Ernie Lee, 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year, helps educators lead with clarity,
Ernie Lee, 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year, helps educators lead with clarity,
Please reach us at ernie@classroomcounsel.org if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Ernie Lee speaks about new teacher confidence, second-career teacher empowerment, educator resilience, classroom leadership, and teacher retention. His message is designed to help educators believe they belong, grow through difficulty, and develop the confidence needed to thrive in the classroom.
His presentations are especially relevant for schools, districts, colleges of education, teacher-preparation programs, alternative-certification programs, education conferences, and professional-development events.
Ernie’s message is a strong fit for:
His work is especially helpful for organizations that want to support, encourage, and retain teachers during the most challenging stages of their professional journey.
Ernie brings a rare combination of classroom experience, psychology, law, teacher leadership, and public speaking. He is the 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year, a former attorney, veteran educator, and author of the forthcoming book Calm Authority: Building Classroom Confidence.
His message is not simply motivational. It is practical, personal, and rooted in the real challenges teachers face when they are trying to find their voice, build confidence, and remain committed to the profession.
No. While second-career teacher empowerment is one of Ernie’s signature topics, his message also applies to new teachers, veteran educators, school leaders, and teacher-preparation programs.
Many teachers struggle with confidence, identity, classroom presence, and professional discouragement. Ernie’s work helps educators understand that classroom confidence can be developed over time.
Ernie’s signature topics include:
Second Career, First Calling
Helping new and second-career teachers believe they belong in the classroom.
Classroom Confidence
Helping teachers develop the confidence, identity, and resilience needed to thrive.
Recruit, Welcome, Retain
Helping school leaders better support new and second-career teachers.
From Self-Doubt to Classroom Leadership
Helping educators move from uncertainty to influence.
Called to the Classroom
A faith-friendly message for Christian schools, church-based education events, and faculty retreats.
Yes. Ernie is available for:
Presentations can be customized based on the audience, event theme, time frame, and the organization's goals.
You can invite Ernie to speak by completing the booking inquiry form on the website or by contacting Classroom Counsel LLC directly.
Please include the event date, location, audience, event type, expected number of attendees, and the topic you are interested in.
It is best to contact Ernie as early as possible, especially for conferences, district-wide events, school-year kickoff programs, and professional-development days. However, some shorter-term dates may be available depending on the calendar.
Yes. Ernie customizes presentations to fit the audience and purpose of the event. A presentation for new teachers will look different from a session for principals, a university audience, or a faith-based school community.
Before each event, Ernie works to understand the audience, event goals, and desired outcomes.
Yes. Ernie is available for virtual keynotes, webinars, professional-development sessions, interviews, and online workshops.
Virtual sessions can be designed for teacher candidates, new teacher cohorts, district professional learning, education associations, and leadership groups.
FYI- Ernie set up a home studio during Covid shutdowns.
Yes. Ernie is based in Georgia and is available for in-person events in Georgia, the Southeast, and beyond. Travel details can be discussed during the booking process.
Speaking fees vary based on the type of event, location, length of presentation, preparation required, and whether the event is in person or virtual.
For fee information, please submit a speaking inquiry with details about your event.
Please provide:
The more information you provide, the easier it is to determine whether the event is a good fit.
Yes. New teacher orientation is one of the strongest fits for Ernie’s message. His presentations help new teachers understand that confidence grows over time and that early struggle does not mean they are in the wrong profession.
A strong topic for this audience is:
Classroom Confidence: What New Teachers Need to Know Before They Quit
Yes. Ernie’s message is especially relevant for alternative-certification and second-career teacher programs. Career changers often bring valuable life experience into the classroom but may still struggle with confidence, classroom identity, and the transition into teaching.
A strong topic for this audience is:
Second Career, First Calling: Helping New Teachers Believe They Belong
Yes. Ernie speaks to teacher candidates, education majors, student teachers, faculty, and education-leadership groups. His message helps future teachers understand the emotional, professional, and personal dimensions of becoming an educator.
He can speak for lectures, seminars, teacher-preparation events, induction programs, and education conferences.
Yes. Ernie offers sessions for principals, assistant principals, mentor teachers, and district leaders on how to support new and second-career teachers.
A strong leadership topic is:
Recruit, Welcome, Retain: How School Leaders Can Support New and Second-Career Teachers
This session helps leaders think about teacher support not only as encouragement but also as a retention strategy.
Yes. Ernie is available for private schools, church-based education programs, and faith-based faculty retreats. These presentations can include themes of calling, service, purpose, character, and influence.
A strong topic for this audience is:
Called to the Classroom: Purpose, Service, and Confidence in Teaching
Yes. Because of his background as an attorney, social studies educator, and keynote speaker at the University of South Carolina School of Law’s Constitutional Center, Ernie can also speak on civic education, constitutional principles, teacher leadership, and the role of educators in preparing students for citizenship.
These topics can be discussed during the booking process.
Ernie Lee’s forthcoming book is about helping teachers develop the confidence, identity, and resilience needed to thrive in the classroom.
The book is especially relevant for new teachers, second-career teachers, teacher candidates, mentor teachers, and school leaders who want to better understand the human side of becoming an effective educator.
Is the book available now?
Not yet, Speaking engagements can still be built around the themes of the book, including teacher confidence, second-career teacher empowerment, professional identity, and educator resilience.
Visitors may join the interest list to receive updates about the book.
Can Ernie’s presentation connect to the book?
Yes. Ernie’s presentations can be tailored around the major themes of Classroom Confidence. These include confidence, identity, purpose, resilience, classroom presence, teacher growth, and the unique strengths of second-career educators.
Once the book is available, organizations may also inquire about book bundles, signed copies, book studies, and professional-learning packages.
Does Ernie have a speaker one-sheet?
Yes. Ernie’s speaker one-sheet provides a one-page overview of his speaking topics, biography, audience outcomes, credentials, and booking information.
Can Ernie provide a bio and headshot for event promotion?
Yes. Event planners may request or download Ernie’s short bio, full bio, headshot, introduction script, and promotional materials.
These resources are useful for event programs, conference websites, social media posts, newsletters, and printed materials.
Typical presentation needs include:
Specific needs can be confirmed before the event.
Yes. Ernie is available for interviews, podcasts, webinars, livestream conversations, and panel discussions related to teaching, second-career educators, classroom confidence, teacher leadership, civic education, and educator resilience.
To begin the process, submit a speaking inquiry or contact Classroom Counsel LLC with details about your event. ernie@classroomcounsel.org
Ernie works with schools, districts, universities, education organizations, and conference planners who want to encourage educators, support new teachers, and strengthen the teaching profession.
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