Putting my front wheel on with disc brakes by myself is sometimes a pain. I sometimes have trouble keeping the wheel centered and tightening the skewer. Is there a secret other than keeping the wheel balanced with my forehead and turning the skewer.

I find it easier to install wheels when the bike is right side up. Guide the disc between the caliper and the axle ends into the fork. Let the weight of the bike bottom the axle ends in the drop out and tighten the QR.

If your bike has a quick release, you cannot tighten it properly by turning the skewer. If you have a through axle. it should self centre. Learn how to properly operate a quick release if that is what you have. Hint: don't stand in front of the bike. Stand over the bike and lean over with the bars in your chest. You can keep plenty of weight on the bars to keep the wheel seated in the dropouts. And, yes, bike right side up, not upside down

If I understand the problem correctly, it’s that you can’t get the rotor aligned properly in the narrow gap between the brake pads? If so, just slip the wheel into position, grab the front brake lever tightly with one hand, and tighten the qr lever with your other hand. Then release the brake lever.

It is a damn shame thru-axles didn't become standard right when disc brakes came out. Would have made life so much easier. I generally find installing a wheel with it on the ground helps and if you can lean it straight up it should be bad. What I might recommend and this can go with anything like clipping and unclipping shoes or installing a tire is practice it a bunch in a low stress environment get the motions down pat that way when in the field riding things will go more smoothly.

I know if I hadn't put my tent together that first time at home listening to music relaxed I would have really been fumbling the first time I actually got to use it and it was starting to rain.

I do how the LBS showed me, stand in front of the bike as it's right side up, hold the front wheel between my legs, then guide the fork down onto the skewer, using the caliper as the target to align the rotor. Gravity keeps the fork in place while tightening the skewer.