New Teacher Talk

Elizabeth Wilkins and Anna Quinzio-Zafran
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Education

Are you a new teacher in an urban, suburban, or rural school? Or, are you an aspiring new teacher? We’re here to support YOU! This podcast channel is designed to help those new to teaching. We talk about the most common challenges educators face and how to find answers. On this channel, you will find a community of support as well as on our associated social media platforms: Instagram and BlueSky - @NewTeacherTalk.

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 227: How to Build Lessons Students Actually Care About

    New Teacher Talk takes on a worry almost every new teacher voices: the feeling that you have to choose between following the pacing guide and teaching a lesson students actually care about. Hosts Dr. Beth Wilkins and Dr. Anna Quinzio-Zafran make the case that this is a false dichotomy, and they offer small, low-effort moves that work inside your curriculum rather than against it. The hosts start by naming the guilt behind the phrase boring but necessary, then push back on it. As Dr. Anna puts it, the curriculum tells you what to teach, but it rarely dictates how to make students care. The content is fixed; the on-ramp into it is still yours. From there they walk through practical strategies you can use in lessons you are already required to teach, without touching the content or the timeline: change the entry point with a question or real-world hook, offer a small choice, spend 30 seconds on why a skill matters, and build in low-stakes student voice through turn-and-talks and quick exit tickets. Just as important, they are honest about sustainability. You cannot do this every lesson every day, especially in year one, so they show you how to pick your moments and build a small toolbox of go-to moves you reuse. And for teachers in tightly scripted programs, they get specific: look for the seams in warmups, closings, and transitions, and remember that even when everything else is scripted, as Dr. Beth says, your face and your voice are not part of the pacing guide. What you will take away: Why engagement and pacing are not opposites, and where the real tension comes from Four modifications that change the experience of a lesson, not the content: entry point, choice, relevance framing, and student voice How to apply these strategies selectively so they stay sustainable Where to find latitude in highly scripted programs, and when to raise a lack of flexibility with a mentor or department chair If this episode gave you a little breathing room, or there is a topic you want us to cover next, leave us a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes future episodes. #NewTeacherTalk #NewTeachers #TeacherPodcast #FirstYearTeacher #StudentEngagement #PacingGuide #TeacherTips #ClassroomStrategies #EdChat #TeacherLife #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeachingStrategies

  2. 6d ago

    Ep 226: Retrieval Practice: Why Seeing is Not Remembering

    The Science of Learning series continues on New Teacher Talk, with hosts Dr. Beth Wilkins and Dr. Anna Quinzio-Zafran welcoming back Dr. Ken King of Aurora University. This time the focus is retrieval practice, one of the most powerful and most underused strategies in learning science, and Dr. King makes it practical enough to try this week. He starts by dismantling a common belief: that studying means putting information into your brain again and again through rereading, highlighting, and reviewing slides. Familiarity is not the same as memory. Students can feel fluent with material during review and still be unable to recall it days later. Retrieval practice flips the process, asking students to pull knowledge out of memory before they look at the answer. Dr. King reframes the central question of learning from how many times students have seen something to how many times they have successfully retrieved it. Along the way he explains the cognitive science that makes it work, why the effort can feel uncomfortable for students, and why that discomfort is a sign of learning rather than failure. What you will take away: Why familiarity fools us, and what the illusion of mastery looks like in your room The testing effect: how a quiz can teach, not just grade Why a little forgetting before retrieval makes memory stronger Four low-burden strategies: frequent low-stakes quizzes, brain dumps, delayed recall, and oral retrieval with a partner Grade-level examples across science, math, English, history, and government Resources for Retrieval Practices Agarwal, P. K., &  Bain, P. M. (2019). Powerful teaching: Unleash the science of learning. Jossey-Bass. Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., III, & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Harvard University Press. Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L., III. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966–968. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152408 Roediger, H. L., III, & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20–27.  Roediger, H. L., III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. If this episode gave you something to try, or there is a learning-science topic you want us to cover next, leave us a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes the series. #NewTeacherTalk #ScienceOfLearning #RetrievalPractice #EvidenceBasedTeaching #TeacherPD #CognitiveScience #NewTeacherSupport #PowerfulTeaching #TeachingStrategies

