EMpowered

In this episode, you will learn how to set up your classroom this year to have a learning environment that's safe and nurturing, where students can thrive both academically and socially.

If you've ever wondered how to move away from punitive measures and into a more responsive, emotionally aware teaching approach, this episode is for you.

Here's what you'll learn:

→ How emotional intelligence, connection, and responsiveness can transform your classroom into a supportive space.

→ Why self-awareness around your teaching beliefs and practices is the foundation for lasting change.

→ How old habits and default reactions can block progress

→ Why your regulation as a teacher directly impacts the emotional climate of your classroom.

→ How co-regulation works and why it's key for students' emotional development.

→ How to address unmet needs or lagging skills instead of resorting to punitive measures.

→ Strategies to support behaviour rather than reacting with discipline.

→ Why continuous growth and reflection are essential for conscious teaching.

→ How focusing on what's within your control allows you to show up as the teacher you want to be.

Resources for you

Check out my Creating Conscious and Compassionate Classrooms bundle, which is a 10-part guide to behaviour support grounded in connection and empathy. It's packed with resources to help you create a trauma-informed, neuro-affirming classroom that supports students holistically. Just $47 and full of actionable, real world strategies.

🗓️ FREE Upcoming Workshops:

→ January 17th, 2025: Q&A for new teachers—your chance to ask all those questions you've been holding back. REGISTER HERE

→ January 20th, 2025: Teaching Without the Overwhelm—a 60-minute workshop to help you manage stress and thrive in 2025. REGISTER HERE

You must be registered to get access.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode, I dive into the self-doubt and comparison trap that many educators, both new and experienced, find themselves stuck in.

If you've ever wondered why your brain zeroes in on what you're lacking and why you keep comparing yourself to other teachers, this episode is here to help.

Here's what you'll learn:

→ Why comparing yourself to others is normal but unhelpful.

→ Practical strategies to shift from 'I can't' to 'I'm learning,' and how to consciously take steps toward confidence and competence.

→ Why focusing on what you're doing well and celebrating your growth can help you rewrite your inner narrative.

→ The importance of bravery in rewriting your story and stepping into your power.

FREE WORKSHOPS IN JANUARY!

I'm hosting two FREE live workshops to help you start 2025 on the right foot

Teaching Without the Overwhelm: How to Reduce Stress and Thrive in 2025

🗓️ January 20th, 2025 at 3 PM AEDT

A 60-minute workshop to help you go from reactive to regulated. Register here

Q&A for New Teachers: Everything You've Wanted to Ask

🗓️ January 17th, 2025

A chance for pre-service and graduate teachers to ask all the questions you've been too afraid to ask. Register here

I would LOVE to see you at BOTH of these workshops. You must be registered to get access.

Other links mentioned in the episode:

The EMotionally Intelligent Educator Course

FREE journal prompts to elevate your EQ.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode, I'm reflecting on a massive 2024, both personally and professionally and sharing my intentions for 2025.

2024 was full of growth, messy moments, and beautiful lessons. I hope my reflections inspire you to take stock of your own year and step into 2025 with intention and purpose.

Here's what you'll hear:

→ Why aligning your work with your passions is key to avoiding burnout

→ How reflecting on what worked and what didn't helps you set meaningful intentions for the year ahead.

→ How educators, parents, and leaders can build sustainable practices for growth and balance

→ What role emotional intelligence and nervous system regulation plays in navigating life's challenges and curveballs.

FREE WORKSHOPS IN JANUARY!

I'm hosting two FREE live workshops to help you start 2025 on the right foot

Teaching Without the Overwhelm: How to Reduce Stress and Thrive in 2025

🗓️ January 20th, 2025 at 3 PM AEDT

A 60-minute workshop to help you go from reactive to regulated. Register here

Q&A for New Teachers: Everything You've Wanted to Ask

🗓️ January 17th, 2025

A chance for pre-service and graduate teachers to ask all the questions you've been too afraid to ask.

Register here

I would LOVE to see you at BOTH of these workshops. You must be registered to get access.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

Welcome back beautiful human!

In this episode, I'm sharing three simple habits that can truly improve your wellbeing over the holidays and into 2025. These strategies are designed to help you relax, recharge, and step into the new year with clarity, calm, and purpose.

