'Being the Newbie' - How do you settle into a new school?: The Late Show with Lianne Lax and Rae Whitehouse

Teachers Talk Radio

Rae and Lianne discuss how to settle into a new school as a teacher.

In this honest and entertaining show, our hosts dive into what it’s really like to start at a new school—whether it’s your first teaching job or you’re a seasoned educator switching settings. They swap stories about the emotional rollercoaster of being the “new person,” including staffroom anxieties, forgotten passwords, and the overwhelm of induction admin.

Topics include how to build authentic relationships across the school (hint: get friendly with the caretaker and kitchen staff!), how to manage the mountain of new logins and systems, and why it's essential to keep an eye out for red flags in school culture—especially in your first weeks. There’s also plenty of humour and warmth, from tales of holiday adventures and hay fever woes to the trauma of tarantulas in Caribbean classrooms.

Perfect listening for anyone preparing to start a new role, feeling nervous about fitting in, or just wanting a relatable slice of real-life teaching chat.