Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

Angela Watson
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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.

  1. APR 5

    EP345 The brain isn't separate from the body–here's what that means for learning (with Caroline Williams)

    We've been taught to think of the brain as the control center, the part of us that really matters for learning. But the body isn't just along for the ride, carrying our brains from place to place. Caroline Williams, science journalist and three-time author (including of the book Inner Sense) has spent years digging into the research on how our brains and bodies actually work together. Turns out they're in constant conversation, sending signals back and forth in ways that shape how we think, feel, learn, and remember. And that means the brain isn't calling all the shots from up there in your head: your body has a lot more to say than we've been giving it credit for. Caroline and I talk about why we've been trained to override our body's signals, what happens when kids learn to tune in instead of push through, and how this changes what it means to teach the whole child. This conversation might shift how you see everything from behavior issues to why certain kids struggle to focus. You'll learn: Why emotions don't actually start in your brain How body awareness connects to emotional intelligence and self-regulation What's really happening when we say "trust your gut" Why teaching kids to tune into their bodies might be one of the most important things we can do How understanding this changes the way we think about learning If our bodies are constantly feeding information to our brains, then a lot of what we do in classrooms starts to make less sense...and there are easy, small shifts that can help. Article/Transcript for this episode: https://truthforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/the-brain-isnt-separate-from-the-body-heres-what-that-means-for-learning/

    37 min
  2. You Might Also Like: Raising Us: A Parenting Podcast

    APR 5 ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: Raising Us: A Parenting Podcast

    Introducing Talking to Your Kids About ICE and Immigration | Maria Hinojosa & Anya Kamenetz | A Kids Co. from Raising Us: A Parenting Podcast. Follow the show: Raising Us: A Parenting Podcast With news about ICE, immigration raids, and family separation everywhere, many parents are wondering how to talk to kids about everything going on. How do we share harsh realities without overwhelming them, while still being honest? Host Elise Hu speaks with Maria Hinojosa, founder of Futuro Media and longtime host of Latino USA about her decades of learnings from reporting on immigration and family separations. Maria opens up about her own experience growing up in an immigrant family, and shares reflections on today’s political climate as immigration has risen as a focus topic election after election. Later in the episode, journalist and author Anya Kamenetz joins to offer practical tools for parents navigating these newscycles and conversations with kids. Anya shares what she’s seen as a journalist and in her communities as a parent, and offers practical strategies for helping children process fear while staying emotionally secure together. Key Takeaways: Acknowledge that fears are real and acceptable feelings to experience. Willingly talk about your family history and community to put your experience in perspective. Reassure kids that they’re safe with you by meeting them in conversation wherever they are. Be ready to navigate ongoing conversations with our kids, rather than expecting one and done. Encourage practical activities your family can do together to feel both safe and aware of the news. ⏱️ Timestamps: Keep the conversation going at home with our FREE Conversation Kit companion guide: https://delivery.shopifyapps.com/-/1d2a71723ba336e8/0cb7b78578839b27 Learn more from Maria Hinojosa: https://www.instagram.com/maria_la_hinojosa Learn more from Anya Kamenetz: https://www.instagram.com/anyakamenetz New episodes every Tuesday: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AKidsCo Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-us-a-parenting-podcast/id1552286967 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bIRVxM8hbriNxydkSv6VG Or wherever you get your podcasts. 🔗 START HERE 📌 Get free weekly conversation kits: https://akidsco.com/pages/raising-us 📌 Browse A Kids Co. books that pair with episodes: https://akidsco.com 📌 Follow Elise Hu: https://www.instagram.com/elisewho ABOUT THE SHOW Raising Us | Parenting Podcast for Kids, Tweens, & Conscious Caregivers Award-winning journalist Elise Hu (TED Talks Daily, Forever35) hosts Raising Us, a parenting podcast for grownups raising Big-Question Kids. From puberty and identity to tech and body image, each episode gives you tools to spark real conversations with the kids in your life. Created by A Kids Co. (a family media company) the show blends expert-backed insights with real, lived experiences featuring trusted doctors, educators and purpose-driven public figures sharing age-appropriate advice so you don't have to wing the hard stuff. Follow on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AKidsCo Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-us-a-parenting-podcast/id1552286967 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bIRVxM8hbriNxydkSv6VG Or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like parenting podcasts like Good Inside with Dr. Becky, The Longest Shortest Time, Raising Good Humans or Ask Lisa, this podcast is for you. Topics Covered on Raising Us: Parenting kids and tweens Mental health for kids Talking to kids about racism, identity, and inclusion Screen time and social media Puberty, anxiety, and big feelings Building emotional intelligence in families Conscious and values-driven parenting Elise Hu parenting podcast A Kids Co. podcast series Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. MAR 15

    EP344 So what are we doing here? Expanding into retreats, video essays, mindfulness, and more

    After 20+ years of creating exclusively for educators, I'm expanding into some new creative spaces. In this podcast episode, I share the "why" behind my new YouTube channel ("So What Are We Doing Here?"), my Substack publication, my free guided meditations on Insight Timer, and some other fun new places to find me. I also talk about how my own work has shifted more toward adults, and why so much of what I've always talked about on this podcast (productivity, mindset, burnout, boundaries) goes way beyond the classroom. Then I get into something I've been wanting to demystify for a while: the restorative practices that are at the heart of my retreats. I break down what forest bathing, sound baths, and restorative yoga actually are, what the research says about why they work, and what it felt like to lead these sessions at my Books in the Wild retreat last month. I also make a case for planning your year around restorative practices instead of around work, and using the concept of "due season" to build intentional periods of rest into your calendar before the busyness fills it up. Truth for Teachers isn't going anywhere. But you're not JUST a teacher, and I want to create for ALL of you, not just the part of you standing in front of a classroom. Article/Transcript for this epsiode: https://truthforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/so-what-are-we-doing-here-expanding-into-retreats-video-essays-mindfulness-and-more/ Retreats: https://dueseasonpress.com/ Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/AngelaWatson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sowhatarewedoinghere Substack: https://angelaswatson.substack.com/ Motivation Lab: https://studio.com/apps/angela/motivationlab

    55 min

  4. MAR 1

    EP343 The truth about AI's environmental impact: Finding your ethical stance as an educator

    Is AI using a bottle of water every time you make a query? Are you a bad person if you use it in your classroom? Should schools ban it entirely—or go all-in? If you've felt confused or conflicted about AI ethics, this conversation is for you. I sit down with Dr. Karen Boyd, an AI ethics consultant who works with schools and nonprofits, to get real answers about the environmental impact of AI—and to talk through the much bigger ethical questions educators are wrestling with. In this episode, we cover: The truth about AI's water and energy use (spoiler: Netflix is way worse) Why "just don't use it" isn't realistic anymore in 2026 The spectrum from AI enthusiasts to conscientious objectors—and why most of us are somewhere in the middle 6 strategic stances beyond refusing: wait and see, constrain, compensate, rethink the work, and shape the ecosystem How to identify which specific values feel threatened to you (intellectual property? authenticity? effort and craft?) Practical ways schools can build ethical AI policies through knowledge sharing instead of top-down rules Different ways to use AI beyond shortcuts: as a thought partner, adversary, assistant, or accessibility tool Why understanding how AI works matters even if you choose not to use it Karen offers a nuanced, inclusive approach that validates different perspectives while helping educators move from "this feels icky" to "here's exactly what bothers me and what I can do about it." This isn't about convincing you AI is good or bad. It's about having the informed, thoughtful conversation we all need to be having. Resources mentioned:' Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here. Dr. Karen Boyd's Mission First AI Starter Kit (free vendor rubric for schools): https://drkarenboyd.com/blog/introducing-the-free-mission-first-ai-starter-kit Get the sustainability chapter of Karen's book for free at ddrkarenboyd.com/freechapter No sign up is required, but you can get updates on AI in mission-driven work in your email about once per week if you select "sign up for news and updates" there. My "Stay Human: Protect Your Brain Power in an AI World" curriculum (mentioned in this conversation)  https://shop.truthforteachers.com/products/ai-literacy-lessons-teaching-students-why-writing-and-thinking-matter

    56 min

  5. FEB 15

    EP342 The hidden curriculum: getting real about the values we teach

    Each time we decide which history gets a full unit and which gets a mini-lesson… Each time we choose whose stories to showcase in classroom libraries while others gather dust on shelves … Each time we select which family structures and cultures to represent in class and which we quietly pretend don't exist … We're teaching whose voices matter, what counts as normal, and how power works. That's the hidden curriculum. And it's been operating in classrooms since the first schools were founded. This episode is about uncovering the hidden curriculum in your own teaching, so you can make conscious choices about the values you're reinforcing. And, it's about empowering public schools to be unapologetic in their stance about a core piece of the hidden curriculum that should be underlying our work: Every child who walks into our classrooms deserves to see themselves reflected there, to have their existence treated as welcome, and to leave knowing their life has inherent value.  This episode is a call to remain steadfast in your commitment to care for (and be actively inclusive of) all families in your school community. We need to proudly own our commitment to teaching kids empathy, curiosity, and the ability to understand–and collaborate with–people who are different from them. This episode is a rebuke of a coordinated attempt to paint these values as controversial, "political" or "a radical left wing agenda." They are not.  They are educational best practices, backed by long-standing research, that teachers have implemented for decades in schools across the country. It's time to stop playing defense and speak plainly about how we do what's best for kids. Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

    24 min

  6. FEB 1

    EP341 Everything all at once: what it's like to be a teacher with ADHD (with Andrew Gardner)

