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

150 | You Don't Need a Calmer School Year. You Need a Different Plan.

Summer is the perfect time to think about next school year—but if you're simply hoping next year will somehow be calmer, you're going to need to listen to this. In this episode, I'm sharing why hope alone has never fixed classroom management and the three common mistakes many of us make at the end of a difficult school year. I'll walk you through how to stop relying on luck, start learning from last year's challenges, and create a classroom management plan that actually supports the classroom you want. If you've ever caught yourself saying, "Maybe next year's class will be better," this episode will help you replace wishful thinking with a simple, intentional plan that can truly change your year.   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Join me this July 21-23, 2026 for the Classroom RESET Challenge. Learn how to improve student behaviors to eliminate teacher burnout! Go to https://theinspiredclassroom.com/challenge [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/challenge] to reserve your FREE spot!     Other Resources: 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]

149 | 3 Summer Resets Every Teacher Needs (And the One You Might Actually Skip)

If your summers sometimes end up feeling like one big runway into next school year, this one's for you. I'm sharing three resets I actually believe in for teacher summer vacation — and the one thing almost every teacher skips without even realizing it.   We'll talk about why your body needs to catch up before your to-do list does, why a real plan beats a wish every single time, and why your phone might be the biggest thing standing between you and an actual break. I'll also walk you through the one belief most of us never question and why that's exactly backwards.   Plus, by the end, you'll have three small, doable steps to make sure this summer actually feels different. You've earned a real rest. Let's make sure you actually get one.   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: Join me this July for the Classroom Reset Challenge to improve student behavior and eliminate teacher burnout!  It's FREE! https://theinspiredclassroom.com/challenge [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/challenge]    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]

148 | What a Calm Classroom Actually Looks Like (It's Not What You've Been Sold)

What do you picture as a "calm classroom?" Silent rows of kids working quietly? Only the sound of pencils writing or fingers typing? That might happen every once in a while, but is that really the ultimate goal? Today I'm breaking down the real difference between a calm classroom and a quiet one, and why so many of us have been chasing the wrong picture for years. We'll talk about why calm starts with your own regulation before it ever touches student behavior, and why your best teaching memories probably weren't the silent ones. By the end, you'll have a simple three-step plan to carry into fall — without overhauling everything you already do.   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: The Cocktail Party Philosophy (blogpost): https://theinspiredclassroom.com/2011/02/conversations-in-the-classroom-the-cocktail-party-philosophy/ [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/2011/02/conversations-in-the-classroom-the-cocktail-party-philosophy/]    Ready to learn about the RESET Framework?  Get your free PDF: https://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]

147 | Our Students Have Changed: Attention Spans, Dopamine Hits, and What We Can Do

You know it's true... maybe you've even said it out loud: Our students have changed! Honestly, our students' brains have genuinely changed. Not because something is wrong with them — but because the world they live in has calibrated them for constant stimulation, instant rewards, and short-form everything. In this episode I talk about: * Why student attention spans in the classroom have genuinely shortened — and what's driving it * The dopamine connection: what's happening in our students' brains and why school feels so hard to stay in * Why the answer is NOT to gamify your curriculum or compete with TikTok (and what to do instead) This one is for every teacher who has a student who checks out before they even start — and who is ready to understand what's actually going on underneath that.   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode:   Be sure to listen to the interview with Natayle Brown — #146 What Every ELA Teacher Needs to Know About Struggling Readers and Student Shutdown   Get your ticket to The Unstuck Literacy Conference (free! June 23–25): theinspiredclassroom.com/unstuck [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/unstuck]   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] – If this conversation resonates with you, you'll love The Classroom Reset. Inside, you'll learn how to build the foundation that helps students feel safe enough to participate, take risks, self-regulate, and engage in learning. Because before students can succeed with our strategies, they need the conditions that make learning possible. 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]

146 | What Every ELA Teacher Needs to Know About Struggling Readers and Student Shutdown (with Natayle Brown)

Have you ever had a student who seemed determined to avoid reading, writing, or participating at all costs? In this episode, I sit down with literacy expert and conference host Natayle Brown to discuss what's really happening when students shut down in ELA classrooms. We explore the difference between true defiance and overwhelm, why struggling readers often disengage before they even begin, and how teachers can challenge students without pushing them into shutdown. Natalie shares practical insights about attention spans, dopamine, skill deficits, student engagement, and the Zone of Proximal Development—all through the lens of helping struggling readers access grade-level learning. This is the perfect prequel to my session inside the Unstuck Literacy Conference Natayle is hosting. Be sure to register for this free conference which runs from Jun 23-25, 2026 by going to theinspiredclassroom.com/unstuck [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/unstuck]   ~Elizabeth   Mentioned in This Episode: The Unstuck Literacy Conference: theinspiredclassroom.com/unstuck [https://theinspiredclassroom.com/unstuck]   Natayle's Website: https://heynatayle.com/ [https://heynatayle.com/]   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] – If this conversation resonates with you, you'll love The Classroom Reset. Inside, you'll learn how to build the foundation that helps students feel safe enough to participate, take risks, self-regulate, and engage in learning. Because before students can succeed with our strategies, they need the conditions that make learning possible. 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]