The Unteachables Podcast

When a student pushes a piece of work off their desk, puts their head down, pulls out their phone, or starts cracking jokes, it can feel personal. Like, really personal. Especially when you've poured your heart into that lesson.
But here's the thing: none of that behaviour is random. And it's definitely not about you.
In this episode, I'm giving you a front seat to something I wish I'd known back in my second year of teaching, when I planned what I thought was an epic observation lesson, complete with immersion stations, bells, whistles, the lot… and watched it completely fall apart in real time (yes, a kid literally jumped out the window).
This episode kicks off a three-part series on differentiation, and before you click away because that word makes you want to lie down on the floor,  stick with me. Because this is not the differentiation that has you creating 180 individual lesson plans. This is the real, doable kind.
But first, we need to talk about what's actually going on in your students' brains when they see a piece of work and decide nope. Because once you understand the link between the learning you're designing and the behaviour you're seeing, everything starts to shift.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why "work refusal" behaviours (avoidance, disruption, withdrawal, escalation) are almost always a stress response — not defiance
What actually happened in my chaotic observation lesson and why it was always going to go that way
The four ways students' stress responses show up when they feel set up to fail
Why you cannot separate classroom management from teaching and learning, and why that's actually good news
Why differentiation has such bad PR (and why that's making things harder for all of us)
What's coming up in parts 2 and 3 of this series (spoiler: it's practical, it's doable, and it's going to save you 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

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

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

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

What if I told you that you could build connection, boost buy-in, reset the vibe, AND reduce low-level behaviour… in five minutes flat?
No prep. Just you, your class, and a little bit of magic. ✨
In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to 10 of my favourite grab-and-go community builders, the ones that get students laughing, talking, connecting, and (without even realising it) building the kind of classroom culture that makes behaviour easier.
A couple of episodes ago, we talked about the foundations of community, routines, predictability, felt safety, clarity, differentiation. All the behind-the-scenes cogs that make your classroom feel like a home.
Today?
We’re getting tangible (and fun as heck).
Because here’s the thing… Community building isn’t just a “start of the year” gimmick.
It’s how you:
Reset a tense class
Fill five minutes of dangerous dead-air time
Reconnect when you’re feeling resentful
Help students feel safe enough to share
Invest in their emotional piggy bank (so you can make withdrawals later)
And yes — it also helps you fall back in love with your class when things feel a bit… blah.
So if you’ve ever thought:
 “They don’t deserve fun right now.”
 “They should just come in and learn.”
 “I don’t have time for this fluff.”
This episode might lovingly challenge that. 💛
Because connection isn’t fluffy. It’s proactive classroom management.
Inside This Episode:
Here are the 10 no-prep community builders I walk you through:
Transformer Triangles – Turn a simple triangle into something creative in 2 minutes. Gallery walk optional. Laughter guaranteed.
The Stare Down – Face off, no touching, no breaking eye contact. First to laugh loses. (Use your professional judgment with this one!)
Teacher Portrait – Students draw you. Risky? Yes. Hilarious? Also yes. (PS: Only if you’re not sensitive about your ears like I was.)
Class Debate – Throw out a juicy “Would You Rather” or controversial question and let them argue it out.
Racing Rhymes – Fast-paced rhyming battle in a circle. If you can’t rhyme, you’re out. Chaos in the best way.
Coin Toss Battle – Heads or tails showdown. Whole-class energy. No gambling involved, promise.
Sticky Slam – Interview your partner for 1 minute, then write down everything you remember. Fact-check. Compete. Connect.
Count to 20 – Whole-class challenge: count to 20, but only one person speaks at a time. Two at once? Back to one. Frustrating. Brilliant.
What’s Changed? – One student leaves, something in the room changes, they guess what it is.
Apple Pie – Guess who said the mystery word in a disguised voice. Year 11s LOVE this one.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
👉
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