Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

This is the 2nd episode in my 3 part summer podcast series offering a deep dive into my personal story: where I've been, where I'm at, and where I'm going. Usually you can listen to my podcast episodes in any order you want, but since this is basically my life story, what I'm sharing in this episode will make a lot more sense if you've heard the beginning of what happened. In this second installme...

The first FREE online summit focused entirely on saving teachers time is happening July 10th and 11th! The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit is: Entirely online Completely FREE Beneficial for all K-12 teacher Includes 30+ presentations and roundtable discussions Opening and closing keynotes by 40 Hour founder Angela Watson (that's me) No fluff, filler, icebreakers, or pitches: each session is...

I'm getting deeply personal and vulnerable in this 3 part summer podcast series, and sharing things with you that I've NEVER talked about publicly before! This was sooo hard for me to do … but it's the 20 year anniversary of my teaching website (I built the first iteration back in July 2003) and I didn't want to let the occasion pass without reflecting on all that's happened over the past two deca...

If you're constantly covering for absent colleagues, supporting temporary hires in your building, or otherwise taking on additional duties because there aren't enough people on staff … you're not alone.  Teacher shortages have been one of the most difficult lingering effects of the pandemic, and unfortunately, we're continuing to see things trend downward. There's no way around it: when some folks...

We all want students to be self-directed in their learning and take initiative to figure things out for themselves. We want them to think critically and engage in the struggle of understanding so they come out on the other side truly owning their own learning, ideas, and beliefs. Two of the most powerful ways to help students experience this kind of learning are: Explicitly teaching students how t...

Who you ARE matters just as much as what you DO. How can you show up as the best version of yourself each day, not only for students, but in every aspect of life? I'm talking today with Elena Aguilar, a writer, leader, teacher, coach and the author of seven highly acclaimed books including The Art of Coaching, (2013) Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018), Coaching for Equity...

As a child, I didn't think I was a "math and science" person. But you know what I did like? Robots. Robotics would have been an easy inroad into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) practices that would have piqued my interest in a way the regular school curriculum didn't. If I'd been able to experiment with robotics in school, I might have unlocked an entirely new passion apart from...

When it feels like there's no good answers, that may be a sign that we're not asking useful questions. If we can frame our thinking with better questions, we can uncover better answers. There are so many ways you can use questions to shift your emotional state, focus on what's most important, and help you problem-solve constructively. This episode will help you find a framing for things you're con...

Want some practical strategies backed by brain research that can help you and your students co-thrive together? My guest today is Dr. Rebecca Branstetter, Ph. D. She's a school psychologist, speaker, and author on a mission to help children thrive by supporting educators, mental health providers, and families. She is the founder of The Thriving Students Collective and Thrive Hive TV™ Network, onli...

"Just do your best" is not always helpful advice for perfectionists, people-pleasers, and folks struggling with anxiety. The phrase is meant to offer comfort, but can create pressure, because you know what your best looks like, and how much time and effort it involves! The truth is: you can't possibly give your best effort to everything on your plate, and not everything you need to do deserves you...

Artificial intelligence can help you work more efficiently and save hours each week! Listen in as I talk with Dr. Monica Burns, an author, speaker, and former New York City public school teacher. Monica shares incredibly practical ideas for teachers on her website ClassTechTips.com, and is prolific on Twitter as well. This episode was recorded live at the Future of Education Technology Conference...

Truth for Teachers is back for Season 17! We're kicking things off with a powerful concept that can help transform your relationships with others (and yourself) in 2023. I'll share how to examine the usefulness of your thought system, and explain why we ourselves always seem to be right. Once you grasp this teaching, I think you'll find it's easier to work with–instead of against–people who think...

It's the LAST EP of season 16, and per usual, I want to be a little more informal as I close out the podcast season. I'm sharing some personal reflections and a recap of my projects from the fall. I'll also share a new focus I'm trying for November, and give an overview of my December sabbatical plans. New course on reversing educator burnout New book on educator mindset (discounted for the month...

When we feel responsible for controlling students' behavior and work habits, the classroom environment, the way parents/caregivers and other faculty behave, and how the school and district make decisions, we are destined to be miserable. Other people will rarely meet our ideals, and trying to force them to do so will feel like a full-time job in itself. The second edition of my new book addresses...

Revolutionaries and visionaries can get exhausted. They often sacrifice their own needs because they believe so strongly in the cause. Today I'm asking aloud: Does it have to be that way? Is there a sustainable approach to fighting for liberatory education? What might it look like to create change in education without martyring ourselves? My guest is Dr. Nadia Lopez, an award-winning educator who...

Here's a little insider knowledge into the publishing world and how I make decisions to ensure all 5 of my books are current and relevant... I'm planning to release a second edition of Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching in November 2022, and I wanted to give you an idea of what will be different and why. From a technical standpoint, the second edition of a book counts as a br...

When students struggle to focus, follow directions, and stay on task, it may be helpful to consider cognitive load theory. Classroom teacher Jennifer Brinkmeyer's my guest in this episode to talk about how she's utilized her research in this area to help students get more done with less mental effort. Cognitive load is a learning theory developed by educational psychologist John Sweller. In this t...

We've all had hurtful or upsetting incidents with colleagues, parents, and students that we can't seem to move past. How do you change your thinking in order to move on? How do you stop carrying around the weight of what happened Folks in our Truth for Teachers Podcast Community were invited to submit their situations anonymously, and tell me about the stuff that they just can't move past. We're t...

I first started this podcast back in 2015, and nearly 300 episodes later, I'm proud to say there's a wealth of helpful information available to you. But… you don't have time to listen to 300 episodes. How do you know you didn't miss out on something great awhile back? What if there's something you need to hear NOW that I haven't talked about in awhile? Enter the NEW Truth for Teachers playlists. I...

What if you were able to have a 3 day weekend EVERY week? Obviously you still need to show up to school 5 days a week and give your best each day. But you can shift your perception of how the week is structured to maximize time for rest and recovery. Listen as I share: How all days/hours are not experienced equally (some are more valuable for specific purposes, some feel longer and other shorter)...

This short, encouraging episode explains how you can tackle really difficult problems using layers of imperfect solutions, rather than giving up doing anything altogether. This approach is used in healthcare, aviation safety, computer security, and more…why not uncover a real place for it in K-12 education, as well? We can work to create positive change in our schools, communities, nation, and pla...

Save yourself huge amounts of time by reusing your own work! Teacher Marguerite Rendelfs has developed a plan to create reusable resources that saves her between five and ten hours every week. One major shift in my mindset that she learned through the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program that has helped her in many situations is this: We often focus on saving time right now. Considering how we can use...

You can decide this school year to find a sustainable approach to your workload. How? By not trying to work until everything is done. It's NEVER all going to be done, which means you're always either going to be working or feel like you should be working. Instead, I'm going to teach you a principle I share in the 40 Hour Workweek programs I run for teachers, instructional coaches, and school leade...

I recently had an upbeat, fun conversation with Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365 for her podcast, and thought I'd share an excerpt of it here with you! We're talking all about the state of education today, what we're hearing from teachers about their needs, and our experiences with burnout and balance. As a fellow former educator, Lisa knows the mindset and challenges of teaching well, and does a dee...

In this in-between-seasons bonus ep, you'll hear some quick audio clips of teachers sharing how they are challenging norms in education and creating a sustainable workload through the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program. I'll also share how 40 Hour is creating institutional change through the 40 Hour Leadership and 40 Hour Instructional Coaching programs. I hope you will hear my heart and get the big...