Here's what you'll learn

→ How these three habits can help you process the year, find clarity, and connect with the person you want to become.

→ Simple techniques to regulate your nervous system, reduce stress, and avoid burnout.

→ How shifting your mindset can improve your relationships, reduce stress, and boost your overall happiness.

These habits are more than just 'nice-to-haves.'

They are evidence-based practices that will help you reduce stress, build emotional resilience, and find more dare I say 'balance' in your personal and professional life.

These habits don't take much time but can make a huge difference in how you feel, both now and in the year ahead.

FREE WORKSHOPS IN JANUARY!

Before I head on maternity leave, I'm hosting two FREE live workshops to help you start 2025 on the right foot:

Teaching Without the Overwhelm: How to Reduce Stress and Thrive in 2025

🗓️ January 20th, 2025 at 3 PM AEDT

A 60-minute workshop to help you go from reactive to regulated. Register here

Q&A for New Teachers: Everything You've Wanted to Ask

🗓️ January 17th, 2025

A chance for pre-service and graduate teachers to ask all the questions you've been too afraid to ask.

**Register here**

I would LOVE to see you at BOTH of these workshops. You must be registered to get access.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode, I want to help you wrap up the school year with intention and positivity.

Whether 2024 has been your best year yet or one filled with challenges, this episode will guide you through reflecting, processing, and planning so you can head into the holidays rested and recharged.

Here's what you'll learn

→ Learn how to celebrate your successes, process what didn't go as planned, and uncover lessons to carry forward into 2025.

→ Practical tips for closing the classroom from organising, letting go of emotions that no longer serve you because you deserve to start the new year with a clean slate.

→ How you can truly disconnect, recharge, and make the most of your break.

→ What reflection prompts to work through to set yourself up for an amazing break and new energy in the new year.

The work you do matters deeply.

Taking the time to rest, reflect, and recharge isn't just for you, It's for the students you'll continue to show up for next year.

Give yourself the gift of joy, gratitude, and relaxation over the holidays, because you've earned it.

Resources for you

New Teacher Toolkit is BACK! If you are a new teacher, this FREE guide is for you.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode, I sit down with Marg Thorsborne and Joe Brummer, two incredible thought leaders in trauma-informed and restorative practices.

Together, they've written two books, Becoming a Trauma-Informed Restorative Educator and Becoming a Trauma-Informed Restorative School - Practical Skills to Change Culture and Behaviour.

It's all about creating safer, more connected classrooms that focus on collaboration and wellbeing rather than compliance and punishment.

We talk about the critical shift from punitive approaches to relational ones, how trauma-informed and restorative practices work together, and why this is essential for creating meaningful change in education.

What you'll learn in the episode:

→ Why trauma-informed and restorative practices must go hand in hand

→ Learn how these approaches are intertwined and why schools can't truly adopt one without the other.

→ The truth about punitive consequences and understanding the long-term costs of punishment on trust, mental health, and behaviour development.

→ How co-regulation and relational neurobiology can transform classroom culture.

→ Strategies and tools for educators for building trust, teaching skills, and holding boundaries without shame or compliance based tactics.

→ How doing the work on ourselves as educators is the foundation for transforming our classrooms and communities.

The Books

Building a Trauma-Informed Restorative School: Skills and Approaches for Improving Culture and Behaviour

Connect with Marg and Joe

LinkedIn: Joe Brummer

LinkedIn: Margaret Thorsborne

Resources for you

Check out my Creating Conscious and Compassionate Classrooms bundle, which is a 10-part guide to behaviour support grounded in connection and empathy. It's packed with resources to help you create a trauma-informed, neuro-affirming classroom that supports students holistically. Just $77 and full of actionable, real world strategies.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode of The EMpowered Podcast, we're diving into a topic every teacher can relate to: stress.

While a little bit of stress can be healthy, chronic stress can leave us feeling overwhelmed, dysregulated, and depleted. I'll share three actionable strategies to help you reduce your stress levels, balance your body, and feel more in control of your wellbeing.

What You'll Learn:

→ How to notice when your body budget is out of balance and what to do about it.

→ How to regulate quickly using your breath

→ Simple ways to decompress after school and leave work stress behind.

→ How to reframe the connection between 'busy' and 'stress.'

