Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers Angela Watson

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 decades.
Some of you have actually been on this journey with me for the entire 20 years I’ve been sharing ideas online, which is just mind-blowing! I think you’ll really enjoy this look back on the previous two decades together. Others of you have come along more recently, and I hope this series gives you the backstory and context to connect with me on a deeper level.
Here’s the release schedule for these episodes:
May 28: How I got here: Reflections on 20 years of sharing teaching ideas online June 25: Where I’m at now: Reflections on who I’ve become as a person and educator July 23: Where I’m going: Reflections on what excites me about my work and the future of schooling Content warning for this first episode: I will briefly allude to sexual assault, and also talk about my personal experiences with race and religion. This episode will be very different from what you’re used to on Truth for Teachers, so make sure you’re in the right headspace before pressing play.
Listen in as I answer the following questions:
How did your childhood experiences shape the person you've become today? Why did you always want to be a teacher even though you weren't a good student yourself? You've mentioned before that your teenage years were rough — what happened? What was your college experience like, and how did you get your first job as a teacher? What happened when you started feeling burned out and decided to change grade levels? How did you get started sharing ideas online? Why did you relocate and transition to instructional coaching and working for BrainPOP? How do you process your legacy among the very first wave of educators in the early 2000s to share their resources online? I hope listening to this episode gives you more insight into my “origin story” and what has shaped my worldview and fueled my passions. 
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 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 are gone, it creates more work for the people who remain.
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.

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 to optimize concentration, time, and energy Model these strategies for students with enthusiasm, curiosity, and intellectual humility That’s exactly what this episode is designed to help you do.
The first and most important step is to shift from viewing learning as something that you’re trying to get students to do and they’re resisting, and instead view learning as something that you experiment with together.
Listen in to learn more about flow theory, and why I prefer its focus on joy and ease over just “managing time” or “getting more done.”
You and your students can internalize this way of thinking about time, energy, and attention, and establish the goal of finding flow in the classroom whenever possible.
Learn more about FINDING FLOW Solutions and check out curriculum previews: http://findingflowsolutions.com/ Download the free Foundations of Flow unit for teens Purchase the complete set of 6 units for teens as a beta tester Get notified when elementary resources are ready Get notified when middle school resources are ready 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.

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 (2020), and The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development (2022).
Elena is the founder and president of Bright Morning Consulting, and host of The Bright Morning podcast (which is a phenomenal listen, by the way.) She also collaborated with Dr. Rebecca Branstetter and I on the Reversing Educator Burnout course–you can hear her as a special guest expert in Module 2. 
Listen in as Elena and I discuss:
Why “bringing your best self” brings ease rather than “one more thing” to your plate The power and simplicity of being fully present in challenging moments Trying harder vs letting go The traits and dispositions we display when we are our best selves What to do when you’re too exhausted to bring your best self to the classroom 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.

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 the reading/writing skills I was far more comfortable with. I might have begun to see myself as a person who could take an active role in experimentation, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership.
While most of us as educators didn’t get the opportunity to experience robotics and STEM projects when we were kids, we do have the opportunity to have fun experimenting with these challenges NOW alongside students. In fact, being brand new to the ideas can help you practice being a fellow learner with kids and experience the joy of making new discoveries together.
If you’re intrigued, listen in on my conversation with Jason McKenna. He’s sharing how exposing kids to STEM opportunities can change the way they think about themselves and transform their engagement in school.
Jason has over 20 years of classroom experience implementing STEM programs and robotics competitions for students at all levels. He now works as the Director of Global Educational Strategy for VEX Robotics, so his job is to oversee all curriculum development and classroom integration for the company. He’s also the author of the book, “What STEM Can Do for Your Classroom: Improving Student Problem Solving, Collaboration, and Engagement.” 
VEX makes it possible and affordable for students to explore educational robotics so they can experience autonomy and get comfortable with the process of iteration. The curriculum makes it super simple for ANY classroom teacher to bring robotics into the classroom. Go to VEXrobotics.com to learn more, and listen in to learn why robotics might be just the thing you need to help students get more deeply engaged in learning.
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 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 confused or frustrated about so you can find the path to solutions. I’ll also share how you can use better questions with students to help them reflect on their choices, as well.
Curiosity over judgment. Wondering over assumptions. These are always safer places to land. You don’t have to have all the right answers, but having some great questions will get you headed down a more productive path.
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.