The Classroom Management Guy Podcast

Gabriel Vigil
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Middle school teacher with 24 years of classroom experience sharing practical strategies for classroom management, student engagement, teacher burnout, school culture, difficult students, and surviving the realities of teaching. This podcast gives honest advice, real classroom stories, and simple systems that help teachers stay calm, organized, and effective—especially new teachers navigating today’s classrooms. Perfect for educators looking for practical teaching tips that actually work.

  1. 1d ago

    The Classroom Management Mistake That Nearly Made Him Quit Teaching | Dan Lewer

    🎯 DAN LEWER SOCIALS https://linktr.ee/history4humans If you need additional resources or support, visit my website at:👉 www.theclassroommanagementguy.com 📧 For questions, collaborations, or classroom management support, contact me at:gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com 🎯 WHAT IF THE BIGGEST CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT MISTAKE YOU'RE MAKING IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE YOU'RE DOING? Imagine starting your teaching career in a classroom where students are literally betting on how quickly they can make you quit. That's exactly what happened to Dan Lewer, an award-winning history teacher and creator of History for Humans. In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy, Dan shares how he went from struggling with classroom management and nearly quitting teaching to becoming Hawaii's 2020 History Teacher of the Year. Drawing from 17 years in education and visits to more than 60 schools across 27 states, Dan reveals the practical strategies that helped him transform his classroom, build stronger relationships with students, and create engaging lessons without sacrificing structure or expectations. 📚 IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER: ✅ The classroom management mistake Dan made during his first years of teaching and why it nearly drove him out of the profession. ✅ Why classroom rules are meaningless unless teachers consistently follow through with consequences. ✅ How simple, logical consequences can improve student behavior without creating unnecessary conflict. ✅ Why great teachers build strong relationships while still maintaining high expectations and accountability. ✅ What Dan learned from visiting more than 60 schools across 27 states and observing successful teachers in action. ✅ Why there isn't one perfect teaching style or universal set of best practices that works for every classroom. ✅ How teachers can balance engaging, fun lessons with meaningful learning and academic growth. ✅ Why the first few weeks of school are so important for establishing classroom routines, procedures, and expectations. ✅ How greeting students at the door can strengthen relationships and set a positive tone for learning. ✅ Why teachers should embrace their unique personalities instead of trying to imitate what other successful educators do. 😩 DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? ❌ You establish classroom rules, but students continue testing your limits. ❌ You hesitate to enforce consequences because you're worried about damaging relationships with students. ❌ You spend more time correcting behavior than actually teaching your lessons. ❌ You create exciting activities, but your classroom sometimes becomes chaotic and difficult to manage. ❌ You compare yourself to successful teachers online and wonder why classroom management seems so much easier for everyone else. ⭐ KEY TAKEAWAY Great classroom management isn't about being the strictest teacher, the funniest teacher, or even the most creative teacher. It's about building relationships, establishing clear expectations, and consistently following through. Dan's experience reminds us that classroom management is a skill that develops through practice, reflection, and a willingness to learn from our mistakes. Sometimes the biggest transformation happens when teachers stop trying to find the perfect strategy and start consistently applying the fundamentals. And perhaps most importantly, you don't have to become someone else to be a great teacher. You simply have to become the best version of yourself. #ClassroomManagement #TeachingStrategies #NewTeachers #StudentEngagement #ClassroomCulture #HistoryForHumans #DanLewer

