Justin D. Garwood

Justin D. Garwood, PhD, is a professor of special education in the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont, where he coordinates the PhD program in Social, Emotional, Behavioral Health and Inclusive Education. His research and teaching focus on students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, particularly in the areas of relationship-based pedagogy, academic interventions, and classroom behavior management. He is a licensed teacher in English Education (grades 7–12) and Special Education (grades K–12) and has authored dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics.

Garwood is coauthor of Reclaim Your Challenging Classroom: Relationship-Based Behavior Management and Tough But Worth It: What We Can Do to Include Students Experiencing Emotional and Behavioral Struggles, both of which center on building strong teacher–student relationships to support learners with emotional and behavioral challenges. He is active in the Council for Exceptional Children, including the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, and serves on the editorial boards of Behavioral Disorders and the Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. His work has been recognized with several national awards for early career research and publications related to behavior management and educator burnout among those serving students with disabilities.