{"id":152606,"date":"2025-01-26T12:00:47","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T17:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/?post_type=podcasts&#038;p=152606"},"modified":"2025-01-26T10:03:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-26T15:03:10","slug":"a-fresh-approach-to-classroom-management","status":"publish","type":"podcasts","link":"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/a-fresh-approach-to-classroom-management\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s never just about the behavior: a fresh approach to classroom management"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"w-full scroll-mb-[var(--thread-trailing-height,150px)] text-token-text-primary focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[-4px]\" dir=\"auto\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-5\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\">\n<div class=\"m-auto text-base py-[18px] px-3 md:px-4 w-full md:px-5 lg:px-4 xl:px-5\">\n<div class=\"mx-auto flex flex-1 gap-4 text-base md:gap-5 lg:gap-6 md:max-w-3xl lg:max-w-[40rem] xl:max-w-[48rem]\">\n<div class=\"group\/conversation-turn relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\">\n<div class=\"flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"5fe16a6e-1042-4be2-975a-0be992b5a46e\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-4o\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<h3>What if the key to managing challenging student behavior isn\u2019t about &#8220;fixing&#8221; the kids\u2014but about regulating yourself?<\/h3>\n<p>I&#8217;m interviewing Claire English, whom you might know from her incredible presence on both Instagram and Tiktok under the account The Unteachables. Claire is an experienced Australian secondary English teacher and senior leader, specializing in supporting students with complex social, emotional, and mental health needs. She\u2019s worked in schools across the United Kingdom and Australia, and is dedicated to transforming volatile, challenging, and chaotic learning environments into places of safety, support, and learning. Claire later founded The Unteachables Academy and The Low-Level Behaviors Support Club, and is the author of the book &#8216;It&#8217;s Never Just About the Behaviour.\u2019 Listen in as Claire shares a fresh\u2013and actually sustainable\u2013approach to classroom management.<\/p>\n<p>Read or listen in as we discuss how self-regulation empowers teachers to create calmer, more effective learning environments while building trust and healthier responses in students. You&#8217;ll learn:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Why traditional behavior management strategies often fall short.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How self-regulation in teachers sets the tone for the entire classroom.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The role of neuroscience in understanding student behavior and stress responses.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Practical strategies for co-regulation and creating micro-moments of connection.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Why \u201cfixing\u201d student behavior isn\u2019t your job\u2014and what you can do instead.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How to craft an \u201cisland of safety\u201d in your classroom, even without strong school-wide support.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Tools and systems to help students develop self-regulation skills.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Tips for avoiding burnout and emotional exhaustion when working with extreme behaviors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Discover how small, intentional shifts in your mindset and practice can make a big impact.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-152645 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/never-about-the-behavior-tall-1-333x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/never-about-the-behavior-tall-1-333x500.jpg 333w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/never-about-the-behavior-tall-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/never-about-the-behavior-tall-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/never-about-the-behavior-tall-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Listen to episode 317 below,<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>or subscribe in your podcast app<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none;\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/35010260\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/backward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/672c5b\/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"> <\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"> <\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Sponsored by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/listenwise.com\/\">Listenwise<\/a><\/h5>\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<h3>Addressing behavior management issues<\/h3>\n<p><strong>ANGELA: A lot of teachers seem to have one of two main problems with the behavior management advice they hear. The first issue is that the advice tends to be trite and simplistic, so it ignores the root issues. And the other common complaint is that behavioral advice places too much onus on the teacher. It can even feel like it&#8217;s blaming teachers. Like if your students are misbehaving, it\u2019s because you have poor classroom management or your lessons aren\u2019t engaging. And I feel like the advice you give is so aware of these issues and is intentionally different. Can you talk about how you approach student behavior advice?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CLAIRE: Absolutely. I am so excited to have this discussion because this is the stuff that we need to talk about. This is the stuff that will help teachers feel more empowered. And I guess the way that I teach things is intentionally different because I\u2019m a teacher, and I get it. You know, like when you\u2019re a teacher, I think that so many people who are giving this advice\u2014it is trite, and it is simplistic because most of the people giving advice to teachers don\u2019t actually know what it is like to be in a classroom and dealing with these big behaviors and don\u2019t understand classroom management itself.