The Present Teacher Blog

Learn the systems to confidently leave at contract time so you can thrive in and out of the classroom.

Back-to-School Night is just around the corner and you're wondering if you have everything ready or not. You have no idea what the format should be and you're scrolling TPT for resources. Today we will be taking a 10-question quiz to figure out if you are ACTUALLY ready for Meet the Teacher Night or not. We'll cover questions like which resources you should have prepared, how to follow up, what the format is, etc. Didn't score as high as you wanted? No problem! Stick around to the end for your results PLUS some bonus tips to feel confident and prepared to make a good impression with families this back to school season.

Quiz: Are You Ready to WOW Families During Back to School Night? classroom setup Jun 18, 2025

When I was a first-year teacher, I was terrified of Back to School Night.

I spent hours wondering:

What will families think of me?
What if I forget something important?
Will I make a g
...

You've scrolled social media and seen the horror stories on how the first day or first week of school can be chaotic. Or maybe you've taught before and realized that you focused on all the wrong things, but this year you want to do things differently. Today, we will be diving into common mistakes that new teachers make that lead to a chaotic back-to-school season. PLUS, we'll be talking about which practical steps you can take this summer to avoid all the chaos. We'll be diving into topics such as planning what to teach during the first week of school, how to balance making your classroom cute and the practical, what to focus on to have effective classroom management from day one, how to transition your students from one activity to another, and which procedures to teach during the first day of school.

The Real Reason Your First Day of School Feels Chaotic (And How to Fix It Beforehand) classroom setup Jun 18, 2025

I’ll never forget my first day of school as a new teacher.

I had the cutest classroom. My bulletin boards were Pinterest-worthy. I had a stack of activities prepped and printed. I thought I was ready...

Its your first or second year of teaching and you're wondering how to organize and setup your classroom strategically. You don't want to make any silly mistakes so you are searching for the top classroom organization hacks to save you time during the school year. Today, I'll be diving into my top classroom organization strategies that will save you hours during the school year. We'll be covering topics like how to organize your student supplies, how to organize your classroom library, how to keep your classroom and desk clutter-free, how to save hours of planning by organizing your digital resources, and how to save hours grading with this easy-to-use grading system.

5 Classroom Organization Hacks That Save You HOURS During Back-to-School Season classroom setup Jun 18, 2025

When I first started teaching, I spent two months prepping for back to school.

I skipped out on summer fun, stressed over every bulletin board, and focused on all the wrong things. And the worst part...

Meet the Teacher Night is just around the corner, and you're starting to feel nervous. You're wondering how you're going to get parents to like you, what you should say, and how can you be prepared. Today we are diving into everything you need to know to have a successful meet the teacher night. These shy-girl strategies are my full proof method to showing up confidently even if you are terrified. We'll cover things like how to format the night, how to prepare your classroom, which materials you should have, what should be in your handouts, and even what your slides should say.

How to Nail Meet the Teacher Night (Even if You Have No Idea What You’re Doing) classroom setup Jun 18, 2025

Are you a new or first-year teacher who just found out you have a Meet the Teacher Night coming up—and your heart is already racing?

You’re probably wondering:

What am I supposed to say?
Ho
...

You're ready to start off your first year as a teacher but as you're worried about what education has turned into. I'll be diving into how to not just get hired by ANY district but how to confidently get hired by the RIGHT district.

How to Choose the Right School District to Apply to as a First-Year Teacher teacher interview May 27, 2025

If you’ve ever watched a teacher leave the profession early and thought, “How can I prevent that from happening to me?”—you’re not alone.

One of the biggest factors that determines whether a new teac...

You just started your first teacher interview and you get the dreaded question 'What is your greatest weakness as a teacher?' I am sharing exactly what districts are looking for when they ask this question and how to answer confidently in a way that affirms to the district you are the perfect fit.

How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?” in a Teacher Interview (Without Undermining Yourself) teacher interview May 27, 2025

In 2018, I was applying for my very first teaching position. I had my degree, my student teaching experience, and my heart completely set on landing the right job.

But there was one major problem—I h...

There are thousands of possible teacher interview questions they could ask you. And instead of practicing ALL of them, it's important to use a framework to answer ANY question with confidence. Today, I'm diving into my framework to answer any teacher interview question with ease and confidence.

