachers to help students build self-regulation skills, meeting them with empathy and understanding, helping them feel safe and ready to learn. For Bobbijo, it means helping students build skills and confidence, strengthening relationships, and meeting the needs of the whole child.

A reliable resource in both the good and challenging moments of her students’ lives, Bobbijo’s sincere care fosters a deep sense of belonging throughout the school community. 

“I love how she listens as she lets us tell our side of things. That helps me calm down. Ms. Duncan cares about what we say and helps us get back to learning. I want to be at school more because of her. She finds the positive in everything,” said one 4^th-grade student. 

Her work is not only thoughtful and compassionate, but it is also highly effective. 

“Beyond these critical in-the-moment supports, she goes above and beyond by researching, creating, and implementing individualized behavior interventions for students with chronic behavioral needs,” said Buckham. “Students she supports show a significant decrease in negative behaviors and an increase in their ability to succeed in the classroom.” 

Her commitment to providing an outstanding mental health culture also shows up in strong relationships with families, working closely with parents to share how students are doing in school while staying informed about their lives at home. One parent said that Bobbijohas become an indispensable part of her family's support system. When her five-year-old son struggled with self-regulation, Bobbijo stepped in, teaching him tools to manage his emotions. 

"She is a pivotal part of my village," the parent says. 

In addition to her direct student work, Bobbijo and her co-organizer Jennifer Martin play a significant role in the Hoover Riverhawk Market, which started this year and has become a meaningful addition to the school. “When basic needs like food aren't being met, it's hardto focus, learn, or regulate emotions when you're hungry. It all connects,” she said.

Each school in the district has a food pantry, but an important part of Bobbijo and Jennifer Martin’s vision is making sure it is accessible to everyone, regardless of income. Families are welcomed into a space that feels comfortable and completely free of shame or judgment. She intentionally designed the experience to feel like shopping, focusing on building relationships, and helping families feel at ease. The goal is to strengthen the connection between families and Hoover Elementary School.

Here is how the food pantry works: families can visit by appointment, with hours twice a month from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. Backpacks are also sent home on Fridays for families who sign up. Each backpack includes three complete meals, snacks, breakfast foods, and personal hygiene products. The program partners with the Iowa Food Bank and receives donations from staff, community members, and other organizations.

It is perhaps no surprise that Bobbijo found her way to this work naturally. One of her first jobs was working with children at a daycare, where she quickly fell in love with helping kids. She has been in her role as a behavior interventionist since 2016, and before that, she worked as a one-on-one paraeducator. Bobbijo attended North Iowa Area Community College where she got her Early Childhood Development Associate and is now finishing her associate in Arts-Elementary Education. She will start at Buena Vista University in the fall to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Instructional Strategist II: Behavioral Disorders/Learning Disorders (K-12).  

Read Bobbijo's insights and tips in the Q&A below.

For me, it always starts with consistency and showing up the same way every day. As a Behavior Interventionist, I most often work with students who are already dysregulated, so my first priority is helping them feel safe and calm. I really try to make sure they know their voice is heard and that their feelings matter. I take time to understand their perspective and meet them where they're at that moment.

I'm also really passionate about approaching everything with a trauma-informed lens. What we may not see as trauma, a child may have experienced as something really big. We don't always know what our students carry with them when they walk through the school doors each day, and I never want to be someone who adds to that weight. I want to be someone who helps take some of it off.

I try to create a space where students feel safe just being themselves, without pressure or expectations to "fix" how they're feeling right in that moment, and that all feelings are okay. I also remind myself that we are adults and still struggle with our emotions sometimes. I can't imagine being a young child with so much going on in their little brain and not knowing how to express it. I really strive to be the person who can help them figure that out.

I want my room to be a place where they feel comfortable being real, whether that means crying, sitting quietly, or just taking a break. I never pressure them to talk before they're ready, but I let them know I'm there when they are. I remind them that struggles at home and school are normal, and they're not alone in that. Sometimes they need privacy, sometimes they need a hug, and sometimes they just need someone to sit with them. I try to read what they need emotionally and support them in a way that helps them feel comfortable enough to let it all out.

A big part of building trust is also making sure they know that no matter what happens, I still care about them. Even on their hardest days, that doesn't change.

I make it a point to acknowledge students throughout the day, even outside of my room, whether it's a smile in the hallway, a thumbs up, a fist bump, a high five, or just a quick "hi"; those small moments help them feel seen and remind them that I'm someone they can always come to.

I also make it a point to connect with them during their good moments too, not just when they're struggling, so our relationship isn't only built during hard times. I make space for them to share something positive, not just what they need to work on. Helping them celebrate even the smallest successes builds their confidence and strengthens that trust over time. 

I'm most proud of the relationships I've built with my students and some of their families. When a student who once struggled to trust adults starts to open up or seek you out, that means everything.

I'm proud of their growth, even the small steps. One of the best parts is seeing students use skills they once struggled with and then watching them be successful.

What means the most to me is not just the progress we see in the moment, but knowing those skills are relationships that stay with them beyond my room. Seeing my students who struggled the most approach me years later as young adults, recognize me, talk to me, and be successful adults truly fills my heart.

Knowing I've helped a student feel safe, supported, and cared for is what means the most to me. At the end of the day, I just want every student to feel seen, supported, and know they matter.

The impact has been huge. Families have more consistent access to food, and students are coming to school more ready to learn. 

A big part of it is teaching and reteaching self-regulation skills and practicing them when students are calm, not just in a moment of crisis. I really believe that if we want students to be successful, we have to give them the tools before they need them.

I rely heavily on trauma-informed care, especially Tier 2 supports. We use behavior data and point sheets to identify patterns. Additionally, we incorporate check-in/check-out, Zones of Regulation, and Life Space Crisis Intervention. These strategies are effective because they teach life skills, build awareness, and support students in the long term, not just in the moment.

With these tools, I focus on recognizing early signs of dysregulation, things like changes in their body language, tone, and engagement, so we can step in earlier rather than waiting for behaviors to escalate. I also look for patterns, such as times of day when a student tends to struggle more. When I see that, I try to be proactive and support them before it becomes overwhelming. That might look like building in a break, offering a hug, or giving them exactly what they need in that moment to help that part of the day go more successfully.

I also like to take time to really learn what motivates the students that I work with, and I use that to help guide them, especially during times I know are more challenging for them. When we connect support to what matters to them, it makes a big difference in their success.

It is also critical that I collaborate with teachers and paras to ensure we are all responding consistently. That consistency is so important for students, especially those who thrive on predictability and clear expectations.