The Present Teacher Blog

So often, I see incredible teachers leave the profession.

Not because they weren’t good enough.
Not because they didn’t care enough.

But because they were in the wrong environment.

And honestly?

T...

Here’s something no one says out loud:

Not every school deserves you.

And I know that might feel uncomfortable to hear…

Because you’ve probably been taught the opposite.

Break the People-Pleasing ...

If you’ve ever thought:

“They didn’t hire me because I don’t have enough experience…”

We need to talk.

Because it’s not that districts won’t hire you because you’re new.

It’s that you might be und...

If you’ve ever been asked at the end of an interview:

“Do you have any questions for us?”

And you’ve said…

“No, I think you covered everything.”

We need to talk.

Because that moment?

Is one of t...

If you’ve ever Googled:

“buzzwords principals are looking for in an interview…”

We need to talk.

Because what you think is helping you stand out…

Is actually causing you to blend in.

The Most Com...

You could be saying all the right things in your interview…

Giving strong answers.
Smiling.
Prepared.

And still not getting the job.

Why?

Because it’s not just about what you say.

It’s about how ...

Every teacher hiring season, I get the same message:

“I’ve applied to 30+ schools and nobody has hired me… what gives?”

And I get it.

Because on paper?

You’re doing everything right.

You’re:

• u...

Let me tell you something that might surprise you:

The teachers getting multiple job offers…
aren’t the ones sending out the most applications.

They’re not applying to 30+ districts.
They’re not hus...

Every year, I hear the same advice being passed down to new teachers:

“Just get your foot in the door.”

It sounds practical. Logical, even.

But I’m going to say something no one else is saying:

It...

“I’ve applied to 20+ districts and only hear crickets. HELP!”

If you’ve ever thought this—or said it out loud—you’re not alone.

I get this message every single year.

And I’m going to say something ...

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...

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...