  2. Oct 24

    Why Students Won't Learn (And What Teachers Keep Missing) | Troy Kemp

    🎯 TROY F. KEMP SR. SOCIALS:https://linktr.ee/tfkempsr?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAac3IrUOdPk7empz3jiwj2KvIqPKC4_5Qk3szYcc1QH1gbxtK0ggQTPjTGiuIA_aem_ujBNEmD9WcasFT4nIuHafw If you need additional resources or support, visit my website at:👉 www.theclassroommanagementguy.com 📧 For questions, collaborations, or classroom management support, contact me at:gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com 🎯 WHAT IF THE REASON STUDENTS REFUSE TO LEARN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MOTIVATION? Teachers spend countless hours creating engaging lessons, managing student behavior, and trying to motivate students who seem unwilling to participate. But according to Troy Kemp, award-winning educator, Hall of Fame coach, former Ron Clark Academy leader, and CEO of Chattanooga Preparatory School, the real obstacle may be something we're overlooking: trust, emotional safety, and the barriers that prevent students from taking risks. In this powerful conversation, Troy shares practical insights into classroom management, student engagement, building relationships, developing resilience, and creating a positive school culture that helps students succeed. 📚 IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER: ✅ Why students sometimes refuse to learn even when teachers provide engaging lessons. ✅ Why psychological safety is essential for student participation and engagement. ✅ The difference between reacting to student behavior and responding to student needs. ✅ Why today's students may struggle with what Troy calls a "failure deficit." ✅ How allowing students to fail in a safe environment develops resilience and confidence. ✅ Why removing barriers to learning can be more effective than simply increasing motivation. ✅ The five C's of trust: Clarity, Credibility, Consistency, Connection, and Care. ✅ Practical strategies for building stronger relationships with difficult or disengaged students. ✅ How lessons from the Ron Clark Academy can help teachers create a stronger classroom culture. ✅ Why effective school leadership requires trust, consistency, and shared expectations. 😩 DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? ❌ You spend hours preparing lessons, but students still refuse to participate. ❌ You constantly redirect the same students without seeing lasting improvement. ❌ You struggle to build relationships with students who seem withdrawn, defensive, or disruptive. ❌ You feel like you're spending more time managing behavior than actually teaching. ❌ You've tried different classroom management strategies, but nothing seems to work consistently. ⭐ KEY TAKEAWAY Great classroom management isn't just about controlling student behavior. It's about creating an environment where students feel safe enough to learn, make mistakes, and grow. Sometimes students don't need more motivation, more consequences, or more engaging activities. They need teachers who understand what's preventing them from moving forward. As Troy explains, when we build trust, establish clear expectations, and create psychological safety, we begin removing the barriers that keep students from reaching their potential. #ClassroomManagement #StudentEngagement #ClassroomCulture #TeacherStudentRelationships #TroyKemp

  3. Oct 17

    Why New Teachers Struggle (And What They Should Focus On First)

    📩 Tyler Talabi Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/talabi_teach/If you need additional resources or support, visit my website at:👉 www.theclassroommanagementguy.com📩 If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to reach out to me. I help teachers like you all the time. My email is gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com**Why do so many new teachers struggle, even when they're working incredibly hard?**The problem isn't always effort. Sometimes it's trying to master everything at once before you've built the classroom management systems that make everything else possible.I sat down with middle school teacher **Tyler Talabi** to talk about what it really takes to survive those difficult early years of teaching. Tyler began his teaching career during COVID, struggled with classroom management, and eventually discovered how focusing on one major area at a time helped him become a more confident and effective teacher.We talk about classroom routines, student behavior, consistency, relationships, teacher burnout, and a practical roadmap for becoming a better teacher without trying to fix everything overnight.🎯 **In this video you'll learn:**🧭 Why new teachers often feel overwhelmed and stuck in survival mode🏫 Why classroom management should come before perfect lesson plans🔁 How consistent routines and procedures help students feel safe🤝 How student-created respect agreements can improve classroom culture👀 When to reteach expectations to the entire class versus helping individual students💬 Why students don't have to like you to respect you🌟 How focusing on positive student behavior changes your perspective📈 How to build your teaching skills one step at a time🛑 Why setting boundaries is essential for avoiding teacher burnout**If you struggle with:**✔ Feeling overwhelmed by everything teachers are expected to do✔ Students who repeatedly ignore classroom expectations✔ Knowing where to begin with classroom management✔ Building relationships without trying to be everyone's friend✔ Staying consistent when teaching gets difficult✔ Finding a healthy balance between teaching and your personal lifeThis conversation is especially helpful for new teachers, but even experienced teachers can benefit from remembering that great classrooms aren't built overnight. They're built through consistent systems, thoughtful routines, and small improvements over time.⭐ **Key takeaway:**You don't have to master everything at once. Start with classroom management, build a foundation that works, and keep improving one step at a time.

