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. 6D AGO

    Ep 201: What No One Tells You About the Teaching Job Search (A Golden Apple Scholar's Real Advice)

    What does it actually take to land a teaching job while you're still student teaching? In this episode our guest is Samantha "Sammi" Katschke, a Golden Apple Scholar and current student teacher who secured a K-5 General Music and District Band Director position at Chadwick-Milledgeville before finishing her program. Sammi shares four concrete strategies that made the difference: expanding your professional network beyond job boards, preparing targeted application materials before you need them, submitting your first application earlier than you think you should, and applying even when a position isn't your perfect fit. Whether you're entering your student teaching semester or actively job hunting, Sammi's candid and practical perspective will give you real tools, not recycled advice, for navigating one of the most exciting and stressful chapters of your teaching journey. HASHTAGS: #NewTeacherTalk #TeacherJobSearch #FutureTeachers #TeacherInterviewTips #FirstYearTeacher #TeacherNetworking #EducationPodcast #Newteachertips

    10 min

  2. APR 6

    Ep 200: Are You Accidentally Triggering Your Students? 6 Teacher Behaviors That Cause Classroom Disruption

    What if some of the behavior challenges in your classroom are being unintentionally triggered by you? Before you close this tab, this episode isn't about blame. It's about empowerment. In this candid episode of New Teacher Talk, Dr. Anna and Dr. Beth open with a personal confession: even experienced educators have moments where they don't show up as their best selves. What matters is what we learn from those moments. Together, they walk through six categories of teacher-created triggers and offer concrete, compassionate strategies for making intentional changes. Here's what you'll explore: Communication and Language Triggers: How tone, sarcasm, public correction, and absolute language like "you always" or "you never" can escalate conflict before it even starts. Relationship and Respect Triggers: Why students challenge authority when they don't feel known or valued, and how cultural responsiveness and consistency build the trust that prevents power struggles. Environmental Triggers: How visual clutter, noise, harsh lighting, and unpredictable routines can overwhelm students and look a lot like misbehavior. Instructional and Academic Triggers: Why work that's too hard or too easy leads to avoidance and acting out — and why that's a curriculum problem, not a discipline problem. Power and Authority Triggers: How refusing to negotiate or offer agency sends tweens and adolescents searching for other ways to assert their independence. Emotional Climate Triggers: Why students are exquisitely attuned to teacher emotions, and what happens when their own emotional states go dismissed or unacknowledged. Dr. Beth and Dr. Anna close with five practical strategies for moving forward. This includes keeping a brief reflection journal, inviting trusted colleague observations, and practicing the self-compassion that makes honest self-examination possible. Teachers who are willing to look inward build stronger classroom communities and spend less time managing symptoms because they're addressing root causes instead. HASHTAGS #ClassroomManagement #TeacherSelfReflection #TeacherTriggers #TeachersOfInstagram #EdChat #TeacherTips #NewTeachers #FirstYearTeacher #NewTeacherTalk #TeacherPodcast

    16 min

  3. APR 1

    Ep 199: Testing Season Without Losing Classroom Culture

    April is here, and if you're feeling the weight of testing season, you are not alone. In this episode, Abigail Jarrett, a first-grade teacher from New York, brings warmth, wisdom, and practical strategies to help you navigate spring testing with confidence and intention. Abigail walks you through three core strategies for protecting your classroom culture when the testing environment threatens to unravel it, two morale-boosting rituals you can put in place right now, and one powerful mindset shift that will change the way you see this season entirely. You'll learn how to recognize the signs that your students are struggling with testing anxiety, why abandoning your routines is one of the biggest mistakes you can make this time of year, and how to separate your students' test performance from their identity and yours. Abigail also shares specific scripts for supporting students during testing, and how to handle the post-test moments in ways that keep community front and center. If you've been questioning everything you've done this year, this episode is your reminder: your classroom culture is your legacy, and no test score can measure what you've built. HASHTAGS: #TestingSeasonStrategies #ClassroomCulture #EdChat #NewTeacherHiring #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #podcast

    11 min

  4. MAR 30

    Ep 198: Thriving as a Department of One: A STEM Teacher's Survival Guide

    What do you do when you are the entire department? In this episode, Dr. Beth sits down with Nicole Heaver, a STEM teacher at a fifth and sixth grade intermediate school in Ottawa, Illinois, who has spent the last seven years doing exactly that — building a program from the ground up, leading a virtual reality lab, and coaching a cross country team, all while navigating the unique challenges of working completely on her own. Nicole shares her journey from nearly two decades of deeply collaborative teaching to a role where there is no team down the hall, no shared lesson planning, and no one who fully understands what you do. She gets honest about the mental demands of being your own curriculum writer, data analyst, and instructional coach all at once. But this episode is also full of hope and practical guidance. Nicole walks you through four strategies that have helped her protect her wellbeing, build her professional community, and show up confidently for the hundreds of students who depend on her expertise. You'll hear how she sets boundaries that actually stick, why your professional tribe doesn't have to be in your building, and what one powerful piece of advice from Dr. Joe Sanfelippo taught her about owning and sharing her story. Whether you're a department of one or simply feeling isolated in your role, this episode will remind you that your work matters, and you don't have to figure it all out alone. HASHTAGS: #DepartmentOfOne #TeacherOfOne #STEMEducation #TeacherLife #TeacherWellbeing #EdChat #NewTeacherHiring #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #podcast