    When he got his ADHD diagnosis at age 30, the first thought Andrew Gardner (https://www.agardner.com/about) had was, "Okay, now what? I'm still an idiot." That negative voice had been with him his entire teaching career, driving him to work 80-90 hour weeks trying to prove he wasn't failing at the basics everyone else seemed to handle easily. In this conversation, Andrew walks us through what it's actually like to teach with ADHD. He shares the invisible struggles no one could see from the outside, the white-knuckling through administrative tasks, the depression that came from years of that critical inner voice telling him he couldn't do basic things that weren't actually that hard … and eventually, the reframing that changed everything. Andrew now has over 25 years experience innovating in teaching, learning, facilitation, technology and management. He's taught students from preschool through post-graduate at Yale, Columbia, NYU, and Harvard, advising on and evangelizing the use of technology to help students and teachers become future-ready. He spent over a decade building and leading a professional learning department, certification program, and teacher community at BrainPOP (where he and I were coworkers!)  Since then, Andrew has combined his passion for organizational alignment with his foundation in constructivist teaching and learning into coaching leaders, professionals, and parents. As an ADHD coach, Andrew is especially attentive to supporting the needs and strengths of neurodiverse clientele. Andrew shares how ADHD shows up differently in the classroom (spoiler: "attending to everything all at once" has some serious superpowers), the link between undiagnosed ADHD and depression in adults, and what it takes to start seeing neurodivergence as a strength rather than something to overcome. Andrew also shares practical insights on what schools could do differently, how to help students with ADHD build metacognitive awareness, and why getting on the balcony to observe your own thoughts might be the most important skill for managing ADHD as an adult. Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

    48 min

  7. JAN 18

    EP340 Stay human: Teaching students to protect their brain power in an AI world

    "If AI can write my essay in 30 seconds, why should I spend 30 minutes doing it myself?" I believe students asking this question deserve a thoughtful response ... or even better, an invitation to think critically about their own values and personal philosophy around artificial intelligence. In this episode, I'm offering some tools to help you facilitate these conversations with students, breaking down the neuroscience of why writing matters in ways AI can't replicate. We'll explore three core principles: 1) Writing is brain-building: When students write, they create neural pathways through neuroplasticity. Every time they struggle to find the right word or rewrite a sentence, they're strengthening cognitive infrastructure they'll use for life. When AI does the writing, those pathways never form. 2) Writing is thinking: Writing isn't just a way to show your thinking—it IS the thinking itself. The act of translating thoughts into words forces a level of clarity that thinking alone doesn't require. 3) Writing is uniquely human: Students are still discovering who they are as thinkers and writers. They haven't written enough to find their unique voice yet. When they default to AI, they skip the process of discovering their authentic perspective. I also address the question teachers hear constantly: "Why can adults use AI but students can't?" The answer lies in understanding the critical window of adolescent brain development and why students need to build these skills before they can effectively use AI as a tool. If you're looking for language to help students understand what they're losing when they default to AI—and a framework for teaching them why their thinking and voice matter—this episode is for you. Resources mentioned: "Stay Human: Protect Your Brain Power in an AI World" 3 lesson mini unit  https://shop.truthforteachers.com/products/ai-literacy-lessons-teaching-students-why-writing-and-thinking-matter Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

    27 min

  8. JAN 4

    EP339 It took me years to realize I'm not lazy. I'm neurodivergent.

    Growing up, every report card comment and parent conference involved my teachers expressing some version of the following: "Angela is smart, but not working to her potential." "Angela needs to focus and apply herself." "Angela is a capable student but does not put forth effort." "Angela could do the work if she wanted to but she appears lazy and unmotivated." I shared a little of this story a few years back, and how I was labeled as gifted at first, and then diagnosed with a learning disability in math: EP163: I was a disengaged student who nearly failed high school For years, I believed something was fundamentally wrong with the wiring in my brain. Despite everything I'd accomplished, I felt inconsistent, unfocused, and unable to just ... do the thing like everyone else seemed to. Normal adulting tasks felt like they required herculean effort. It took decades to understand: I'm not lazy. I'm neurodivergent. And that changes everything. In this episode, I'm sharing my journey of understanding my brain, from my bipolar diagnosis in my early 20s to discovering CBT and mindset work, to finally creating the resource I wish I'd had all along.  I'll tell you about Motivation Lab, a new coaching app I've built that translates the neuroscience principles from my Finding Flow curriculum into a format for teens, young adults, and anyone who's ever felt like traditional productivity systems just don't work for their brain. This is the story of why I created Motivation Lab, who it's really for (hint: maybe not you, but possibly someone you care about), and why I'm asking for your help in getting it to the people who need it most. If you've ever wondered why consistency is so hard, why motivation feels unpredictable, or why no single productivity system works for everyone, I think you'll relate to what I'm sharing. Check out Motivation Lab here: studio.com/motivationlab/ Read or share the blog post. The first official podcast ep of 2026 will be out on January 11th. Thank you for listening to this interlude / announcement!

    22 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Angela Watson
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    367
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All content copyright Angela Watson 2015-2026
  • Show Website
    Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

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