How much effort is enough—for you and your students?

In this episode, I'm weaving together three listener questions about navigating effort, expectations, and balance. We'll explore how to recognize whether you lean more toward Type A (overextending) or Type B (holding back) tendencies, and how to make small, mindful adjustments so you're not burning out—or stagnating.

You'll hear practical advice for:

• Reworking your expectations of yourself during seasons of low energy, burnout, or chronic illness.
• Knowing when to give yourself permission to do less, and when to gently push yourself to do more.
• Supporting students who either overextend or under-extend themselves without trying to individualize every message for every learner.

Listen in for a simple framework you (and your students) can use to calibrate effort in healthier, more sustainable ways.

🔗 Want to submit a question for a future episode? Share it at truthforteachers.com/podcast.

Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here..

Self-advocacy can feel like a challenge, especially if you're conflict-avoidant, culturally conditioned to prioritize group harmony, or simply unsure how to speak up without fear of being labeled "difficult." In this episode, we'll explore how to advocate for yourself effectively while balancing cultural expectations, professional norms, and personal boundaries.

Neelu Kaur brings her unique expertise to the discussion. With a business degree and a masters in Social & Organizational Psychology along with her experience as a coach and master practitioner certified in NeuroLinguistic Programming, Yoga, and Ayurveda, Neelu has a really unique and comprehensive framework for tackling this topic.

You'll learn:

• How cultural upbringing in collectivist vs. individualist societies influences our ability to speak up.
• Why advocating for yourself isn't selfish—it's a collective act that paves the way for others.
• The concept of being "a part of and apart from" group efforts to gain recognition for your contributions.
• How to shift from problem-framed to outcome-framed questions to open up possibilities.
• Practical tips for navigating conflict-avoidance and building confidence in difficult conversations.
• Why modeling self-advocacy as educators is essential for empowering students.
• How mindfulness, movement, and non-attachment can ground you before challenging situations.

Whether you're negotiating for resources, managing peer dynamics, or striving to be heard or advance in a professional space, this episode provides the tools you need to find your voice and advocate for what matters most.

Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

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:

1. Eliminate unintentional breaks
2. Figure out the main thing and do it first
3. Work ahead by batching and avoid multi-tasking unless the work is mindless.
4. Relax any of your standards that create unnecessary work to a level that no one else will notice but you.
5. 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

If you're feeling jaded or frustrated with how little systemic change you believe you can make as a teacher, this episode is for you!

I'm talking with educator Jay Benedith, who noticed unhelpful patterns in her own thinking and is here to share how she's unpacked them. Together, we'll explore how to examine your beliefs and assumptions that prevent you from cultivating and exercising full equity leadership.

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

Differentiating learning for every student in your classroom can be incredibly exhausting and time-consuming. So, I've invited Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick on the show to talk about some streamlining tips.

Laura has been a 6th grade English Language Arts teacher for the past 8 years. She earned an M.A. in Special Education and Ed.D. in Inquiry-Based Learning, where her research primarily centered on teacher burnout.

Laura is also a writer for the Truth for Teachers collective, and she wrote an article about 6 high-impact, low-burnout strategies to differentiate for neurodivergent kids.

To put it more simply: Laura's sharing 6 ways to differentiate without drowning. Listen in!

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're losing some of our best educators (particularly educators of color) due to pushback from community members who say teachers are brainwashing and indoctrinating kids.

So what should you do if a parent or caregiver of a student believes you are teaching kids to hate themselves, hate each other, or hate America?

I'm offering 7 practical tips to open the door for honest, transparent conversations with families about what is and isn't happening in your 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.

Inefficient, unproductive meetings can drain so much energy. If you find that meetings to discuss student progress always turn into complaining and defeatist rants...here's help.

You can make necessary meetings less painful and perhaps even valuable.

Fellow teacher Mellissa Forbes has some really practical tips and mindset shifts to help you. We'll talk about what to do before data meetings, during, and after to ensure they're a better use of your time.

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 and your students are already losing motivation this year, here's how to inject focused energy, student agency, and joy back into your classroom.

