This episode is a big warm hug and a practical roadmap for every teacher who’s ever thought: “How the heck am I supposed to stay calm when they’re pushing ALL my buttons?!”

I’m diving into a juicy listener Q&A all about what to do in those real-deal, fight-flight-freeze moments in the classroom. And spoiler alert: it’s not about becoming a Zen monk who never reacts. It’s about having scripts, self-awareness, and a bit of self-compassion ready to roll.

In this episode, I walk you through:

• My own messy moments (because YES, I’m a very imperfect human too)
• The neuroscience behind your snapping point (hello, barking guard dog 🐶)
• What emotional regulation really looks like for teachers
• And my top 6 behaviour one-liners that will save you from spiralling.

So whether you’re already consciously incompetent 😬 or just starting to build awareness, this episode will meet you where you’re at, with practical tools to make it all a bit easier.

What you’ll learn:

• The difference between reacting and responding
• 6 calm one-liners you can keep in your back pocket for the trickiest moments
• Why having scripts matters when your thinking brain goes offline
• How to redirect defiance without getting sucked into a power struggle
• Language that sets boundaries without shame
• Why saying “I’m not here to argue with you” is low-key magic

Resources & Mentions:

• 📥 Grab the FREE Calm Scripts Guide here: https://www.the-unteachables.com/calmscripts
• Need extra support? The Behaviour Club has your back: https://www.the-unteachables.com/tbc

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

Whether you're wrapping up the year in Australia (hi, me too!) or heading into Thanksgiving mode, this one's for the teachers out there who want to keep the vibe high, the connection strong, and the behaviour smooth as the term winds down.

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to the actual gratitude-based activities I use with my own students when things start taking an energetic nosedive! 

We’re talking:

🧠 sneaky SEL

💬 beautiful conversations

✍️ creative, calming brain breaks

🎨 and some genuinely lovely wall displays if you’re into that

Whether you're in it for the dopamine hit, the classroom calm, or the end-of-year buy-in, these gratitude strategies are your new best friend.


What you’ll learn:

• Why gratitude-based tasks are GOLD for classroom management
• 10 deeper-than-usual conversation starters to use right away
• How to use these prompts for starters, journaling, or brain breaks
• 6 mini-tasks that build regulation and community
• My go-to activity when the class energy is off and I need a circuit-breaker
• How these “fun” tasks are actually classroom structure in disguise
• Why gratitude is secretly one of the best proactive behaviour tools you’ve got

Resources Mentioned:

• Gratitude Conversation Cards
• The Thanksgiving Mega Resource Bundle
• Free Gratitude Plate Activity

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

This episode, I’m giving you a front seat to one of the most common questions I get from Behaviour Clubbers, and honestly, it’s one we’ve ALL asked at some point: “What do I do with a class that is just... chaotic?”

We’re talking cultural chaos. The kind of class that leaves you emotionally wrung out, standing at the board yelling instructions to a sea of disengaged students while your nervous system quietly screams.

In this episode, I’m not going to throw another vague strategy at you or tell you to “build relationships” (you’re already doing that). Instead, I’m breaking down exactly what I would do if I had that class and had to make changes immediately.

This one’s especially for you if you’re:

• Constantly waiting for quiet
• Feeling frazzled by the end of every lesson
• Dreading certain classes
• Questioning whether you’re even cut out for teaching anymore

We’re stripping it all back and starting with what actually shifts classroom culture: ROUTINES.

What You’ll Learn:

•  The first thing I’d do if I had a chaotic, chatty, unmanageable class
•  Why teacher regulation trumps any routine or strategy
•  The 4 core routines you NEED in place to turn the chaos around
•  The sneaky behaviour triggers you might be missing
•  How to get your students started before the lesson even begins
•  My go-to early finisher system that doesn’t rely on “busy work”
•  What to do in the last five minutes of class that’ll save your sanity

Resources Mentioned:

🎁 The $1 Behaviour Club Kickstart:
https://www.the-unteachables.com/kickstart

🧠 Early Finisher Task Bundle:
https://the-unteachables.shop/products/early-finishers-activity-bundle-choice-board-packet-worksheets-reflection?_pos=1&_sid=f45b530cb&_ss=r

🪄 Exit Doors Routine (the viral one):
https://the-unteachables.shop/products/exit-task-bundle

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

The messy middle of a lesson can make or break your classroom calm.

