EMpowered

In this episode, we welcome Chelsea Luker, an Autistic ADHD psychologist, author, and advocate for neurodiversity-affirming practices. Chelsea dives deep into what it means to adopt a neurodiversity-affirming approach, her journey as a parent to neurodivergent children, and her impactful work at Connect Us Psychology. Chelsea also discusses her book, Square Me Round World, a collection of stories designed to reflect and validate the experiences of neurodivergent children. From addressing the challenges in mainstream education to advocating for more inclusive environments, Chelsea offers invaluable insights for educators, parents, and anyone interested in supporting neurodivergent individuals.

Resources Mentioned:

→ Chelsea's Book: Square Me Round World - Fictional stories designed to resonate with neurodivergent children and their families.

→ Connect Us Psychology Website: Connect Us Psychology

→ Yellow Ladybugs: Resources supporting autistic women and gender-diverse individuals in Australia.

→ Reframing Autism: Free courses and materials on neurodiversity and autism for educators and parents.

Connect with Chelsea:

→ Connect Us Psychology – Explore her services, book resources, and access the educator's guide for neurodivergent support.

→ If you're a teacher, leader or work with children and you want to learn more about how to build your emotional intelligence, support your children or your students in the classroom with their emotions, and how to understand why you react the way you do to behaviours and emotions, then I have a course for you. You can find out more HERE

→ 'Creating Conscious and Compassionate Classrooms Bundle' FIND HERE

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

This episode is a personal one about why we're not meant to do it all, and what happens when we try to keep going without help.

Parenting isn't meant to be a solo act. Especially when life throws in a few curveballs or even just the regular chaos of life.

If you've ever found yourself losing it with the kids or feeling like you're juggling too many balls (and dropping a few), this episode is for you.

Here's what you'll learn:

→ Why knowing all the emotional intelligence tricks is one thing, but actually applying them is a different story.

→ The importance of connection over correction when supporting your child's behaviour (whether at home or in the classroom).

→ How to use self-awareness to catch your own triggers before you react, and why this makes all the difference.

→ Why it's okay to drop some of the balls you're juggling, and how to figure out what's really important.

→ Practical steps for making sure you're filling up your own cup, because you can't pour from an empty one.

Even though it can feel like you're the only one who's overwhelmed and barely holding it together, you're not. We're all in this together, and we need each other's support.

You might know all the techniques, but practicing them in the moment is the real challenge….and that's okay.

Be kind to yourself as you work through it.

Resources Mentioned:

If you missed the masterclass with Lael Stone and Dr. Billy Garvey, the replay is available. Find out more to see how we're flipping behaviour support on its head – no more reactive strategies, no more bandaid solutions. Here's the link!

Learn more about my self paced course, The Emotionally Intelligent Educator, and how it can help you reduce stress, build confidence, and change the way you show up as a parent or teacher.

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Michelle Mitchell, who's spent years working with teens, tweens, and their families.

Supporting kids at this stage can feel overwhelming, especially when it seems like they've got that wall up and are shutting you out. There is so much more going on beneath the surface.

Michelle Mitchell is a former teacher turned tween and teenage expert, with years of experience running youth programs, mentoring young people, and supporting families.

She's all about helping adults to see what's really going on in the hearts and minds of tweens and teens and helping them build the kind of connections that truly make a difference.

We talk about how we can really see and support teens and tweens in this phase of their development. It's not about being cool or getting it right all the time.

What you'll learn from Michelle:

→ Why what you see on the surface isn't the full story when it comes to teenagers.

→ The importance of connection and how teens are wired to crave it, even when they push you away.

→ How play can help upper primary and secondary students regulate their emotions (and why we should never cut it out too soon)

→ The differences between tweens and teens, and why treating them the same is a massive mistake.

→ How to work with social media, not against it, and create a school environment where teens feel safe to unplug and actually be present. There are smart, compassionate ways to help teens balance their online and offline worlds, with boundaries that actually feel good to them.