Learn how to bring the benefits of play into your classroom and why students need playfulness now more than ever, including at the middle and high school level.

Using this brain-based, research-backed approach explained by teacher Laura Gellin, you'll be able to leverage aspects of play to design learning experiences that will engage, empower, and enliven your students.

You can read or share Laura's guest post on Truth for Teachers about this topic here: https://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/5-ways-to-prevent-burnout-by-bringing-more-playfulness-to-your-classroom-even-if-you-teach-middle-or-high-school

Or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

Have you ever wanted to coach yourself, use peer coaching, or better utilize an instructional coach assigned to your school?

In this episode, I'm talking with Nicole Turner, an instructional coach, author, and the Creative Director at Simply Coaching + Teaching, LLC. We're talking about the mindset shifts needed to set your own goals, and choosing areas you care about improving in your teaching (rather than simply working on whatever you're told to improve on).

And, if you're an instructional coach yourself, go to https://join.40htw.com/coaches to learn more abou the new 40 Hour Instructional Coaching program that Nicole and I just released together this summer. It's designed to help you streamline your tasks so you'e not working endlessly on nights and weekends.

Nicole shares how you can identify your own professional goals related to topics that matter to you, then use self-coaching, peer coaching with a trusted colleague, or an instructional coach to help you meet those goals. If there's something you've always wanted to try in your classroom, or something that's not working well and you want support, this episode will offer some strategies to help you to be more "coachable: and get the input you need.

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.

Just popping in with a special update to catch you up on everything that's happening behind the scenes. 

If you've been thinking about ways to streamline your work, learn new strategies, or just reconnect with your sense of purpose this summer and fall, I've got a lot of different options for you.

Listen in to hear:

• Insights from the latest survey I did on teachers' thoughts about AI, and the resources I have to support you in artificial intelligence: https://courses.truthforteachers.com/bundles/40-hour-AI

• Details about the next cohort of the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program coming up this summer: https://courses.truthforteachers.com/courses/40-hour-teacher-workweek-full-year-2025

• Information on how you can catch one of my live presentations at the ASCD and ISTE conferences this June: https://event.ascd.org/ASCD2025/

• The latest on a brand-new live PD experience I'm offering through RocketPD this fall:  https://rocketpd.com/cohorts/unlocking-teacher-productivity-with-angela-watson/

• Updates on the completion of the Finding Flow curriculum—including a few hints about what's coming next: https://findingflowsolutions.com/

I'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming next Sunday. Have a great week!

Some families want detailed updates on EVERYTHING...and others only want to be contacted for the most important stuff. How can you meet individual family needs WITHOUT burning yourself out?

Listen in on my conversation with Erika Walther, a teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools. She shares how she's learned to differentiate communication for students' families and find ways to build relationships with them while still maintaining healthy boundaries for yourself.

We reflect a lot on the specific challenges ahead for families and we enter what is now the third school year that's been impacted by COVID, beginning with a conversation about supporting parents in managing the abundance of new information, policies, and communication they receive from the school.

You can read or share Erika's guest post on Truth for Teachers about this topic here. Or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

If you've assumed class meetings wouldn't work for your grade level or you don't have time, this conversation with teacher Jennifer Brinkmeyer will be absolutely transformative!

How we start the school year communicates who we believe students are and how we expect students will act. You can co-construct community and rules with students through a weekly ritual dedicated to connecting with one another, anticipating the group's ongoing needs, and solving problems.

This pro-active approach was foundational to creating a sense of community in my own PreK, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade classrooms, and in Jennifer's 7th-12th grade classrooms. Listen in as we share our experiences and best practices which are rooted in equity, inclusion, and mutual respect.

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'm back, and kicking off Season 14 of the podcast! Listen in for a quick personal update about my summer, what new changes are coming to the website and podcast, and get a sneak peek at some upcoming podcast episode topics.

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.

This special bonus episode explores how we can find a more sustainable way to teach in coming school year.

Because while it's natural to hope for "getting back to normal" after so many constantly-shifting expectations ... we know that "normal" wasn't really working for all teachers or kids.