You’ve nailed your entry routines. Your exits are solid. But those in-between moments, like shifting from group work to silent writing, that’s where chaos sneaks in.

If transitions have ever left you saying:

“I had them… and then I lost them.”

This one’s for you.

In this episode, I walk you through my three essential “Ps” for smooth transitions, plus five of my favourite practical tools to bring novelty, structure and just the right amount of fun into those mid-lesson wobbles.

Whether your students are bouncing off the walls or just dilly-dallying, you’ll walk away from this one with new tricks (and a taco) up your sleeve.

What you’ll learn:

• Why group work isn’t the problem — it’s the gap between tasks
• My 3-part “P” framework to diagnose & fix messy transitions
• How to boost structure and student buy-in (without nagging!)
• Easy, repeatable tools for transitions that students actually respond to
• Fun little things like the “Tardy Taco” and “Fast Track Fajita” that build community while managing chaos

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

Ever found yourself sitting at your desk mid-lesson, staring at the wall while chaos erupts around you… thinking “I cannot teach like this”?

Same.

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to one of the most eye-opening classroom experiences I had as a baby teacher—and how it accidentally dropped me straight into something called the pedagogy of poverty.

You’ll hear the story of a student called “Nathan,” how I unintentionally leaned into compliance-based teaching just to survive, and the big, uncomfortable lightbulb moment that changed everything about how I teach now.

This episode isn’t here to guilt you, because I’ve been there. It’s here to show you what’s actually going on when students appear settled but disengaged... and how to shift out of survival-mode strategies without throwing your whole self under the bus.

What you’ll learn:

• The sneaky signs you’ve slipped into the pedagogy of poverty (and why it feels like it’s “working”)
• Why busy work, copying off the board, and chalk-and-talk can be so seductive in tricky classrooms
• How trauma, stress responses, and feelings of failure are shaping your students' behaviour
• What true differentiation actually looks like (no colour-coded ability groups required)
• Simple scaffolding tools you can start using this week that support learning AND behaviour

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

Ah yes, spooky season. The sugar. The chaos. In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to exactly how to lean into the festive vibes of Halloween (and any holiday season) without your classroom descending into a full-blown free-for-all.

This episode is packed with practical ways to keep your routines, keep your calm, all while adding just the right sprinkle of spooky magic to make it fun and functional.

From Halloween-themed SEL check-ins to brain breaks that actually regulate, I’m sharing the exact routines I don’t ditch (and how I just theme them instead). You’ll walk away with fresh ideas and feel-good strategies that will keep your students engaged without sacrificing your classroom management game.

So if you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I do something fun for Halloween without losing control of my room?” - this one’s for you.

Let’s roll the tape. 👻

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why festive behaviour spirals are so common (and how to avoid them)
• The biggest mistake teachers make when planning fun holiday lessons
• How to add novelty without losing structure
• Exactly what to swap and what to keep during spooky season
• Halloween-themed routines and brain breaks that work
• How your non-verbals are sending louder messages than your instructions

Resources Mentioned:

🎃 Grab the Halloween Mega Bundle!

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

How do you actually manage special needs in a mainstream classroom (when you’re not getting the support you need)?

Ever looked around your classroom mid-lesson and thought:
“How the heck am I supposed to meet 30 different needs all at once?”

Yeah. Me too.

This week, I’m kicking off a new mini-series answering your most-asked questions, starting with one I get all the time:
“How do I support students with special needs in my mainstream classroom? There has to be more help out there.”

Spoiler alert: There should be more help. But in the meantime, I’m walking you through what you can actually control, without burning yourself out or playing superhero.

I’ll give you a front seat to:

• The real talk I wish I got at uni about inclusion
• Why “just differentiate” is the most unhelpful advice ever
• The classroom systems and routines that actually make a difference
• And the role your own nervous system plays in it all

This one’s not about perfection. It’s about doing what’s possible—in a way that’s human, sustainable, and actually helps kids thrive (including you).

Let’s dive in.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why you can’t meet every need, and why that’s not failure
• The power of systems over individualised strategies
• What real inclusion looks and feels like
• The two biggest game-changers: routine + regulation
• How to support neurodiverse and neurotypical students at the same time

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

October is officially Hectic Month™️ (Black History Month, Mental Health Day, Halloween... all of it), but nestled in the mix is something super important: ADHD Awareness Month.

