DiscoverThe Unteachables Podcast#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)
#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)

#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)

Update: 2025-08-25
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Ever feel like your class is one brain snap away from absolute chaos… or just asleep at the wheel?

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to one of the most powerful — and wildly underused — classroom management tools in your toolbox: brain breaks. But not just for the sake of fun. We’re talking strategic, rapport-building, energy-resetting magic that actually boosts learning, not wastes time.

This is Day 4 of the Kickstart (catch up on previous days if you missed them!) and today is all about what we do in the meaty middle of the lesson — when things can either hum along… or totally unravel. I’ll share the sneaky strategies I used (without knowing they were even strategies back then) to build connection, shift energy, and keep my most disengaged students coming back for more.

Spoiler alert: it's not about being the "cool teacher" — it’s about being a connected, present, values-led one.

Let’s roll the tape.

What you’ll learn:

  • What brain breaks actually are (and aren’t)
  • 3 go-to brain breaks Claire used to reset student energy on the fly
  • Why these simple strategies work (backed by brain science)
  • How to use them strategically to build rapport without losing instructional time
  • The “credibility flip” every teacher needs to know when transitioning from playful to teacher-led
  • Why this is classroom management gold — not fluff or filler

Have a question, comment, or just want to say hello? Drop us a text!

👉 JOIN THE $1 KICKSTART! Click for more info and to jump in!

RESOURCES AND MORE SUPPORT:

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#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)

#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)

2025-08-2523:46

#137: Feel like you need to split into 30 trying to support the whole room? This tool changes everything.

#137: Feel like you need to split into 30 trying to support the whole room? This tool changes everything.

2025-08-1820:53

#136: The entry routine that is magic for low-level disruption! The power of learning maps

#136: The entry routine that is magic for low-level disruption! The power of learning maps

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#135: Is your teaching presence undermining your classroom management?

#135: Is your teaching presence undermining your classroom management?

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#134: Bullying in the classroom?! 😖 How to talk to your students about it in a way that gets them listening, empathising, and creating change!

#134: Bullying in the classroom?! 😖 How to talk to your students about it in a way that gets them listening, empathising, and creating change!

2025-07-2819:23

#133: Flipping your lid! The concept that changed everything about the way I responded to students in the middle of a meltdown.

#133: Flipping your lid! The concept that changed everything about the way I responded to students in the middle of a meltdown.

2025-07-2218:48

#132: The No-BS Back to School Breakdown! Exactly what I do lesson-by-lesson in Week 1 to build rapport, set expectations, and create routines that stick.

#132: The No-BS Back to School Breakdown! Exactly what I do lesson-by-lesson in Week 1 to build rapport, set expectations, and create routines that stick.

2025-07-1526:13

#131: 4 sobering statistics that prove that teaching is the hardest, and most important job in the world.

#131: 4 sobering statistics that prove that teaching is the hardest, and most important job in the world.

2025-07-0727:31

#130: Dealing with defiance? You don't need to say a word - you just need these 3 game-changing non-verbal strategies!

#130: Dealing with defiance? You don't need to say a word - you just need these 3 game-changing non-verbal strategies!

2025-07-0115:44

#129: The exact one-liners I use in the classroom when responding to defiant or challenging behaviour (and why every teacher needs these!)

#129: The exact one-liners I use in the classroom when responding to defiant or challenging behaviour (and why every teacher needs these!)

2025-06-2319:20

#128: 4 ways imposter syndrome shows up for teachers in the classroom (and what you needed to know YESTERDAY to overcome it)

#128: 4 ways imposter syndrome shows up for teachers in the classroom (and what you needed to know YESTERDAY to overcome it)

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#127: I met the King, and he asked me a question about the work I do with classroom management I was NOT expecting

#127: I met the King, and he asked me a question about the work I do with classroom management I was NOT expecting

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#126: How to support staff mindset shifts around behaviour approaches

#126: How to support staff mindset shifts around behaviour approaches

2025-06-0217:15

#125: Q&A: Dealing with the class clown, when students gang up on you, and motivating unmotivated learners.

#125: Q&A: Dealing with the class clown, when students gang up on you, and motivating unmotivated learners.

2025-05-2621:34

#124: What to do when you’ve tried it all (and behaviour is STILL a battle).

#124: What to do when you’ve tried it all (and behaviour is STILL a battle).

2025-05-1912:22

#123: How to stand tall and confident in front of your class (even in the midst of some tough as heck behaviours)

#123: How to stand tall and confident in front of your class (even in the midst of some tough as heck behaviours)

2025-05-1216:21

#122: “Miss, that deserves a detention!!” When students tell you how to do your job.

#122: “Miss, that deserves a detention!!” When students tell you how to do your job.

2025-05-0513:27

#121: 4 steps to building confidence in your classroom management

#121: 4 steps to building confidence in your classroom management

2025-04-2820:34

#120: Your teaching IS your classroom management. Here are 3 ways to make it work for you

#120: Your teaching IS your classroom management. Here are 3 ways to make it work for you

2025-04-2218:23

#119: Are calm corners worth having in secondary classrooms?

#119: Are calm corners worth having in secondary classrooms?

2025-04-1425:20

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#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)

#138: Brain breaks that secretly boost behaviour (and help us reclaim a bit of teaching joy in the classroom)

Claire English