The Unteachables Podcast

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 activiti...

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...

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 f...

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 connec...

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 e...

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 assu...

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...

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 challengi...

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 arsena...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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 per...

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...

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 pa...

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 ca...

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...

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...

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 lear...

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,...

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 mil...

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,...

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&a...

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 me...