Always A Lesson's Empowering Educators Podcast

It is easy to categorize student’s potential based on their misbehaviors, but we miss opportunities to help students develop critical skills in order to reflect, adjust and become their best selves. Burgess and Houf state, “separate the deed from the doer and work to change the deed.” Tune in for tips on how to do just this! Quotables Kids make mistakes and they shouldn’t be defined by them We hav...

ANGELA WATSON (formerly Powell)  has earned international recognition for her unique contributions to the field of education.  A  pioneer and trailblazer of modern teacher blogging , she was first known for  Ms. Powell’s Management Ideas for Teachers , a website she created in 2003 to share behavior management strategies, teaching techniques, and organizational tips. The site was expanded and rena...

Programs don’t teach kids, teachers do. We have to protect teaching talent by empowering teachers to take the important pieces of a curriculum and spend more time personalizing their lessons with their passion, talent, and creativity so that students can receive a personalized learning experience to become their best. Tune in to hear how teacher leaders can empower teachers so that their talent le...

Teachers are busy people and oftentimes don’t realize that every interaction they have with a child shapes the self-concept of their students. Regardless of intention, what teachers THINK about a child can be expressed as an expectation that can damage or restore a child’s passion and potential. Tune in to hear solutions for how all teachers can ensure every interaction with students communicates...

If you want to make a true impact on the teaching profession you need to adjust the way you lead others with a confidence that is silent but effective. Tune in to hear 5 tips on how the best teacher leaders personalize the learning experience of others to ensure they grow as professionals during their lifetime career as educators. Quotables: Let the learner do the leading [Leaders] don’t have much...

Leading a balanced professional and personal life is key to a long life of success and happiness. Tune in to hear how one unbalanced teacher took control of their life and enhanced all parts of it because of the big decision they were strong enough to make. Hear tips for new teachers, teachers in distress and transition and teacher leaders on how to win in life by being a balanced teacher. Quotabl...

Beckett Haight is a former student with special needs who went on to become a Special Educator.  After getting expelled from 6 th  grade he had an IEP and special education services stemming from ADHD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder until graduating high school.  This led him to becoming a volunteer in Special Needs classrooms in high school, then a Teacher Assistant for four years while in col...

Teachers have a tremendous opportunity to shape students into their potential so that their future is as bright as possible. A lot of the focus for teaching children is on the curriculum component, when in reality students need even more than that to become their best. Tune in to hear 8 characteristics teachers can employ into their instruction on a daily basis so that students can reach their pot...

New teachers often feel like they have to prove their ability to teach to students, parents, and colleagues. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Just landing a job means you are qualified and capable. Learning that you don’t have to do it all in the classroom to showcase your control and ability is quite a freeing truth. Tune in to hear tips on how to pull back to gain control, sanity, and...

The spring season in a school building can cause a lot of anxiety as testing begins and talk about changes for the upcoming school year surface. In order for a teacher to close out the current school year successfully (and with all of their sanity intact), they must avoid the rumor mill. Tune in to this episode to hear 5 tips for how to do just that! Quotables It’s a juggling act that ends up bein...

Leading others can be difficult, but with some guidance, teacher leaders can not only hone their own craft but build capacity in those that they lead. By using a cyclical process of asking questions and listening to the answers, teacher leaders can uncover potential obstacles those they lead are facing before helping a teacher implement a new skill. Tune in for tips and strategies to ask, listen a...

Carmin Adams is an 11 year veteran and currently a third teacher at Belmont Central Elementary in Gaston County Schools right here in North Carolina. She is a graduate of Gaston County Schools and Belmont Abbey College! She is a proud mother of a beautiful sixteen year old and loves traveling! The main factor that influenced Carmin to become a teacher was the opportunity to interact with...

Students learn in a variety of ways which means their behavior while learning is very different too. Often times, we teachers make assumptions based on face value of who is paying attention, who is working hard, who is confused, etc. It’s important that we push past these facades and dig in to what is really going on behind the learning behaviors of our students. Tune in for tips on how to get acc...

The first few years as a teacher in a classroom can be overwhelming trying to learn all of the ropes. But, how a teacher spends this time period is critical to the longevity of their career. Tune in to hear tips and tricks (as well as fabulous resources) for how to be a sponge as a new teacher so that you can be more effective faster! Quotables You can take bits and pieces of their strategy to sew...

Acknowledging the talents and contributions of others shouldn’t be limited to something only done in our professional lives. We have to pour into each other in all aspects of our lives. Tune in to hear how I incorporate building relationships through empowering others in my everyday life and how you can do it too! Quotables What a waste for that thought to remain just a thought. It does nothing fo...

Teaching is overwhelming and teachers often put themselves last in self-care. This leads to burn out and a short career. Advocating for your needs can be hard and well, awkward. But by reflecting on what you need, requesting what you need, and requiring what you need you’ll be able to lead your own march! Tune in to hear 4 actionable steps to ensure you advocate for your needs just as successfully...

Kayse Morris is a teacher by day and a curriculum designer by night. She develops quality resources for teachers grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. She has a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education, a Masters in Instructional Technology and a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership. She has a passion for life and thinks that beauty lies within the simple things. Her philosophy is that ‘Simplicity is whe...

Sometimes there’s no other option but to rely on ourselves, dig in our heels, and do the hard work. Developing your teacher craft is no different in that your determination to become greater must outweigh your need to be told what to do. Tune in to hear how to be your own lifeline in becoming your best. Quotables “I need to get better at teaching. I want to be better for my students, parents, scho...

There is always something “new” being asked of teachers. It can be quite overwhelming to implement every change while still maintaining your own style in the classroom. Tune in to hear how teacher leaders can help bridge the gap between requirements and teacher freedom. Quotables What matters is that teachers feel like they can meet the requirements AND still do their own thing. I haven’t figured...

Engagement can be a tricky aspect of any instructor’s lesson plan delivery. Ensuring students have high engagement with the content being taught requires a dance between student and teacher. Empowering students with ownership and accountability in the classroom is one way to ensure quality engagement in every lesson. Tune in to hear how to get started! Quotables Now is the time to ramp up the stud...

Information is at our fingertips these days, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. It becomes too easy to over-consume information, leading to anxiety, depression, and overwhelm. Avoid the edu-consumption overload by following three simple steps outlined in this podcast episode. Quotables The moment you go a mile wide and an inch deep in any facet of your life, you lose your effectiveness and s...

Suzanne Cresswell is an occupational and physical therapist who has worked with unique learners for over three decades. Suzanne works to educate and provide proven solutions and strategies to those that parent, instruct and work with unique learners. By creating an understanding of unique learners and their learning behavior, she helps parents, teachers and the students themselves find the ability...

To truly become GREAT at something, it requires intention, practice, reflection, and time. Effective educators are no different. Tune in to hear 8 tips for how new teachers can transform their novice abilities into accomplished, effective talent. Quotables Your hard work doesn’t always produce favorable results “You have to go slow to go fast” Effective teachers blossom in the most unusual of plac...

Don’t wait to step up to the plate and lead those around you just because you don’t have a title. The best leaders don’t have leadership titles because leadership is something you are, not something you do. Tune in to hear strategies for how to overcome obstacles that those who lead without a title face so that you can be your best while helping those around you become their best. Quotables “Bring...

Using a countdown in the classroom can be extremely effective. However, teachers innocently misuse countdowns during instruction. Tune in to hear tips on WHEN and WHEN NOT to use a countdown in the classroom so that student learning is maximized. Quotables Countdowns create urgency and keep the focus on behavior management so that we can get down to learning The best teachers empower kiddos to tak...