How to Be a Teacher Pupils Listen To – Proven strategies for classroom discipline

Programmes
How to Be a Teacher Pupils Listen To – Proven strategies for classroom discipline

Jolanta Kawaler

Specialist in challenging behaviours

How to Be a Teacher Pupils Listen To – Proven strategies for classroom discipline

When a class will not settle, a pupil makes a show of ignoring you, or the same few pupils disrupt lesson after lesson, negative behaviour points on their own change nothing. This programme shows you how to earn authority through trust and consistency, agree clear class rules and reinforce them, stay calm when a lesson falls apart, and work constructively with difficult pupils and defensive parents. Drawing on almost forty years of teaching and pastoral experience, it offers practical, relationship-based strategies for improving classroom discipline at every phase of education.

Essential

£49.00

One-time · 12 months access

4 video modules
Teacher's Toolkit (74 pages)
Certificate
Classroom materials
Case studies
Knowledge Booster

Professional Recommended

£69.00

One-time · 12 months access

4 video modules
Teacher's Toolkit (74 pages)
Certificate
17 classroom materials
3 case studies
Knowledge Booster (30 days)

or

Get All - from £21.00 / month

Is this for you?

You teach a class that will not settle, and shouting or negative behaviour points are not helping.
You have one or two pupils who swear, manipulate, play to the audience or make a show of ignoring you.
You want to build authority through clear rules and good relationships rather than through constant reprimands.
You need a way of talking to a parent who defends their child in the face of the facts.

We use AI as a tool to support production, but we do not hand over responsibility for the content. Our materials are based on real webinars by our trainers and are reviewed and approved by a person before publication. The videos feature an AI-generated avatar and voice of the trainer, used with her consent.

What you'll implement?

Ready to use tomorrow
- A class charter that lasts
  
  How to agree a short set of rules with the class, display them, and reinforce them with a one-minute reminder each week, so that they remain part of everyday classroom life.
- Consequences instead of punishments
  
  How to respond to bad behaviour with consequences that are proportionate, linked to what happened and known in advance, and why a consequence builds responsibility while punishment breeds a sense of injustice.
- Calm responses for heated moments
  
  What to say when a pupil swears or the class deliberately winds you up, and what to do when a pupil is about to boil over: safety first, then knowing when to talk and when to wait.
- Conversations that look for the cause
  
  How to lead a one-to-one with a pupil who manipulates or wrecks lessons, and how to talk to a parent who makes excuses for their child.
A different way of seeing the problem
- Where difficult behaviour comes from
  
  Communication patterns brought from home, financial hardship, trauma, unrecognised hearing or sight difficulties, developmental needs, an upbringing without expectations, and the school itself – usually several at once.
- Potential instead of battle
  
  Positive psychology and the PERMA model in the classroom, and how the halo effect can let one strength change the way the class – and you – see a difficult pupil.
- Why children stop listening
  
  No emotional bond with the teacher, a constant stream of prohibitions, lessons that do not engage them, and the feeling that nothing they say will ever change anything.
- The teacher’s hidden advantage
  
  What today’s pupils need most and no screen can give them: relationships and face-to-face communication.

What's inside this programme?

Video modules

4 modules · approx. 70 min total · one film per module

1

Understanding the pupil and today’s classroom

11 min
Available after purchase
Who the “naughty pupil” really is, where behavioural difficulties come from, and how growing up without expectations can affect classroom behaviour.

Lessons in this module
1. Introduction – The aims of this training course
2. What exactly is a ‘naughty pupil’?
3. Where difficulties come from
4. Upbringing without expectations and its consequences
2

Authority and the classroom environment

16 min
Available after purchase
How authority is earned through consistent rules, what a class of ten-year-olds taught the author, how school and childhood have changed, and how to agree and reinforce a class charter.

Lessons in this module
1. Authority is built with rules
2. What a class of ten-year-olds taught me
3. School then and now
4. A classroom that invites listening
5. The class charter and responsibility
3

Relationships, positive psychology and difficult situations

22 min
Available after purchase
Why children do not listen, the PERMA model, and how to work with pupils who swear, manipulate or wreck every lesson, pupils with special educational needs, and the difficult parent.

Lessons in this module
1. Why children do not listen
2. Positive psychology in the classroom
3. The difficult class: potential instead of battle
4. The pupil who manipulates
5. The difficult parent
6. Children with special educational needs and procedures
7. The pupil who wrecks lessons
4

Communication, consequences and building bridges

21 min
Available after purchase
The authentic teacher, six rules of good communication, consequences in practice, appreciating effort and the pasta jar, and how to lower a pupil’s arousal and build bridges instead of walls.