  4. Oct 10

    Before You Can Teach, You Have to Master This

    Teacher Darcy Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/teacher.darcy/Teacher Darcy Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1_c0bOQfzhDSalqtNmU6Vg If you need additional resources or support, visit my website at:👉 www.theclassroommanagementguy.com📩 If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to reach out to me. I help teachers like you all the time. My email is gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.comYou can have the perfect lesson planned—but if student behavior is taking over the classroom, that lesson doesn't stand much of a chance.In this conversation, I sit down with Teacher Darcy from Melbourne, Australia. Darcy works at a unique school serving students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs. We quickly discovered that even though our classrooms look very different, many of the classroom management principles we rely on are almost exactly the same.🎯 In this video you'll learn:🧠 The difference Darcy sees between a meltdown and a tantrum👀 Why knowing the student and understanding the situation matters🎓 Why classroom experience teaches things a university classroom can't🚧 How clear boundaries help students know what to expect🔁 Why consistency matters more than being perfect🏃 How Darcy uses brain breaks and recovery time with his students⚖️ Why every student behavior doesn't need to become a power struggle🏠 How Darcy separates teaching from his personal life🛠️ Why systems, routines, and predictable classrooms make teaching easier🤝 Why classroom management can actually help create stronger relationships with studentsIf you struggle with:✔ Students who constantly challenge boundaries✔ Knowing when to push and when to step back✔ Staying consistent when you're exhausted✔ Managing behavior while still trying to teach✔ Taking difficult student behavior personally✔ Leaving the stress of school at schoolThis conversation is a reminder that good classroom management isn't about controlling students. It's about creating a safe, predictable environment where students can actually learn and relationships have room to grow.⭐ Key takeaway:Before you can teach effectively, you need an environment where teaching can actually happen—and that starts with classroom management.

  5. Oct 3

    Before You Manage Student Behavior, Learn to Manage This

    If you need additional resources or support, visit my website at:👉 www.theclassroommanagementguy.com📩 If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to reach out to me. I help teachers like you all the time. My email is gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com👉 Bobby's Instagram Page. https://www.instagram.com/bobbyeppleman/When student behavior starts going sideways, our first instinct as teachers is usually to ask: How do I get this student under control?But what if we started by looking at ourselves?In this conversation, I sit down with former behavior specialist and current art teacher Bobby Elman to talk about student behavior, relationships, teacher self-regulation, restorative practices, and what happens when we stop focusing only on the behavior we see in front of us.Bobby brings a fascinating perspective from his experience working as a behavior specialist and now teaching elementary art. And much of what he's learned comes back to one idea: connection matters.🎯 IN THIS VIDEO, YOU'LL LEARN:🧠 Why teacher self-regulation matters in classroom management🤝 Why relationships can change student behavior⚠️ How to recognize your own triggers before you react🏈 Bobby's “walk the field” strategy for preparing before students arrive✍️ Why journaling can help teachers process difficult emotions🎨 How Bobby uses his art classroom to build connection and student expression⭕ How restorative circles give students a voice in classroom culture👀 Why simply letting a struggling student know “I see you” can matter💪 Why Bobby completely changed his beliefs about punishment and toughnessIF YOU STRUGGLE WITH:✔ Losing your patience with difficult student behavior✔ Staying calm when your classroom becomes chaotic✔ Building relationships with challenging students✔ Carrying stress from your personal life into your classroom✔ Feeling emotionally exhausted by teachingthis conversation may give you a different way to think about classroom management.Sometimes the first question isn't, “How do I change this student's behavior?”It's, “How am I going to show up when that behavior happens?”⭐ KEY TAKEAWAY:Before we can help students regulate their emotions and behavior, we have to become more aware of our own triggers, reactions, and emotions—and learn how to respond instead of simply react.

  6. Sep 26

    Even Great Teachers Have Bad Days—Here's What Matters Next

    👉 Get more classroom management strategies at www.theclassroommanagementguy.com📩 If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to reach out to me. I help teachers like you all the time. My email is gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com👉 Kyle's Instagram   / mister.b.music  🎯 Have you ever left school after a terrible day wondering, “What am I doing wrong?”You're not the only one.In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy Podcast, I sit down with Kyle, an elementary music teacher and creator behind Mr. B Music, for a conversation about the side of teaching we don't always show.Kyle recently shared a post about having an absolutely terrible day at school.The lesson sounded great.The students didn't cooperate.Behaviors piled up.Nothing seemed to work.And Kyle has been doing this for years.That's what made our conversation so important. Veteran teachers still have bad days. Lessons still fail. Students still surprise us. And sometimes the most important thing we can do is reflect, recover, and come back tomorrow.🎯 In this video you'll learn:🎵 What it's really like teaching elementary music to hundreds of students🧠 Why good teachers never stop learning🎭 Why teaching sometimes feels like performing⚖️ Why finding work-life balance can be so difficult for teachers😓 Why experienced teachers still have terrible days🫧 How a great lesson involving recorders and bubbles completely fell apart📱 Why Kyle decided to share his bad day publicly❤️ Why teachers need to know they're not alone🔁 How reflection helps us recover when a lesson fails🏫 Why changing schools may sometimes be better than leaving teaching👥 Why finding your people matters in educationIf you struggle with:✔ Feeling like you're failing after a difficult day✔ Classroom management and student behavior✔ Work-life balance✔ Feeling alone as a new teacher✔ Comparing your classroom to what you see on social media✔ Wondering whether teaching eventually gets easierBad days don't automatically mean you're a bad teacher.Sometimes you planned well. You care about the students. You have good relationships.And the day still falls apart.⭐ Key takeaway:A bad day is part of the journey. Reflect on what you can change, don't carry a grudge against your students, and remember that tomorrow can be completely different.

