EMpowered – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I talk about the revelation that completely changed my approach to supporting children's behaviour.

In this episode you will learn:

• What exactly are belief systems, and how they influence your interactions
• The impact of understanding and changing belief systems on supporting children’s behaviour
• Why doing the deeper work, beyond surface level strategies is the key factor for lasting change in educators
• How to change your deep seated beliefs to improve your ability to support children effectively
• Why is it important to work on yourself for lasting personal and professional growth

Resources Mentioned:

• If you resonate with this episode, check out my course HERE, The EMotionally Intelligent Educator, available in self-paced study, group coaching, or VIP 1:1 sessions. We start next week so REGISTER now!

Connect with Em

• Website: emmagentle.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

TW: This episode discusses childhood trauma, and abuse.

In this episode, I get the absolute privilege of talking with Beck Thompson. She is absolutely amazing, sharing her journey of resilience, transformation, and empowerment. As a teacher, author, and speaker, she brings a unique perspective shaped by her lived experience of trauma and abuse.

We discuss how transformative compassionate teaching can be and the impact educators can have on their students, often without even realising it.

This episode is not to highlight the difficulties that some of your students will go through, but how impactful you can be as an adult in their life, without even realising it. It’s to help you understand what it’s like in the classroom for a child with trauma and how important teachers really are.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How understanding trauma can help you support your students more effectively
• Why it is absolutely ok to prioritise compassion and safety before the curriculum
• How recognising and nurturing a child's strengths can make the world of difference and transform their educational experience
• Why small conversations and interactions can have a lasting impact on students' lives. It’s the micro-moments that make all the difference
• How the brain processes trauma and it affects what you are seeing in a student's behaviour.
• Why perceived and felt safety is the number one thing that needs to be prioritised for children to learn
• Why adults are so important in the development of resilience in a person's life.

It’s about giving educators permission to focus on creating a safe, supportive environment where every child feels seen, heard and valued.

There is so much more I could add to this list.

This is for you. To recognise and truly understand the impact you, as a teacher, has on a child in your classroom. Make sure you listen in, because this may open up a perspective and change the way you support your students, in the most simple but effective way.

Connect with Beck Thompson:

• Trauma Informed Teachers Page Facebook - Join her community here.
• Facebook: BECK Thompson - Author, Chasing Normal.
• Website: beckthompson.com.au
• Instagram: @beckthompson_teachersmatter
• Book

Connect with Em

• Website: Emma Gentle
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

In this episode, I’m talking about the challenges of perfectionism that many teachers and leaders face and strategies you can use to show up how you want to both at home and at school.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why aiming for perfection can be detrimental, not only to your professional life but also to your mental health.
• The importance of embracing imperfections and focusing on progress rather than perfection.
• Practical strategies to reduce the pressure of perfectionism in your role as a teacher or leader.
• How to embody self-compassion and set realistic goals to prevent burnout.

Listen in to learn how to balance high expectations with personal well-being, so that you can be the best educator you can be, without compromising your health.

I’m hosting a FREE masterclass on How To Craft Your Teaching Style & Adopt An Authoritative Approach.

The details: Monday, June 3, 2024 7:00 PM AEST Replays will be available but you must be registered to get access.

Learn more and sign up here!

Connect with Em

• Website: thegradguide.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

Welcome back to Let's Get Schooled, beautiful people!

In this episode, we dive into the transformative power of mindset and how a simple shift can significantly impact your teaching and classroom dynamics. This discussion was inspired by a recent mentoring session where one of my grads experienced noticeable improvements in her teaching environment simply by changing her mindset.

Embracing a growth mindset allows you to view challenges as opportunities for growth. Instead of seeing children's behaviour as annoying or disruptive, understand it as a form of communication and approach it with curiosity rather than judgment.

In this episode, I’m speaking with my beautiful friend, Danica See from Little Bloom Consultancy.

Danica and I unpack the recent buzz and share our opinions around the potential implementation of a ‘Behaviour Curriculum’.

Here’s what we discuss:

• The media’s sensationalism of a behaviour curriculum and its potential harm to effective education.
• The implications of a behaviour curriculum and what it really means for teachers and students.
• The importance of holistic child development and proactive teaching methods
• The need for a shift towards relationship-based approaches in education that challenge punitive disciplinary measures
• Strategies for effectively supporting children's emotional and behavioural development without resorting to outdated punitive measures.

There is so much noise around this at the moment. This is something I am so passionate about and it’s such an important to talk about. So dive in, share it with your teacher friends because this conversation needs to happen.

We would both LOVE to hear how things have landed with this one so please reach out to us with your takeaways from this one!

