In this episode of The Connected Classroom, we explore the fascinating question: Is stress contagious?

We look at research examining the relationship between teacher burnout and students’ stress, as well as research measuring teachers’ stress during real classroom days. We unpack what these findings do, and importantly, do not tell us about the connection between teacher wellbeing and student wellbeing.

Then we bring it back to the classroom. How might our tone, body language, pace, patience, and emotional state affect the environment around us? How can we recognize when our own nervous system is becoming overwhelmed? And what can we realistically do in the middle of a busy school day when “take 20 minutes to meditate” simply isn’t an option?

Teacher stress is not simply an individual teacher problem. Breathing exercises cannot fix overwhelming workloads, inadequate supports, large classes, or unhealthy working conditions.

Our goal isn’t to be calm every second of every school day. We’re human. Instead, it’s about becoming more aware of what we bring into the classroom, learning how to reset when we can.

Looking for practical tools to go along with this episode? Check out our Instagram for free resources you can use to support regulation, reflection, and connection in your classroom.

Research from this episode:

Oberle, E., & Schonert-Reichl, K. A. (2016). Stress contagion in the classroom? The link between classroom teacher burnout and morning cortisol in elementary school students. Social Science & Medicine, 159, 30–37.

Jõgi, A.-L., Aulén, A.-M., Pakarinen, E., & Lerkkanen, M.-K. (2023). Teachers’ daily physiological stress and positive affect in relation to their general occupational well-being. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 368–385.

We’re switching things up this week on The Connected Classroom!

Instead of diving into research, resources, or classroom strategies, we’re giving you a chance to get to know us a little better. Join us as we put each other on the spot with 20 questions, from teaching preferences and classroom chaos to personal favourites, funny opinions, and a few questions that might be harder to answer than we expected.

It’s a lighter episode full of teacher banter, laughs, and a little behind-the-scenes look at the two teachers behind The Connected Classroom.

Grab a coffee, come hang out with us, and play along as you listen!

And of course, we want to hear your answers too, find us on social media and let us know what you would choose!

AI is already changing the way we work, learn, and teach, so what should educators actually do with it?

In this episode of The Connected Classroom, we explore what AI literacy really means for teachers and students. We talk about the opportunities AI can offer, the concerns we need to keep in mind, and why being “good at AI” is about much more than knowing how to write a prompt.

We look at research examining whether tools like ChatGPT can actually reduce teacher workload.

Most importantly, we ask the question: When does AI support teaching and learning, and when does it replace the thinking we actually want people to do?

Whether you’re already using AI regularly or you’re still wondering where to begin, this episode is about helping teachers become thoughtful, informed decision-makers in an AI-powered world.

Resources from this episode:

The UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers:
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391104

The UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Students:
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391105

Research from this episode:
Roy, P., Poet, H., Staunton, R., Aston, K., & Thomas, D. (2024). ChatGPT in lesson preparation: A Teacher Choices trial. National Foundation for Educational Research.
https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/chatgpt-in-lesson-preparation-a-teacher-choices-trial/

Walt Disney World isn’t the only magical thing to come out of Florida! ✨

Join us as we take a deep dive into the resources from the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI). We’ll explore how you can make small changes to strengthen your existing literacy program, or completely revamp your literacy block using UFLI Foundations lessons and resources.

Whether you’re brand new to UFLI or already using it in your classroom, we’re sharing some of our favourite tools, supports, and practical ways to make it work for you.

Resources discussed in this episode:

Songs to Match Your UFLI Lessons – The Reader’s Garden
https://www.youtube.com/@the_readers_garden

UFLI Foundations Implementation Support / Lesson “Cheat Sheet”
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UFLIFoundations_Implementation_Support.pdf

UFLI Assessment / Intervention Screener
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/UFLIAssessment_081025_v2.pdf

Blending Board
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UFLIFoundations_Implementation_Support.pdf

Irregular Heart Word Cards
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/UFLI_Heart_Word_Printable_Cards.pdf

UFLI Foundations Toolbox
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/toolbox/

Research discussed in this episode:

Lane, H. B., Contesse, V. A., Gage, N. A., & Burns, M. K. (2025). Effect of an instructional program in foundational reading skills on early literacy development of students in kindergarten and first grade. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.607

What if the routines and environment we create in our classrooms could actually make learning easier?

In this episode of The Connected Classroom, we explore cognitive load, automaticity, and attention, and what the research tells us about classroom routines, visual distractions, and the demands we place on students’ working memory.

Join us as we unpack the research and consider practical ways to create classrooms that feel welcoming, predictable, and easier for students to navigate.

Research discussed in this episode:

Feldon, D. F. (2007). Cognitive load and classroom teaching: The double-edged sword of automaticity. Educational Psychologist, 42(3), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520701416173

Fisher, A. V., Godwin, K. E., & Seltman, H. (2014). Visual environment, attention allocation, and learning in young children: When too much of a good thing may be bad. Psychological Science, 25(7), 1362–1370. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614533801

Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. G. W. C. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational Psychology Review, 31(2), 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5

What skills matter most when children are just beginning school, and which ones are actually connected to later success?

In our first episode of The Connected Classroom, we dig into research on school readiness and explore the early skills that have been found to predict later academic achievement.

Join us as we take a closer look at what the research says, what it doesn’t say, and how we can turn those findings into practical ideas for real classrooms.

Research discussed in this episode:

Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L. S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., & Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428–1446. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428

The Connected Classroom is where practical teaching ideas meet real classroom life. Hosted by educators Caroline and Kate, each episode explores the research, resources, strategies, programs, and tools that can help make teaching a little easier, and classrooms a little more connected.

From literacy and behaviour to classroom routines, teacher well-being, helpful resources, and the latest ideas in education, we break it all down through honest, teacher-to-teacher conversations.

No jargon. No unrealistic expectations. Just useful ideas, thoughtful conversations, and simple takeaways you can actually try in your classroom.

New episodes every Monday.