I'm setting up my classroom this week — in a new, bigger space (with windows!!!) — and it's got me rethinking decisions I've made the same way for years.

Setting up your classroom isn't just about deciding where the desks, bookshelves, and supplies will go. Your physical classroom can actually support students' social-emotional learning, regulation, and sense of belonging.

So today, I'm sharing 5 simple spaces you can create—or rethink—in your classroom that communicate to students that they are seen and valued.

If you're setting up your classroom right now or wondering how to make your space work a little more for your students and you (instead of simply making it look nice), this episode will give you practical ideas you can put into place right away.

You just may see your classroom setup a little differently—and hopefully realize that you don't need a bigger budget or a perfectly decorated classroom to create more calm, connection, and belonging.

Let's get into it together.

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

63 | Is Your Calm-Down Corner Even Working? The Mistakes Teachers Make—and How to Fix Them

Create Your Own BREAK BOX System in Your Classroom!

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

Want to take the ideas from this episode a little deeper? Grab the free RESET Roadmap! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap

OR, jump right in and join The Classroom RESET! Learn more and enroll: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

Free community: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community

Connect with Elizabeth:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom

Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can give a student isn't another strategy, intervention, or behavior consequence. Sometimes, it's simply being the adult who sees them, knows them, and is genuinely glad they're there.

In this episode, I’m talking about the incredible power of a teacher-student connection—not just for students who struggle with behavior or have challenges at home, but for every child in our classrooms.

If you're exhausted from managing behavior, trying to reach certain students, or wondering whether your efforts are actually making a difference, this episode will give you a different way to think about connection.

You’re already a good teacher. And sometimes, simply being THAT teacher who is glad a child is there is more powerful than you realize.

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

Ready to move beyond quick behavior fixes and create a classroom rooted in calm, connection, and creativity, I'd love to invite you into The Classroom RESET. You don't need a new initiative. You need a RESET—and you don't have to figure it out alone.

Learn more and enroll: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Check out the entire Classroom RESET Framework in this free Roadmap: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap 

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

Join our Community of Creative Teachers! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community

Connect with Elizabeth:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom

Have you ever found yourself typing “I quit teaching” into Google late at night?

With the behavior challenges, burnout, increasing demands, and everything else teachers are carrying right now, it’s understandable to wonder: Is teaching still worth it?

In this episode, I’m taking a different look at that question. I’ll share a deeply personal story about my mom, a teacher who once tried to talk me out of becoming a teacher—and something I learned after she passed away that changed the way I think about the impact we have on our students.

I’ll also talk about why surviving the school day isn’t enough, how connection and creative learning can help us create something more meaningful in our classrooms, and why your impact may be much bigger than you can see right now.

If you’re exhausted, discouraged, or wondering whether all of this is still worth it, this episode is for you.

Reframe the question of whether teaching is “worth it”

Recognize the impact you may be having even when you don’t see it

Think differently about connection, creativity, and student engagement

Start noticing the small moments that remind you why you became a teacher

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

Article about my mom and her impact: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/2019/07/starfish-in-the-hospital/

Join me at the Overnight Teacher Art Retreat! Learn more here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/retreat

✨ The Classroom Reset – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.

Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Grab the RESET Roadmap that takes you through all 5 steps of the framework that leads to improved student behavior and more teacher joy!!

https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson

Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on Instagram @theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @theinspiredclassroom

What if your professional development actually left you feeling inspired, energized, and excited to get back to your classroom?

After years of teaching through screens, Zoom meetings, packed schedules, and increasing demands, I’m bringing my Teacher Art Retreats back—and I couldn’t be more excited.

In this episode, I’m sharing what the Overnight Teacher Art Retreat actually is, why I decided the time was right to bring it back, and what makes this kind of teacher-centered professional development so different.

I’ll take you behind the scenes of the retreat experience, share why teachers have returned to these retreats again and again, and help you decide whether this is the kind of experience you’ve been craving.

This isn’t just about learning another strategy for your students. It’s about making time for you to create, connect, recharge, and remember why you love being an educator.

📅 January 22–23, 2027 (Friday evening through Saturday)

📍 Essex Woods, Essex, Massachusetts

🎨 Hands-on, arts-based professional development

🏡 Overnight retreat experience

🍽️ Meals and materials included

📚 12 hours of PD credit

🎓 Optional graduate credit available

There are only 25 spots, so if something in you just lit up hearing the words teacher retreat, go check it out.

Save your spot here:

theinspiredclassroom.com/retreat

I would absolutely love to see you there. ❤️

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

Join me at the Overnight Teacher Art Retreat! Learn more here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/retreat

✨ The Classroom Reset – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.

Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Grab the RESET Roadmap that takes you through all 5 steps of the framework that leads to improved student behavior and more teacher joy!!

https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson

Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on Instagram @theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @theinspiredclassroom

We've all done it — scrolled through classroom set up pictures online and felt that mix of inspired and overwhelmed. Well, whether your classroom looks like it could be in a magazine or not, there are some things that can be added to make sure your environment fosters calm and belonging.

So, in this episode, I'm sharing a few specific things I actually put in my own room every year to do just that!

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Break Box — Calm Down Strategies for Classroom Management: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Calm-Down-Strategies-for-Classroom-Management-The-Break-Box-10348201

Grab the RESET Roadmap that takes you through all 5 steps of the framework that leads to improved student behavior and more teacher joy!!

https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

✨ https://theinspiredclassroom.com/the-classroom-reset-sp1 – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.

Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/

Follow & DM me onhttps://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe onhttps://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroomhttps://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom

It's the first week of school, and if you're like most teachers, your rules are already created, even if it's just in your mind. You're ready to establish clear expectations, get your students on board and be ready to implement consequences when needed.

But before you do that, listen in. Today, I'm sharing why rules alone might not be enough to get you through the year — and what actually needs to happen underneath it.

I'll share the exact process I use to build a classroom contract with my students and a bonus question I love asking students that can make this even more effective.

This is the type of work that shifts behavior from "don't do this" to "I am a learner."

Plus I'll leave you with a simple action plan — RULE — to help you carry this into your own classroom this week. Let's build something that lasts past October!

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

Article: How to Create a Classroom Contract With Your Students (and not for them)

Grab the RESET Roadmap that takes you through all 5 steps of the framework that leads to improved student behavior and more teacher joy!!

https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

✨ The Classroom Reset – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.

Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson

Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on Instagram @theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @theinspiredclassroom

Many teachers have gotten stuck thinking creativity is something you add when there’s time. Let's flip that — because creativity can actually reduce behavioral escalation, increase student engagement, and help YOU reconnect with your joy. It's not a bonus... it's a foundation.

I’ll walk you through what happens in a student’s nervous system when you bring movement, storytelling, or visual response into your classroom — and why it addresses all three legs of Your Classroom’s Tripod at once. I’ll also talk about what creativity does for teachers, not just students — because reconnecting with the joy of creative teaching is one of the most underrated antidotes to the Daily Teacher Drain.

And by the end, you’ll have the END Framework — a simple three-step structure that takes 60 seconds and can go at the close of any lesson, any day, any subject.

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

Grab the RESET Roadmap that takes you through all 5 steps of the framework that leads to improved student behavior and more teacher joy!!

https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

✨ The Classroom Reset – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.

Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson

Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on Instagram @theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @theinspiredclassroom

If you've ever wondered whether student behavior is harder now than it used to be — the data has an answer. In this episode I'm sharing two more findings from 2025 and 2026 that confirm what teachers across the country have been feeling. And these aren't fringe numbers. This is the profession speaking.

I'll walk you through what the data is actually pointing at — and why the answer isn't just more behavior management strategies. It's a foundation shift. Connection, Regulation, and Engagement — the three legs of Your Classroom's Tripod — are what behavior has been pointing at this whole time.

By the end you'll have a simple three-step plan to claim the data, name your leg, and decide what to do about it.

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

Devon's Story: 145 | Stop Redirecting Your Students - It Just Doesn't Work Anymore

✨ The Classroom Reset – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.

Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Sources:

RAND Corporation (2026). State of the American Teacher Survey.

NEA (2025). "The Survey Says: We're at a Crisis Point." Love & Logic summary: loveandlogic.com/blogs/our-blog/teacher-burnout-classroom-management

EAB District Leadership Forum (2019), as cited by Gormley et al., University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson

Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on Instagram @theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @theinspiredclassroom

In this episode I’m naming the two things that actually stand between teachers and a classroom that runs smoothly — and neither of them is more information. Because information was never the problem. You know how to teach.  You have the strategies, the activities and the know how.  So... what's missing??

There's a reason why strategies stop working by October.  And a reason why your frustration grows instead of subsides.  Let's have to real talk today, shall we?

By the end you’ll have a simple three-step way to name your own gap and decide what to do about it before Sunday.

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

✨ The Classroom Reset – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again.  Our "Challenge Sale" is going on now through SUNDAY!  Be sure to get in while we have over $600 in bonuses and savings happening!  https://theinspiredclassroom.com/yes 

Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone.

👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community

✨ Connect with me!

Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson

Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom

Follow & DM me on Instagram @theinspiredclassroom

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @theinspiredclassroom

What if the research confirmed that you’re losing the equivalent of 14.5 school days every year — not to planning or grading, but to managing disruptive student behavior?

In this episode, I’m walking through what the data actually says — including a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study that sent trained observers into real classrooms to measure the time and financial cost of behavior management. The findings are striking and worth talking about.

I’ll also share what the research says happens when effective classroom management strategies are in place — and it’s not just about reducing behavior. It’s about improving student engagement, academic performance, social-emotional skills, and yes, getting more of your teaching time back.

~Elizabeth

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Classroom Tripod is discussed here: 148 | What a Calm Classroom Actually Looks Like (It's Not What You've Been Sold)

Behavior management time statistic based on research reported by Gormley, M. J., Overfield, R. A., Spradlin, C., Scanlan, L., & Sheridan, S. M., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, citing EAB District Leadership Forum (2019), Breaking Bad Behavior: The Rise of Classroom Disruptions in Early Grades and How Districts Are Responding.

Additional source: Jonson, A. & Witte, A. L. (2025). Reducing Classroom Disruptive Behaviors to Improve Academic Performance: An NeMTSS Research Brief. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349570451_The_Time_and_Cost_of_Classroom_Behavior_Management

https://nemtss.unl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/25-Reducing-Student-Disruptive-Behaviors.pdf

Are you ready to jump into The Classroom RESET course? It's the natural next step to improving student behavior and getting those 14.5 days back! Let's do this! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/yes

Have a question? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

The Classroom Reset course: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset

Inspired Classroom Insider: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider

Free community: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community

Connect with Elizabeth:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom