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The Unteachables Podcast

The Unteachables Podcast

By: Claire English
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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.
Angela Watson from the Truth for Teachers Podcast.

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!

© 2026 The Unteachables Podcast
Education
Episodes
  • #163: What does real inclusion look like in the classroom? Supporting neurodivergent students | Interview with Verity Harvey
    Mar 23 2026

    What if the biggest shift you could make for your most complex students had nothing to do with behaviour charts, consequences, or reward systems — and everything to do with the way you see them?

    In this episode, I'm sitting down with the incredible Verity Harvey — an educator with over 20 years of experience in inclusion and disability, a passionate advocate for neurodiversity, and one of the keynote speakers I'll be joining at EduTech 2026 here in Sydney (more on that soon!). Verity brings a wealth of experience from early childhood through to complex disability settings, and she is now working in mainstream schools to help educators do inclusion really well.

    Verity's whole philosophy is built around the idea that behaviour is a message — and that if we can shift from a "behaviour management" lens to a "problem-solving" lens, everything changes. She's deeply influenced by the work of Dr. Ross Greene and his Collaborative Proactive Solutions model, as well as Dr. Bruce Perry's neurosequential framework, and she brings all of that together in a way that is warm, practical, and genuinely actionable.

    We talk about what Universal Design actually looks like in a busy classroom, why regulation has to come before reasoning (every single time), and why the iceberg analogy isn't just a metaphor — it's the key to depersonalising behaviour and showing up calm for your students.

    Verity also shares a deeply personal story about her son — a moment at swimming lessons that perfectly illustrates how systems still have a long way to go in understanding and accommodating neurodivergent kids. You're going to want to hear it.

    In this episode, you'll learn:

    • What Universal Design for Learning actually looks like in a real classroom — not the theory, the tangible stuff
    • The three R's from Dr. Bruce Perry: Regulate → Relate → Reason (and why skipping steps doesn't work)
    • What's really under the surface of big, concerning behaviours — and how understanding it helps you depersonalise and stay regulated yourself
    • How the iceberg analogy applies to kids AND teachers — and what to do with that
    • The one mindset shift that will change how you walk into your classroom tomorrow
    • How school leaders can build systems that actually support teachers to support their most complex students
    • Why "just be kind" isn't quite enough — and what gets in the way of that for even the most compassionate teachers

    Come and join us at Edutech Sydney 2026! Use code UNTEACH26 for a discount on your event pass.

    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


    Show more Show less
    52 mins
  • #162: How to Turn Your Teaching Into a Classroom Management Machine
    Mar 9 2026

    What if the reason classroom management feels so bloody hard… is because you were never actually taught how to do it in a way that works and aligns with your values?

    In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to a live training I recently ran called Turn Your Teaching into a Classroom Management Machine — and honestly, it was too good not to bring onto the podcast.

    If classroom management has ever left you feeling reactive, frazzled, hopeless, or like you’re stuck playing whack-a-mole with behaviours all lesson long… this one is for you. I’m walking you through the exact framework I use to help teachers stop focusing on what they can’t control and start leading with calm, clarity, and confidence around what they can.

    I also share a really personal story from my first years in the classroom — including the student who completely changed the trajectory of my teaching life and became one of the biggest catalysts for the work I do today.

    Inside this episode, we dig into what doesn’t work when it comes to behaviour, why punitive approaches leave us disconnected and disempowered, and what to do instead. I break down my Confident Classroom Pathway and give you practical, tiny-but-mighty shifts you can start using straight away.

    So if you’ve ever thought:

    • Why does this still feel so hard?
    • How do I manage behaviour without turning into someone I’m not?
    • What do I actually do in the moment when behaviour shows up?

    …then let’s roll the tape.

    What you’ll learn

    • Why punitive, inherited classroom management keeps teachers stuck in reactive mode
    • The real goal of classroom management (hint: it’s not controlling behaviour)
    • How to focus on what you can control to reduce, de-escalate, and resolve behaviour
    • The 4-part Confident Classroom Pathway: Ready, Reduce, Respond, Resolve
    • Why understanding behaviour is empowering — even when it doesn’t excuse it
    • The role your teaching presence plays in either calming or escalating a room
    • How nonverbal mixed messages might be undermining your classroom management
    • One simple question to ask yourself mid-lesson: Am I modelling what I want from my students?
    • The difference between being the palm and being the fist when responding to behaviour
    • A more effective way to address behaviour privately without locking horns
    • Why restorative practice only works when it fits into a bigger classroom management machine
    • How to stop lecturing students in behaviour conversations and start leading them instead
    • The tiny language shifts that help students reflect, take accountability, and repair harm

    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


    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • #161: What we get wrong about classroom management, low-level disruption, crafting a strong teaching presence + more
    Mar 2 2026

    A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of jumping on the Teacher Takeaway podcast for a proper behaviour-nerd chat… and the second we wrapped, I knew I wanted you to hear it too.

    Because if you’ve ever walked into a lesson feeling like you’re doing crowd control (and then gone home thinking, “Why am I like this?!”)… this one is for you.

    In this conversation, Aaron and I unpack the biggest misconceptions teachers have about “behaviour management” (spoiler: it’s rarely about the behaviour), why so many of us feel wildly unprepared for the classroom management side of the job, and what actually makes the biggest difference when you’re dealing with that constant drip-drip-drip of low-level disruption.

    We also get really practical, teaching presence, routines, attention signals, resetting a class mid-year (YES, you can), and why your nervous system is basically the hidden curriculum in your classroom.

    Let’s roll the tape. 🎙️

    What you’ll learn

    • Why “behaviour management” isn’t actually about behaviour (and how that misunderstanding keeps teachers stuck in whack-a-mole mode)
    • The proactive stuff that matters most before anything goes pear-shaped
    • How to build a strong teaching presence without being “strict”, cold, or shouty
    • The credible vs approachable sweet spot (and why frantic energy accidentally invites chaos)
    • What to do when the “grace period” ends in Week 5 😅
    • How to reset a class at any point in the year (even if you feel like you’ve missed the window)
    • Why low-level disruption is the real big behaviour — and how to reduce it at the mitigation stage
    • Practical attention-getting moves: attention spot, stillness, consistent cues, and not teaching over the noise
    • Why some off-task behaviour is actually a learning need (hello, task anxiety + chronic failure)
    • The reminder you might need today: it’s not your fault… and you’re not stuck

    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


    Show more Show less
    1 hr
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