What would it mean to truly reimagine education--not just talk about it--and create a way of teaching and learning that is BETTER than normal?

Let's counter the "lost year of learning" narrative and find a more strengths-based, empowering perspective on the challenges ahead.

In this episode, we're talking about how to focus on what's most impactful with students and streamline the rest. You'll walk away with new clarity about priorities, which will give you confidence in your teaching practice and empower you to set boundaries for better work/life balance.

Want to attend the live event on July 11th where you can chat with other educators on YouTube Live about this topic? Sign up here!

If you want to learn more about the programs I mentioned at the end, click the links below:

• 40 Hour Teacher Workweek (doors close July 15th)
• 40 Hour Leadership for Administrators
• 40 Hour Instructional Coaching

Systemic problems need systemic solutions. Here's what's new to support your school in creating better work/life balance.

Click here to skim the transcript instead of listening

Click to learn more about:

• 40 Hour Teacher Workweek
• 40 Hour Leadership
• 40 Hour Instructional Coaches

LAST EPISODE OF SEASON 13!

Education is in a time of transition. We're not quite to the point of post-pandemic teaching, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Moving forward, there's going to be a lot of talk about what expectations to keep and what to let go of, and it's critical to reflect:

• What parts of pre-pandemic teaching do we want to return to?
• What parts of remote and hybrid learning are here to stay?
• What do we want the future of education to look like?

The summer plan I'm suggesting in this episode to help you regroup includes 3 elements:

1. A mental vacation (taking a break from thinking about work)
2. Reflecting on what you learned about yourself and your teaching
3. Daydreaming and reimagining the future 

We all need a time of recovery and preparation between school years. And this summer, it's going to be more essential and than ever before to process how the past year has shaped our identities…not only as educators, but as humans.

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.

Learn more about the 40 Hour Workweek, 40 Hour Leadership for administrators, and 40 Hour Instructional Coaches.

There's a big focus now on the teacher attrition and shortage crisis. So what does that mean for the teachers that stay? How can schools keep their best teachers and attract more folks to the profession?

I believe there are leadership principles that any administrator can internalize and apply to immediately help their faculty feel better supported and create more manageable expectations.

I'm going to share some of these solutions in today's episode, through the lens of what teachers have told me they wish their administrators understood:

1. Teachers are craving autonomy and respect for their professional judgment.
2. Teachers need uninterrupted planning time in order to be at their best for students.
3. Teachers need administrators to have their backs, and support them when their professionalism is undermined.
4. Teachers need school leaders to provide the necessary support and resources for students to be successful, OR adjust expectations to align with reality.
5. An organized, efficient school leadership team with clear priorities has a tremendous positive impact on the entire school.

When you believe that it's possible — and desirable — for educators to do a great job for kids AND center their own work/life balance, that belief will color how you perceive your school's operations. You will naturally filter all information and decision-making through that perception, and make decisions based on sustainable practices rather than urgent stop-gap measures. 

If you'd like to see systemic changes in the way your school operates, I'll be releasing the new 40 Hour Leadership program for principals, APs, and other school leaders this summer. Click here to learn more: https://join.40htw.com/leadership

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 made teaching easier and more sustainable this school year, and how can we carry those principles over into next year?

Those are the questions I'm exploring in this podcast episode with my guest, Amy Stohs. She is currently a 2nd grade teacher in Northern Virginia, and was named Teacher of the Year in 2019 while she was teaching 6th grade.

Amy's experience is unique in that she has now taught both elementary AND middle school in a pandemic, so she's experienced the challenges of working with both younger and older students in face-to-face and hybrid learning.

Her experience is also unique in that she's been an active participant in my 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program for the last few years, and I've been really impressed by the ideas and resources she shares in that community.

So at the start of this school year, I reached out to Amy and asked her to join the 40 Hour team, and help create the adaptations for the program for remote and hybrid learning. If you're part of 40 Hour or the 40 Hour Grad Program and you've loved the remote/hybrid bonuses, you're about to hear directly from the teacher who brainstormed them with me.

