Children enter the school doors today with many diverse needs: mental health problems, ADHD, anxiety, victims of physical or sexual abuse, homelessness, or facing some other type of trauma. Teachers in today's classrooms are struggling to understand the needs of their students and to provide a supportive and nurturing environment, while maintaining structure and routine. In whatever setting students are, teachers must understand the challenges that students come to school facing, know how to assess the needs of the children, build positive relationships with them, collaborate with others, and take care of themselves. This first book in a two book volume explores the needed components in setting the stage for meeting the needs of the students. The teachers who serve these children need a comprehensive set of tools to meet their needs. This volume, along with the second one that provides the specific interventions that teachers will need to implement, is that comprehensive resource for educators.