The Unteachables Podcast

This one almost didn't happen, and I am so glad it did.
Today's guest literally walked past my booth at EduTech 2026 to introduce herself, and within about two minutes I knew I needed her energy on this podcast. Her name is Kate Stockman, and she is deeply passionate about helping young people find their voice and helping schools build cultures where communication actually thrives. Kate is a secondary educator, communication specialist, and founder of Communicators. Having taught drama, English, and performing arts across both the UK and Australia, Kate has spent her career helping students build confidence, develop communication skills, and engage more meaningfully in learning, drawing on dialogic teaching, oracy, and inclusive education.
So let's roll the tape. We start with what oracy actually is, why it's a much bigger conversation in the UK already, and why it's starting to gain real traction here in Australia too. Kate breaks down the difference between top-down, teacher-led talk and genuine dialogic, co-constructed discussion, and why so many classrooms are still stuck firmly in the first category.
We dig into the real barriers stopping students from speaking up, including a gap in empathy and self-expression that Kate is seeing more and more, and how technology is quietly reshaping the way young people connect face to face. Kate shares one of her favourite classroom strategies, the discussion chain, a deceptively simple, fully student-led technique that gets a whole class genuinely contributing without the teacher having to facilitate a thing. I make her walk me through exactly how to run it, live, so you can take it straight into your own classroom tomorrow.
Then, because I couldn't resist, we run a full bin or win round covering talking sticks, drama games, rote learning, homework, cold calling, and copying off the board, and Kate doesn't hold back on any of them. We finish with her best piece of teaching advice, the one mindset shift that completely changed how she shows up in the classroom, and the single thing every teacher can do tomorrow to immediately improve the quality of classroom conversation.

What you'll learn:
What oracy actually means, and why dialogic teaching is becoming a much bigger conversation in education
The real barriers stopping students from speaking up in class, including a growing gap in empathy and self-expression
How to run a discussion chain, a fully student-led strategy that gets a whole class contributing without teacher facilitation
Why practising discussion strategies early in the year matters more than just introducing them once
How smartphones and digital communication may be reshaping students' confidence to connect face to face
Kate's honest bin or win verdicts on talking sticks, drama games, rote learning, homework, cold calling, and copying off the board
Why cold calling can work well as a revision tool, but becomes harmful when used as a "gotcha" moment
The best piece of teaching advice Kate ever received, and why "being consistently good is outstanding"
The one shift every teacher can make tomorrow to immediately improve classroom conversation
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

Joining me is Avril Waite, a secondary science teacher from regional New South Wales who is leading the integration of artificial intelligence across her school, while also being a strong advocate for trauma-informed practice and student wellbeing. Avril also coordinates the New Marine Pathways program, helping create university access opportunities for students pursuing marine studies across New South Wales. She does so much, and at the heart of it all is a commitment to equity, opportunity, and helping young people see what's actually possible for their futures.
We start with something I had honestly never heard before, using AI as a reflective practice tool for teachers. Not for lesson planning or worksheets, but as a non-judgmental sounding board after a lesson that completely fell apart. Avril walks through the exact prompts she uses, why it's lowering cortisol levels and cognitive load for her staff, and why it's never a replacement for professional judgement, just a faster way to find your own solution.
Then we go somewhere much deeper. Avril shares the story of becoming a guardian to a 14-year-old girl she met at a party, who was sleeping on benches at McDonald's, and how that experience completely shaped the way she shows up for students today. We talk about what trauma-informed practice actually looks like day to day, beyond the buzzword, including the small, consistent things her whole school does together that genuinely change outcomes for kids doing it tough.
We also get into Avril's experience teaching in a fully open learning environment, the real challenges of that model, what it took to get it working well, and why she's actually come around to loving it. And we close out with something every teacher, leader, and school exec needs to hear about regional education, opportunity, and why a free conference ticket doesn't mean access when the flights alone cost thousands.

What you'll learn:
How teachers can use AI as a non-judgmental reflective practice tool after a tough lesson, including the actual prompts Avril uses
Why reflecting with AI can lower cognitive load and cortisol levels for teachers, without replacing professional judgement
The personal story behind why Avril is so passionate about student wellbeing and trauma-informed practice
What trauma-informed practice really looks like in the day-to-day, beyond the buzzword, including the Berry Street model
Why greeting students by name is one of the most powerful, low-cost relationship-building tools a teacher has
What it's really like teaching in a fully open learning environment, including the early chaos and what fixed it
Why "you can't be what you can't see" matters so much for students in regional and disadvantaged communities
The hidden cost barriers that mean a "free" opportunity for low socioeconomic or regional schools often isn't free at all
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