→ A clever tool I use to help me focus on what I can control and where my energy goes

Learn more about our Signature Online Program 'The EMotionally Intelligent Educator' HERE

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode of The EMpowered Podcast, I'm diving into some of the most common questions I hear from beginning teachers, especially as they prepare for their first year.

This one is for all my new and graduate teachers feeling the overwhelm of getting started, don't worry, I've got you!

We cover everything from setting up your classroom and planning lessons to prioritising your wellbeing and navigating behaviour support. It's a jam-packed episode filled with practical tips and encouragement to help you thrive in your first year of teaching.

Here's what you'll learn:

→ How to approach the school holidays - what you should and shouldn't be doing to prepare, and what should be your top priority.

→ Creating an intentional learning environment - how to design a space that is functional, calming, and welcoming.

→ Planning for success - what to plan over the holidays and how far in advance

→ Navigating behaviour management - how to align with your school's policies while adopting a compassionate, non-punitive approach to behaviour support.

→ Setting boundaries and preventing burnout - how to protect your energy, set non-negotiables, and learn to switch off from work and why it is critical in your first year.

→ The growth mindset you need to succeed - how to reflect on your teaching, embrace imperfection, and focus on resilience and self-compassion as you navigate the challenges of being a new teacher.

I also share exciting updates about TGGM Grow, my Signature Program for Pre Service and Graduate Teachers, which is now available as a self-paced course to support you at any time.

Plus, keep an eye out for our Black Friday offers, and don't forget to grab the New Teacher Toolkit—your free guide to setting yourself up for success in 2025.

Links and Resources:

Learn about TGGM Grow- Our Signature Program for PST's and Beginning Teachers HERE

New Teacher Toolkit (FREE Guide)

If this episode has been helpful, I'd love for you to leave a review and share it with a friend or colleague who might need it. 

Keep shining, and I'll see you in the next episode. 

Em x

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

Consequences in the classroom - where do you even start?

In this episode, I'm diving into one of the biggest questions I get from teachers: "How can I support student behaviour without falling back on punishments?"

I go through what really works (and what really doesn't) when it comes to behaviour, boundaries, and creating a connected classroom.

I know that as educators who are committed to supporting children's wellbeing, there can be a lot of confusion around how to handle consequences, boundaries, and behavioural support without leaning into punitive methods.

Here's what you'll learn:

→ How traditional punitive consequences (think: timeouts, detentions, and taking away recess) affect student teacher relationships

→ Why traditional consequences rarely address the root causes of behaviour.

→ What logical and natural consequences can look like in the classroom, how they differ from punishments, and why understanding a student's unmet needs is key to effective behaviour support.

→ Why boundaries help students feel secure and connected rather than ashamed or anxious.

→ Strategies to set up a classroom that minimises the need for reactive measures by promoting positive behaviour proactively.

→ When and how to use boundaries effectively to create a culture of respect without relying on shame or control.

There are so many proactive behaviour strategies to support students to help make a classroom 'management' feel natural, and not forced

Resources for you

Check out my Creating Conscious and Compassionate Classrooms bundle, which is a 10-part guide to behaviour support grounded in connection and empathy. It's packed with resources to help you create a trauma-informed, neuro-affirming classroom that supports students holistically. Just $47 and full of actionable, real world strategies.

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

Today, I'm diving into how to find a school that truly matches your philosophy on non-punitive, trauma-informed practices. If you want to work somewhere that values real student and teacher wellbeing, but don't know where to start, this one's for you.

Here's what you'll learn

→ How to use CRT (Casual Relief Teaching) as a way to 'test drive' a school's culture before committing long-term.

→ Why the right leadership and wellbeing focus are essential in creating a school environment that truly supports teachers and students.

→ What key questions to ask and what to look for in a school's values, social media, and programs to ensure they align with a non-punitive, trauma-informed approach.

→ How to leverage word of mouth and intuition to gather insights on a school, while avoiding common biases and misconceptions.

→ Why it's okay to prioritise your own wellbeing over job security when choosing a school environment that aligns with your values.

→ Why its okay to switch schools if it doesn't align with your values.

Resources for you:

The RCG (Regulate, Connect, Guide) Framework is designed to help parents, educators, and leaders effectively support children during and after big emotions. DOWNLOAD HERE

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn