By Claire English
Welcome to 'The Unteachables Podcast'! I’m your host Claire English, a passionate secondary teacher and leader turned teacher mentor and author of the book 'It's Never Just About the Behaviour: A h
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The podcast currently has 83 episodes available.
Take the quiz - What's your teacher type?! (Putting this right up top because I know that's why you came to the description)
In today's episode I’ll be walking you through three mistakes you might unknowingly be making that can fuel these low-level behaviour spotfires. Now, I say “might be,” but let’s be real—after observing hundreds of lessons, I can tell you with certainty that these sneaky habits tend to creep into even the most experienced classrooms, and yes, I’ve been guilty of them too!
But here’s the good news—once you recognize these patterns and make a few simple adjustments, you’ll start seeing real changes. And let me assure you, I’m sharing this from a place of experience, not perfection. I’ve made all these mistakes myself, and I’m still learning every day. So let’s dive in, get reflective, and find those empowering “ah-ha” moments together!
IN THIS EPISODE, I DISCUSS:
I hope this episode gives you some clarity and maybe even a few "ah-ha" moments! Remember, every teacher—myself included—has fallen into these traps at some point. The important thing is that you’re aware, and with just a few small tweaks, you can start seeing big shifts in your classroom.
Please don’t feel like you have to be perfect! Teaching is all about growing, learning, and adjusting as we go. If any of these points hit home for you, take it as a sign of progress, not a failure. You’ve got this!
And if you’re ready to dive deeper and tackle low-level behaviours head-on, I’d love to have you join me in the Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp. Together, we’ll work on building a calm, effective teaching presence that fits your natural style, so you can stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling empowered. You’re already doing amazing things in the classroom, and this is just one more tool to add to your toolkit!
Thank you so much for listening to
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
In today’s episode, I’m diving deep into the frustration of low-level behaviours in the classroom—why they are so tricky to handle and why the advice out there often falls flat.
This is episode 1 of a big focus on low-level behaviours this month, so be sure to follow along for the rest if this is a big challenge for you in your practice!
IN THIS EPISODE, I DISCUSS:
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clearer understanding of why low-level behaviors are so hard to tackle and a few actionable insights to start making a real change in your classroom.
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
Classroom management is more than just the behaviour, and dealing with low-level disruptive behaviours NEEDS to be more than this to be effective!
In this episode, I'll be exploring (well... more like nerding out on) a simple yet incredibly effective tool to help manage and reduce low-level behaviours in the classroom: the humble task card. I know, I know, but stay with me here.
Many factors contribute to disruptive behaviours, but by using task cards, you can provide clarity, structure, and support that helps students stay on task and reduce stress.
IN THIS EPISODE, I DISCUSS:
By the end of this episode, you'll understand how task cards can transform your classroom management and why they are such a game-changer in addressing low-level behaviours.
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
Click here to access your free session on the barriers to giving a task that students get (and get on with)
In today’s episode, I’m unpacking why students might not be listening or following your task instructions. Picture this: hands shoot up, students ask, “What are we doing?” or they sit there doodling, lost in confusion. What’s going on here? I’ll explore the reasons behind this and how understanding them is key to solving the problem.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
Want to know a win-win?
Overcoming these barriers naturally addresses student disengagement, reduces low-level behaviours, and mitigates dysregulated behaviours. The magic of a holistic approach to classroom management!!
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
In this episode, I’m diving into three common pieces of behaviour and classroom management advice that teachers are often given and why we need to stop offering them—at least in the way they’re typically presented.
These bits of advice are frequently thrown around without any meaningful support or practical steps, making them more harmful than helpful. I’ve heard them time and again from colleagues, experts, and social media, but the reality is that they’re often oversimplified and lacking real substance.
IN THIS EPISODE, I DISCUSS:
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
In this episode, I dive into one of the toughest challenges we face as teachers—how to manage a classroom full of students when dysregulated behaviours start bubbling up and escalating. I talk about the key things to remember when students are dysregulated and can’t reason with us, and share my CARE Framework—a practical approach for responding to these situations. The goal? For you to be equipped with actionable classroom management strategies that are aligned with your values of compassion and kindness.
