The Classroom Management Guy Podcast

Gabriel Vigil

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. 3d ago

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Sep 5

    The #1 Classroom Management Routine Every Teacher Needs

    🎯 Ben Peddie's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ben.peddie/ 👉 Get resources mentioned in Podcast. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/foundational-classroom-management-resources-handbook 📩 Additional resources mentioned in Podcast. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/classroom-management-resources-user-guide👉 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 is the most important classroom management routine a teacher can have?In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy Podcast, I sit down with Ben Pettie, an educator and classroom-management specialist who has worked with hundreds of teachers and helped develop classroom-management resources for the Australian Education Research Organisation.Ben and I break down classroom management beyond simply telling teachers to “build relationships” or “create routines.”We talk about the actual skills underneath those routines—and why learning those skills can completely change what happens in your classroom.🎯 In this video, you'll learn:🧠 The #1 classroom management routine Ben recommends🚪 How to create an effective classroom entrance routine👀 Why teachers need 100% attention before giving instructions🔁 Why routines must become part of the classroom culture🗣️ How voice control affects student behavior👁️ What teacher “withitness” actually looks like👍 Why acknowledgement and praise are classroom-management skills⏸️ How deliberate pauses help control a classroom🚶 Why circulation and scanning matter🤝 Why trust still plays a critical role in classroom managementIf you struggle with:✔ Students talking while you're teaching✔ Getting your entire class quiet✔ Students entering class chaotically✔ Classroom routines that aren't working✔ Feeling like other teachers naturally have “it” and you don'tThis conversation breaks classroom management into skills teachers can actually identify, practice, reflect on, and refine.⭐ Key takeaway:Great classroom management isn't something certain teachers are simply born with. Strong teachers use specific routines supported by specific skills—and those skills can be improved with intentional practice.

  6. Aug 29

    Is Our Education System Broken? Two Educators Debate the Truth

    📩 If you are in the education field and would like to be a guest on the podcast please send an email to theclassroommanagementguy@gmail.com👉 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 👉 Cashius Jackson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cashiusjackson/🎯 Is our education system broken—or can great teachers still make the difference?In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy Podcast, I sit down with assistant principal, educator, comedian, and content creator Cashius Jackson for one of the most candid conversations I've had about the state of education.Cashius believes education is facing some serious problems. Student behavior has changed. Parents have changed. Social media has changed childhood. Consequences have disappeared, and teachers are being asked to handle problems that go far beyond teaching.I agree with many of his concerns.Where we disagree is whether things can still get better.🎯 In this video, you'll hear us discuss:🏫 Whether America's education system is getting worse📱 How social media is changing student behavior👨‍👩‍👧 The changing role of parents in education⚠️ What happens when schools remove consequences🎓 Why students are sometimes passed along unprepared🧠 Whether PBIS actually helps student behavior🏫 Public schools vs. charter schools🚨 How a handful of disruptive students affect an entire classroom👨‍🏫 Why so many teachers are leaving education💪 Why I still believe great teachers can make a differenceIf you struggle with:✔ Increasing student behavior problems✔ Lack of accountability✔ Difficult parent interactions✔ Feeling unsupported by administration✔ Wondering whether education can actually be fixedThis conversation doesn't pretend there are easy answers.Cashius and I disagree on some things, but we agree on something incredibly important:Teachers matter.Even when we can't immediately change laws, districts, parents, technology, or the entire education system, we can still change what happens inside our classrooms.⭐ Key takeaway:We may not be able to fix the entire education system tomorrow, but we can develop stronger teachers today—and a great teacher can completely change the experience students have in a classroom.⏱️ Chapters:0:00 Can teachers change a broken system?0:44 Meet Cashius Jackson1:46 Expelled five years straight3:14 From substitute teacher to assistant principal4:21 Parents, students, and social media6:04 Have students really changed?8:22 Student rights and today's schools9:54 What happened to consequences?11:35 Public schools vs. charter schools13:03 How a few students can disrupt an entire class15:10 Are schools passing students who aren't ready?16:15 What do we do with students who don't want to learn?17:01 How changing environments changed Cashius19:33 Are schools expected to solve problems they can't solve?20:08 The problem with PBIS21:05 Is education reaching a breaking point?22:15 Cashius's controversial take on charter schools24:12 Why I still have hope28:42 The power teachers still have30:29 How do we support struggling teachers?31:13 What I learned working in administration32:30 Technology and classroom distractions33:48 Can we afford to give up?34:49 Do families still value education?40:46 What do we do with the students who don't want to learn?41:23 Why Cashius became an administrator44:08 Why he stays in education45:20 Education, comedy, and social media52:35 What educators around the country are experiencing53:37 Why so many teachers are quitting55:24 Final thoughts