Connect with Danica

• Website: littlebloomconsultancy.com.au/
• Instagram: @littlebloom.consultancy

Connect with Em

• Website: thegradguide.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

This episode revisits a masterclass on handling those small but disruptive behaviours in the classroom. Because the truth is, every classroom has low level behaviours and it is so important that we normalise this, and learn how to manage these effectively, without punishment or rewards based systems.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why rewards and consequences often fail to solve the real issues behind small disruptions.
• How to uncover and tackle the root causes of these behaviours.
• How simple solutions and adjusting your language, can make a huge difference in the classroom when dealing with these behaviours.

Tune in to refine your approach to classroom management and ensure you no longer get annnoyed at those small classroom disruptions.

Teaching strategies don’t have to be complicated. Learn how to really simplify management low level behaviour and classroom disruptions.

The doors to TGGM open for the last time this year on June 3. If you are not on the VIP list, jump on it, so that you don’t miss out on your opportunity to get a free month.

Want the whole masterclass? DM me here (@em_gentle)

Connect with Em

• Website: thegradguide.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

Welcome back to another episode of Let's Get Schooled. In this episode, I give you three ways to significantly improve classroom engagement.

Have you ever wondered if you'd enjoy being a student in your own classroom? Effective teaching involves constant learning and adapting, and sometimes, it starts with asking ourselves tough questions to be the educators our students need us to be.

Incorporating just a few of the ideas in this episode will make a huge difference in the engagement from all the students in your classroom, especially with those who are currently disengaged. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about

• The necessity of movement for students to self-regulate, helping them to focus better and actively participate in the classroom.
• How to include gamification in your classroom to increase engagement and motivation.
• The power of providing choice and autonomy to students, allowing students to feel empowered but not in control of the classroom dynamics.

Connect with Em

• Website: thegradguide.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle. DM me to grab the brain breaks resource!
• LinkedIn

Today I am giving you three ways to build a classroom community that encourages connection, safety, and growth.

This episode is full of practical steps that you can implement into your classroom right from the start of the school day.

Here’s what you’ll learn.

• How starting each day with a morning meeting can set a positive tone, clarify expectations and strengthen connections.
• What it looks like to include fun and engaging activities into the day to build a strong classroom community
• The importance of modelling a growth mindset to your students
• How to shift the focus from what students can’t to, to celebrating what they excel at.
• Tools to help you identify and nurture each students unique strength so that you can build confidence and engagement in the classroom.

By embodying these principals, you can create an environment where students are supported.

I cannot wait for you to use these in your classroom.

Resources Mentioned

• Learn more about the ‘Learning Pit’.
• Check out The VIA Character Strengths Survey

Connect with Em

• Website: thegradguide.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

Hello, beautiful educators! In this episode, I am talking about the proactive strategies you can use to ensure your classroom is supportive and inclusive for all students. 

If you have students with ADHD, ADD, Autism, EAL/D, learning difficulties and/or trauma and are at a loss for how to manage and cater to all of these at once…this episode is for you!

You can absolutely support all your students in your classroom. 

In this episode, you’ll learn

• How to implement proactive strategies for an inclusive classroom
• The 3 important aspects of an inclusive classroom
• How to build deep, meaningful relationships with students that goes past developing rapport.
• How to make sure your classroom is safe, and conducive to learning.
• Why it is important to practice self-regulation for yourself first

Holistic education is about prioritising the success and wellbeing of every child. Catering to all the students in your classroom is not as impossible as it seems. It is so important to build authentic relationships, ensure safety, and emotional regulation so that you can create a classroom where every child feels seen, heard, and valued.

Connect with Em

• Website: thegradguide.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn

In this episode, I chat with Jenny Cole all about educational leadership.

Jenny started her career as an Education Assistant and went on to become a teacher and finally a Principal for 12 years. She worked predominately in Education Support (special needs) with students with high support needs and challenging behaviours.

Despite loving working with kids and passionate about education, she became overwhelmed and burnt out. She now runs her own business designed to support teachers and leaders to develop the leadership skills to build high performing teams. She is a coach, consultant, recovering Principal and cheerleader who loves the community she has built through Positively Beaming.

When she is not working, she can be found scrolling Instagram and wrangling her very naughty puppy named Charlie. She is based in WA but works with and coaches educators across Australia

In This Episode, we discuss

• The challenges and realities of educational leadership, including the experiences that led Jenny to rethink her career.
• The importance of self-awareness, asking for help, and building confidence. 
• Practical advice for educators aspiring to leadership roles.
• The importance of nurturing educators and leaders, providing them with the tools and support to thrive in their roles.

Her insights into overcoming burnout, establishing boundaries, and fostering positive environments in schools are invaluable for anyone in the educational space.

Until next time!

Connect with Jenny:

Website: positivelybeaming.com.au

Facebook: Positively Beaming with Jenny Cole

Instagram: @positivelybeamingjenny

Linkedin: Jenny Cole