New Teacher Talk

Feeling overwhelmed in your first year of teaching? You're not alone. In this essential episode of New Teacher Talk, fifth-grade teacher Samar Abousalem shares honest insights from her own challenging first year and reveals the game-changing strategy that transformed her second year: asking for help.

Samar gets real about the exhaustion, self-doubt, and impossible expectations that nearly broke her during year one—staying late at school, working through evenings at home, and struggling to balance lesson planning, meetings, parent emails, and district initiatives. But she discovered that teaching thrives on community, not isolation.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Whether you're in your first year or supporting new teachers, this episode provides a practical roadmap for building the collaborative relationships that make teaching sustainable and rewarding. Remember: the experienced teachers around you have been where you are, and they want to help.

Perfect for: First-year teachers, student teachers, mentors, instructional coaches, and education leaders

#FirstYearTeaching #ClassroomConfidence #MentorMoments #TeachingWithCommunity #EducatorGrowthJourney #NewTeacherTips #NewTeachers #NewTeacherTalk #TeacherPodcast

Join us for an illuminating conversation with Dr. Vicki Phelps, Executive Director and Head of School at Quest Academy in Palatine, Illinois, as she explores the multifaceted approach to talent development in educational settings.

Drawing on Gagné's Differentiating Model of Giftedness and Talent, Dr. Phelps takes educators beyond traditional classroom strategies to examine the powerful catalysts that transform student potential into demonstrated talent. Whether your students show promise in intellectual pursuits, creative endeavors, social domains, or athletics, this episode provides a comprehensive framework for nurturing their gifts.

Dr. Phelps breaks down three essential components of talent development: environmental factors (from school facilities to family partnerships), intra-personal dynamics (including motivation, interests, and neurodivergent learning styles), and the critical developmental process that provides access to meaningful learning opportunities.

You'll discover practical strategies including how to effectively use interest inventories, connect curriculum to student aspirations, embrace productive struggle, and diversify instructional methods beyond traditional approaches. Learn why lesson design directly impacts how students demonstrate understanding and develop essential skills like perseverance and problem-solving.

Perfect for teachers, administrators, gifted education specialists, and anyone passionate about helping students reach their full potential. Dr. Phelps reminds us that educators are key catalysts with the power to ignite and nurture the talents waiting to emerge in every classroom.

#TalentDevelopment #StudentPotential #TeachingGiftedTalented #NewTeacheTtips #NewTeachers #NewTeacherTalk #TeacherPodcast #VickiPhelps

Feeling isolated as a new teacher? Middle grades educator Jessica Smith shares her proven three-step system for finding the right mentors and building a support network that actually works. In this episode, you'll discover the "mentorship map" framework that identifies four essential mentor types every teacher needs, learn the FAST test for vetting potential mentors, and get a word-for-word outreach script to confidently approach mentors. Jessica breaks down her 30-60-90-day plan for maintaining these relationships without burning out, explains how to build your inner circle, practice circle, and recharge circle, and provides specific questions to ask mentors for maximum impact. Whether you're a first-year teacher or simply looking to strengthen your professional support system, this episode gives you actionable strategies to find the guidance you need, make better classroom decisions, and build a sustainable teaching career. Stop going it alone. Learn how to identify and connect with mentors who will transform your teaching journey.

#MentorMap #TeacherMentorNetwork #SupportNotSolo #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #TeacherPodcast

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Benita Gordon, founder of Global Education Concierge and veteran educator with over 26 years of classroom experience. In this episode, Benita reveals what university programs often miss and introduces her transformative R-E-A-L framework for new teacher success.

Discover how to build meaningful Relationships that go beyond surface-level interactions using creative tools like Canva "About Me" profiles. Learn practical strategies for Energy management that prevent burnout, including boundary-setting techniques and mindful body check-ins throughout your school day. Explore how to create Authentic classroom culture through daily rituals, co-created norms, and intentional structure that replaces traditional "classroom management" thinking.

Finally, embrace Lifelong learning with monthly professional development challenges and reflective practices that help you continuously grow and adapt. Whether you're in your first year or supporting new teachers, this episode offers actionable insights to help educators not just survive, but truly thrive in their profession.

Benita's wealth of experience as a teacher, dean, parent-engagement coach, and department chair shines through as she shares practical tools and mindset shifts that make all the difference in educational success.

#REALTeachingFramework #TeacherTruths #RelationshipsBeforeContent #EnergyNotBurnout #EducationConcierge #Newteachertips #newteachers #newteachertalk #TeacherPodcast

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Josh Amstutz, a high school math teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, who discovered how to break out of survival mode and maximize professional growth opportunities. After participating in the transformative Transatlantic Outreach Program in Germany, Josh faced a common challenge: how to organize and actually use all the valuable information he'd collected.

His solution? Creating a personalized AI chatbot using Gemini to store, process, and generate classroom materials from his fellowship experiences. Josh shares his four-step approach to effective AI prompting and demonstrates how this technology has saved him hours weekly while helping him implement innovative energy education concepts and wind turbine statistics in his math classes.

Beyond his German fellowship, Josh reveals how he's expanded this approach to create multiple specialized chatbots for mindfulness activities, conference presentations, and more. He'll share a treasure trove of 40-50 fellowship opportunities for teachers and provide practical resources on AI prompting and chatbot creation.

Whether you're struggling to move beyond day-to-day survival or looking to become an innovative leader in your district, this episode offers concrete strategies for organizing your professional growth and maximizing learning opportunities through smart technology.