And look, if you’re thinking, “Well, I don’t have any diagnosed ADHD students,” think again. Not only is it likely that you do (diagnosed or not), but what helps ADHD students thrive is actually just good teaching for everyone.

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to 5 simple, powerful shifts you can make today to better support your neurodivergent students.

These are the real-deal takeaways from ADHD coach and teacher Andy Hayes’ masterclass inside The Behaviour Club, and they’re already making waves in classrooms across the club.

What you’ll learn:

• Why ADHD students hear 10,000 more negative messages than their peers, and how to change the story
• What task initiation actually looks like (and how to scaffold it without overhauling your lesson plans)
• Why novelty isn’t fluff, it’s fuel for the ADHD brain
• How visual routines support executive functioning and make your classroom calmer
• The high-impact way to celebrate strengths over struggles (no tokenism, no fluff)

Mentioned in this episode:

• 111 Printable Sticky Note Templates
• Celebration Cards
  
  

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

This episode is personal. Raw. Vulnerable. And honestly… one of the most important stories I’ve ever shared.

So if you’re a teacher who’s ever doubted the impact you’re having, especially with those students who seem like they couldn’t care less? This one’s for you.

Today, I’m taking you back to my own high school days. Not the shiny, well-behaved student success story, but the version of me who was skipping class, stinking like cigarettes, and seriously thinking about dropping out altogether.

And then… there was Miss Povey. My English teacher.
The one who saw me. Who actually saw me.

I’ve shared little bits of this before, but never like this.

Inside the episode, I’ll walk you through:

• What was really going on for me during those high school years
• The moment I nearly dropped out and the one thing she said that changed everything
• The ripple effect of her belief in me (spoiler alert: it’s why this whole Unteachables thing even exists)

This is for every teacher who's ever wondered if that one sentence you wrote on a kid’s paper, or that 30-second conversation you had, really mattered.

I’m here to tell you, it freaking does.

What you’ll learn:

• Why one teacher’s belief can be enough to change a life
• The impact of seeing a student beyond their behaviour
• How academic disengagement is often masking something deeper
• A powerful reminder that your presence, your consistent, persistent presence, is more impactful than any program or policy

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website

This tiny tweak could change your whole classroom vibe.

If you’ve ever found yourself gripping onto those five students who always put their hands up while the rest of the class stares blankly out the window—or worse, starts low-key mutinies—you are NOT alone.

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to a game-changing shift I made in how I asked students to engage. It's a small upgrade that completely changed the energy in my classroom. And no, it's not a paddle pop stick in sight.

I’ll take you back to the chaos I experienced when cold calling backfired, why the same students always put their hands up, and what I realised was actually the goal when it comes to whole-class engagement (hint: it's not just getting more mouths moving).

You’ll hear practical ways to upgrade your questioning on the spot, why “write it on your sticky note and slap it on your forehead” can be pedagogical GOLD, and how micro tweaks like this can be low-effort but high-impact.

If your class is giving “two kids do all the work and everyone else is coasting,” this episode is your roadmap out of it.

Let’s roll the tape!

What you’ll learn:

• Why cold calling, name pickers, and paddle pop sticks might not be helping you build engagement (and what might work better)
• How to shift from passive invitations to explicit, all-in instructions
• Four easy ways to upgrade classic questions like “Who can find the simile?” and “What’s the main message?”
• Why shout-outs, whiteboards, and sticky notes beat raised hands any day of the week
• The sneaky ways we accidentally teach students it’s OK to opt out—and how to change that
• How to engage quiet processors and anxious students without triggering defiance or freeze responses
• One surprising tool for building rapport while building engagement

Resources & Links:

👉 Join the $1 Kickstart: https://www.the-unteachables.com/kickstart

👉 Waitlist for The Behaviour Club: https://www.the-unteachables.com/tbc

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

• Shop all resources
• Join The Behaviour Club
• My book! It’s Never Just About the Behaviour: A holistic approach to classroom behaviour management
• The Low-Level Behaviour Bootcamp
• Free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'

Connect with me:

• Follow on Instagram @the.unteachables
• Check out my website