What I discuss in this episode:
Resources mentioned in this episode (all accessible from within The Behaviour Club:
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
The start of a new school year is always a mix of excitement and nerves (the Sunday scaries multiplied times over!!). As teachers, we’re not just thinking about lesson plans and curriculum—we’re setting the stage for a whole year of learning, growth, and relationships. What will our students be like? How will they get along? What will the dynamics be? Will they respond to me? How we kick off this journey can make a huge difference in shaping the classroom environment that we want for the year to come.
Gone are the days of cringing through icebreakers and stiff introductions. This year, let’s focus on creating a welcoming space where students feel seen, heard, and ready to engage. From establishing a positive classroom culture to setting clear, collaborative expectations, and even getting ahead with parents, every action we take helps build a foundation for a successful year.
So, how can we make the first days of school truly count?
This episode covers my top 4 strategies that will leave your students—and you—feeling excited and optimistic about the year ahead.
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
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 activities that spark natural, student-led discussions.
This episode is packed with insights on creating a classroom culture where students feel safe and excited from day one. So whether you're gearing up for a new year or need a mid-year reset, tune in for tips on building a supportive, engaging classroom community.
Want to grab the icebreakers mentioned in the episode?
Find them in The Behaviour Club, or download them separately here on TPT!
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
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 time for brain development, second only to when we are developing in the womb up until 2 years of age.
But a calm corner? Not always a physical and logistical possibility.
All I could have managed in my tiny first classroom (and many since then) were front-facing rows, or at a stretch a double-U configuration that I would trip over bags to squeeze behind.
Safe to say that no calm corner was being set up.
Luckily, a calm corner (ironically) doesn’t need a corner.
It doesn’t need a comfy beanbag or a box full of magical fidget spinners.
It doesn’t require teachers to fork out hundreds of their own hard-earned dollars, and it doesn’t require a fancy display.
Sure, a comfy space would be lovely, but please don’t let it deter you if that’s the furthest thing from a possibility.
Your classroom might be too small. You might not even have a classroom of your own and need to drag your things from one side of the school to the other five times a day. You might be a casual teacher who’s desperate to implement some of these strategies but doesn’t think it’s possible.
It is possible. And in this episode, I talk you through 3 steps to take in order to set up a calm CULTURE, not just a calm corner!
The resources mentioned in today's episode:
The Behaviour Club: Learn More
SEL Lesson: Flipping Your Lid
Regulation Cards: Your calm corner on the go!
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
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:
But today I wanted to talk about one factor that for me has had the most impact on how I am mentally and emotionally in the day to day in my role as a teacher.
One thing that has had the biggest impact on how I have been able to develop professionally.
Our teaching village.
They say it takes a village as a teacher but what does that mean? It certainly doesn’t just mean having people around us because when I felt my lowest in teaching, I had PLENTY of teachers around me.
For me having a village as a teacher needs to be about having like-minded people around us that we can trust to be vulnerable with, ask questions to, bounce ideas off, be inspired and empowered by (and empower them in return). To be able to access support in whatever form needed. To never have your struggles minimised or shrugged off, but heard and validated.
This was so pivotal for me, that I am changing the way that I support teachers here at The Unteachables Academy. I am making The Behaviour Club, my teaching village, central to what I offer. TBC is a dynamic community where like-minded teachers can connect, share, and grow together. With masterclasses, resources, and a thriving online network, this club is designed to support educators every step of the way.
Click here to join us and become a member of The Behaviour Club!
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!
TAKE THE QUIZ! What is your teacher type, and what does this reveal about your classroom management?
Join The Behaviour Club -The essential training, advice, and community to confidently and calmly tackle all things classroom management.
The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp! - Strengthen your teaching presence and tackle low-level behaviours!
Purchase my book - ‘It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
Freebies and support:
The podcast currently has 83 episodes available.
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