In this episode, I dive into one of the toughest challenges we face as teachers—how to manage a classroom full of students when dysregulated behaviours start bubbling up and escalating. I talk about the key things to remember when students are dysregulated and can’t reason with us, and share my CARE Framework—a practical approach for responding to these situations. The goal? For you to be equipped with actionable classroom management strategies that are aligned with your values of compassion and...
Aug 20, 2024•19 min•Season 5Ep. 76
The start of a new school year is always a mix of excitement and nerves (the Sunday scaries multiplied times over!!). As teachers, we’re not just thinking about lesson plans and curriculum—we’re setting the stage for a whole year of learning, growth, and relationships. What will our students be like? How will they get along? What will the dynamics be? Will they respond to me? How we kick off this journey can make a huge difference in shaping the classroom environment that we want for the year to...
Aug 13, 2024•25 min•Season 5Ep. 75
How can you set the tone for an amazing school year without resorting to icebreakers that have your students eyes rolling? In this episode, you will learn how to foster genuine connections, and create a positive classroom environment that students are eager to be part of, any day of the school year. Listen in as I explore why typical icebreakers often miss the mark and reveal criteria for activities that spark natural, student-led discussions. This episode is packed with insights on creating a c...
Aug 06, 2024•19 min•Season 5Ep. 74
Let’s talk calm corners. They are all the rage, and for good reason. When done right, they teach regulation skills and embed these as part of the classroom culture and shared language. When students understand more about their brains, they’re more likely to be empowered to manage their behaviours and self-regulate. Yes, even in secondary! Especially in secondary! The teenage years are the biggest time for brain development, second only to when we are developing in the womb up until 2 years of ag...
Jul 30, 2024•18 min•Season 5Ep. 73
Let me ask you a question, teacher friend... How are you, really? I have thought long and hard about how I view teacher wellbeing, what it is, how we get it, and there are so many factors that we need to consider: How much autonomy and trust you have. The support you’re getting from leadership. The culture of the school. How empowered you feel in your classroom . How confident and masterful you feel. The opportunities that are afforded to you. How fulfilling you feel the work is. But today I wan...
Jul 23, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 72
Welcome back to another episode of The Unteachables Podcast, teacher friends! Today I delve into the final chapter of my book, It's Never Just About the Behaviour. If you want to listen to this series from the start, head back to episode 65! Yes, building relationships is important... but dang is it hard with some students! On today's episode I give you practical tips for building connections and establishing felt safety in the classroom, particularly with students who present with challenging b...
Jul 16, 2024•17 min•Season 5Ep. 71
Today, I dive into a strategy from Pillar 6 from my newly released book, 'It's Never Just About the Behaviour' which explores the essential connection between quality teaching, learning, and managing challenging classroom behaviours. In this episode, I explore two key reasons why teaching and learning is inextricably linked with classroom management. I dig into how the beliefs and expectations we have about our students can become self-fulfilling prophecies, shaping student behaviour and their s...
Jul 09, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 70
This week, I dive into Pillar 5 of "It's Never Just About the Behavior." In this episode, I emphasize the importance of clarity in your holistic classroom management approach, and provide practical strategies to ensure students understand and meet expectations. Today I discuss: The Importance of Clarity in Expectations: Why clear communication is crucial for student success How assumptions about student knowledge can lead to misunderstandings and a whole bunch of chaos Get Ready, Get Set, Go Str...
Jul 02, 2024•21 min•Season 5Ep. 69
Consistency in classroom management is more than just a routine; it’s a pathway to creating an "island of safety" for your students. From the moment students walk into the classroom to the way lessons are structured, consistency can significantly reduce anxiety and foster a supportive learning environment. In this episode, I delve into the fourth pillar from my book, It's Never Just About the Behaviour, focusing on proactive classroom management through increased predictability and consistency. ...
Jun 25, 2024•19 min•Season 5Ep. 68
Welcome to today's episode where I dive deep into Pillar 3 of my upcoming book, "It's Never Just About the Behaviour." This pillar focuses on the importance of compassion in classroom management, but not in the way you might expect. I will explore actionable, compassionate pedagogy that moves beyond traditional exclusionary practices. In this episode, I cover: How my challenging school experience shaped my teaching philosophy and the struggle of becoming the teacher I didn’t want to be and how I...