    8 min

  5. MAR 23

    Ep 197: From Application to Job Offer: Interview Tips That Work

    Landing your first teaching job takes more than a great resume. In this episode, Amy Howerton, English teacher and department chair at Oswego High School, sits down with Isabel Wilde, a first-year English teacher she recently hired, to walk you through the entire teacher interview process from the inside out. Isabel shares what actually worked for her as a recent candidate, and Amy reveals what hiring managers are really looking for at every stage. From crafting a standout cover letter and researching school mission statements, to navigating the interview room with confidence and sending the perfect thank-you email, this episode covers it all. You will also hear honest advice on handling tough questions, showing your personality, and staying graceful if an offer does not come through. Whether you are just starting your job search or heading into interview season, this one is for you. HASHTAGS: #TeacherInterviewTips #TeacherHiring #EdChat #NewTeacherHiring #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #podcast

    23 min

  6. MAR 16

    Ep 196: You're Not Failing, You’re New: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a First-Year Teacher

    Every new teacher has felt it: that quiet voice whispering you're not ready, you don't belong here, everyone else has it figured out. That's imposter syndrome, and it's more common in teaching than almost any other profession. In this episode of New Teacher Talk, Dr. Alisa Ross, Interim Dean of University College and Student Success at Southern University and A&M College, offers new educators a compassionate, practical roadmap for naming, understanding, and moving through imposter syndrome. Dr. Ross explains why teaching is uniquely vulnerable to self-doubt: it’s highly visible work, with minimal ramp-up time, high expectations, and a social media culture that makes everyone else's classroom look perfect. Rather than dismissing these feelings, Dr. Ross walks listeners through four common manifestations of imposter syndrome in new teachers: over-planning out of fear, comparing yourself to veteran colleagues, taking student behavior personally, and treating mistakes as failures. She offers concrete mindset shifts and strategies for each, from keeping a "wins file" of positive feedback to reframing mistakes as data rather than diagnoses. Most importantly, Dr. Ross delivers a message every new teacher needs to hear: you are not behind, you are beginning. Confidence doesn't come before experience. It comes from it. Whether you're in your first semester or supporting new teachers as a mentor or leader, this episode will leave you with tools, perspective, and a renewed sense of purpose. Books mentioned: The First Days of School by Harry & Rosemary Wong | Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov | Mindset by Carol Dweck HASHTAGS: #ImposterSyndrome #NewTeacherConfidence #NewTeacherMindset #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #podcast

    12 min

  7. MAR 11

    Ep 195: Why Motivation Alone Isn't Enough: Effective Teaching Strategies That Drive Real Learning (3rd of 3 in series)

    Dr. Ken King challenges a common classroom misconception: that motivated students will automatically learn. While motivation is essential, it must be paired with structured instructional strategies to produce meaningful learning outcomes. Ken explains that motivation directs behavior and sustains effort, but doesn't automatically result in mastery or conceptual understanding. Through a compelling case study of a well-intentioned teacher whose enthusiastic students floundered without proper scaffolding, Ken demonstrates why motivation alone falls short. Discover three essential motivational frameworks every teacher should understand: Self-Determination Theory - Learn how autonomy, competence, and relatedness create engaged learners, illustrated through a middle school science example where students choose investigation variables within structured labs. Expectancy Value Theory - Understand how students answer "Can I do this?" and "Is this worth my time?" See how high school math teachers build confidence through manageable problems before connecting to real-world applications. Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Efficacy - Explore how success experiences, peer modeling, and feedback build student confidence, demonstrated through a first-grade writing classroom's gradual release approach. Ken emphasizes three critical instructional practices that support all motivational frameworks: scaffolding and guided support, teaching cognitive and metacognitive strategies, and providing competence-focused feedback. This episode provides practical, research-based strategies to create classrooms where motivation fuels learning and learning sustains motivation—transforming student engagement into genuine achievement. HASHTAGS: #EducationMyths #MotivationMatters #MotivationTheories #LearningScience #StudentEmpowerment #GrowthMindset #LearningScience #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #podcast #kenking

    17 min

  8. MAR 9

    Ep 194: Level Up Your Leadership as a New Teacher

    Most teachers don't think of themselves as leaders, at least not yet. But according to Bill Curtin, Policy Director for TeachPlus Illinois and former National Board-Certified English teacher, leadership isn't something you earn after decades in the classroom. It's something you're already doing. In this episode of New Teacher Talk, Bill makes a compelling case that every teacher is a leader, because effective classroom management demands the exact same skills: clear communication, conflict resolution, vision-setting, team building, and providing actionable feedback. Developing those skills intentionally doesn't just prepare you for future roles, it makes you a better teacher right now. Bill draws on TeachPlus's DICE Role report to shine a light on a serious equity problem in education: leadership opportunities are currently distributed haphazardly, often through informal "shoulder-tapping" that favors those with existing privilege and disadvantages teachers of color and first-generation college graduates. His message is direct. Don’t wait for someone to tap your shoulder. Take charge of your own development. From identifying "connectors" in your school to volunteering for the right committees, seeking mentorship through strategic vulnerability, and developing niche expertise that makes you indispensable, Bill offers a concrete, practical roadmap for new teachers ready to lead, wherever that eventually takes them. He also gets refreshingly honest about what not to do, including a candid story about earning an administration degree only to realize he didn't actually want to be an administrator. To learn more about teacher leadership in Illinois, download: https://teachplus.org/resource/the-dice-roll-illinois-haphazard-teacher-leadership-system-and-how-to-fix-it/ Books mentioned: Leadership and the One-Minute Manager | It's Your Ship by D. Michael Abrashoff | Good to Great and Good to Great for the Social Sector by Jim Collins HASHTAGS #EveryTeacherIsALeader #TeacherLeadership #TeacherLeader #TeachPlus #TeacherTips #NewTeachers #FirstYearTeacher #NewTeacherTalk #TeacherPodcast

    18 min
See All (100)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

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

You Might Also Like