<\/p>\n<p>I think there\u2019s this massive misconception about what classroom management actually is. You know, there\u2019s this big push towards a classroom management approach that\u2019s less punitive, that\u2019s trauma-informed, that\u2019s restorative. And I\u2019m sure some of those words actually get people\u2019s backs up because I feel like these things have stripped teachers of the only actionable tools that they have in the classroom. These actionable tools have been replaced with concepts and values, which are very important ones and ones that I hold very dear to my own practice.<\/p>\n<p>But teachers who really do want to approach behavior in a more calm, curious, and compassionate way are left screaming, \u201cWell, what do we actually do?\u201d And the response is often, \u201cWell, you need to just build the relationship.\u201d Or, \u201cYou need to think about how you\u2019re teaching your lessons. You need to have more engaging lessons,\u201d because the people who are giving that advice don\u2019t actually know what the hell is going on in classroom management themselves. I\u2019m sure they have the best of intentions and want to embody these values for their students as well, but they don\u2019t understand what that actually looks like in action, in practice, in the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why my approach is different. Yes, it\u2019s underpinned by neuroscience. It is brain-based. It is restorative. It is trauma-informed. But I focus on the things that teachers can control in their practice and empower teachers to move the needle. All of those things happen even before behaviors pop up. And I\u2019m sure that we\u2019re going to get into some of those things about the chat. But that\u2019s what kind of sets it apart\u2014the fact that I, number one, am a teacher, understand classroom management, understand behavior, and get the frustrations of feeling really disempowered in classroom management itself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>That totally makes sense because so much of what you share on Instagram really is about teacher empowerment. It\u2019s not just about behavior. You talk a lot about work-life boundaries and taking care of yourself, not just only focusing on the kids, to realize that you are an important part of the classroom too. That<\/strong><strong>\u00a0definitely resonates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We are\u2014oh my gosh, yes. Yeah, we are the biggest piece of the puzzle. Like if we can\u2019t take care of ourselves and things aren\u2019t okay with us, how are we going to go in and do this job that requires so much of us and so much regulation and show so much of our capacity?<\/p>\n<h3>Classroom management when behavioral challenges are increasing<\/h3>\n<p><strong>I feel like many teachers feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of behaviors they encounter. It used to be, many years ago, that you would have a handful of really disruptive kids and a handful of minor misbehaviors. And now it seems like those numbers have sort of doubled or even to the point where many teachers are like, \u201cI have more that have issues than don\u2019t have issues,\u201d in terms of paying attention, getting the work done, staying on task, socially appropriate behaviors, and so on.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s just so much on top of everything that teachers are being asked to do. So how do you recommend that teachers start building a manageable, effective system for their classrooms? What\u2019s the basis they need to begin with?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"w-full scroll-mb-[var(--thread-trailing-height,150px)] text-token-text-primary focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[-4px]\" dir=\"auto\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-7\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\">\n<div class=\"m-auto text-base py-[18px] px-3 md:px-4 w-full md:px-5 lg:px-4 xl:px-5\">\n<div class=\"mx-auto flex flex-1 gap-4 text-base md:gap-5 lg:gap-6 md:max-w-3xl lg:max-w-[40rem] xl:max-w-[48rem]\">\n<div class=\"group\/conversation-turn relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\">\n<div class=\"flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"f5b01d47-f8b0-4059-a166-74fd94c1c0f7\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-4o\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\">\n<div class=\"result-streaming markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<p>Yeah, I\u2019ve heard that as well. I\u2019ve heard it so often and I\u2019ve experienced it myself as well because the type of students that we would be getting in a setting, so I work in a setting for students where I used to work, like that was my previous job, but in a setting for students with significant social, emotional, and mental health needs.<\/p>\n<p>The profile of those students has become more extreme over the years because the threshold has changed. There are so many students who need that additional support, so the ones that actually end up reaching us are like the extreme, extreme students. Because things are getting more challenging\u2014well, obviously I don\u2019t have any data to back that up, but anecdotally, that does seem like the case, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>But it needs to be about breaking the cycle somehow, like overwhelm and big behaviors lead us to approach the day-to-day like this giant game of whack-a-mole, where we just feel like we\u2019re constantly addressing behaviors and hitting down the behaviors to be able to actually teach. We can break this cycle in a number of ways. And there are a bunch of different things we can change in our practice, from striking that balance between our credible and approachable teaching presence to really nailing down our entry and exit routines, to having systems in place for early finishers.<\/p>\n<p>Because all of these things are micro-moments where there are opportunities for behaviors to kind of spike up. You know, having non-verbal roadmaps to follow when addressing low-level behaviors in a calm way\u2014all of those things are proactive and are happening before the behavior pops up. There are so many things that teachers can start with just to see some success and feel more excited about the potential for things to change. Because it kind of gets to a point where things feel really hopeless and helpless, and you just don\u2019t want to walk back into the classroom again.