The Unteachables Podcast

This episode is a BIG ONE!The incredible Laura co-founder of The Kindness Curriculum visits the podcast to talk all things mindfulness (and beyond!) Listen in to hear us chat about...Why classroom management is all about regulation, not about just firefighting behaviours.What's the big deal with mindfulness?The complexities and barriers to using mindfulness in the classroom (hint... teaching is a bloody stressful job).How we can bring mindfulness into our classrooms to help with behaviour and classroom management.How we can make mindfulness a genuine part of the mainstream school culture.Bringing mindfulness into school detention systemsAND MOST IMPORTANTLY.... The importance of self-compassion and kindness as teacher.If you would like to hear more from Laura, or to check out Kind Minds, go hang out with her on Instagram @thekindnesscurriculum  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

"Have you ever experienced the quiet calm that sweeps over the room when you ask your students to copy the work off the board, write down definitions or do a word search?If you teach students with social, emotional and mental health needs, I would almostguarantee the answer to that is yes. When it comes to classroom compliance, this style of pedagogy works. Which is why it is no surprise that it is common practice in schools where there are high proportions of students who exhibit challenging behaviours.It is called ‘The Pedagogy of Poverty’, and it is inconspicuously stealing our most vulnerable students’ opportunities for success."This episode of the podcast explores the concept of the pedagogy of poverty, explains what it means for teaching, learning, behaviour, classroom management, and everything in between. Of course, I then give you a little insight into how to tackle it through your practice.The above excerpt is from my article "The Hidden (Disim)power of Pedadogy" in the Everyday. Journal. If you would like to check it out,  head to www.everyday.org.nzHave 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

On this week’s episode I get to have a chat with the incredible Danica, an educational mentor and consultant and the woman behind Little Bloom Consultancy. Through her work, she helps educators and parents transform how they support children’s behaviour and emotional development. Her work is firmly rooted in the values around teaching and respecting the whole human being, empathy, understanding.We discuss a wide range of things, including her series on ‘what to do when a child says no’ where she value-bombs the podcast by going through 4 practical steps to approaching challenging behaviour. Teachers, you just wait for the mantras that she gives us mid-way, they are absolutely transformative for our mindset and practice in the classroom!Keep your eyes peeled on Danica’s socials @littlebloom.consultancy - soon she’ll be releasing all of the juicy details about a free masterclass where she’ll be sharing some of the ‘what and why’ behind guidance as well as three strategies you’ll be able to implement straight away. She’ll also be releasing information shortly about a mini-course that takes you step-by-step through bringing guidance to life in your space. 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

Are you ready for an open house tour into That'll Teach 'Em?! 13 years ago I stepped into the classroom with no confidence and no clue.I was plonked into a chaotic classroom with 30 ‘unmanageable’ and ‘unteachable’ studentsAnd then another, and another, year after year, and I had no option but to learn how to swim. It started with a little doggy paddle, and now I am on a pretty smooth freestyle, but it wasn’t an easy journey.Now, looking back from the other side, I know how desperately teachers need (and freaking deserve) quality support, training and mentorship. This sink or swim culture in teaching needs to freaking end (imagine just handing a surgeon a scalpel and telling them to cut without them seeing how it's done first?! That’s teaching)So I took all of my training, incredible mentorship, every single lesson (good and diabolical) and observation, all of the ‘constructive feedback’, my own research, and my years spent developing teams of teachers. All 13 years of it.Then… I broke it down into an 8 week course that gives you the roadmaps, strategies, knowledge and support to nail classroom management.And I am officially accepting enrolments into The April intake of That’ll Teach ‘Em (but not for long)So… if you’re a teacher (or one in the making) and you’re wanting to learn how to mitigate, address and resolve challenging behaviour in a way that leaves a legacy of kindness with every one of your students, then come and join me! Say goodbye to... ✕ Feeling overwhelmed and defeated by challenging behaviours in your class ✕ Having no idea what to do next… you’ve tried it all and those behaviours aren’t budging✕ Feeling that anxious gut feeling going into another tough lesson, already watching that clock wanting it to be over✕ Feeling disempowered, at the end of your tether, and out of control with your students… And hello to... ✓ Walking into your classroom feeling empowered, skilled and ready to tackle whatever the lesson throws at you✓ Knowing how to proactively plan and prepare for lessons in ways that mitigates and reduces challenging low-level and all level behaviours✓ Being excited and re-energised to try new strategies that will not only support students who struggle with behaviour, but foster a calm and productive learning environment for every student✓ Having the skills to resolve challenging behaviour by bringing kid on the journey, getting buy in, and actually helping them be accountable!I can't wait to be a mentor in your corner! Doors close on April 29th, head right here for further details and enrol (OR for information on the next cohort if you've missed the cut off).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

On this week's episode I am going to be talking about the entire narrative around behaviour management that is getting teachers stuck in PURE survival mode. It is a trap!And what is the trap?Seeing  behaviour management is solely that. Behaviour management.  Just about responding to and addressing behaviour.It keeps teachers in a viscous never-ending cycle. Particularly with low level behaviours that can't necessarily be resolved by doing anything about every little frustrating micromoment.It isn't getting down into those mechanics. It's not asking the right questions because what the hell do we ask anyway. It is seeing resolving behaviour as a reactionary task.And it is not really doing what we need to do... what we really need to do to effectively manage behaviours is weave classroom management into every single fibre of what we do pedagogically as teachers.Because, my friends, it is so much more than just the behaviour.This episode, I am going to be giving you 3 examples of proactively classroom management that will support you to shift some of those challenging behaviours.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