Lessons in this module
1. The authentic teacher
2. Getting to know pupils: the dragon and shared lessons
3. Six rules of good communication
4. Consequences in practice and appreciation
5. Reducing aggression and building bridges

Teacher's Toolkit

74-page implementation guide · PDF

Theory, situation cards and ready-made steps – designed to help you find the right page at the moment something happens in class.

A short foundation: where difficult behaviour comes from and the positive-psychology approach behind every card
22 situation cards in seven groups – from the classroom system to parents
Most cards follow the same layout: Before you react · What to do · What to avoid · See also
Ready-to-use wording for heated moments
True stories from the author’s classroom diary
An index that leads from what you see in class to the right card
Printable templates: a sample class charter and the “Plus and minus chart”

See sample pages

Classroom Resource Library

Practical resources for real classroom situations

The Professional version gives you access to the complete library of practical resources created specifically for this programme. Inside, you’ll find ready-to-use materials that support classroom practice, behaviour analysis, communication, planning and implementation. Selected resources are available to preview for free, so you can see the format and approach before accessing the full library.

23

materials total
2

free for everyone
23

in Professional

For a heated moment

4 materials
- “Before You Speak” cheat sheet — signal → pause → instead
  
  One-page card for the three most common heated moments, with a ready sentence to say instead of your first impulse.
  
  Open
- The wave of emotion — when to talk, and when to wait
  
  What happens to a pupil in a state of agitation and four steps to follow: safety first, lower the arousal, make contact and redirect, talk once settled.
  
  Open
- 6 rules of communication that make pupils listen — a personal cheat sheet for your planner
  
  The author’s six rules of communication, each with a one-sentence explanation and two example sentences to use straight away.
  
  Open
- “What to avoid” cheat sheet — the reflexes that escalate
  
  A table of eight situations with the reflex that makes things worse and a pointer to what to do instead.
  
  Open
Worksheets, forms and scripts

7 materials
- Punishment or consequence? — a decision sheet
  
  Four questions to check a planned response, example consequences for six typical situations, and the author’s “museum consequence” story.
  
  Open
- Script for a conversation with a parent who defends their child in the face of the facts
  
  A preparation checklist, six steps of the conversation with ready sentences, variants for when it gets difficult, and a template note afterwards.
  
  Open
- The rules minute — a sheet for the weekly reminder of the rules
  
  A ten-week table for recording the weekly one-minute reminder, which rules need reinforcing and what to change at the next review.
  
  Open
- Authority is built with rules — a checklist of five habits for 10 weeks
  
  Five habits that build authority in a ten-week grid, with instructions and three questions for reflection.
  
  Open
- The conversation after an incident — facts instead of judgements
  
  Six fields that lead through the conversation after a conflict, a fight or a complaint: facts, both sides, a shared agreement and a review date.
  
  Open
- A pupil swears and makes a show of ignoring me — two phases of the teacher’s action
  
  The response during the lesson and four steps for working through the pupil’s potential over the following weeks, with the halo and horn effects explained.
  
  Open
- When the teacher’s response was unfair — a card for putting things right
  
  Six steps for putting things right when a pupil was punished or blamed unjustly, with ready sentences for the pupil, the parents and the class.
  
  Open
Form-time lesson plans

3 materials
- Form-time lesson plan: “Creating our class charter”
  
  A 45-minute lesson with a minute-by-minute outline for agreeing a class charter, with a version for ages 7–9 and an optional module on consequences.
  
  Open
- Form-time lesson plan: “Bridges instead of walls”
  
  A 45-minute lesson on what puts up a wall in a conversation and what builds a bridge, with cards to cut out and fictional scenes to act out in pairs.
  
  Open
- Our class charter — a picture card
  
  The seven rules of the sample class charter as pictures for pupils aged 7–9, with a place to sign and brief instructions for the teacher on the reverse.
  
  Open
Individual and team work

3 materials
- Appreciating specifically — 30 phrases for effort, skills and contribution to the class
  
  Thirty ready sentences: eighteen for discreet appreciation of effort and twelve for public appreciation of skills and contribution.
  
  Open
- What would you do if…? — a situation quiz for teachers
  
  Fifteen fictional classroom situations with three response options and a key explaining which is closest to the programme’s rules.
  