Jun 18, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 67
Welcome to this week’s episode! If you missed last week, head back and catch up, because this is week 2 of digging into pillars from my new book, It’s Never Just About the Behaviour , which is available for pre-order and will be released at the end of June/start of July. In this episode, I'll be focusing on Pillar 2: Be Calm. One of the most impactful tools in our classroom management arsenal is maintaining a sense of stillness and calm, even in a chaotic environment. A strong teaching presence ...
Jun 11, 2024•15 min•Season 5Ep. 66
Welp… it’s happening. The past 670 days have led to me being able to say this next sentence…. NEXT MONTH MY BOOK, 'IT’S NEVER JUST ABOUT THE BEHAVIOUR’, IS FINALLY HITTING THE SHELVES!! It feels like a lifetime ago since I signed the contract above the title ‘author’. The imposter syndrome was real. Author? Me? How the hell am I going to pull this off? Especially because the person who signed on that line was a very pregnant Claire about to head into the chaotic unknown of parenthood for the fir...
Jun 04, 2024•17 min•Season 5Ep. 65
In this episode of The Unteachables Podcast, I sit down with Ashley, a seasoned teacher with 18 years of experience and half of the wonderful Rainbow Sky Creation crew, to discuss practical strategies for managing the demands of teaching. Ashley shares invaluable tips that every teacher, especially those in their early years, can benefit from. From finding mentors and effective time management to self-care and flexibility in the classroom, Ashley's insights are designed to inspire and support ed...
May 28, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 64
In today's episode, we're diving deep into understanding behaviours driven by the stress response. This foundational knowledge is crucial for any teacher looking to transform their classroom into an island of safety for their students which nurtures connection, reduces anxiety, and promotes growth. In this episode, I discuss: 1/ The stress response and behaviours: Gain insights into how the amygdala processes information and triggers fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. Understanding this b...
May 21, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 63
On today's episode I speak to the brilliant Dr Lori Desautels to answer one of the big behaviour questions I am often asked... What's going on with apathetic teenage behaviour?! As well as this, we speak about: Neuroplasticity and why it is crucial for teachers to have an understanding around. How we can transform the experiences and education of our students in the smallest of moments, in the day to day 'touch points'. How you can foster a classroom environment where students feel a sense of tr...
May 14, 2024•52 min•Season 4Ep. 62
Download the guide: Addressing misogyny in the classroom In the wake of recent events sparking renewed conversations about gender-based violence, the imperative for educators to address misogyny in the classroom has never been more pressing. Samantha Schulz's article, "Make me a sandwich," sheds light on a disturbing reality: the behaviors and language male students exhibit that perpetuate sexist and abusive attitudes towards their female teachers. In planning for this podcast and the guide that...
May 07, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 61
Click here to download all 71 behaviour response prompts! Tell me if this sounds familiar, teacher friend... You have struggled to get through even a minute of teacher-led instruction because of one student who is cutting you off at every turn. It has a knock on effect, causing other students to become disengaged and dysregulated. You become increasingly frustrated, you address him, and you get a very loud response... “Why are you talking to ME?!” “Other students are talking too!” “Go talk to th...
Apr 30, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 60
Struggle with boundaries as a teacher? Safe to say you're not alone on that one. These stats are scary: (NASUWT survey Nov 2023) 87% of teachers say their workload has increased in the past year. Teachers are working 54 hours a week on average (you just know some are working 40, and some are working 70!!) 83% of teachers believe their job has adversely affected their mental health over the past year So why don't we just say no more? Push back? Say that we simply won't work on the weekend because...
Apr 23, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 59
Is it possible that being too friendly is harming your classroom management efforts? No. Okay, maybe a little, but not in the way you think. Does the below resonate? You feel like you have a really great relationship with your students, but when it is time to get to the business side of things and get some serious work done, the energy is high, they aren’t really listening to you, they might be calling out and having a chit chat during instruction? Maybe this is leaving you feeling a little disr...
Apr 16, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 58
What comes to mind when I say that as teachers we need... STRONG expectations and FIRM, CONSISTENT boundaries. Does it sound like: "You as a student are not going to act a fool in my classroom and go UNCHECKED. You are not going to be rude and disrespectful UNCHECKED. And yes go tell your parent I said it! Standards and boundaries from DAY 1!" OR does it sound like: "Welcome, Year 8, Come on in!" Spoiler alert: It's the latter. Because behind the scenes of that sentence, are all of the things th...