Amy's going to share 7 principles that helped simplify her teaching and make her work more sustainable:

• Do what HAS to get done, not what you WANT to get done.
• Backward design your classroom management: figure out the goal, then decide what action steps will get you there.
• Go slow to go fast.
• Instead of always doing your best, ask "What do I have to give today?"
• When you've tried it all, try one thing.
• Shift focus from finding something new and different to doubling down on what we know kids need.
• Look for moments of joy and find the fun.

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.

This was the most challenging school year of almost every educator's career.  We're used to certain aspects of the work getting easier over time, but there were so many new challenges recently that even the most experienced teachers often felt like it was their first year all over again. 
 
You had lots of personal and professional growth, of course … but somehow you're feeling less confident in your abilities now than ever before. It's a very weird dichotomy, to feel like you worked so hard and learned so many new things, yet there's no sense of a commensurate payoff.
 
So what does it look like to wrap up a year feeling like this? How do you get a sense of real closure?
 
I think it's important to acknowledge that we're all experiencing various levels of collective grief right now. There's a sense of loss for what we've missed out on: "regular" school, being close to family and friends, traveling, vacations, and our normal way of life. Some are also grieving deeper losses for any number of reasons, and not being able to process those losses in our normal ways is also painful.
 
The thing about grief is that we each experience it differently. And, there are many different phases and types of grief which people might cycle through. 
 
Some days, I'm content. I've made peace with the limitations I have in my life right now and the things I love that are unavailable to me currently. I feel content and able to embrace my new routines for as long as I need to.
 
Other days, I'm simply resigned to these new routines. I'm restless and frustrated. Sometimes I'm deeply sad. I have moments when I feel hopelessness and helplessness that won't ever seem to end.
 
But that's the other thing about grief, right? It doesn't feel the same forever.
 
The ups and downs are all a natural, expected part of the process.
 
So if that's how you're feeling as the school year draws to a close, know that you are not alone in experiencing those mixed emotions.
 
There's a surreal quality to the end of this school year, because many of the activities and face-to-face goodbyes that create closure have changed or been eliminated. Traditions have been altered. Not shutting down classrooms with our colleagues and celebrating together in the usual way makes it harder to emotionally and mentally transition into summer.
 
On top of that, the excitement for summer may also feel a bit muted, with fewer plans to look forward to.
 
And throughout all of this, there's this sense that maybe you didn't do a good enough job, because you could have done MORE.
 
The what-ifs start to swirl: Would that student have passed if I'd done A,B, and C? Would that parent have been on my side if I'd offered X, Y, and Z? Would that kid I yelled at have participated in our Zoom meetings if I'd done a better job connecting with them?
 
All of our lowest moments of the year circle around in our heads: the mistakes made, the opportunities missed.
 
And this year that feeling is intensified because of all the limitations in how we were able to reach our students. The number of kids who were disengaged and not making learning gains is probably much higher for you this year than any other in your teaching career.
 
My encouragement to you is to avoid dwelling on the losses. Don't focus on the things you could have done, or wish you had been done differently. Don't torture yourself by imagining how much better everything would have been if only certain conditions had been different.
 
Your kids' learning gains this school year are NOT an accurate measure of your abilities or theirs.
 
Their learning (or lack thereof) is NOT reflective of your worth, or theirs.
 
You've been teaching through a crisis. And if you're reading this, that means you've made it this far. 
 
That's worth something. It's worth a lot, in fact.
 
I hope you will look back on this school year as a test of resilience and fortitude that you have passed.
 
You did it.
 
You got through the sudden and expected transition from the style of teaching you're used to, and fully immersed yourself in something completely different and nowhere near ideal for you or your students.
 
You've faced limitations and setbacks and confusion with the best you were able to give at the time. 
 
And now you will face the end of the school year with that same determined attitude. 
 
This is a time for patience and flexibility. It's a chance to learn to be soft-hearted toward ourselves and others when our basic instincts want to flare into anger and indignation at having to deal with problems we never signed up for.
 
This is a time for going inward — to stop looking for validation from outside sources, to stop seeking out others' approval — and make peace within ourselves. 
 
