#146: Why classroom compliance isn’t the win you might think it is

Ever found yourself sitting at your desk mid-lesson, staring at the wall while chaos erupts around you… thinking “I cannot teach like this”?

Same.

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to one of the most eye-opening classroom experiences I had as a baby teacher—and how it accidentally dropped me straight into something called the pedagogy of poverty.

You’ll hear the story of a student called “Nathan,” how I unintentionally leaned into compliance-based teaching just to survive, and the big, uncomfortable lightbulb moment that changed everything about how I teach now.

This episode isn’t here to guilt you, because I’ve been there. It’s here to show you what’s actually going on when students appear settled but disengaged... and how to shift out of survival-mode strategies without throwing your whole self under the bus.

What you’ll learn:

• The sneaky signs you’ve slipped into the pedagogy of poverty (and why it feels like it’s “working”)
• Why busy work, copying off the board, and chalk-and-talk can be so seductive in tricky classrooms
• How trauma, stress responses, and feelings of failure are shaping your students' behaviour
• What true differentiation actually looks like (no colour-coded ability groups required)
• Simple scaffolding tools you can start using this week that support learning AND behaviour

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