→ Why the shift from primary to secondary school is huge and why this transition needs more attention.

Michelle's no stranger to the challenges of this developmental phase and she's here to help you navigate them with compassion and clarity.

No matter how tough your teen or tween acts, what they need most is to feel connected to the adults around them.

Resources for you:

If you missed the masterclass with Lael Stone and Dr. Billy Garvey, the replay is available. Find out more to see how we're flipping behaviour support on its head. Here's the link!

Learn more about my self paced course, The Emotionally Intelligent Educator, and how it can help you reduce stress, build confidence, and change the way you show up as a parent or teacher.

Connect with Michelle

Website: michellemitchell.org

Instagram: @michellemitchell.author

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

In this episode, I'm joined by Jacquie Ward, a psychologist who specialises in child and adolescent mental health.

We talk about the realities of mental health in schools, and this conversation doesn't happen nearly enough.

If you've ever wondered how mental health and anxiety show up in your classroom or why children some children feel things so deeply, then this episode is for you.

Jacquie and I talk about:

→ The real signs of mental health struggles in children often get missed.

→ Why the 'big behaviours' might be masking anxiety and how to shift your lens to catch it early

→ The difference between highly sensitive children and anxiety and how to support these kids without burning yourself out.

→ How to catch the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signals that a child is struggling with anxiety, whether they're acting out or quietly shutting down.

→ What does it mean to be highly sensitive, and how is it different from anxiety

→ How teachers can adjust their classroom environment to cater to anxious or highly sensitive children without adding more work or stress to your day.

→ How to manage anxiety and help children self regulate so the whole classroom can function better.

The way we've been taught to support behaviour isn't working because we are not addressing what's going on underneath for these children. I am hosting a masterclass with two AMAZING guests leading the way in this space next week.

We'll show you how you CAN create classrooms where kids feel safe, connected and ready to learn. Grab your ticket here

Resources Mentioned

Hey Warrior by Karen Young - A brilliant book that breaks down how anxiety shows up in children and what we can do about it

Connect with Jacquie

Website: jacquieward.com.au

Instagram: @jacquie_ward_

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

In this episode, I sit down with Marg Thorsborne, an international consultant specialising in the implementation of restorative and trauma-informed practices. Marg shares her journey from a biology teacher and school guidance officer to becoming a leading expert in creating positive cultural change in schools and workplaces. We dive deep into the principles of restorative practice, the importance of psychological safety, and why building a connected culture is crucial for both students and adults.

Connect with Marg:

Linkedin: Margaret Thorsborne

Website: thorsborne.com.au

Marg's new book: Restorative Educator: Practical Skills to Change Culture and Behavior, co-authored with Joe Brummer.

Connect with Em

Website: Emma Gentle

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

In this episode, I dive into how both children and adults handle and express uncomfortable feelings and why it's important to understand them, and how to express them in healthy ways.

As an emotional intelligence coach, working with both children and adults, I have seen firsthand the impact of understanding and navigating uncomfortable emotions.

In this episode, you'll learn:

→ Three ways both adults and children deal with uncomfortable behaviours.

→ What behaviours can signal emotion suppression and how to recognise these to help us

→ Why someone might respond to emotion with aggression, and what can be done to mitigate these reactions

→ How expressing your emotions more effectively can improve your mental health and relationships

→ How your upbringing and parental influence shapes your emotional responses.

Connect with Em

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.emmagentle.com.au⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@em_gentle⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Emma Gentle⁠

In this episode, I talk about the revelation that completely changed my approach to supporting children's behaviour.

In this episode you will learn:

→ What exactly are belief systems, and how they influence your interactions

The impact of understanding and changing belief systems on supporting children's behaviour

→ Why doing the deeper work, beyond surface level strategies is the key factor for lasting change in educators

→ How to change your deep seated beliefs to improve your ability to support children effectively

→ Why is it important to work on yourself for lasting personal and professional growth

Resources Mentioned:

• If you resonate with this episode, check out my course HERE, The EMotionally Intelligent Educator, available in self-paced study, group coaching, or VIP 1:1 sessions. We start next week so REGISTER now!

