Open Call for Teacher Submissions: How Behavioral Challenges Are Changing Teaching

Classroom Chaos: How Behavioral Challenges Are Changing Teaching

Student behavior is changing, and it’s reshaping what it means to teach. Disruptions are more frequent, emotional needs seem more complex, and classroom management has become a daily struggle. Many educators are adjusting everything — from lesson plans to expectations — just to keep students engaged and learning.

At Teachers in Their Power, we want to amplify the voices of educators navigating this reality. Your stories are important — not just to other teachers, but to parents, policymakers, and communities who need to understand what’s happening in classrooms and why it matters.

Who can submit?

Current PreK-12 teachers.

The word teacher is intentionally used to bring more power to this title and keep the focus on PreK-12 educators who work within school systems. School educators who work directly with students — including paraprofessionals, speech language pathologists, and counselors — are welcome.

Frame your thoughts on this issue for maximum impact

We know the challenges are real—but simply stating “the kids are out of control” can lead to public disengagement rather than action. Instead of reinforcing frustration, we encourage educators to frame their stories in ways that inspire understanding, urgency, and solutions when discussing how student behavior is affecting teaching and learning today.

✔️ Make it personal, but connect it to the bigger picture.

• Share a real classroom moment, but tie it to broader trends in student behavior and learning.
• Example: “This year, I’ve had more students than ever struggling to focus, regulate emotions, and follow basic routines. Here’s how I’ve adjusted my approach to support them… but I know this isn’t only happening in my classroom. Teachers everywhere are navigating new challenges with student behavior, and we need real solutions.”

✔️ Describe the impact on students.

• Many people are aware of behavior issues but feel most moved by how they affect student learning.
• Example: “One of my students used to love participating in class, but as disruptions increased, he stopped raising his hand. When classrooms become chaotic, students who want to learn often feel overlooked, and their confidence suffers.”

✔️ Offer solutions, not just problems.

• Show what’s working in schools that are successfully addressing behavior challenges.
• Example: “I’ve found that integrating structured routines, social-emotional learning, and more time for movement has helped reduce student disruptions. When students feel supported rather than just disciplined, they respond better — and learning improves.”

✔️ Avoid “us vs. them” language.

• Frame parents, administrators, and communities as partners in supporting students, rather than assigning blame.
• Example: Instead of “Parents aren’t teaching kids how to behave anymore,” try “Students today are facing new challenges, and as teachers, parents, and schools, we all need to work together to help them succeed.”

✔️ Challenge misconceptions with facts and experiences.

• Many assume behavior issues are solely the result of bad parenting or ineffective discipline at school. Share insights that challenge oversimplified views.
• Example: “Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a rise in anxiety and attention difficulties among students. When kids act out, it’s often because they need support, not because they don’t care about learning.”

✔️ End with a call to action.

• Leave your audience with a clear takeaway — what can they do to help?
• Example: “If we want engaged, thriving students, we need to invest in resources that help teachers manage classrooms effectively. I think that means we need more mental health services, training in behavioral strategies, and smaller class sizes so every student gets the attention they need.”

Framing your story in these ways ensures your voice is not just heard, but that it moves people to care, engage, and take action.

Explore the process

Guide on filming and uploading your video 

Devices

You can record your video using any device of your choice: a camera, a phone, or a computer. We recommend creating a short test video to check that everything is working properly before recording your full story.

Here are some step-by-step guides and resources you might want to use:

Lighting & Sound

Record in a well-lit space free of ambient noise. If you’re worried about background noise, you can use headphones with a mic. We strongly recommend doing a couple test recordings to check that everything’s working before you get started.

Layout

To ensure your video fits the layout on different platforms, please record in landscape (horizontally). Situate yourself in the center third of the frame.

No Editing Needed

If you’re submitting your video to Teachers in Their Power, you don’t need to worry about editing! We’ll clean everything up and format your video for posting to different platforms. We prefer if the video does not include text or effects.

But if you’re feeling ambitious, you can check out the free version of our go-to editing tool, Descript, and share your Descript file with us.

Ethical & Legal Considerations

Please don’t mention students, parents, or other individuals by name. Avoid any potentially identifying details. And if you’re not sure, err on the side of caution. “I was teaching in a small town in Kansas” instead of “I was teaching in Cottonwood Falls” is just fine.

Submission

If you’d like your video to be considered for inclusion on Teachers in Their Power, you can submit it via this Google form.

Create your story

Having trouble of thinking of what to say in your video? One recommendation is to use the And, But, So (ABS) Framework. The purpose of this particular storytelling framework is to drive people to take an action.

Example:

Teachers play a crucial role in shaping students’ learning and development, and classrooms should be spaces where students feel safe, engaged, and supported in their growth.

But in recent years, we’ve seen a sharp rise in student behavioral challenges — more disruptions, difficulty focusing, and increased student anxiety. These challenges make it harder for teachers to teach and for students to learn, creating environments where frustration replaces curiosity.

So if we want strong schools and thriving students, we must invest in strategies that support positive classroom behavior. That means equipping schools with the resources, training, and student support systems needed to create structured, focused, and engaging learning environments.

You could ask yourself:

• What problems related to this issue are you facing that you wish would be addressed?
  • What do you love that’s at risk because of this problem?
  • Explain this problem like you’re explaining it to someone who knows nothing about education.
  • What should we do as a society to address this problem? 

Or, you could work backwards from the action you know you want people to take:

• What is the problem this action addresses?
• Explain this problem like you’re explaining it to someone who knows nothing about education.
• What do you love that’s at risk because of this problem?

You don’t need to write out your story before recording — in fact, we recommend not doing that. Instead, imagine that you’re doing a casual, conversational interview with someone asking you these questions. In your recording, simply answer the questions the way you would in a conversation. It’s absolutely fine if there are hesitations, repetitions, or moments of silent reflection in your recording. We’ll take care of all that during our editing process.

Once you’re set up, it should take you less than 30 minutes to record your self-interview. Submissions can be anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes, but we find that the ideal length tends to be about 10 (unedited) minutes. If your story is accepted for inclusion on Teachers in Their Power, it will most likely be edited down.

Ready to get started?

Submit your story