Enjoy Teaching Again | Elementary, Teacher Burnout, Student Behavior, SEL, Classroom Management

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Do you feel like teaching just isn’t fun anymore? Does classroom management feel like you’re playing a game of whack-a-mole? Do you wish you could clone little Betsy - the only student in class who exudes joy and stays engaged while learning? Ever feel like shutting your door and going off script just so you can teach in a way that you know your students need?

You’re not alone—and you’ve just found your people. (YAY!)

In this podcast, you’ll find real solutions to bring joy back to teaching, create a caring classroom, and finally find some balance between school and home. Teaching doesn’t have to feel like you’re in survival mode. Here, you’ll discover creative learning strategies that engage your students, practical ways to build a connected and caring classroom culture, and mindset shifts that help you take back control of your own classroom.
If you’re ready to stop drowning in scripted lessons, behavior struggles, and the Daily Teacher Drain—and start teaching with creativity, confidence, and purpose—you’re in the right place!
Hey there, I’m Elizabeth, a teacher since 1999, a mentor, consultant, arts integration specialist and creator of SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how creativity can transform a classroom—not just for our students, but for us teachers, too! I’ve always leaned into creative teaching strategies to build relationships, engage students, and keep myself loving what I do—even on the toughest days.
(And, let’s face it - there are some tough days!)
I’ve worked with teachers who are exhausted, stuck in survival mode, and struggling with behavior issues that drain their energy. But when you start tapping into your own creativity—using the arts to connect with students, to bring meaning into lessons, and to shift the classroom dynamic—something changes. The stress eases. The engagement rises. The joy returns.
That’s what I want for you.
If you’re ready to finally enjoy teaching again—to create a calm, connected classroom, engage your students in meaningful learning, and reclaim your personal time—WELCOME – this is the podcast for you. My solutions are simple, effective, and built to inspire the teacher—because you don’t need more on your plate, you just need what works.
So go find your coffee (it’s around here somewhere), grab your favorite pen, take a deep breath, and get ready to Enjoy Teaching Again!
More Resources:
✨ Join the Teacher Community: www.theinspiredclassroom.com/community
✨ Learn more about SEAL: www.theinspiredclassroom.com/seal
✨ Sign up for my FREE Class: www.theinspiredclassroom.com/class
✨ Contact: support@theinspiredclassroom.com
✨ Visit my website: www.theinspiredclassroom.com

Episodes

Jun 19, 2026

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

Jun 19, 2026

21 min

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

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Record it here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/podcast

✨ The Classroom Reset – 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

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

💬 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.