  Open
- From a strength to a specific role — a selection sheet and a bank of 20 ways to use a pupil’s potential
  
  A sheet for choosing a task for one pupil and a bank of twenty “strength → role in the class” pairs.
  
  Open
The author’s resources

3 materials
- Plus and minus chart — a pupil observation sheet
  
  A sheet for recording a pupil’s desirable and difficult behaviours, questions for reflection and supportive agreements for the next one to two weeks.
  
  Open
- Instead of this… try this… A set of ready-made INSTEAD OF messages for teachers
  
  Twenty pairs of sentences in seven situations: the one that slips out automatically and its version based on facts and a clear expectation.
  
  Open
- FAQ — How to Be a Teacher Pupils Listen To
  
  Nine questions teachers ask most often, with the author’s short answers and a specific sentence to say in each situation.
  
  Open
Case studies

3 materials
- What a class of ten-year-olds taught a teacher
  
  Whole-class disruption, shouting that does not work and techniques for focusing attention
  
  Read
- The notes that nobody wrote
  
  Fabricated notes, classmates punished unjustly and the cause behind the behaviour
  
  Read
- Pasta in a class of teenagers
  
  Celebrating achievements instead of negative behaviour points
  
  Read

Knowledge Booster

The Professional version includes the Knowledge Booster, which helps you return to the programme after completing the video course - step by step, without trying to implement everything at once. Inspired by Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve, it uses short emails sent at the right intervals to help you remember and apply what you learn.

Professional: 11 emails over 30 days

1

Day 1

The one idea, and how the booster works
2

Day 4

The class charter and the rules minute
3

Day 7

Authority is built with rules
4

Day 10

The teacher’s own emotions
5

Day 13

The wave of emotion
6

Day 16

Punishment or consequence
7

Day 19

Appreciation
8

Day 22

Six rules of communication
9

Day 25

The pupil who swears
10

Day 28

Bridges instead of walls
11

Day 30

The parent who defends their child + 5 things to take with you

You control when it starts. Activate from your account whenever you're ready - it won't start automatically.

Certificate of completion

Each Edutimo programme includes a short end-of-programme test. After completing the modules, take the test to confirm what you have learned and download your certificate of completion. The test is included in the programme and can be retaken if needed.

Ready? Take the test and get your certificate.

10 questions · approx. 10 min · available after completing all modules

Your trainer

Jolanta Kawaler

Teacher, trainer, mediator and deputy counselling centre director, valued for practical behavioural strategies, creativity and humour.

challenging behaviours
motivation
teaching methodology
addiction prevention
classroom discipline

What teachers say?

Trusted by teachers across Europe

Noelia Carnero

SEN teacher

"Edutimo has been a great discovery. I find it particularly useful because it provides a wide range of practical ideas and resources that could easily be adapted to my classroom and the individual needs of my learners. I especially appreciated that the activities were not just theoretical, but focused on things that could realistically be implemented in a classroom setting. One of the most useful aspects was having ready-made ideas that helped me think about how to make learning more engaging, interactive and accessible for pupils with different levels of ability. I could take several of the suggested activities and use them straight away, particularly when planning sensory, creative and practical activities. This was especially helpful for my SEN/pre-formal learners, where activities often need to be simple, hands-on and adaptable. Edutimo also gave me ideas that I could incorporate into continuous provision and different classroom stations, helping me to provide meaningful learning opportunities while still allowing pupils to explore independently. I found it useful for saving planning time and, at the same time, giving me inspiration when I was looking for new ways to approach a topic. Overall, I found Edutimo to be a practical and inspiring resource that I could apply directly to my everyday teaching."

Margaret M.

Teacher

"Clear and well-explained step by step - what may cause various behaviours and how to deal with them."

Anna C.

Teacher

"Excellent training course, with many interesting ideas and practical solutions to use."

Questions about this programme

FAQ

What's the difference between Essential and Professional?

Essential includes the full video programme, the Teacher’s Toolkit ebook and a certificate of completion. Professional includes everything in Essential, plus the complete Classroom Resource Library and the Knowledge Booster.
How long do I have access?

You receive 12 months of access to the programme after purchase.
Does the programme include ready-to-use materials?

Yes. Depending on your package, you receive templates, scripts, cards, procedures, case studies and classroom tools.
What is the Knowledge Booster?

It is a 30-day email sequence that helps you revisit the most important ideas from the programme and apply them step by step.
Do I receive a certificate?

Yes. After completing the programme, you can download your certificate of completion.