#158: How to build the most beautiful, positive, connected class community brick by brick (even the toughest, most disengaged of classes)

What if the class everyone labels “unteachable”… becomes your favourite group of the year?

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to one of the most formative stories of my teaching career—back when I was fresh out of uni, wildly underqualified, and somehow ended up turning the “low class” into the class that changed everything for me.

This episode is a big one. It gets to the heart of how community is actually built in classrooms (and how it’s usually not).

I’m taking you back to my first couple of years in the classroom, when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but somehow stumbled into building a connected, joyful, motivated classroom culture… completely by accident. And then had crushing imposter syndrome because I didn’t know how or why it worked.

We’re unpacking:

• Why community isn’t built through one-off icebreakers or belonging programs
• How tiny, everyday moments quietly create belonging
• And what I was actually doing in that Year 7 class that transformed everything

If you’ve ever thought:

• “I care so much, but this class just isn’t clicking”
• “I want calm and connection, but I don’t want to be fake or cringe”
• “Surely community shouldn’t feel this hard…”

…this episode is for you.

Let’s go back to the Wayback Machine and unpack what really builds classroom community.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why community isn’t built in one big moment, but in micro-moments
• The foundation every classroom needs before community can grow
• How predictable routines create felt safety (even when you’re new)
• The accidental strategies that changed my toughest class
• Why in-jokes, rituals, and shared experiences matter more than programs
• How to build belonging without losing authority
• What to try this week with a class you’re struggling with

Resources & Things Mentioned:

• The Behaviour Club
• The Invisible Backpack Lesson
• Cup Fillers: 20 whole class activities
• All community resources

Your Next Steps:

• Reflect on what makes you feel like you belong
• Pick one small thing from this episode to try this week
• If you’re a Behaviour Club member, head to this month’s resource drop
• If not, join us here

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