Why do classrooms feel harder than ever?

In this episode, we unpack a question that so many teachers are asking right now: Has student behaviour changed — and why does teaching feel more challenging than it used to?

From rising disengagement and emotional dysregulation to shifting expectations on schools and teachers, this video explores the new classroom reality many educators are facing in 2025.

In this discussion, you’ll hear about:

• Why behaviour is escalating in many classrooms
• What’s happening beneath the surface for students
• The pressure teachers are carrying more than ever
• Practical, realistic strategies that actually help
• How to respond with calm authority, boundaries, and consistency

This is an honest conversation — and a reminder that you’re not alone in feeling this.

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If this video resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with a colleague who might need the reminder that teaching is harder right now — but support and strategies exist.

Thanks for being here, and thank you for what you do.

In teaching, “going the extra mile” is often celebrated — but what happens when that extra mile quietly becomes the expectation? In this episode, we unpack the real cost of overdoing it in education: the burnout, the guilt, the resentment, and the slow erosion of our personal lives that no one warns us about.

We dive into:

• Why teachers feel pressured to always say “yes”
• The hidden emotional and physical toll of overworking
• How constant self-sacrifice normalises an unsustainable workload
• What happens to your relationships, wellbeing, and joy when teaching becomes your whole identity
• Practical steps to build boundaries and teach sustainably (without guilt)

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need to be a superhero — you just need to be human. And your students need the version of you that has energy, balance, and longevity.

☕ If this episode resonated, please like and follow the podcast on Spotify.
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Every teacher has those moments — the lessons that crashed, the behaviour calls that backfired, the emails we wish we’d rewritten, and the days we walked out thinking, “Well… that didn’t go to plan.”

In this episode, we dive into our biggest teaching fails from across our careers. Not to relive the embarrassment, but to unpack the lessons, the growth, and the surprising moments of clarity those fails gave us.

We explore:

• The classroom moments that humbled us
• Behaviour management moves that went wrong (and what we learned)
• Planning mistakes we’ll never make again
• How failure shaped us into better, more resilient teachers
• Why owning your mistakes makes you a stronger educator

It’s honest, funny, and deeply relatable — a reminder that even the most experienced teachers mess up, reset, and keep going.

☕ If you enjoyed this episode, please like and follow the podcast on Spotify.
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Some lessons can’t be found in a syllabus, a PD session, or a university textbook — they come from the classroom itself. In this episode, we dive into the real, human lessons teaching has given us: the moments, mistakes, surprises, and shifts in perspective that only experience can teach.

We unpack:

• How teaching builds patience in ways theory never mentions
• Why relationships matter more than routines
• The emotional resilience that comes from showing up every day
• What students unknowingly teach us about ourselves
• How teaching changes the way we think, lead, and live

This is an episode full of honesty and reflection — a reminder that teaching grows us just as much as we grow our students.

☕ If you enjoyed this episode, please like or follow the podcast on Spotify.
📱 Follow along on social media: @CoffeeandWhiteboardMarkers

Student misbehaviour can feel like a personal attack — even when we know, logically, it’s usually not about us at all. In this episode, we unpack why certain behaviours sting, how to emotionally distance yourself without disengaging, and what it really means to respond as the calm adult in the room.

We explore:

• Why student behaviour feels personal (and why it usually isn’t)
• What’s really going on beneath the surface for students
• How to stay steady instead of reactive
• Practical strategies for separating your identity from their behaviour
• How emotional detachment actually strengthens classroom relationships

Teaching is deeply human work — and sometimes the hardest part is remembering that misbehaviour is communication, not a reflection of your worth.

☕ If you enjoyed this episode, please like or follow the podcast on Spotify.
📱 Follow along on social media: @CoffeeandWhiteboardMarkers

Teaching doesn’t just shape students—it shapes us.
In this episode, we reflect on how the classroom has changed the way we see ourselves as people, parents, and professionals.

From learning patience and empathy to finding strength in chaos, we explore the deep personal lessons that come from years in education. These are the things no textbook or PD session could ever teach you—the moments that stay with you long after the bell rings.

You’ll hear reflections on:

• How teaching changes your perspective on people, purpose, and growth.
• The emotional resilience that only comes from leading a classroom.
• Why teaching often reveals who you really are.

This one’s honest, personal, and real—a reminder that teaching shapes far more than lessons; it shapes lives.

☕ Tune in, reflect, and share this episode with a colleague who’s been shaped by the classroom too.

In a world that’s changing faster than ever—AI, social media, shifting values, and constant reform—one thing remains: the impact of a great teacher.
In this episode, we explore why teaching still matters deeply in 2025, even when the profession feels undervalued and under pressure.

We’ve all been there—the class that just won’t settle, the group where every lesson feels like a battle, the moment when trust between you and your students feels like it’s slipped away. In this episode, we unpack what really happens when a class becomes disruptive and, more importantly, how you can rebuild trust step by step.

From understanding what went wrong, to pressing the reset button, to focusing on consistency and relationships over rules, this episode offers practical strategies grounded in patience and persistence. You’ll walk away with tools to not only regain control, but also to create a classroom culture that feels safe, respectful, and connected.

Trust can be repaired. Disruption doesn’t have to define your teaching story. Join me as we explore how to turn a challenging class into an opportunity for growth—for you and your students.

👉 If this episode resonates with you, share it with a fellow teacher and tag Coffee & Whiteboard Markers on Instagram or Facebook. Let’s remind each other: trust is always worth rebuilding.

Teaching is what we do — but it’s not who we are. In this episode, we unpack why it’s so easy for teachers to tie their identity to the classroom, the cost of living like the job defines you, and the freedom that comes when you realise your worth isn’t measured in lessons, marking, or leadership titles.

💬 Share this with a colleague who needs the reminder, and tag me on Instagram @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers — let’s talk about building identities bigger than our job titles.

Seventeen years in the classroom isn’t just about teaching students — it’s about learning who you are, what matters, and how to survive the chaos with your heart still intact. In this episode, I share the biggest lessons teaching has taught me about resilience, boundaries, humour, and the reality of showing up every day for young people.

💬 Share the lessons you’ve learned with me on Instagram @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers — I’d love to feature them in a future episode.