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all about breaking that cycle and coming from this understanding that we can\u2019t control the behaviors. We\u2019re not in control of the behaviors in the room as much as some people\u2019s leaders would like us to be. You do not control any other human being\u2019s behaviors. All you can control is your own behaviors, how you respond, and what you do. So really starting from that understanding and then putting things in place that can proactively start to mitigate some of these big challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Because there are lots of things that we can do to start to mitigate. All of those whack-a-mole behaviors are kind of not leaving space for us to deal with the things that actually need to be dealt with more rigorously. We\u2019re always on those low-level disruptions. And yeah, it all starts with that and understanding that classroom management has far less to do with the behavior itself than a lot of people like to make out.<\/p>\n<h3>Teacher presence: balancing credibility and approachability<\/h3>\n<p><strong>When you talk about being able to control only yourself, you mentioned your presence in the classroom, I\u2019d love to hear you talk about presence because I feel like that\u2019s a really hard thing to define. And it\u2019s different for every teacher. I tried, as a young teacher, to emulate other successful teachers, not realizing that my demeanor didn\u2019t naturally match theirs. My personality wasn\u2019t like theirs. So I couldn\u2019t do things the way that they did. I had to find what was authentic to me, a<\/strong><strong>nd then I was able to sustain it. Then it wasn\u2019t just like this performance or this act. It was actually something I could do day after day, and it actually resonated with the kids because they could feel the sincerity in there. So can you speak a little bit to how you have found your presence and what advice you give around that?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is one of the things that I talk about the most, actually. I absolutely love this topic. And what you said about us kind of comparing ourselves to the teacher down the hall\u2014when I first started teaching, there was this one teacher. She\u2019s a really good friend of mine actually. But she is this really loud, out-there, really energetic person. And I was trying to emulate that, thinking that would make me more popular with the students or more likable with the students. And it just led to me having far more issues with behavior because of how I was showing up in the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>So, this is a concept by Michael Grinder. It\u2019s called Envoy, and it\u2019s all about the non-verbals that we use in the classroom. This one thing can honestly be like a switch being flicked in the classroom. We\u2019ve got these two ways that we can show up in the classroom non-verbally. The first is being credible in our teaching presence, and the second is being approachable in our teaching presence.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all about balancing those things. It\u2019s not about us being a certain kind of person. It\u2019s not about us having to be more exciting, more fun, more strict\u2014it\u2019s not about those things. So it\u2019s beautiful because we can just lean into the people that we are and be really authentic and genuine with our students. It\u2019s just about being strategic with the non-verbals that we\u2019re using when we need to use them.<\/p>\n<p>The times when we\u2019re trying to get students to be listening to instructions and teacher-led instructions, we would be more embodying the credible, which is more stillness, more slowness. Our inflection would be different. Our tone would be different. Our proximity to students would be different. The way we\u2019re standing\u2014on both feet, shoulders down, really intentionally embodying this credible body language, really taking that deep breath.<\/p>\n<p>But then there are times when we can be more approachable when we\u2019re moving from group to group during group work or when we\u2019re having a chat with our students when we\u2019re trying to build that rapport. We\u2019re more in our approachable body language, which is more relaxed. We might be leaning on the table, we might be on one foot, you know, just having a bit of a chat like I\u2019m talking to you right now. This is not how I\u2019d talk to my students if I\u2019m trying to get them to follow my instructions.<\/p>\n<p>So really thinking about our teaching presence as a tool and a bunch of different non-verbal strategies. It\u2019s not about being a different person. It\u2019s actually something that every single one of us can learn because if we don\u2019t use these two things in the right way at the right time, it can actually escalate the behaviors in the room.<\/p>\n<p>If I\u2019m being approachable in times where I\u2019m supposed to be credible, students in the room are going to be having a bit of a chit-chat, and I\u2019m going to be like, \u201cWhy are you talking? Why are you talking over me? Come on, everyone, let\u2019s listen.\u201d So it\u2019s really about choosing the non-verbals that are appropriate for the moment. And that is our teaching presence. It\u2019s not about the person we are.<\/p>\n<h3>Common pitfalls in behavior management<\/h3>\n<p><strong>What are some of the common pitfalls that are really easy to fall into with behavior issues?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think\u2014and it leads to what I just said\u2014it\u2019s not modeling what we want from our students. It all leads from those non-verbals and the whole idea of the credible and the approachable and how we need to strategically be with our students. One of the most important tools that we have in our bag of tricks for behavior is our own regulation.<\/p>\n<p>I use this analogy of our class being an orchestra, and we\u2019re the conductor of the energy in the room. All of the music the class is playing is just to the tune of their own emotional regulation, and it\u2019s our job as the conductor to then lead and guide that as much as we can from what is in our control, which is often our non-verbals and our structures and all of the things that are happening outside of those behaviors. That is our baton. Our non-verbals are our baton\u2014all of those wonderful things that we can do in our control.<\/p>\n<p>A big pivot for teachers\u2014and it\u2019s something that has an immediate impact on how we\u2019re responding to behaviors and the behaviors themselves\u2014is just modeling what we want to see in the room. I spoke a lot about the credible and the approachable. The best way to remember how to do that is just by asking yourself, \u201cWhat do I want to see from my students right now, and how can I embody that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, if I want my students to be calm and sitting in their seats, listening and attentive, how do I need to embody that in my non-verbals to regulate them into what I\u2019d like them to be doing right now?