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

TW: This episode discusses childhood trauma, and abuse.

In this episode, I get the absolute privilege of talking with Beck Thompson. She is absolutely amazing, sharing her journey of resilience, transformation, and empowerment. As a teacher, author, and speaker, she brings a unique perspective shaped by her lived experience of trauma and abuse.

We discuss how transformative compassionate teaching can be and the impact educators can have on their students, often without even realising it.

This episode is not to highlight the difficulties that some of your students will go through, but how impactful you can be as an adult in their life, without even realising it. It's to help you understand what it's like in the classroom for a child with trauma and how important teachers really are.

Here's what you'll learn:

→ How understanding trauma can help you support your students more effectively

→ Why it is absolutely ok to prioritise compassion and safety before the curriculum

→ How recognising and nurturing a child's strengths can make the world of difference and transform their educational experience

→ Why small conversations and interactions can have a lasting impact on students' lives. It's the micro-moments that make all the difference

→ How the brain processes trauma and it affects what you are seeing in a student's behaviour.

→ Why perceived and felt safety is the number one thing that needs to be prioritised for children to learn

→ Why adults are so important in the development of resilience in a person's life.

It's about giving educators permission to focus on creating a safe, supportive environment where every child feels seen, heard and valued.

There is so much more I could add to this list.

This is for you. To recognise and truly understand the impact you, as a teacher, has on a child in your classroom. Make sure you listen in, because this may open up a perspective and change the way you support your students, in the most simple but effective way.

Connect with Beck Thompson:

→ Trauma Informed Teachers Page Facebook - Join her community here.

→ Facebook: BECK Thompson - Author, Chasing Normal.

→ Website: beckthompson.com.au

→ Instagram: @beckthompson_teachersmatter

→ Book

Connect with Em

Website: Emma Gentle

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

In this episode, I'm talking about emotional coaching in education and how it can change how children behave and engage in your classroom. 

Here's what you'll learn:

→ How emotion coaching can change your classroom environment

→ What it looks like to be emotionally attuned to your students.

→ How to balance emotional support with setting necessary boundaries.

→ The five steps of emotion coaching and how it can lead to happier, more focused students.

→ Why it's important to validate and role model emotions in the classroom.

If you're looking to improve how you support classroom emotions and behaviours, without rewards and punishments, take a listen! 

Resources Mentioned:

I'm hosting a FREE masterclass. If you're a teacher or a parent, I have a masterclass coming called - Supporting children's behaviour without rewards and punishments. Here's the link to register!

If you're a parent, teacher, or leader and want to learn more about your emotional intelligence, how to support your children or your students in the classroom with their emotions, and how to really understand why you react the way you do, then this course is for you. Join the waitlist here! (The waitlist is the only way to get access to $100 off when the course is ready for you!)

Connect with Em

Website: emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn

In this episode, I talk about why it's difficult for teachers and parents to sit with children's emotions. I also discuss how self regulation and understanding our beliefs about emotions, influence how we react to children when they express big emotions.  

Here's what you'll learn:

→ Why your own childhood experiences can make it difficult to handle your children's emotions

→ How understanding your reactions can help you co-regulate effectively with children.

→ How to become more comfortable with the full range of emotions

→The benefits of embracing, rather than suppressing difficult emotions, in educational and parenting. 

If you've ever found yourself struggling to maintain composure or felt overwhelmed by a child's emotional expression, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned:

I'm hosting a FREE masterclass on 28th August called Supporting Children's Behaviour without Rewards and Punishments. Here's the link to register! 

Join the waitlist here for my Emotional Intelligence course starting in September. (The waitlist is the only way to get access to $100 off when doors open!)

Connect with Em

Website: www.emmagentle.com.au

Instagram: @em_gentle

LinkedIn