Link to Josh Amstuz’s Padlet

Hashtags: #NewTeacherTalk #TeacherLeadership #AIinEducation #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherGrowth #EdTech #MathEducation #TeacherFellowships #EducationInnovation #TeacherResources #ClassroomTechnology #TeacherPodcast #EducationPodcast

2 of 3 in Series

Ready to revolutionize how you handle student mistakes? Join us as education professor Ken King from Aurora University shares game-changing strategies for transforming those "wrong" answers into powerful learning moments! This is another episode in Dr. King’s series on brain-based teaching.

Discover why students get frustrated with mistakes and learn the fascinating brain science behind productive struggle. Ken introduces practical tools like "my favorite no" and talk moves that will help you create a classroom culture where mistakes become stepping stones to deeper understanding.

Whether you're a first-year teacher or a seasoned educator, you'll walk away with concrete strategies to normalize mistakes, promote resilience, and build the growth mindset your students need to thrive.

Check out New Teacher Talk Episode #69. Dr. King’s alludes to this episode where he discusses the concept of Talk Moves.

#NewTeacherTalk #GrowthMindset #ProductiveStruggle #ClassroomCulture #TeacherTips #StudentLearning #MistakeBasedLearning #EducationPodcast #TeachingStrategies #NewTeachers #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherLife #LearningScience

Transform your classroom discussions with the power of pause! Join Dr. Monica Boehle, Associate Director of Curriculum and former social studies teacher, as she explores "wait time",  the simple yet revolutionary 3-5 second pause that can dramatically improve student engagement and learning outcomes.

Discover why this research-backed practice, proven effective since the 1970s, is often overlooked and how it can ensure every student's voice is heard. Monica breaks down the barriers that prevent teachers from implementing wait time, from time distortion to fear of silence, and provides practical strategies you can use immediately in your classroom.

Whether you're looking to engage introverted students, support learners with different processing speeds, or simply create more inclusive classroom discussions, this episode offers concrete tools and techniques that make a real difference. Perfect for educators at all levels who want to move beyond rapid-fire questioning to meaningful, thoughtful dialogue.

#WaitTime #TeachingStrategies #EducationPodcast #ClassroomManagement #StudentEngagement #InclusiveEducation #TeacherTips #EducationalResearch #QuestioningTechniques #TeacherProfessionalDevelopment

Join third-year English teacher Abby Bartle from Oswego High School as she shares hard-earned wisdom about navigating your first year of teaching. Drawing from her own experience with second-year burnout, Abby provides practical strategies for managing overwhelming workloads and maintaining your sanity during the challenging October slump.

In this episode, you'll discover Abby's game-changing three-category to-do list system, effective grading management techniques, and tips for making the most of your prep periods. She also covers essential survival strategies including how to prepare for parent-teacher conferences, handle administrator observations with confidence, and build supportive relationships with colleagues.

Whether you're drowning in lesson plans or struggling to find work-life balance, this episode offers actionable advice to help you not just survive, but thrive in your teaching career. Remember: it does get easier with time and experience.

#NewTeacherTalk #TeacherBurnout #TimeManagement #NewTeachers #TeachingTips #WorkLifeBalance #TeacherWellness #EducationPodcast #TeacherSupport #FirstYearTeaching #TeacherStress #ProfessionalDevelopment

Join Nicole Heaver (middle school STEM teacher) and Joanie Thrush (5th/6th grade teacher) from Central Intermediate School in Ottawa, Illinois, as they share their combined 35+ years of co-teaching wisdom. With Nicole's 8 years co-teaching special education and 6 years with science teachers, plus Joanie's 15+ years in reading, math, and science co-teaching, these hosts know what really works.

Discover the 5 essential strategies that transform co-teaching from chaos to collaboration: mastering different communication styles, respecting diverse teaching approaches, defining clear roles, embracing flexibility when students (and life) throw curveballs, and creating physical space that shows students you're truly partners.

Whether you're new to co-teaching or looking to strengthen existing partnerships, this episode delivers practical, field-tested advice from educators who've navigated every co-teaching challenge imaginable.

#NewTeacherTalk #CoTeaching #TeacherPartnership #EducationPodcast #TeachingTips #ClassroomManagement #SpecialEducation #STEMEducation #TeacherCollaboration #MiddleSchool #ElementaryEducation #ProfessionalDevelopment

Dr. Beth and Dr. Anna tackle one of the biggest challenges facing new educators: the overwhelming isolation that can derail promising teaching careers. In this essential episode, they break down exactly who you need in your professional support network and how to find them.

From identifying mentor teachers who truly align with your values to leveraging instructional coaches without fear of judgment, the hosts provide a roadmap for building meaningful professional relationships. They dive deep into connecting with day-to-day team members who know the unwritten rules, building bridges with administrators, and tapping into support staff like counselors and social workers who understand your students' needs.

The conversation expands beyond your school walls, exploring how social media platforms, professional organizations, and unions can provide ongoing support, professional development, and advocacy. Dr. Anna offers special insights for international teachers seeking culturally responsive mentorship, while Dr. Beth shares personal strategies that transformed her relationships with administrators.

Remember: You don't need to know everything—you just need to know who to ask. This episode will help you identify those crucial people and build the support system that will sustain your teaching career.

#NewTeacherTalk #TeacherSupport #Mentorship #NewTeachers #EducationPodcast #TeachingCommunity #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherMentors #EducatorNetwork #TeachingAdvice #ClassroomSupport