The Unteachables Podcast
Welcome to 'The Unteachables Podcast', your go-to resource for practical classroom management strategies and teacher support. I’m your host, Claire English, a passionate secondary teacher and leader turned teacher mentor and author of 'It's Never Just About the Behaviour: A Holistic Approach to Classroom Behaviour Management.' I'm on a mission to help educators like you transform your classrooms, build confidence, and feel empowered.
Why am I here? Not too long ago, I was overwhelmed by low-level classroom disruptions and challenging behaviors. After thousands of hours honing my skills in real classrooms and navigating ups and downs, I’ve become a confident, capable teacher ready to reach every student—even those with the most challenging behaviors. My journey inspired me to support teachers like you in mastering effective classroom strategies that promote compassion, confidence, and calm.
On The Unteachables Podcast, we’ll dive into simple, actionable strategies that you can use to handle classroom disruptions, boost student engagement, and create a positive learning environment.
You'll hear from renowned experts such as:
Bobby Morgan of the Liberation Lab
Marie Gentles, behavior expert behind BBC's 'Don't Exclude Me' and author of 'Gentles Guidance'
Robyn Gobbel, author of 'Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviours'
Dr. Lori Desautels, assistant professor and published author
And many more behaviour experts and mentors.
Whether you’re an early career teacher, a seasoned educator, or a teaching assistant navigating classroom challenges, this podcast is here to help you feel happier, empowered, and ready to make an impact with every student.
Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode packed with classroom tips and inspiring conversations that make a real difference!
The Unteachables Podcast
#84: BEHAVIOUR BITE: Students will always follow our example, before they follow our instructions.
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Behaviour Bites! Every Thursday (in addition to my main-course episode on Tuesday) I’ll be delivering one quick tip each week that you can put into action immediately to help you crush your classroom management!
TODAY'S BEHAVIOUR BITE:
Students will always follow our example, before they follow our instruction.
Listen in as I talk through this bite, and give you your actionable takeaway!
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 for no-fluff monthly training, a supportive community of like-minded educators, and done-for-you resources.
Browse my resources on TPT - All things SEL made with love.
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:
- Download the free guide: 'Chats that Create Change'
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Welcome to Behaviour Bites. One quick tip per week that you can put into action immediately to help you crush your classroom management. This is your host, Claire English, and this is your Bite of the Week. Hello teachers, welcome to this inaugural, first ever Behaviour Bites, and I hope it's the first of many bites to come.
Speaker 1:And this week's behavior bite is in absolute alignment with what we're focusing on this month and it is low level behavior. So if you haven't gone to listen to the other episodes, the last five are just golden, golden nuggets of low level behavior. Goodness, all about nonverbal pedagogy, all about crafting a teaching presence, all about the quick things that we can change to make immense amounts of progress with our classroom management. So I suggest you go back there and listen as soon as possible. But onto today's behavior bite.
Speaker 1:Students will always and I mean always follow our example before they follow our verbal instructions and what this means when we send verbal messages to our class. Whether it's you know, go, sit down in your chairs and get your pens out, get your books out, or you know you're listening to whatever I need to say now, or you're doing this independently and quietly. Whatever it is that you are saying verbally to your students. What you're sending to students non-verbally, what you're communicating to your students non-verbally, is going to be the favoured message for the brain. We are always sending non-verbal messages at the same time as we're sending these verbal messages, and your non-verbals are always going to be the favoured message. Just think if somebody's crying and they're saying, oh, you know, I'm okay, I'm okay. Are they really okay? And of course, there's more nuance to this when we consider neurodivergence. But it's all about modeling what we want from our students. If you want students to be working independently and quietly, don't keep talking loudly to students around the room, because it gives them nonverbal permission to do the same, to follow our example, even if the verbal instruction was do this quietly and do this independently.
Speaker 1:Another example that I see really often is when students are in an assembly and we're expecting students to be paying attention, yet we're up the back whispering to our colleagues, making comments to our colleagues and having a chat. There's so many more Like in the moment to moment, day to day. We are doing this constantly. We are sending these verbal messages. We are sending nonverbal messages along with them. So your action point, your takeaway, is just to think to yourself am I right now modeling what I want for my students? Constantly ask yourself that question, because I would bet that the answer to that question for a lot of us is at least one no a day. And when we tune into those no's we can make seemingly small shifts that add up to something immense, huge, transformative for our classroom management.
Speaker 1:Okay, teachers see just a little, teeny, tiny bite of classroom management goodness that anybody can listen to and implement immediately. So I hope you like that little behavior nugget and I will see you next week for another. Bye, for now, this behavior bite was brought to you by the Behavior Club, my wonderful membership for teachers, where every single month I'm releasing training around a focus area, quality resources to lighten the load in every sense of the word, a brilliant community that I'm in daily answering questions and giving personalized support, and just so much more. So consider this my personal invite to come on in, take a look around, and I absolutely can't wait to see you there. Help you feel confident, help you feel capable and just crush classroom management. Head to the-unteachablescom forward, slash TBC or find the link in the show notes. Me and my behavior clubbers are popping on a cuppa and pulling up a seat as we speak.