<\/p>\n<p>If we\u2019re expecting students to listen to teacher input and giving them a big wad of sheets to take one and pass one along, the attention is no longer on us. And that\u2019s something that I see. You know, I\u2019ve observed hundreds and hundreds of classes over my career. And that is one of the big things I see\u2014little things like that do add up to some disruption.<\/p>\n<p>So, \u201cTake one and pass one along\u201d\u2014well, all of a sudden, the attention isn\u2019t on you, and you\u2019ve given a distraction for students to be doing. That\u2019s non-verbal permission for them not to be listening to you. If we want students to be working independently on a task, but then all of a sudden we\u2019re going, \u201cHey, Barry, what are you doing over there? Put your phone away,\u201d instead of moving really quietly, really calmly, and using our proximity to redirect that student, we need to be embodying what we want to see from the class.<\/p>\n<p>If you want calm, you need to be modeling that. If you want students to be moving around the room slowly, you need to be modeling that. If you want students to be paying attention, but you\u2019re pacing and talking over them and thinking, \u201cNear enough is good enough because Bobby\u2019s the only one still having a chat in the corner, but I just need to get through the work and the content,\u201d you\u2019re sending non-verbal messages to your students. So we just need to be sending the right messages and using those right non-verbals at the right times. That is just such a powerful pivot when we start to realize that we need to start embodying what we want to see for our students.<\/p>\n<h3>When self-regulation is difficult<\/h3>\n<p><strong>What do you do in that moment when it\u2019s just really hard to be regulated? Where it\u2019s like, you know what you need to embody, but it\u2019s like, \u201cI just want to yell across the room to this kid because I can\u2019t believe they\u2019re doing it again.\u201d Do you explicitly model that for kids and say, \u201cI\u2019m feeling really frustrated right now,\u201d and then show them what you\u2019re doing to calm yourself down? Or how do you handle that?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think in situations where I\u2019m trying to regulate the behavior in the room, I won\u2019t talk through that stuff. I think it\u2019s really important for us to be able to teach and model emotional regulation. So if I\u2019m running in from having a really tough day, I might say to them, \u201cHi, class. I\u2019ve had a really tough morning. I\u2019m feeling really stressed. Before I\u2019m able to teach this lesson, I\u2019m going to take a couple of deep breaths and drop my shoulders, and then we\u2019re going to move on with the lesson. Because if I do the lesson the way that I\u2019m feeling right now, I might not be responding to things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So there is a time and a place for that kind of modeling. When I\u2019m trying to get students to be listening to me and my instructions, I won\u2019t be modeling that necessarily. I\u2019ll just be trying my best to stay regulated, and it is hard. It\u2019s really triggering.<\/p>\n<p>Before I walk into every single lesson\u2014every single lesson\u2014I\u2019ll say to myself, \u201cAll I can control is myself.\u201d I will be telling myself that about 50 times a day. If I\u2019m in the middle of a lesson where I\u2019ve got five students and they\u2019re really bubbling things up, and I\u2019ve been waiting for three minutes, and I\u2019m like, \u201cI just need to get through this lesson,\u201d I will tell myself, \u201cI can only control what I can control, and all I can control right now is myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So what can I do at this moment? I can take a deep breath. I can drop my shoulders. It\u2019s going to be different for everybody, but I find it really helpful to take a deep breath in and really consciously think about where my shoulders are. Because for me, I feel like I get really tense and I&#8217;m like this\u2014and everyone&#8217;s going to be different in that. So I&#8217;ll have my shoulders up near my ears, I&#8217;ll be really tense.<\/p>\n<p>Just the act of me recognizing what&#8217;s happening in my body, recognizing that I am feeling very stressed and I&#8217;m not okay, taking a deep breath, and then intentionally dropping my shoulders\u2014even just that, looking out into the classroom, you can see that act as a wave of regulation. When I started to learn these strategies, I was like, \u201cThis is a bit of magic.\u201d I just couldn&#8217;t believe it. I was like, \u201cI can\u2019t believe this is working,\u201d because, you know, I was being very punitive in my approach. I was doing a lot of shouting, a lot of crosses on the board, and I was very power-over.<\/p>\n<p>When I started to adopt these things, I couldn\u2019t believe how magical it was just to be able to start to influence rather than try to control\u2014just through my regulation and just acknowledging that that is tough.<\/p>\n<p>You know, all the students and teachers I work with, they come to me talking about how difficult they\u2019re finding regulation. But then when you start to work on that, and when you start to realize how powerful that is, it can be like night and day.<\/p>\n<h3>What you do outside the classroom impacts how you show up<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Yes, self-regulation is everything, and I\u2019m obviously still working on it\u2014I think it\u2019s a lifelong thing. But it took me so many years to figure that out and to understand that who I am, apart from being in the classroom, has such a major impact. The way that I take care of myself outside of work spills over.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The types of practices that I do\u2014learning to practice self-compassion, learning how to self-regulate in traffic or when my husband\u2019s getting on my nerves or something\u2014these are skills that you build. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. But I\u2019d love to hear about what you do outside of the classroom that helps you stay regulated when you\u2019re in the classroom.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oh, I love that. And I completely agree\u2014it\u2019s a skill that we\u2019re constantly trying to learn and master. When I was pregnant, and I was in the classroom with students who had very volatile, violent behaviors, it was very hard to stay regulated. Every day now, with my toddler, I\u2019m always trying to practice those skills of regulation.