Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

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.

What might be possible if you use some of your days off this December to take a true rest from not only DOING school work, but THINKING about school? This episode is an invitation to join me in taking a sabbatical from everything school-related during some portion of your winter holiday break. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew

Although each day holds the same 24 hours, there is something that we have come to accept as being innately different between "5:00pm on a Friday" compared to "5:00pm on a Wednesday.” Not only is it untrue that the weekend is the only time to exhale after the impact of the workweek, but this also skirts around an important truth: The way that we choose to spend a weeknight has a more immediate impact on our ability to renew ourselves the next day than a weekend sprint of self-care. In this episode, my guest (middle school teacher Marissa Minnick) shares how thinking about your tasks as belonging to a sort of task triangle can help. The task triangle includes space for activities that attend to your immediate self, your future self, and your sense of self. Marissa’s found that her productivity and energy soar the next workday when she’s taken time to invest in that third portion of the task triangle. Listen in as Marissa shares 4 tips for balancing the task triangle and using your weeknights to dedicate time for things that help you feel re-energized. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew

If you’re among the educators who find 2021-2022 is shaping up to be even more challenging than last school year, this episode is for you. I want to validate your experiences and challenges, and point you to a path forward even when it feels like you’re powerless to make things better. There ARE positive developments happening, and it’s due in large part to educators speaking up and speaking out about what they need, and setting limits on what they will and won't do. When enough educators resist, the momentum shifts, and we create systemic change. I have no easy answers or magic bullet solutions. But I know that you’re not alone in what you’re facing, and that means you don’t have to work through it alone. Be encouraged. Be courageous. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew

ELs don’t earn differently from native-English speakers, but they do have specific needs that are often misunderstood. Today I’m sharing 6 myths about English Language Learners I wish I’d debunked sooner. These are beliefs and assumptions I held at the beginning of my teaching career, and unlearned them slowly over time. I think you’ll find that they’re super common myths, and in fact my guest today has also worked through many of them, and encounters them frequently among her fellow educators. Houa Yang-Xiong is currently an elementary ESOL (English Speaker of Other Languages) teacher working with students in grades 3-5 of various backgrounds, native languages, and English-proficiency levels. Houa is a writer for the Truth for Teachers collective, and will be sharing articles regularly to help both ESL teachers and gen ed teacher who have ELLs in their classroom. I’m so grateful to have her expertise, particularly as she is an Asian-American, specifically, Hmong-American, and a bilingual speaker herself, so she has a unique window into what her students experience which she’ll share here. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew

There are 5 overarching principles that can help you streamline and simplify your workload so that you feel less overwhelmed. I call these principles “The Big 5 Tips for Teacher Productivity”, and I’ve woven them all throughout the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program (both the Full Year version that kicks off each summer as well as the self-paced Fast Track version, which you can begin any time). I’ve invited Amy Stohs, a member of the 40 Hour team, to share what the “Big 5” looks like in her daily teaching practice, and I love her unique spin on these time-tested ideas: Eliminate unintentional breaks Figure out the main thing and do it first Work ahead by batching and avoid multi-tasking unless the work is mindless. Relax any of your standards that create unnecessary work to a level that no one else will notice but you. Use scheduling to create boundaries around your time. Amy shares specific, actionable steps she’s taken for each of these principles to help her regain control of her time and get more done with less effort. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew

If your cultural, racial, or socio-economic background is different from that of your students, there can be a learning curve as you build rapport. In today’s episode, I’m talking with Sara Singer, a high school special education teacher on Chicago’s South Side. Sara loves to co-teach and support students with disabilities in the general education classroom. She is also passionate about equity and creating rigorous, student-centered curricula. Sara is a writer for the Truth for Teachers collective, and her first article is tackling a pretty tricky subject: what happens when you are of a different race, ethnicity, or cultural background than your students. Sara is white — specifically, Jewish in her heritage —and her student population is almost 100% Black. She shares 5 core understandings she’s developed in building her cultural competency over the years. I think you’ll find that this conversation is empowering and helpful to anyone working in a diverse community or with families whose identities and lived experiences are different from your own. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew

This episode is going to be a game changer! I'm talking with Megan Faherty, a long-time user of the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program who's currently in her 17th year of teaching. Megan shares tons of practical strategies and a whole new approach to thinking about how you grade that has helped her reclaim her nights and weekends: Shift 1: If you don’t have time to grade it, students don’t have time to learn from it. Shift 2: Put grading on your to-do list when you assign it. Shift 3: Grade the way that works. Shift 4: Reduce guilt by being honest about your grading timeline. Shift 5: Plan backwards from a goal. Shift 6: Do the worst thing first. Shift 7: Reduce dithering about points and decision fatigue Check out Megan’s guest post as part of our Truth for Teachers collective here, then listen to the episode as I do a deeper dive with Megan and share my own tips and tricks, too. 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. Leave a review for the Truth for Teachers podcast here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew