Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

Nov 10 2024 334 ep. 25 mins 6.1k

Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers Podcast artwork

Truth for Teachers is designed to speak life, encouragement, and truth into the minds and hearts of educators and get you energized for the week ahead.

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EP 314 How you–and your students–can use movement to increase work quality, focus, and creativity

Nov 10 2024 23 mins

There’s a powerful connection between movement and cognitive performance. Standing up and moving around can both foster diffuse thinking—the kind of relaxed mental state that encourages breakthroughs and innovative ideas. In this episode, I’ll share Cal Newport’s research on training the brain for deep work through “productive meditation”, a practice that involves focus

EP313 What students need to know about artificial intelligence (and how to help them learn it)

Oct 27 2024 29 mins

Many teachers are already seeing incredible results when their students use artificial intelligence to brainstorm creative project ideas, get instant feedback on their writing, and even generate unique artwork. The potential is there for a lot of good…but also, a lot of bad. As educators in this particular moment in time, we have a unique opportunity to guide students in harnessi

EP312 5 brain-based ways to help kids who shut down in class (with Dr. John Spencer)

Oct 13 2024 45 mins

When students give up on assignments or get overwhelmed, it’s tough to find ways to help them re-engage. So, I’ve invited Dr. John Spencer (https://spencereducation.com/) of The Creative Classroom podcast (https://spencereducation.com/podcast/) to help us uncover 5 brain-based ways to help kids who shut down in class. John is a former middle school teacher and current college p

EP311 Soft starts: a gentle, inviting way to begin the school day & foster self-regulation

Sep 29 2024 26 mins

Starting the school day doesn’t have to be chaotic or rushed. In this episode, I’ll explore how soft starts are transforming classrooms by offering a calm, low-pressure beginning that allows students to ease into their day. Soft starts accomplish more than just setting a calm tone—they’re a powerful tool for promoting social-emotional learning and giving kids the autonomy

EP310 Unlocking the secrets of effective lesson design (with Gretchen Bridgers)

Sep 15 2024 30 mins

Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels trying to improve your teaching, but not seeing the results you want? In this episode, we delve into the transformative power of sequential lesson design with Gretchen Bridgers of Always a Lesson. Gretchen is a teacher coach and trainer who has spent more than 2 decades mentoring and coaching educators, and leading professional developmen

EP309 Why humans fall for misinformation & creative ways to teach information literacy skills

Sep 01 2024 38 mins

Even young students can learn how to understand and combat misinformation, and it's a key information literacy skill in 2024. In this episode, I'm talking to Melanie Trecek-King of Thinking is Power, because I love how her approach to the topic of misinformation is characterized by compassion and empathy. Melanie emphasizes that everyone is susceptible to misinformation, and fal

EP308 How (and why) schools should support neurodivergent educators

Aug 18 2024 47 mins

Yes, we’re talking about accommodations FOR TEACHERS… I recently asked educators on social media if neurodivergent staff were being offered any support, and folks had a LOT to say! In this episode I’ll share: What we mean when we talk about neurodivergence Why neurodivergence isn’t a deficiency, just a difference What teachers say about accommodations that are (and aren’

EP307 Creating conditions for transformation (with Elena Aguilar)

Aug 04 2024 32 mins

"Transformative change means feeling different, having different experiences every day, not just little changes that feel like a band-aid." These are the words of today’s guest, Elena Aguilar, an instructional coach whose latest book is called Arise: The Art of Transformation Coaching. (https://amzn.to/3Srseot) Through her book and our conversation today, you’re invited to teac

EP306 How to get TRUE student buy-in for your "no phone" policy (with Ashly HIlst)

Jul 21 2024 27 mins

Here’s an innovative way to get student buy-in for your cell phone policy, reduce distractions, and maximize class time. Today you’re going to hear from Ashly Hilst, a secondary teacher at North Clackamas Christian School in Oregon City, Oregon. Ashly has taught high school English for 7 years in both public and private schools. For the 2024 Summit for the 40 Hour Teacher Work

EP305 5 ways to automate teaching tasks next school year to save you time

Jul 07 2024 31 mins

It seems like every tech tool we use has now integrated generative artificial intelligence. Open a Google Doc, you’re prompted to use Gemini to help you write. Read a post on Facebook, Meta prompts you to “ask anything” via their AI. It’s powering our phones and our email, and the customer support chatbots on nearly every website when shopping online and even with utility c