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke to the wonderful Marie Gentles on my podcast a little while back, and she used the term, \u201cemotional containment.\u201d I have used that ever since because I think it\u2019s so beautiful. It\u2019s about finding something\u2014because I\u2019m a busy mom, I don\u2019t have time to do much. My toddler sleeps with me, so I don\u2019t even have time to get up in the morning and do anything. Just finding something to practice emotional containment, where you\u2019re spending even just five minutes on something that is just about you.<\/p>\n<p>My thing is, I need to spend five minutes after school, after teaching, to have a cup of tea in the bedroom. I say to my husband, \u201cI\u2019m going in there now. I\u2019m having my time.\u201d I just need to sit there. I can\u2019t be spoken to, I can\u2019t hear it. I just need to have time by myself. If I don\u2019t have that, I really struggle with overwhelm. I\u2019ve gone through big spouts of burnout myself.<\/p>\n<p>That time for me to decompress is so important. I know everyone is so different. Some people might want to go play a sport, go to the gym, or go for a walk. For me, it\u2019s sitting in a dark room and not speaking to anybody. But it\u2019s just about what works for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yeah, even that five minutes really makes a difference. I always feel like I need a longer block of time for self-care. I wish I could have an entire weekend in which no one\u2019s asking me to do anything, but honestly, even just 5 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour\u2014whatever small bits of time\u2014make a huge difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s interesting because I interviewed a teacher a long time ago who has seven children of her own. She trained them that when she comes home, the first 30 minutes she\u2019s in the bedroom by herself. The older ones watch the younger ones, and they have their own little routine. They know, \u201cDo not come upstairs and bother Mom.\u201d She\u2019s been teaching all day long, and now she\u2019s got seven kids at home. That\u2019s just a routine she\u2019s established. She said, \u201cIt is my sanity.\u201d They know that. They\u2019ve seen her on days when she doesn\u2019t get that, and she\u2019s not as well-regulated. So I think it\u2019s a normal need. The more we honor that, the better we\u2019re going to be for the people around us.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oh my gosh, seven kids. Oh my gosh, I\u2019m struggling with one toddler!<\/p>\n<h3>Addressing root causes of behavior while teaching<\/h3>\n<p><strong>So, okay, let\u2019s get into some of these more severe behaviors you\u2019ve had experience in. One of your guiding principles focuses on understanding the why behind the behavior. How do teachers address the root causes of behavior while managing the day-to-day disruptions, teaching lessons, and staying on top of everything that needs to be done? You can\u2019t just stop and dig into a kid\u2019s deepest issues right in the middle of your lesson. How do you balance those two things?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oh, I love that question because when we hear that we need to understand the why beneath the behavior, that is exactly what teachers can think, and that\u2019s how it gets misconstrued. Maybe even that\u2019s how they\u2019re being taught to think\u2014that they need to stop and go, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? What\u2019s happening beneath the behavior?\u201d That\u2019s not the case. The student probably doesn\u2019t even understand what\u2019s going on beneath their behavior.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s very likely they have no idea what is going on beneath the behavior. There\u2019s also an understanding that this might excuse the behavior, which is not the case at all. What\u2019s happening in the brain is happening with all of us. That\u2019s really powerful to understand. When we understand the basic functions of the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the stress response, we can approach things in a way that actively de-escalates what\u2019s in front of us.<\/p>\n<p>For me, understanding the why is just about allowing us to see what\u2019s happening in front of us and respond in a way that\u2019s going to de-escalate, because it\u2019s all about de-escalation. This understanding really just allows us to get to the root causes, and all of our pedagogy and teaching practices should be preventative when we understand the why beneath the behavior. We understand why that works.<\/p>\n<p>It helps us to be more intentional in the way that we respond to behavior because we then have a better chance of keeping ourselves regulated. When we\u2019re like, \u201cOkay, what I see in front of me is likely a stress response,\u201d we know if we want to address that stress response, we need to stay regulated and bring the student into our calm. It\u2019s not about having 20 conversations an hour about what\u2019s happening beneath the behavior. That\u2019s not the case at all.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, there is a time and place for those restorative chats for more extreme cases. But we don\u2019t need to feel like we have to do that for every behavior. Using this information should inform and strengthen what we do daily. For example, I know that when I scaffold my essay writing tasks and provide supports like sentence starters, I\u2019m mitigating the likelihood of Bobby going, \u201cThis is crap, I\u2019m not doing it!\u201d and throwing his book against the wall. He feels more supported.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s about understanding what we can put in place\u2014structures, supports, routines\u2014that will proactively address the underlying needs. We don\u2019t need to know every student\u2019s individual story; we just need to know that something could be happening and plan accordingly. That\u2019s my thought on understanding the why beneath the behavior. I\u2019m a big fan of it, but oh my gosh, could you imagine if we had to find out what was going on with every single student? They don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<h3>You don&#8217;t have to be a psychologist<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Yes, that\u2019s right. The kids can\u2019t articulate it. So you&#8217;re like, \u201cWhy are you doing that? What is wrong with you today? Why aren\u2019t you working?