Let’s talk about the fiction vs reality of Matilda’s MISS HONEY! She has inspired a generation of teachers. For so many she was actually the reason, the catalyst, the inspiration to get into the job of teaching. She was the saving grace to the kids she taught. She was generous, she was compassionate, she protected her students and their wellbeing from the incredibly punitive and nasty principal Ms Trunchbull, who used behaviour management strategies that were physically and psychologically abusive to the students at Crunchem Hall Primary School. However, her pedagogy wasn’t on point, because it takes a hell of a lot more than just a smile and taking interest to have a class that is engaged, happy and ‘well-behaved’. Challenging classroom behaviour is complex and nuanced, and dealing with it, addressing it, resolving it, reducing it, mitigating it, is also complex and nuanced. In this episode, I discuss the ‘Miss Honey Trap’ that leads teachers to believe that relationships are the only classroom management strategy needed, and go over my non-exhaustive list of things that actually go into classroom management on top of the relationships and your values around caring for each child:Classroom environment Culture settingPlanning and preparationExpectationsNon verbalsRoutinesStrategies to de-escalate behaviour - low and high levelCoregulation / self regulationRelationships with parentsFollowing up on behaviourUnderstanding behaviour itselfFor more information on Approachable vs Credible - Michael Grindrs ENVoY non-verbal language listen to episode 8 - Low Level Behaviours, Big Level Frustrations!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

In this episode, I answer the question, “aren’t we just excusing bad behaviour when we look into why it is happening?”Why bother learning about behaviour? Afterall, whatever the reason behind it, it doesn’t change the fact that it IS happening and we need to address it all the same as teachers right? So why spend time learning about it?Doesn’t learning about the why behind behaviour excuse the behaviour in a way? No, certainly not. In fact, learning more about the why behind the behaviour is incredibly empowering, not just for teachers who are dealing with this behaviour in front of them, but for students as well. Listen in as I explore many reasons why knowing the ‘why’ behind the behavior is so crucial for us as teachers and students who display challenging behaviour, including:Increased accountability and buy in for students who are able to reflect more authentically on their behavioursSupporting us to regulate, de-personalise, and surround ourselves with a protective behaviour bubbleGiving us the ability as teachers to use strategies we know will have a positive impact and be able to explain why this is the caseHave 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

Who relates to finishing explaining a task to students only to have a hand pop up and ask…  ”Sir/Miss, what are we doing?!”If you had a dollar for every time you had just explained a task and you get a question that if they were really listening, they wouldn’t need to ask in the first place, or that was irrelevant, or that forced you to explain what you had just explained, how many dollars would you have?If you asked me this in my first year of teaching, I would have had many dollars.But that amount of money I would have has significantly decreased. Of course I’d still have a few bucks in the jar, but it would be far more empty.This episode is about just that. What to do to minimise the questions and have a much smoother ride into tasks, get the students working from the get go, get rid of the task confusion, and just be able to crack on with thingsI am going to break it up into two types of strategies:Strategies before the task - so in the planning phaseStrategies during the task - so in the lessonAll of these things are about being clear and consistent in our practice... one of the many things that helps to mitigate challenging behaviours before they arise. This is why module 5 of my course That’ll Teach ‘Em is so impactful for your practice!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

DO YOUR BEST, FORGET THE REST!If you’re looking for a permission slip to truly embrace the teacher you are, then look no further than this amazing interview with Ceri Sandford. This passionate woman behind the powerhouse Wine with teacher club and podcast goes deep with me as we discuss some of the challenges of teaching.We discuss some commonly shared feelings amongst teachers such as:Am I the only teacher who feels like im winging it all of the time?Am I the only teacher who has cried in front of a class?Am I the only teacher who feels hopeless not knowing how to address all of the individual needs in the classroom?Am I the only teacher who feels like im doing a bad job and i don’t fit in as a teacher?Am I the only teacher who feels like i am not doing a good enough job even though I leave work exhausted every day?So if you have ever felt one of the above, this episode is sure to make you feel less alone, whilst giving you some solid strategies to help you overcome it.If you want to know more about Ceri’s work, be sure to head over to her Instagram @ceri.sandford or listen to her amazing podcast - The Wine with Teacher Podcast (there's a cheeky episode with me there if you want to have a listen!)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

Welcome back to season 2 of The Unteachables Podcast - Woooo freaking hoo!And I am back with a brand new co-host, my 2 month old daughter Ava. Despite me training her up for 9 months, she didn’t contribute much, but I might just let her stick around.This episode I go through my journey in teaching, from the rapid growth of my first few years from beginning teacher to middle leadership. To burning out, quitting, and skipping the country. To the eventual progression to senior leadership. This episode is perfect for anybody who…Wants 3 pieces of advice for anybody who is looking to progress through their career and has any desire to move to roles beyond classroom teachingThe importance of your individual ‘why’ and passion in educationHow getting comfortable with the discomfort shapes you as an educatorIs burnt out, wants a break, wants to leave teaching, but their heart is tornJoin the waitlist for the April intake of my classroom management course That’ll Teach ‘EmOr if you want some more info about the course  I can't wait to be a bit part of YOUR teaching journey!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