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UNITED 2025 Recap: Emerging Behavior Trends in Schools

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What Educators Are Really Talking About This Year

If there’s one thing that stands out about educators everywhere, it’s this: they care. Really care. Not just about test scores or mandates, but about the kids showing up (or not showing up) every single day. You notice it in how they catch the little things — spotting the student who’s always just a little too late, noticing when someone’s missing more than they should be, or even knowing where they’re hiding that vape pen in the bathroom.

Educators aren’t just aware of these issues; they’re actively looking for ways to address them, because they know these small signs often point to bigger challenges. When a principal says, “We’re tackling tardies because it’s about more than just being late—it’s about students feeling connected,” you realize this work goes way beyond rules and routines.

At Minga, trade shows aren’t just about booths and badge scans. They’re about tuning in to the real conversations happening between educators—the ones that reveal what’s really going on in schools today. We showed up to listen, and what we heard stuck with us:

  • “We’re working on reducing vaping.”
  • “Attendance and tardies are still the main behavior we need to address.”
  • “Cyberbullying is actually causing some attendance issues.”
  • And one we heard more than once: “Bathroom meetups are gonna be an issue.”

Educators care. They show up for students every day, and when they take the time to share what’s on their minds, it matters. These real conversations shape how we build and evolve Minga.

Building Conversation, Not Just Selling

We didn’t just roll in with banners and product demos. For UNITED 2025, we tried something different: the Minga Engagement Wall. Think of it as an analog pulse check — zero cell phone required. We asked three simple questions:

  1. How engaged are your students in your school community?
  2. What are the biggest student behavior challenges at your school?
  3. How would you rate your current tools for managing student behavior and engagement?

Hundreds of school leaders and educators added their voice (and their stickers).
Was it statistically scientific? No. Was it honest? 100%.

What We Heard Loud and Clear

  1. Attendance and Tardiness Are the Headliners. Across the board, attendance and tardies showed up as the number one concern — almost double the volume of any other behavior issue. And here’s where it gets interesting:
  • Elementary/Middle School: Parents are often driving attendance challenges.
  • High School: It’s all on the students. Responsibility shifts.

One principal put it bluntly: “Tardies and attendance… that is what I will be tackling in 2025 and 2026.”

  1. It’s Not About Outbursts. It’s About Erosion. Behavior issues today aren’t defined by big dramatic moments. It’s the slow fade: cell phone distractions, hallway wandering, culture slipping through the cracks. “It’s not that kids are acting out more. It’s that expectations aren’t clear anymore. That’s the real issue.”
  1. Most Schools Aren’t Lacking Tools — They’re Buried in Them. We heard again and again: “We have systems for everything, but it’s too much. People can’t keep up.”

Tool fatigue is real. The challenge isn’t adding another app — it’s cutting through the noise, clearing out what you don’t use, and focusing on what actually helps: clarity, visibility, and reinforcing good routines.

Behavior Trends in 2025: What’s Rising to the Top

  • Attendance & Tardies: Still #1 priority.
  • Cell Phones & Vaping: Not just safety concerns anymore — focus and culture impact.
  • Bullying & Violence: Ranked lower, not because they’re gone, but because they’re less day-to-day.
  • Bathroom Meetups: Real talk. We heard this more than once: kids finding new ways to hang out unsupervised, including in gender-neutral bathrooms.

Voices from the Wall

In our conversations, here are some of the key testimonials and insights we’ve heard straight from the community.

On Attendance and Tardiness Correlation

“We see that correlation between tardies and attendance, and we’re working to address it, to make sure that our students are present and also learning, and also finding creative ways to continually stay engaged.”

Executive Director, Public Charter School, WA

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On Student Engagement and Mentoring 

“Our student mentoring program brings adults and kids together weekly, building community pride and keeping students connected. It’s one of the biggest things we can do to improve engagement.”

Principal, High School, NE

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On Bullying and Attendance Challenges

“Sometimes it’s safer for students to stay home than face bullying at school — especially cyberbullying. Kids use cell phones to quickly arrange meetups or resolve conflicts themselves instead of coming to an adult.”

Assistant Principal, High School, MN

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On Cell Phone Use and District Policies

“With new bans on student cell phone use, it’s going to be interesting to see how families and students adjust. Many families rely on that connection throughout the day, especially in high-needs communities.”

Superintendent, NY

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The Big Takeaway

Student behavior in 2025 isn’t about managing bad kids. It’s about managing blurred expectations. Culture doesn’t collapse overnight — it fades, quietly, through the small things.

At Minga, we’re focused on helping schools re-establish those expectations and rebuild school culture, not through top-down control, but through tools that keep everyone connected and accountable.

Want the Full Report? We pulled together all our sticker wall data, quotes, and insights into one downloadable brief. Because the best solutions start with listening.

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