\u201d And they\u2019ll say, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d They truly cannot tell you. So when you start going into these, \u201cWhy are you\u2026?\u201d questions, you\u2019re not going to get anywhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I think what you\u2019ve said about focusing on proactive responses and thinking about what we know about neuroscience and stress responses, rather than <a href=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/trauma-informed-teaching\/\">playing psychological trauma detective<\/a>, is key. Trying to dig it all up and figure out what\u2019s going on in a kid\u2019s home life\u2014that\u2019s not necessarily the role of a teacher. We don\u2019t have to do that in order to understand the student. It\u2019s more like, \u201cOkay, this child is having a stress response. I don\u2019t necessarily know why. I don\u2019t know what triggered it, but I know how to respond to these kinds of things.\u201d That\u2019s such a powerful shift.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s so powerful. And I hear a lot of people say, \u201cOh, we\u2019re not psychologists, and we don\u2019t have training to deal with this stuff.\u201d But we don\u2019t have to be. We just have to be really great teachers. That\u2019s the most empowering thing about an approach to behavior like this. We just have to have really good practice\u2014control what we can control, know how to respond strategically, but not feel like we need to fix everything.<\/p>\n<p><strong>That\u2019s really powerful for me personally because I am a fixer. I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. When something is wrong, no matter how big or beyond me it is, I still feel like I should do something. When I have a student who is clearly suffering and going through things, I want to fix it. It\u2019s really hard for me not to do that deep dive and not make that my mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I really love what you\u2019re saying here. It\u2019s a profound shift to think, \u201cIt\u2019s not my job to fix.\u201d Instead, I\u2019m going to set this student up for success and respond in the moment to what they need. That\u2019s my job. And I know how to do that. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve been trained to do, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m good at.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, and that\u2019s the way we can leave things. I\u2019m with you completely. I think that\u2019s why I got so burnt out when I first started teaching. It\u2019s such an important shift because it allows us to leave things at the door. A lot of the people I work with are compassionate, kind, empathetic teachers who take so much on themselves. But all you can control is what you can control. You can\u2019t control what happens when they leave that classroom. It\u2019s a really important shift to make.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"FJqNCSQxV6\"><p><a href=\"http:\/\/truthforteachers-j2cwlay4.on-forge.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/trauma-informed-teaching\/\">A crash course on trauma-informed teaching<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;A crash course on trauma-informed teaching&#8221; &#8212; Truth For Teachers\" src=\"http:\/\/truthforteachers-j2cwlay4.on-forge.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/trauma-informed-teaching\/embed\/#?secret=vuEKHKGKGh#?secret=FJqNCSQxV6\" data-secret=\"FJqNCSQxV6\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Supporting students with severe behavior problems<\/h3>\n<p><strong>What advice would you give to teachers working with students who have severe or persistent behavior challenges? Can you talk more about that burnout piece and the emotional exhaustion that comes with working with students who require intensive behavior support?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Absolutely. I think I mentioned before that I originally taught in a mainstream school. It was still a low socioeconomic school with plenty of behavior challenges, but there were classes that were easier to manage, so there was some respite. Then I moved to London and started teaching in a school specifically for students with social, emotional, and mental health needs\u2014very complex needs.<\/p>\n<p>These manifested in really big behaviors\u2014really violent, really abusive\u2014the whole shebang. I think I said it before, but I would walk into every lesson telling myself, \u201cI can only control what I can control.\u201d I reminded myself every single second I was working with those students.<\/p>\n<p>Another really helpful thing to know about students with big behaviors is that behavior change doesn\u2019t happen overnight. It can be disheartening to work with students who exhibit these big behaviors. You try really hard, you invest in their emotional piggy banks, you develop rapport, and you follow the advice to build relationships, but they don\u2019t come on board with that.<\/p>\n<p>For students with significant social, emotional, and mental health needs, their ability to trust has likely been completely eroded over their lives. It\u2019s important to remind ourselves that their attachment style\u2014often disorganized\u2014didn\u2019t develop overnight. Their brains have been shaped by their entire lives\u2019 worth of connection points.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding that their attachment style and the behaviors we see in the classroom are a product of their entire life&#8217;s worth of connection points helps us maintain empathy for the student. It doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy. There have been moments in my career where I\u2019ve thought, \u201cI don\u2019t want this student in my class anymore. I don\u2019t want to deal with this. I don\u2019t want to be treated this way.\u201d It\u2019s human to feel that way sometimes.<\/p>\n<p>But reminding ourselves of the bigger picture\u2014that the way they\u2019re presenting in class is the result of everything they\u2019ve been through\u2014can help us maintain perspective. We\u2019re not going to undo that in a day, a month, or even a year. However, every single moment of connection that we make with that student is actually changing their brain. It\u2019s not always visible, but it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n<p>I heard this beautiful analogy, and if anyone knows where it came from, let me know because I\u2019ve been trying to find the source. It was shared in a training I attended years ago: working with students with challenging behaviors is like planting a seed in a garden. You don\u2019t see the roots growing beneath the surface, but the roots are growing every time you choose connection, every time you show compassion, every time you model kindness and respect.<\/p>\n<p>We learn compassion, kindness, and respect through seeing it modeled. If students aren\u2019t showing those behaviors, it\u2019s likely because they haven\u2019t seen those things modeled in their lives. Every time you choose to take the high road and show them a better way of being, you\u2019re creating new neural connections for them. It\u2019s literally reshaping their brains.<\/p>\n<p>The hard part is that you don\u2019t always get to see the fruits of that labor. Sometimes, it feels like what you\u2019re doing is not working. But trust that the seeds you\u2019re planting will grow\u2014even if the roots are deep underground, unseen. That understanding has helped me tremendously in staying the course with students who challenge me the most.<\/p>\n<p>For teachers who are working with students exhibiting really challenging behaviors, what\u2019s crucial is setting boundaries\u2014not just with the students, but also with yourself. Knowing when to walk away emotionally, even if you\u2019re still physically present, is vital for your well-being.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you might have a student who\u2019s had a really tough day and is pushing every button you have. It\u2019s okay to acknowledge to yourself, \u201cI\u2019ve done all I can in this moment.\u201d Step away mentally and focus on controlling your own regulation. You can\u2019t pour from an empty cup, so protecting your energy is not selfish; it\u2019s essential.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing I recommend is leaning on your team. Don\u2019t try to shoulder the responsibility of behavior management alone. Use your colleagues, your administration, and other support staff as resources. It can feel isolating when you\u2019re in a room with a student who\u2019s struggling, but you\u2019re not alone in this work. Build a network of people you can trust to help.<\/p>\n<p>Behavior management is most sustainable when you have systems in place that prevent and mitigate problems before they escalate. This includes consistent routines, clear expectations, and proactive strategies. For instance, having strong entry and exit routines can set the tone for the entire day. Small things like greeting students at the door, establishing predictable transitions, and implementing a system for early finishers can make a big difference.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re not going to eliminate every challenge, but creating a structured environment reduces the number of decisions students have to make, which decreases opportunities for behaviors to escalate. When students know what to expect and feel supported, they\u2019re more likely to engage positively.<\/p>\n<p>For me, the most important thing is focusing on what we can control. There\u2019s so much about teaching that feels out of our hands\u2014student home lives, systemic challenges, and the broader context in which we teach. But within our classrooms, we have the power to create a safe, predictable, and supportive environment. That\u2019s where we can make the biggest difference.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ARR60wevUZ\"><p><a href=\"http:\/\/truthforteachers-j2cwlay4.on-forge.com\/4-trauma-informed-strategies-that-help-kids-with-aces-and-benefit-your-entire-class\/\">4 trauma-informed approaches that help kids with ACEs (and benefit your entire class!)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;4 trauma-informed approaches that help kids with ACEs (and benefit your entire class!)&#8221; &#8212; Truth For Teachers\" src=\"http:\/\/truthforteachers-j2cwlay4.on-forge.com\/4-trauma-informed-strategies-that-help-kids-with-aces-and-benefit-your-entire-class\/embed\/#?secret=1cucnw6Myy#?secret=ARR60wevUZ\" data-secret=\"ARR60wevUZ\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>You are creating new neural pathways for students every day&#8211;and that matters<\/h3>\n<p>Even on the hardest days, remember that the work you\u2019re doing matters. You may not see the results immediately, but every moment of connection, every act of compassion, and every effort to support your students is planting seeds for their future. Trust the process, and give yourself grace along the way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>They have this highway to a certain behavior, a way of being, a response, and they are on that one-track highway. When we\u2019re working with students and trying to redirect those behaviors, we\u2019re trying to create a completely new path off that highway. Maybe for the first month, we\u2019re pulling out some weeds off the highway. Maybe they go, \u201cOh, you know, people are going down this way. Maybe I\u2019ll mow this area,\u201d and there\u2019s another little pathway they can take to get to this result\u2014they don\u2019t have to use this behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Over time, maybe the council comes in and says, \u201cHey, this pathway is being used a lot; let\u2019s put some tarmac down.\u201d In their brain, what used to be their highway to a certain behavior to meet this need, we\u2019re actually crafting a different path, a different way of being and responding. Getting the council to put in a new highway doesn\u2019t happen overnight. It\u2019s about forging this new pathway, practicing it, and treading it down over time. I hope I haven\u2019t completely demolished that analogy, but it\u2019s something that has stuck with me ever since, and I love it so much.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yeah, I really like that. I can visualize it too. It\u2019s just, that\u2019s the path they\u2019re naturally speeding down\u2014they\u2019ve been down it so many times\u2014and you\u2019re showing them a different way. The really cool thing is that our brains learn to respond to different situations in different ways.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Even if this kinder, gentler, empathetic way of being isn\u2019t going to allow them to be successful in a home environment\u2014where they may need to be tougher or meaner\u2014the brain can develop different neural pathways for different situations. Over time, students can learn, \u201cIn this room, this is how I need to show up. This is what will help me be successful here.\u201d In this space, they can feel safe to be more vulnerable or take a risk.