Joining me is Carmel McGee, a Tasmanian educator and certified lead teacher who has spent much of her career chasing one question: how do we actually create the conditions for curiosity to thrive? Carmel works at Riverside Primary School in Launceston, where she helps build classroom cultures where kids are curious, capable, and courageous. Her thinking has been shaped by some seriously impressive influences, including Project Zero at Harvard, UC Berkeley, and inquiry learning legends Kath Murdoch and Susan Engel. If you've ever wondered how we move students beyond just complying and into genuinely wanting to learn, this episode is for you.
We get into why curiosity isn't some lucky personality trait some kids are just born with, and why it's something we can either deliberately nurture or accidentally shut down without even realising it. Carmel doesn't hold back when I ask her what's quietly killing curiosity in schools right now, and her answer about systems measuring answers instead of valuing thinking is going to make you rethink a few things about your own classroom.
We also get really practical. What does a curious classroom actually look like? What is the teacher doing, and what are the students doing? Carmel breaks down why curious teachers create curious kids, why modelling "I don't know, let's find out together" matters more than we think, and why something as simple as not rushing to fill silence can completely change how your students engage.
And because I couldn't let her go without asking the big stuff, we dig into Carmel's brilliant question: are we measuring what we value, or valuing what we measure? If you've ever felt like the things that matter most in your classroom don't fit neatly into a spreadsheet, you are going to feel so seen by this conversation.

What you'll learn:
Why curiosity isn't an inherent trait, and how it can be deliberately nurtured or accidentally shut down in the classroom
What's quietly killing curiosity in schools right now, according to Carmel
Why curious teachers create curious kids, and how modelling "I don't know, let's find out together" shifts classroom culture
The danger of measuring what's easy to count instead of valuing what actually matters, like curiosity, belonging, and engagement
Why wait time is one of the most underused, free tools available to every teacher
Practical, explicit strategies to get more students contributing, including the "sticky note slam" and extended think-pair-share
Why less than 5% of questions in most classrooms come from students themselves, and how to change that
How Carmel approaches modelling a curious relationship with AI in the classroom, rather than ignoring it or banning it outright
The one tiny shift Carmel would want every teacher to make tomorrow to bring curiosity front and centre
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

Okay, so this one's a little different. I'm not the one asking the questions today.
I'm coming to you live from EduTech 2026, booth 1216, and before I put a single educator, leader or keynote speaker in the hot seat, my best friend and fellow teacher Jess decided it was only fair I sit in it myself first.
Jess grabbed all the questions you've been sending me on Instagram and in my inbox — the big ones, the spicy ones, the ones you've been dying to ask — and she fired them at me with zero warning. No prep. No notes. Just me, a microphone, and a best friend who knows exactly which buttons to push.
We cover everything from the biggest classroom management mistake teachers make, to whether you can be "too nice," to the one strategy that doesn't get nearly enough credit (hint: it's not what you think). And then — because Jess clearly wanted to see me sweat — we close it out with a rapid-fire game of Bin or Win, where I had to give my gut reaction to seating plans, phone bans, reward systems, homework, restorative conversations, AI in schools, and more. No hedging allowed. Well — mostly.
If you've followed the Unteachables for years, this is the closest thing to a "getting to know me" episode you're going to get. And if you've just stumbled across us here at EduTech, well — welcome. Buckle up.

What you'll learn:
The biggest mistake teachers make when trying to manage behaviour (and why it's not actually about the behaviour at all)
Why "too nice" usually isn't the real problem — and what's happening instead
The one strategy Claire believes is the absolute heartbeat of every lesson, but rarely gets talked about
Where to start if you want to overhaul your routines but don't know which one to fix first
The biggest myth about low-level disruption — and why responding to it is the wrong move
Why a lack of control as a teacher is really a nervous system problem, not a discipline problem
Claire's instant gut reactions in a rapid-fire Bin or Win: seating plans, phone bans, reward systems, group work, homework, icebreakers, whole-class consequences, open plan classrooms, teacher content on social media, restorative conversations, and AI in schools
The one hill Claire will die on as an educator (and it's a big one)
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

If you can grab them in the first five minutes, everything feels easier. That's the magic of a great starter activity — and this episode is Claire's full Q&A on how to do them well.
Starter tasks are one of Claire's absolute favourite things (her words). Done right, they communicate your expectations before you've said a single word, shift whatever energy students are walking in with, and create the kind of consistency and predictability that makes your classroom feel safe — for your students and for you.
In this episode, Claire covers:
Why starter activities are classroom management magic — not just a nice-to-have
The guard dog analogy — why routines are "friends for the amygdala" and what that means for your most dysregulated students
The most frequently asked questions about starter tasks: Do they have to relate to the lesson? Claire's honest answer
What if students don't take them seriously? How to get buy-in by explaining the why
What actually makes a quality starter? Claire's criteria — achievable for every student, no extra input from you, pen to paper, three to five minutes, no prior knowledge required

Five starter activities you can try this week: 
Resources mentioned:
📦 [Routines Bundle]— entry routines, transitions, exits, early finishes, starters, and more — every routine your classroom needs in one place
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