138 | Stop Fighting Spring Behavior: Why Creative Engagement Helps Students Regulate, Focus, and Learn

144 | You Know How to Teach — But Classroom Management Sure Has Changed!

You have years of experience. You have the degree. You've put in the extra time to reach the kids who need it most. You know how to teach. So why does classroom management feel so much harder than it used to? I want to get honest about something — what every seasoned teacher deserves to hear: the reason your classroom management tools aren't working the way they used to has nothing to do with your skill as a teacher. Your students have genuinely changed. And nobody told you, retrained you, or handed you anything new to work with. Let's look at three specific things we are seeing in today's students that are different from even five years ago and return to the core of what has always worked in education — with a framework built for the classroom you're actually in right now. ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Video: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for Teachers [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvOOLHpbWU8] Free RESET Roadmap — Walk through the full RESET Framework in one place, with podcast episodes built right in: theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap]   Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast]   ✨ The Classroom Reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/the-classroom-reset-sp1] – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again. Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset]   Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider]   💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on. It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone. 👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community]     ✨ Connect with me! Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/] Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Follow & DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom]

143 | Why Teacher Exhaustion Keeps Coming Back: 3 Signs You're Missing What Actually Fixes It

You rest over the summer. You genuinely step away. And then September arrives — and within two weeks, you are right back in it...like you never left. If the exhaustion keeps coming back no matter what you do, this episode is for you. I'll walk you through 3 signs that what you're experiencing isn't just teacher burnout — it's what happens when you've been working without the right framework underneath you. Not a personal failure. A structural problem.  Luckily, structural problems have real solutions. ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Grab the whole RESET Framework in this free PDF: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/roadmap [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast]   ✨ The Classroom Reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/the-classroom-reset-sp1] – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again. Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset]   Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider]   💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on. It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone. 👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community]     ✨ Connect with me! Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/] Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Follow & DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom]

142 | Did the School Year Burn You Out? How Some Teachers Recover and Others Stay Exhausted

The school year is over. Summer is here! But if you're still feeling exhausted, you're not alone. In this episode, I'm sharing why summer break doesn't automatically fix teacher burnout—and why some teachers return in August feeling refreshed while others feel like they never really recovered. I'll walk you through three simple steps that can help you so more than just rest, but actually recover and be ready for the next school year. If you've ever found yourself thinking, "I need this summer to feel different," this episode is for you. Let's make this summer one that helps you truly recover so you can enjoy teaching again.   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast]   ✨ The Classroom Reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/the-classroom-reset-sp1] – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again. Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset]   Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider]   💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on. It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone. 👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community]     ✨ Connect with me! Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/] Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Follow & DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom]

141 | Why Teacher Friendships Matter: An Ode to My Teacher Besties

Can we just acknowledge that the end of the school year feels like one giant emotional roller coaster sometimes? In this episode, I’m sharing some personal stories about the teacher friendships that helped shape my teaching journey — the people who made hard years manageable, made me laugh when I needed it most, and reminded me I wasn’t alone. From hallway eye contact emergencies to late-night team vent sessions over nachos and gin and tonics, this episode is a love letter to the teacher besties who help us stay in this profession. If you’ve ever had a teacher friend who helped you survive a hard year, this episode will make you laugh, reflect, and maybe tear up just a little. And as you head into summer, I hope you’ll keep listening to the podcast for encouragement, support, and just enough school talk to help you feel grounded without pulling you back into overwhelm.   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast]   ✨ The Classroom Reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/the-classroom-reset-sp1] – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again. Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset]   Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider]   💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on. It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone. 👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community]     ✨ Connect with me! Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/] Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Follow & DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom]

140 | Exhausted After Teaching All Year? How to Land Softly into Summer Break without the Burnout

If you’re limping your way to summer break feeling emotionally exhausted, overstimulated, and one bad email away from wanting to face plant into the couch for three straight days… this episode is for you. In this episode, I’m sharing a few simple but powerful ways to transition into summer without carrying the stress, frustration, and survival mode of the school year right along with you. We’ll talk about why teachers often crash hard in June, the difference between intentional rest and avoidance, and how to start recovering before burnout convinces you teaching just isn’t for you anymore. I’ll also share my personal “Two Week Rule” for the start of summer! Because here’s the truth: You don’t need more to do.  You need a RESET. And no… that doesn’t mean spending your entire summer finding new activities to try and reorganizing classroom bins at midnight. Just listen in... I want this podcast to be just enough school talk to help you feel grounded, supported, and encouraged through the summer without pulling you back into overwhelm. So make sure you subscribe and KEEP listening all summer long. And if you want extra support, encouragement, and insider updates join my insider email community here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider]   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast]   ✨ The Classroom Reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/the-classroom-reset-sp1] – The online course that helps you improve student behaviors, increase engagement and support students' SEL, so that you can enjoy teaching again. Learn more and enroll here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/reset]   Become an Inspired Classroom Insider by joining our email list. You'll get real solutions to calm classroom behaviors delivered to your inbox each week! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/insider]   💬 Let’s keep this conversation going! (There's so much to talk about!) Come join our free Inspired Classroom Community where creative, passionate teachers connect, share ideas, and cheer each other on. It’s your safe space to be inspired, supported, and reminded you’re not in this alone. 👉 theinspiredclassroom.com/community [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/community]     ✨ Connect with me! Find me on LinkedIn: elizapeterson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizapeterson/] Follow & DM me on Facebook @theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Follow & DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredclassroom/]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom] Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/theinspiredclassroom]@theinspiredclassroom [https://www.facebook.com/theinspiredclassroom]