Apr 09, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 57
Classroom management can, oftentimes, leave teachers grappling with feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, failure, and powerlessness. You might feel walked all over, that you can't do anything about behaviour, that your students simply don't care about what you're teaching. This can be an incredibly disempowering place to be in as a human being, and if this is you at all, if you have ever ever felt like this, any of these things, this teacher pep talk is definitely for you. Never forget: You can n...
Apr 02, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 57
A very special bonus episode coming to you from the That'll Teach 'Em Private Podcast! On today's episode I answer Michelle's 'question' (well - I respond to her comment). "This can’t start quick enough - I wouldn’t even call myself a new teacher but I am drowning in behaviour and whenever I reach out for help, and I'm not shy in doing so I’m so keen to learn and improve, my head of department always umms and ahhs, makes excuses, and has never actively observed me, supported me, or really answer...
Mar 28, 2024•14 min•Season 4Ep. 56
So the research shows that punishment doesn’t change behaviour? So then what do we actually do as teachers? What’s on the table when other things feel like they are off it? In today's episode: I give you a few ins and outs of the impact of punitive punishment Why sometimes it seems to really work 3 really tangible takeaways you can immediately apply in your classrooms Speaking of research, want to have a read? Here are some good places to start: Jean-Richard-Dit-Bressel P, Killcross S, McNally G...
Mar 19, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 54
It is so easy to get lost in the noise in teaching. ‘Best practices’ are pretty dependant on who you speak to. Some will advocate for a trauma informed approach, some talk about restorative practice like it is the holy grail. Some will call it different names entirely. Some still stand by the use of extrinsic rewards and detentions, there is PBL, PBIS, tiers, intervention after intervention, a million pieces of the big old puzzle that is classroom management. So what do we do? What is good class...
Mar 11, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 53
We are often told to go back to our 'why' as teachers when things get tough. My goodness is it important for us to have a strong purpose in a job like teaching, yet it certainly is no classroom management magic bullet. Why, oh why, is a why not enough? Because it takes FAR more to have a strong, compassionate, and calm approach to teaching. In this episode of The Unteachables Podcast, I take you through my own journey to demonstrate how even with the strongest why, without the proper support and...
Mar 05, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 52
On today's podcast episode I interview probably THE most quotable guest I have had on the show. Bobby Morgan, the founder of The Liberation Lab, is a spearhead for disruptive education practices that break away from the confining norms of high-control teaching. We unravel the threads of deficit ideologies and reimagine a classroom where culturally responsive teaching and social justice aren't just concepts but are interwoven into the fabric of learning. Right at the very heart of our discussion,...
Feb 26, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 51
There are absolutely no absolutes when it comes to behaviour. So when somebody makes a sweeping generalisation that if you do X, Y, and Z you will have very few behavioural issues in your class, they are misleading you, big time. In this podcast episode I talk about a very misleading teaching post I stumbled upon on social media. It was divisive. It was shame-inducing. And it went VIRAL! Which means there were a hell of a lot of teachers who saw it, engaged with it, and may have felt like crap b...
Feb 19, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 50
On today’s episode I talk to Jess Steadman who is an experienced Australian primary educator. You might know her as @thesydneyteacher on Instagram where she develops resources for teachers, but I brought her on the podcast today because she recently went on a study tour of Finland! Finland routinely tops rankings for education, yet what we know is that there is very little homework, mandatory testing and less time actually spent in a traditional classroom setting. But when Aussie teacher Jess he...
Feb 06, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 49
Classroom management is nothing if not confusing. One of the things I have been told along the way is that we need to be picking our battles with behaviour. Another thing I have ALSO been told along the way is that we shouldn't be letting things slide. I have also given both of these pieces of advice at different times in my career. So what do we do? Where do I stand? Well the reality is that it is far more complicated than this. Are you surprised? As I always say, classroom management is incred...
Jan 30, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 48
Today I am joined on the podcast with Em Gentle, a graduate teacher mentor, fellow edu-podcaster, and founder of the grad guide where she supports new teachers adopt a trauma informed approach to teaching. In today’s episode we go on all the rants including: What teachers should be taught in teacher preparation programs before entering the profession Our 'inherited' classroom management and teacher guilt around it What a trauma informed approach looks like in action What we see new teachers stru...
Jan 23, 2024•52 min•Season 4Ep. 47