  7. Aug 22

    What Great Teachers Do Before They Lose Their Cool

    👉 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👉 Chris Mukiibi's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrmukiibi/🎯 What happens when student behavior pushes a teacher to the breaking point?In this episode of The Classroom Management Guy Podcast, I sit down with chemistry teacher Chris Mukiibi to talk about the neuroscience behind classroom behavior, teacher stress, and one fascinating strategy he calls the “teacher escape hatch.”Chris explains why teachers can struggle to think clearly when they feel trapped in an escalating classroom situation—and why having systems already in place can completely change how we respond.🎯 In this video, you’ll learn:🧠 How a teacher’s emotional state affects the entire classroom🚪 What a “teacher escape hatch” is and how it works🔥 Why feeling trapped can cause situations to escalate🛑 How to interrupt a classroom power struggle before it gets worse🔁 Why strong classroom systems reduce teacher decision-making😰 How cognitive overload contributes to teacher burnout💪 Why classroom management is about systems, not controlling students📚 How Chris went from struggling with classroom behavior to studying the neuroscience behind it🎯 Why recurring classroom problems may actually reveal broken systems❤️ How teachers can create classrooms where they want to stay and students want to learnIf you struggle with:✔ Students pushing your buttons✔ Losing your patience during difficult classes✔ Constant classroom management decisions✔ Feeling overwhelmed by student behavior✔ Teacher stress and burnoutThis conversation offers a different way of looking at classroom management: instead of asking who needs to be fixed, start asking what needs to be fixed.⭐ Key takeaway:You don't have to make every classroom management decision in the heat of the moment. Strong systems give you a predetermined response—and sometimes the best response is having an “escape hatch” that gives you a moment to regain your composure before the situation escalates.⏱️ Chapters:0:00 Why teachers feel trapped0:30 Meet Chris Mukiibi3:20 Why so many teachers leave the profession4:18 Neuroscience and classroom management6:54 The teacher “escape hatch”8:02 How Chris uses tea to stop escalation9:23 A teacher who uses prayer beads11:30 Why feeling trapped can trigger rage14:14 Building classroom systems that work15:42 Chris's opening classroom routine18:12 What happens when students don't listen?19:01 Decision fatigue and teacher burnout20:56 Fix the system, not the person23:48 Chris's early classroom struggles24:20 Fear vs. cooperation in classroom management30:59 The one lesson that can help teachers survive33:56 How Chris became a teacher39:57 The experience that changed his life45:05 Resources Chris offers teachers50:48 The question that changed his teaching career52:45 The behavior crisis in our classrooms55:06 Final words of wisdom

  8. Aug 15

    Why Struggling Students Misbehave (And What Teachers Miss)

    👉 Get more classroom management strategies atwww.theclassroommanagementguy.com📩 Questions or need support?gabrielvigil@theclassroommanagementguy.comLawrence Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC9iiryh1sa5QylGuPrjGUzQ Lawrence Email: lawrence@lawrencecharris.comLawrence Instagram: instagram.com/lawrencec.empowersMany students who struggle in class aren't trying to make your day harder.They're trying to survive battles you can't see.In this episode, I sit down with youth empowerment speaker Lawrence C. Harris to discuss how bullying, trauma, mental health, and low self-worth shape student behavior—and what teachers can do to make a lasting difference.🎯 In this video you'll learn:🧠 Why struggling students often act out💬 How bullying impacts confidence for years📓 Why journaling can become a student's safe place❤️ What teachers can do—even with 120 students🎯 How helping students discover purpose changes behavior💪 Why confidence grows from keeping promises to yourself🌱 Small ways teachers can become life-changing mentorsIf you struggle with:✔ Students who constantly misbehave✔ Students dealing with trauma✔ Building relationships with difficult students✔ Knowing how to support students emotionally✔ Understanding behavior beyond discipline⭐ Key takeawayBehavior is often the symptom. Understanding the story behind the behavior is where real change begins.

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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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