What do you do when you're doing all the “right” classroom management things—and your students are still disruptive?
In Episode 358 of Sunday Night Teacher Talk, CJ and Jenn are coming to you from the new Eagle News Network newsroom while they work on transforming the space. CJ is also feeling the reality of teaching four different preps, running a business, traveling, and trying to protect enough energy to keep doing all of it well.
This week's questions lead to conversations about some of the hardest parts of teaching: classes that refuse to settle down, students who are years behind academically, protecting instructional time, helping homeschool students transition into traditional school, and figuring out how to take care of yourself when teaching is exhausting you.
In this episode:
- What to do when a disruptive class isn't responding to your systems
- Holding the line when students test your consistency
- When it's appropriate to remove a student from class
- Addressing behavior without sacrificing everyone else's education
- Helping students who are 2–4 grade levels behind
- Why relevance leads to belief
- Building the know, like, and trust factor with struggling students
- Setting boundaries when staff interrupt your classroom
- How to develop leadership skills if you're considering administration
- Why great leaders need to be visible and accessible
- Supporting homeschool students with learning gaps
- Protecting a student's confidence while helping them catch up
- What CJ has changed after the first few weeks of school
- Protecting prep time and setting boundaries with students
- Rest vs. rejuvenation—and why teachers need both
- Advice for experienced professionals transitioning into teaching
- Why getting better at teaching takes time
- Making small improvements that eventually create major change
You don't have to solve every problem this week. Find the next thing you can improve, hold the line on what matters, protect the energy you need to do the work, and keep stacking small wins.
🛒 Teacher resources:
Teach Your Class Off Store
🌐 Teach Your Class Off:
Teach Your Class Off
📚 Classroom Management, Student Buy-In & Relationship Blueprints:
www.shopteachyourclassoff.com
📧 Questions, mentoring, or speaking inquiries:
hello@teachyourclassoff.com
Chapters
00:00 Welcome From the New ENN Newsroom
04:30 When You're Just Plain Exhausted as a Teacher
08:30 What to Do With an Extremely Disruptive Class
17:30 Holding Students Accountable Without Giving Up
22:30 Helping Students Who Are 2–4 Grade Levels Behind
29:30 Relevance, Relationships & Getting Struggling Students to Believe
35:30 When Staff Keep Interrupting Your Classroom
41:30 Developing Leadership Skills for Future Administrators
50:00 Should Teachers Protect Student Confidentiality?
54:00 Helping a Homeschool Student With Learning Gaps
1:02:00 Protecting Confidence While Helping Students Catch Up
1:09:00 What CJ Has Changed Since the School Year Started
1:16:00 Protecting Your Prep Time & Setting Boundaries
1:22:00 Rest vs. Rejuvenation for Exhausted Teachers
1:28:30 Transitioning From Another Career Into Teaching
1:35:00 Small Tweaks, Confidence & Getting Better at Teaching
1:42:00 Final Encouragement & ENN Newsroom Preview
