Meet our ROE 4 Trainers!
Christine Schweitzer
A 24-year veteran educator, Christy Schweitzer has taught everything from kindergarten through the undergraduate level and served three terms as a school board president. Today, she supports local educators through the Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education #4, serving as the Area 2 Social Emotional Learning Hub Director, supporting 16 counties in northwest Illinois. She's honored to be a part of the Blueprint for Transformation of Mental Health in IL through her work in the Rockford Region Community Network Anchor initiative. In her free time, Christy proudly serves her community as the Board of Directors President for HOPE of Ogle County, a domestic violence advocacy agency and shelter.
Professional Credentials:
Master and Bachelor of Science degrees in Education
Illinois Professional Educators License
Endorsements in Elementary Education, English as a Second Language, Social Science, and English Language Arts
Instructor of Youth Mental Health First Aid
Certified Youth Mental Health First Aider
Certified Adult Mental Health First Aider
Master Level 1 TRC® Trainer (The Regulated Classroom®)
Contributing author for the The New Teacher’s Guide to Overcoming Common Challenges, 2nd Edition (anticipated publishing date: February, 2027)
National presenter for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Conference
Keynote speaker for the Midwest Association of Teacher Educators Conference
Statewide presenter for the IL Special Education Leadership Academy, ISU Future Teacher Conference, and Annual Educators Rising IL Conference
In Christine’s words
Want to increase job satisfaction, reduce behavior issues, and boost academic gains? Implement The Regulated Classroom®. It really is that simple. Throughout my career of supporting emotional well-being in schools, I’ve seen firsthand how burnout impacts both teachers and students. The Regulated Classroom® framework is the exact solution we needed. It gives educators essential tools to prioritize student well-being while creating calm, effective learning environments that sustain teachers in their careers. When we hosted the train-the-trainer workshop, attendees' responses were overwhelmingly positive. The overall sentiment was: this is the missing piece in today’s classroom. Educators left excited to implement the strategies in their classrooms and watch the magic of the power of "felt safety" occur!
Linsey McDanel
Linsey McDanel is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope WINS, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping children, families, and communities with the tools needed to build healthy relationships. With 22 years of experience as a kindergarten teacher, a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and training as a TBRI® Practitioner, Linsey brings both professional expertise and personal experience as a mom of five, including three children adopted through foster care. Her passion lies in helping educators and caregivers better understand behavior, build connections, and create environments where children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
Background:
After 22 years in education, I know firsthand how much the emotional climate of a classroom impacts learning. That's why I'm so passionate about The Regulated Classroom. It gives educators practical, simple tools to build connection, support regulation, and create an environment where kids are ready to learn.
I had the opportunity to implement the framework with seventh graders, and what stood out to me most wasn't just the change in their mood and behavior during our time together. It was the excitement on their faces when I walked into the classroom. These were middle schoolers genuinely excited because they knew we were going to do something fun!
One of their favorite connectors was Evolution (pictured), and watching these students laugh, interact, let their guards down, and engage with one another was such a powerful reminder that connection isn't something kids outgrow.
The activities might look like games, but the impact goes so much deeper. We're building relationships, creating belonging, and helping students develop the skills they need to regulate, connect, and learn.
The Regulated Classroom reminds us that we don't have to choose between meeting students' emotional needs and teaching them. Supporting regulation and connection helps make learning possible.
And it wasn't just something I felt I was seeing. Our student feedback supported it. Of the 87 students who completed our May survey, 85% reported improvement in engagement, 79% in regulation, and 72% in peer interactions during our lessons. One teacher even shared, "For the first time this year in Advisory, I saw students engaged."
For me, that's what makes this framework so powerful. It's not about adding one more thing to a teacher's already full plate. It's about recognizing that sometimes a few minutes of intentional connection can change the entire atmosphere of a classroom.
Testimonial
As an educator of young children, I'm always looking for ways to connect with my students. In addition to relationship-building, the workshop dug into the physiological responses we as humans have to stress and trauma. Having a better understanding of these human responses helps me as a classroom teacher gain more insight into the behaviors of my students. I look forward to using the Regulated classroom practices in my classroom to help my students stay regulated and ready to learn!
Laura E.