Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

No, the answer is not throwing the whole stack in a recycling bin. (Although it’s perfectly fine to toss out some assignments from time-to-time.) And, the answer isn’t to give more assignments digitally. That can help make assessment more effective and efficient, but the pile-up of student work awaiting feedback online can feel just as daunting as a stack of papers. This episode will help you explore ways you may be overcomplicating the assignments you give or your approach to assessment, and think outside the box about how to streamline. I’ll share how to instantly reduce the assignments you need to grade, and help you uncover your own answer to the following questions: Is there ONE type of assignment that I’m giving to students which is taking me forever to grade, and that I might be able to reduce or change up a bit? What can I do to experiment or push back on expectations this year, in order to make my grading workload more sustainable? Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

If you’re ready to reevaluate your job, and decide if you want to return next school year or explore other options, this episode will help you consider the possibilities. I’m talking with Daphne Williams Gomez of The Teacher Career Coach about what’s changed in the job market for teachers since she was a guest on the show back in March 2020. She’ll share trends she’s noticing, as well as questions you can ask yourself to make the very personal decision about whether teaching is still what you want to do. We’ll discuss ways to make teaching work, and the benefits of looking for a school, grade level, or subject area that’s a better fit instead of transitioning to an entirely new career path. We then explore the attachment many educators have to their job identity, and the struggle to find another career that offers the same noble calling and sense of purpose. We discuss the pros and cons of finding a job that you like–not love–in order to have the time, energy, and money to do non-work-related things you love. We push back against the “anti 9-5 and “be your own boss” narratives that aren’t the right fit for everyone. Daphne will also share examples of former teachers who have matched their skill sets to other jobs that they enjoy–often, careers they’d never even considered. Finally, Daphne shares what your next steps should be if you’re curious about other work you could do apart from teaching. You can take Daphne’s free quiz about career options here: TeacherCareerCoach.com/truthforteachers You’ll also find links to her Teacher Career Coach podcast, resume and job hunting resources, and info about her online course + mentorship to help you transition to your next career. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

Finally — a sustainable model for self-paced learning and mastery-based grading! Kareem Farah of the Modern Classrooms Project (MCP) shares how ANY teacher of any grade level or subject area can maximize class time and connect with students one-on-one. If you feel like you never have enough time to truly differentiate or personalize learning, try the MCP approach. Kareem’s sharing 3 strategies that you can experiment with integrating in your classroom to allow kids to work at their own pace, and free you up to work with students individually and in small groups. This convo will help you figure out logistics and practical considerations, whether your school’s fully on board with student-centered, innovative teaching methodologies or you’re just getting started. Check out MCP’s free online course at: https://learn.modernclassrooms.org/ Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

How do you show up each day as the best version of yourself? Kyle Cohen, a 4th grade teacher in Cleveland OH, is here to share his contagious positive energy. Listen as Kyle talks about what keeps him motivated, how he taps into his patience and empathy when working with students, and how implementing fun, engaging lessons helps him keep energy levels high throughout the school day. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

“When I leave school, I’m not only ready for the next day, I’m ready for the rest of the week. I almost never do planning or preparation the day before.” These are the words of high school social studies teacher Megan Faherty, who’s sharing her lesson planning strategy in today’s episode. Megan’s overall strategy boils down to making decisions about planning early, so her day-to-day work consists of simply implementing the decisions she's already made. During our conversation, Megan will share the 9 steps of her lesson planning process. She’ll also share tips on overcoming obstacles to efficient planning, suggestions for team planning, and lessons she’s learned from hybrid and virtual teaching over the last 2 years. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

The constant pressure to achieve more, work harder, increase results, generate more money, and so on can be exhausting. In this episode, I wanted to share some things I’ve been mulling over in terms of holistic wealth and wellbeing, and what it means to use our time well. What if we didn’t try to maximize EVERY moment, and instead allowed for some moments of rest, daydreaming, and moving slowly with intention? What if we identified some things that add a richness and satisfaction to our lives, and prioritized those activities at the same level as “getting things done”? What might it look like — in our schools and in our personal lives — if we weren’t constantly upping the ante and working toward the next goal, but focused on reveling in what we’ve already done? Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

Teachers are expected to pack way too much into a school day, and it can be tricky to sift through everything in the curriculum and figure out what’s most important (and relevant for your particular students). Sally Berquist, a teaching veteran with 24 years of experience and writing instruction specialist, is going to share some strategies to help you identify clutter in your curriculum and simplify your lesson design to account for realistic cognitive load and time management. As Sally shares, folks who write curriculum may be experts in content, but YOU are the expert on delivering that curriculum and implementing it in a way that works for your students. If you’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you’re supposed to teach, I think you’ll find this conversation validating and also helpful in learning to view your curriculum through a lens of what’s developmentally appropriate and relevant for your students. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

The instability and unpredictability that students have experienced in this third school year impacted by COVID has definitely taken a toll on kids … but the impact can look very different from student to student. High school teacher Jessica Kirkland is here to share what she’s observed in her students and discussed with them in terms of their mindset, behavior, and socio-emotional wellbeing. If you can’t quite put your finger on what feels “off” with students this school year and how class dynamics, relationships, and motivation levels have changed since the pandemic began, I think you’ll find this conversation illuminating. Jessica shares in her deeply empathetic way how both childhood and teenage experiences have been impacted in myriad ways by the pandemic. We explore the root causes for disconnection and lack of motivation, and how even if one particular student is doing okay (or even thriving), that student is still impacted by the people around them who aren’t. We talk about the limits of resiliency and how nearly everyone has been pushed to or beyond capacity for an extended period of time, and how that plays out in schools. We end with Jessica’s thoughts on what’s giving her optimism and hope for the future of our students and our schools. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

You know your students and who’s struggling, and you can prepare lesson scaffolding even without data “proof” that students need it.   Tia Butts, teacher and Truth for Teachers writer, is joining me for a relaxed, upbeat conversation about 4 ways she’s simplified tiered instruction and differentiation in her classroom.   Tia shares how she uses a relationship-based approach with students to assess and meet their needs, rather than relying ONLY on data and assessment scores. Her process is about trusting herself and her students, and finding ways to make the extra work of differentiation truly meaningful.   She’s learned to think of tiering instruction and differentiating as something wonderful that she really likes doing because of the impact she sees on her students. Tia’s found that her students are more engaged in their learning when she uses these 4 strategies, and that makes her day with them less stressful and more enjoyable.  Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

I wanted to kick off Season 15 of the podcast with an update on what I’ve been up to during my time off, and what I have planned for you in the coming year. If you’re new here, this episode is NOT our normal vibe: this episode is much more Angela-centered and our regular eps are centered on YOU and resources/ideas for your life and teaching practice. I just like to do some personal updates every now and then, so you’ll hear what my sabbatical was like, what I’m working on in 2022, and what topics we’ll be covering on the podcast this season. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.