  7. Sep 19

    Why New Teachers Struggle (And What Actually Makes It Better)

    👉 Get more classroom management strategies at www.theclassroommanagementguy.com 📩 If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to reach out to me. I help teachers like you all the time. My email is gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com 👉 Carlton's website for his book. https://wesucklesstomorrow.com📩 Carlton's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sucklesstomorrow🎯 Why does teaching feel so incredibly difficult during those first few years—and does it ever actually get easier?In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy Podcast, I sit down with veteran teacher, author, and podcaster Carlton Glassford, creator of Suck Less Tomorrow in the Classroom.And Carlton isn't afraid to admit something most teachers don't like talking about:He wasn't very good when he started.Neither was I.Carlton nearly lost his first teaching job. I spent years struggling before I finally felt comfortable in my own classroom.So we talked about what actually changes.How do struggling teachers get better? Can we shorten that learning curve? And where should a teacher start when everything feels overwhelming?🎯 In this video you'll learn:📈 Why getting a little better tomorrow is more realistic than trying to become a “great teacher” overnight😰 Why new teachers can feel completely overwhelmed🧠 Why reflection is such an important part of becoming a better teacher📚 Why Carlton believes teachers need to learn from books, colleagues, coaches, and other educators⏳ How long it can take before teaching finally feels comfortable🪑 Why classroom management should start with something as simple as a seating chart📋 Why classroom management and lesson planning work together🔁 Why classroom procedures need to be explicitly practiced🤫 How Carlton stopped yelling by committing to a consistent quiet signal✏️ Why a warm-up routine can change the beginning of your class❤️ Why struggling today doesn't mean you'll always struggleIf you struggle with:✔ Feeling overwhelmed as a new teacher✔ Classroom management✔ Students talking or ignoring directions✔ Knowing where to begin improving your classroom✔ Feeling like every other teacher has figured it out except youYou don't need to become a master teacher tomorrow.You need to identify one thing that didn't work today, change it, and get a little better tomorrow.⭐ Key takeaway:You don't have to stop struggling overnight. Find one thing you can improve, work on it, and keep getting better.

  8. Sep 12

    The Truth About Classroom Discipline (From a Middle School Dean)

    👉 Get more classroom management strategies at www.theclassroommanagementguy.com📩 If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to reach out to me. I help teachers like you all the time. My email is gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.com🎯 What if we've been thinking about classroom discipline the wrong way?In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy Podcast, I sit down with Mr. Chambers, a middle school dean I've had the privilege of working with personally.And this conversation challenged the way we often think about discipline.Instead of asking, “What punishment does this student deserve?” Chambers asks a much more important question:What will actually change the behavior?We talk about discipline, relationships, respect, school culture, teacher-administrator relationships, classroom management, and what struggling teachers can do differently tomorrow.🎯 In this video, you'll learn:🧠 Why discipline should focus on changing behavior⚖️ Why punishment and discipline aren't necessarily the same thing🤝 Why teachers and administrators need to work together❤️ Why relationships matter when correcting student behavior👦 Why Chambers doesn't believe most students are “bad kids”🗣️ Why respect has to go both directions🏫 What administrators really look for when hiring teachers👔 One surprisingly simple way to stand out in a teacher interview🚪 Why greeting students at the door matters🚶 How proximity can immediately improve classroom managementIf you struggle with:✔ Students who repeatedly misbehave✔ Feeling unsupported by administration✔ Knowing what consequences actually work✔ Building relationships while maintaining authority✔ Classroom management as a new teacherThis conversation offers a different way of looking at discipline—not as getting even with students, but as another opportunity to teach.⭐ Key takeaway:The goal of discipline isn't to make a student suffer enough for what they did. The goal is to help change the behavior.

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Middle school teacher with 24 years of classroom experience sharing practical strategies for classroom management, student engagement, teacher burnout, school culture, difficult students, and surviving the realities of teaching. This podcast gives honest advice, real classroom stories, and simple systems that help teachers stay calm, organized, and effective—especially new teachers navigating today’s classrooms. Perfect for educators looking for practical teaching tips that actually work.

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