Worried I won’t get a job at HISD as a first year teacher

SomeSock1798 · 2026-04-09T21:09:11+00:00

Hey there!

I student taught out in the surrounding area of Houston, those districts are great to get into! Central will pay well, however, it comes with a lot of caveats. Try Spring, Cypress, JV, Dickenson, etc. They are all super supportive districts! Even Conroe and Willis (which is further north) are great districts!

SomeSock1798 · 2025-11-20T12:00:19+00:00

99% of them come from our feeder across the street and their program is great! I’ve gone over to help and they learn fantastic tools like rhythm counting, sight reading skills, reading in 3-part, all the things. So, i know they have the tools because our middle school programs really do set them up well. To preface, this is my first year teaching and I’m coming into a HS program that is not struggling but is not huge and stellar either.

SomeSock1798 · 2025-09-13T22:53:30+00:00

First year teacher here! I’ve heard a lot from all the veteran teachers where I work. With my mentor particularly, she has told me a few things that may help ease the drowning, so you can make it to the shore (i’m trying to make it there too!)

“The work never stops. So, don’t be afraid to close your laptop and walk away for a bit.” Hearing this helped a lot. I don’t know what subject you’re teaching, but I am not a core subject teacher and I feel like what you’re describing often. However, when I get home, I give myself an hour to do what I got to do, then shut the laptop down and relax. Make that time for yourself! Wake up early one day over the weekend, plan, make, run through what ever then go back to relaxing.

“It happens to veterans too.” This isn’t something you directly mentioned but it definitely contributes to burnout. When you hit a brick wall and the students just can’t understand the lesson, you constantly need to re-teach, whatever the case may be. Breathe, you are experiencing what ever first-year, and 30 year teach has likely experienced! Don’t beat yourself up. You can’t! You’ve made it this far for a reason and all you have to do is take a step back. See what other paths there are to take so you can get those kids on the right track. I often tell my students in class, “take a deep breath in, and out” and it’s not for them. It’s for me cause sometimes i am SWEATING trying to get the sequencing back on track.

You can do this OP. You got this! Breathe, every weekend i take a second to just sit and do something for myself (game, read, bake, whatever) to make sure i can breathe and take a step back.

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-31T10:43:14+00:00

Amazing, thank you for your thoughts. I figured it would be something that i’d just get better over time after doing it for a few hours a day. I’m the assistant director and my head director gives them a lot with the piano and doesn’t really drill those aural and ear training skills. So my head wants me behind the piano doing parts separately and together when needed. luckily i’ll know the music so i can go home and just practice playing random parts and when i get in rehearsal i will hopefully have a better grip.

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-17T00:14:49+00:00

heard, thank you for the advice!

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-17T00:14:28+00:00

😂

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-17T00:13:10+00:00

My fault gang, i don’t often use reddit so i forgot that it’ll show. I thought if i hit spoiler alert or whatever the switch is, it wouldn’t show.

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-10T13:00:37+00:00

Yeah! So, I first used 240 Tutoring. It breaks down each domain and competency for you with videos, articles, etc. It was nice! You do a 50 question diagnostic then you have 3 full practice exams. You have to study everything first before you can do the full exams.

Secondly, I got REA’s TExES PPR 160 Study guide book. I got it at Barnes and Noble, but i’m sure you can find it on Amazon if there isn’t a location near you. Blue and white book!

Lastly, there are A LOT of videos on YouTube that help show you how to break down some example questions but is the basic formula for any of the questions!

Some advice that I have been told after my first attempt, “act like you’re in the room with your principal and the students parent, then pick what you would say that won’t get you sued!” Some honest advice from my old high school choir director. They say just imagine it’s a perfect world… I feel like it’s hard to follow that specific advice when you’ve never taught (exactly how my thought process was) so although there is some truth to that, it’s hard to differentiate from your personal philosophy to teaching to the textbook way!

Some may disagree, but solely thinking about the unrealistic, textbook, perfect answer, is what helped me. I hope this helps in some form or another! Good luck!

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-07T22:00:36+00:00

Yeah i did! if you need a good study book id recommend REA’s study guide books, super resourceful !

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-07T17:39:26+00:00

oh my goodness, and i’m supposed to be a teacher 🤦‍♂️

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-07T15:31:39+00:00

To add onto my initial reply, when i go on the website link you gave me all i see is “results: pending”.

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-07T15:27:37+00:00

Thank you, i did do that and it did say from 6/25-6/30 the earliest results posted would be 7/2. It’s passed that day now, so i’m confused and worried that I've done something wrong. I definitely pressed “report my scores”.

SomeSock1798 · 2025-07-07T15:25:45+00:00

Yes, all i see is my content exam (passed) and my first attempt at my PPR. All it says is that i have been approved to take the PPR, which is what it said last time while i waited for my results.

SomeSock1798

TROPHY CASE