How to Answer Tough Teacher Interview Questions Without Freezing Up teacher interview May 27, 2025

During a recent coaching session, I was working with a first-year teacher who was looking for her first teaching position. The school year had already started, and she was feeling the pressure. Her bi...

You're a first-year teacher or new teacher who just got told you are being non-renewed for next year. I know that right now can be extremely high with emotions. As someone was has coached hundreds of new teachers around the world, I know how scary it can be to find out you don't have a position for next year. That's why this week I'm diving into the top strategies for new and first-year teachers to take who have been non-renewed. As someone who has several clients who have been non-renewed one year to having lasting and thriving careers in the profession, I dive into the top next steps for someone to take who wants to continue their teaching career. We'll be diving into what to do the day you find out you're non-renewed, how to find a different position, and what to say during the interview process if you have been non-renewed. If it's possible for the teachers I've worked with, it's possible for you too. This doesn't define you as a teacher. You've got this!

What To Do If You’re Non-Renewed as a New Teacher (And How to Bounce Back Stronger) teacher interview Apr 27, 2025

Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of coaching new and first-year teachers from all over the world to land their first—or next—teaching position. And one experience I see more often than ...

When I applied for my first teaching position, I was TERRIFIED districts wouldn't take me seriously because I was only 21 years old. I had just graduated with my masters, and I had wanted to teach since I was 5 years old. Fast forward to Spring of 2018, I flew from Oregon to New Mexico for two different job interviews. Both of which regard me to teach a demo lesson. I turned my biggest weakness as a teacher into my biggest strength. I did TWO interviews on the same day and BOTH of them offered me the teaching position DURING the interview. Here's a breakdown of all the steps and teacher interview strategies I took to get there.

How I Landed My First Teaching Position: My Interview Story teacher interview Apr 20, 2025

When I graduated, I was terrified no one would take me seriously.

At just 20 years old—with a master’s degree in hand—I felt like districts would brush me off because of my age. I didn’t look like th...

You just a call for your first or next teacher interview, and they let you know that they want you to teach a demo lesson. You're wondering what on earth do I teach? How do I teach a demo lesson for a teacher interview? And what are some common mistakes teachers make during demo lessons? Today we are diving into the top mistakes I see teachers make while teaching a demo lesson. We will dive into everything from lesson plan mistakes, classroom management mistakes, and mistakes you could be making while preparing for your demo lesson. As someone who had two interviews the same day for two different schools that required a demo lesson, I understand how overwhelming it can be to teach at a school and for a classroom you've never been to. But after both interviews and demo lessons, I was offered the teaching position DURING my interviews. Today, I am sharing some of my top strategies I have shared with my coaching clients to help them confidently show up for their teacher interview.

What NOT to Do During a Teacher Demo Lesson: 7 Critical Mistakes to Avoid teacher interview Apr 14, 2025

Landing your dream teaching job often requires a teacher demo lesson—and let’s face it, that can be nerve-wracking. When I was a student teacher, I had to teach several demo lessons as part of my inte...

I am diving into my top classroom management strategies for new teachers who are ready to run the classroom of their dreams WITHOUT feeling like they have to be mean. We'll be diving into the importance of boundaries, how to be consistent with them, how to be 'nice' without letting your students walk all over you, and how you can find classroom management strategies that actually work for you and your unique classroom.

How to Stop Feeling Like a 'Mean Teacher' When Holding Students Accountable classroom management Mar 24, 2025

Have you ever felt like the ‘mean teacher’ for simply holding your students accountable?

I remember during my student teaching, I encountered some truly wonderful teachers who created a warm and enga...

Have you been struggling with disruptive behaviors lately and you're wondering how you can finally transform the way you manage your classroom? In this week's content I dive into the top 3 mindset shifts I made as a new teacher that transformed my teaching experience from constantly having to stop my teaching to address disruptive behavior, to being asked to train teachers around the world on classroom management. This week we dive into topics like how to go from reacting to disruptions in the classroom to preventing them. We also talk about which classroom management strategies to focus on that will actually work long term.

The 3 Biggest Mindset Shifts That Transformed My Classroom Management Mar 24, 2025

During my first year of teaching, I had the worst-behaved class in the entire school. I was told I was "too nice" and that my students wouldn’t take me seriously. I struggled daily with classroom mana...

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