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I love that idea, especially when working with the most extreme behaviors. You can\u2019t fix everything. You can only control what you can control. But every single day, you\u2019re helping students create new neural pathways and healthier responses. That\u2019s empowering.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yeah, absolutely. And I think that over time, that\u2019s what has shaped my approach. When we talk about crafting those new neural pathways, it doesn\u2019t always look like sitting down with a student and saying, \u201cOkay, this is how we need to respond differently.\u201d Sometimes it\u2019s about those micro-moments:<\/p>\n<p>For example, knowing that Ms. English always has a starter activity ready for them when they walk into class. That small predictability supports their regulation. It\u2019s the tiny moments of connection that build trust in other human beings\u2014trust they may not have had before.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve had students where, after a year, I didn\u2019t feel like I had any success with them. But five years down the road, I saw the evidence of the work I did. I never got a \u201cthank you,\u201d and I don\u2019t need one. But as teachers, we often don\u2019t realize how much impact we\u2019re having because it\u2019s not something we immediately see, and that can be tough.<\/p>\n<h3>When there&#8217;s no unified approach to behavior in your school<\/h3>\n<p><strong>What advice do you give teachers whose schools don\u2019t have a unified approach to behavior management? These are folks who feel like they\u2019re handling all the most challenging problems on their own. They send kids to the office, and the kids come back with a lollipop. Leadership might feel too soft on students, or teachers feel unsupported and left alone in the classroom with no help for themselves or their students.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This comes up a lot in my work, especially when I\u2019m hearing from folks on Instagram. First, you deserve to be supported by your leadership. You deserve to be heard, and your challenges deserve to be validated. However, the support teachers think they want isn\u2019t always the support they actually need.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of disempowerment in classrooms, and a firmer hand from leadership won\u2019t always help. If you want leadership to remove students and expel them, that does nothing to change the behavior when they return to your classroom. I hear this time and time again from teachers I support: they send a student out, the student talks to the principal, and they come back with no communication about what happened. It feels like the issue is brushed aside, and the problems escalate.<\/p>\n<p>There are so many issues in schools like this that we can\u2019t control. That\u2019s why I\u2019m all about controlling the controllable. You can\u2019t control leadership\u2019s response to the student unless you leave and find a different school. If your school environment truly isn\u2019t serving you and you feel disempowered, that might be a choice you have to make.<\/p>\n<p>But while you\u2019re there, focus on what you can control. What can you do to strengthen your classroom community? How can your classroom become an island of safety for your students? This is something I\u2019ve had to do myself. I\u2019ve walked into school every day thinking, \u201cI don\u2019t want to do this anymore. I feel so unsupported.\u201d But at some point, I realized, \u201cThis is my space. These are my kids.\u201d I decided to make my classroom a place where I could control what I could control.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not saying don\u2019t seek support. You absolutely need it for challenging behaviors. But I want you to focus on seeking the right support and building your space as a safe haven for yourself and your students.<\/p>\n<h3>Takeaway Truth<\/h3>\n<p><strong>I want to close the show with what I call a takeaway truth. What\u2019s something you wish every teacher understood about behavior?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That it\u2019s not about the behavior. Classroom management isn\u2019t about behavior\u2014it\u2019s about everything we do. We can\u2019t control behavior, so it\u2019s not behavior management; it\u2019s classroom management.<\/p>\n<p>We can only influence and guide behavior. That understanding allows us to take a breath and let go of the weight of perfection. Behavior isn\u2019t a reflection of us as teachers or human beings. It\u2019s what the student is doing in that moment. We\u2019re doing the best we can to guide and influence them.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that classroom management is about what you can control. Give yourself grace, focus on what\u2019s within your power, and move forward with that. It\u2019s empowering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What if the key to managing challenging student behavior isn\u2019t about &#8220;fixing&#8221; the kids\u2014but about regulating yourself? I&#8217;m interviewing Claire English, whom you might know from her incredible presence on both Instagram and Tiktok under the account The Unteachables. Claire is an experienced Australian secondary English teacher and senior leader, specializing in supporting students with &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/a-fresh-approach-to-classroom-management\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":152647,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[9,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152606","podcasts","type-podcasts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classroom-management","category-productivity-strategies"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Truth For Teachers | It\u2019s never just about the behavior: a fresh approach to classroom management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/a-fresh-approach-to-classroom-management\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Truth For Teachers | It\u2019s never just about the behavior: a fresh approach to classroom management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What if the key to managing challenging student behavior isn\u2019t about &#8220;fixing&#8221; the kids\u2014but about regulating yourself? I&#8217;m interviewing Claire English, whom you might know from her incredible presence on both Instagram and Tiktok under the account The Unteachables. 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