  3. Sep 28

    Ep 225: Your Classroom's Instruction Manual for a Substitute Teacher

    New Teacher Talk welcomes Christine Beardslee, a reading specialist and veteran educator with 26 years of experience in New Jersey, to walk you through one of the most practical safeguards you can build: a substitute teacher folder. Hosted by Dr. Beth Wilkins and Dr. Anna Quinzio-Zafran, this episode turns a task that is easy to put off into a clear, doable checklist. Christine starts from the substitute's point of view, walking into an unfamiliar room with almost no preparation, and makes the case that a well-organized binder gives everyone stability. It keeps students in familiar routines, helps the sub feel confident, and protects the learning environment when you cannot be there. From a brightly colored binder that is easy to spot to the specific contents that make a day run smoothly, she covers what to include and why each piece matters, drawing on systems she has refined over decades in the classroom. What to put in your folder: A warm welcome letter with your contact info, plus a grade-level colleague and the nurse A class roster with attendance procedures, reliable student helpers, and pairings to keep apart Clearly documented dismissal procedures, because student safety comes first Relevant student health information, from allergies to conditions needing closer monitoring A building map and steps for fire drills, lockdowns, and shelter-in-place Your daily schedule and routines, including attention-getters, specials, transitions, lunch, and bathroom procedures Step-by-step lesson plans, pre-organized materials, and extra activities for early finishers A sub feedback form so you learn how the day actually went Resources Christine recommends: Teachers Pay Teachers and Etsy for customizable templates, and The First Days of School by Harry Wong for classroom routines. If this episode nudged you to finally build your folder, or there is a topic you want us to cover next, leave us a five-star rating and a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes future episodes. #NewTeacherTalk #SubstituteFolder #ClassroomManagement #NewTeacherSupport #TeacherOrganization #EmergencyPreparedness #ReadingSpecialist #FirstDaysOfSchool #TeacherTips #SubPlans

  4. Sep 23

    Ep 224: A Veteran and a First-Year Teacher on Managing the Classroom

    New Teacher Talk brings two generations of teaching into one conversation. Todd Leban, a 23-year veteran middle school educator in Oak Park, Illinois, joins his niece Abbey Leban, a first-year special education teacher serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Naperville, for a candid exchange on classroom management. Hosted by Dr. Beth Wilkins and Dr. Anna Quinzio-Zafran, the episode pairs seasoned perspective with a real-time account of navigating year one, so you get both the long view and the view from right where you are standing. Todd's central lesson after more than two decades might surprise you: if it ain't broke, don't fix it can itself be the problem. The students in front of you are always different, so effective management asks for constant observation and a willingness to adjust. Abbey brings that idea to life from a first-year special education role, where she had to build her schedule around other teachers' timetables, hold multiple individualized approaches at once, and lean on routines as her steadiest tool. Together they land on the same truths from opposite ends of a career: consistency matters, flexibility matters, relationships carry you through the disruptions, and protecting your own wellbeing is not optional. What you will take away: Why what worked last year, or last semester, may not work now Building individualized approaches alongside group systems like a simple star chart How clear, predictable routines anchor students who need structure most Communicating schedule changes in advance to keep student trust intact Why relationships are the real foundation of classroom management Pacing yourself instead of trying to over-impress, and leaving work at school Todd closes with a line worth keeping nearby, attributed to Salvador Dalí: have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it. If this episode gave you something to carry into your week, or there is a topic you want us to cover next, leave us a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes future episodes. #NewTeacherTalk #ClassroomManagement #TeacherWellbeing #SpecialEducation #NewTeacherSupport #FirstYearTeacher #VeteranTeacher #TeacherMentorship #K12Education #TeachingAcrossGenerations

  5. Sep 21

    Ep 223: How to Get Involved

    New Teacher Talk welcomes Abby Bartle, a fourth-year English teacher at Oswego High School in Oswego, Illinois, for an honest conversation about getting involved in your school community without running yourself into the ground. Hosted by Dr. Anna Quinzio-Zafran and Dr. Beth Wilkins, this episode is full of practical guidance from someone who has done a lot, running the school website, coaching, sponsoring clubs, tutoring, volunteering, and finishing a master's degree, and has learned where the limits need to be. Abby walks through the many doors into school involvement, from coaching and sponsoring activities to simply showing up at student events like games, musicals, and poetry slams. She makes the case for committees and PLCs as a way to grow fast, sharing how joining a curriculum-rewrite committee in her first year became the best professional decision she made, even though it took time to find her voice among veteran teachers. She talks candidly about mentorship on both sides of the relationship, the realities of pursuing a master's degree, and how she funded hers through coaching. Throughout, she keeps returning to one idea: say yes on purpose, and protect the time that keeps you whole. Abby’s Teacher-instagram account: @teaching_with_ms_b What you will take away: How to find coaching, club, and committee openings, and when to volunteer your way in instead Why attending student events is one of the simplest relationship-building moves you can make How committees and PLCs accelerate your growth alongside experienced colleagues Making the most of mentorship, formal or informal, and eventually mentoring others Practical thinking on a master's degree, from salary caps to summer classes A burnout reset: name what is mandatory, what you enjoy, and what eats the most time, then adjust If this episode gave you permission to be more intentional, or there is a topic you want us to cover next, leave us a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes future episodes. #NewTeacherTalk #NewTeacherSupport #TeacherBurnout #SchoolInvolvement #TeacherMentorship #PLC #FirstYearTeacher #WorkLifeBalance #TeacherCommunity #IntentionalTeaching

  6. Sep 16

    Ep 222: Teaching in a Title 1 School

    New Teacher Talk welcomes back Dion Copeland, National Board-Certified Teacher and Assistant Principal, for a conversation that reframes what it means to teach in a Title I school. Dr. Beth Wilkins and Dr. Anna Quinzio-Zafran set the stage around a deliberate choice: leading with an asset-based view of students and communities rather than a deficit narrative. Dion starts by clarifying what Title I actually is, a federal funding designation tied to economic need, not a measure of student ability. From there he calls for a mindset shift, away from language like broken and at-risk and toward activating the potential already in the room. He lays out the professional profile that helps new teachers thrive: equity-driven practice, data literacy, adaptability, cultural competence, and instructional skill. At the center is his dual engine of student achievement, the idea that instructional rigor and relational trust have to run together. As he puts it, you cannot love students into poverty, but you can hold high expectations while supporting them through every mistake along the way. Dion also reframes data as a flashlight, not a hammer, something that reveals who is being served and who is being missed, and he offers the PDSA cycle as a practical rhythm for reflection across the year. He closes by connecting Title I teaching to long-term career growth, drawing clear lines between classroom skills and organizational leadership. What you will take away: Why Title I signals economic need and resource allocation, not ability The five competencies that make up a complete professional profile How instructional rigor and relational trust work as one system Using data as a flashlight to surface equity gaps, with the PDSA cycle as your guide How the skills you build in Title I classrooms translate into leadership Three questions Dion leaves you with: Which transferable skill are you developing fastest? How does your current data use support equity? And where is your biggest opportunity to shift from a deficit to an asset-based mindset? Connect with Dion on LinkedIn, and follow New Teacher Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, and Bluesky. #NewTeacherTalk #TitleI #AssetBasedTeaching #EquityInEducation #NationalBoardCertified #DataDrivenInstruction #TeacherLeadership #NewTeacherSupport #InstructionalRigor #RelationalTrust

  7. Sep 14

    Ep 221: Managing Extreme Student Behaviors

    New Teacher Talk welcomes Abigail Jarrett, an educator who specializes in managing extreme student behavior, for a candid conversation about what to do when a situation escalates past anything your training prepared you for. Dr. Beth Wilkins opens by naming something every new teacher needs to hear: when behavior reaches this level, it is usually not a reflection of your skill or your effort. Abigail describes the scenarios that can feel like a new teacher's worst nightmare, a student throwing chairs, screaming, hitting classmates, or bolting from the room, and reframes them as communication. Behavior like this usually signals a student who is overwhelmed, dysregulated, or out of coping skills in the moment. Understanding that matters, but as Abigail is clear to say, safety always comes first. Drawing on a firsthand account from her own first-grade classroom, she offers five concrete strategies you can hold onto when things escalate, along with the prevention and repair work that happens before and after the hard moments. What you will take away: Why extreme behavior is communication, and why safety still comes first How to stay calm and steady even when you are not feeling calm The difference between misbehavior and crisis behavior, and how to tell quickly Why relationships built before a crisis are your strongest prevention How to debrief afterward in a way that builds skills instead of shame Resources mentioned: The Explosive Child by Ross Greene, the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model, and the behavior specialists, counselors, and special education teams already in your building. If this episode gave you something to hold onto, or there is a topic you want us to cover next, leave us a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes future episodes. #NewTeacherTalk #ClassroomManagement #BehaviorSupport #CrisisResponse #NewTeacherSupport #StudentBehavior #TraumaInformedTeaching #CollaborativeProactiveSolutions #TeacherWellbeing #K12Education

  8. Sep 9

    Ep 220: What Interleaved Practice Teaches Us About Real Learning

    New Teacher Talk kicks off a special Science of Learning series with Dr. Ken King of Aurora University. In this first episode, Dr. King makes a case that may feel counterintuitive: the practice that feels easiest is often the practice that teaches the least. The focus is interleaved practice, the strategy of mixing different problem types and topics together rather than drilling them one block at a time. Dr. King explains why blocked practice, like twenty fraction problems in a row or fifty free throws before layups, creates quick, visible improvement that can fool us. It looks like learning, but it often fades. Interleaving feels harder, students make more mistakes, and they frequently believe they are learning less, yet it produces stronger retention and deeper understanding over time. Along the way, Dr. King unpacks the research behind why it works: how interleaving reduces discrimination errors by forcing students to compare similar concepts, how it builds storage strength by pulling information from long-term memory, and why these "desirable difficulties" lead to deeper processing. He closes with practical ways to bring it into your classroom at any grade level. What you will take away: Why strong performance during practice does not equal lasting learning The difference between blocked and interleaved practice, and when each has its place How mixing problem types forces students to decide what they are looking at before deciding how to respond Grade-level examples for elementary math, middle school science, and high school English A book recommendation to go deeper, Powerful Teaching by Agarwal and Bain If this episode gave you something to try, or there is a learning-science topic you want us to cover next, leave us a review. We read every one, and your feedback shapes the series #NewTeacherTalk #ScienceOfLearning #InterleavedPractice #EvidenceBasedTeaching #TeacherPD #InstructionalStrategies #CognitiveScience #NewTeacherSupport #PowerfulTeaching #TeachingStrategies

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About

Are you a new teacher in an urban, suburban, or rural school? Or, are you an aspiring new teacher? We’re here to support YOU! This podcast channel is designed to help those new to teaching. We talk about the most common challenges educators face and how to find answers. On this channel, you will find a community of support as well as on our associated social media platforms: Instagram and BlueSky - @NewTeacherTalk.

Information

  • Creator
    Elizabeth Wilkins and Anna Quinzio-Zafran
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    New Teacher Talk