It's a time to let go of regrets and "could-have-should-have" anxiety. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you made. Open yourself up to repairing the harm done via honest conversations and apologies where needed. Make peace in every way with what's already done, so you can have a fresh start moving forward.
 
Give grace toward yourself and everyone around you. This is a time for more humility and patience and understanding than ever before.
 
With time, we can let go of regrets and what we hoped would be, and practice radical acceptance of the experience we are currently having. 
 
That is the BEST possible way to position ourselves to move forward and face whatever comes next.

I hope the previous 6 weeks of Wednesday emails in my "Power Through" series helped encourage and energize you through the spring months.

You did it, my friends. You're powered through, and you're almost at the finish line for the school year.

And I'm not going to leave you now! Here's how we can stay connected:

#1  I'll continue sending my Sunday night emails with free encouragement and practical tips (sign up here.)

#2  My Truth for Teachers podcast will continue to release new free episodes through the end of May. The regular episodes are longer than the "Power Through" ones (about 20-40 minutes usually) and there's a blog post transcript for each one. We take a break each summer and then resume with new episodes in August.

#3  You can connect with me regularly on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. (My most personal reflections are on IG.)

#4  I'll have a free webinar over the summer to help you counter the "lost year of learning" narrative and craft an inspiring, achievable vision for next school year (more on that soon!)

#5  The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program is open to new members from June 1st-July 27th. If you want a full year's worth of ongoing support, encouragement, and practical resources for streamlining your workload, 40 Hour is the place to get it. Our community focuses on professional development AND personal development, so you don't have to navigate any aspect of the new school year on your own.

Thank you for supporting me, and supporting my work.

Each time you listen to one of my podcasts, visit my website, open my emails, engage with me on social media, purchase one of my books/courses/printables, or tell a fellow educator about my resources … know that it is so appreciated!

I've chosen this work because I want my ideas to make a difference for teachers and kids, and it's an honor to have your time and attention. More great stuff for you is on the way!

Want to start this series from the beginning? Sign up for the Power Through series emails on this page here.

When a problem seems insurmountable, try creating change one name at a time.

Because if you can solve a problem for one person, that means it IS a solvable problem ... and you can solve it for the next, and the next.  

In this episode, I'll share how often the solution to big problems is solving smaller ones. You'll hear NYT bestselling author Dan Heath share a short case study from Chicago Public Schools that illustrates how this name-by-name approach worked for reducing dropout rates.

And, I'll share an intuitive 8 step approach you can use to tackle big problems like student engagement or work completion. You can practice solving for individuals first, and notice patterns in what your students need in order to scale those solutions.

There's something powerful about knowing that even if you can't solve every problem for every student, you CAN help solve THIS thing for THAT kid. 

This is how we make progress. And, this is how we create better systems: by designing those systems for individuals rather than trying to force individuals to fit into the systems.  

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.

PD is supposed to help teachers grow, but so often, it feels like a missed opportunity. In this episode of Truth for Teachers, I'm sharing five things teachers wish PD presenters understood—straight from your thoughtful comments and the experiences I've had attending and delivering professional development over the past 25 years.

If you've ever been frustrated by PD sessions that feel irrelevant, condescending, or like a waste of time, you're not alone. This episode explores what makes PD meaningful for teachers and what presenters can do differently to better serve the educators in the room:

1. Treat us like professionals. Teachers don't need to be managed like students—we want PD that respects our expertise and autonomy.
2. Give us practical tools we can use. We value strategies, materials, and ideas that are immediately applicable in our classrooms.
3. Stop reading the PowerPoint. We can read—we'd rather spend the time diving deeper into the content.
4. One-size-fits-all doesn't work. PD should be differentiated to reflect the diverse needs of teachers based on grade level, subject area, and role.
5. Inspiration is key. Great PD leaves us motivated and energized—not overwhelmed or bogged down by irrelevant details.

This episode is a must-listen if you've ever felt like PD doesn't meet your needs as a teacher. It's also a great resource to share with PD presenters and decision-makers in your district who are designing professional learning experiences.

Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

There are few things more frustrating than working hard and not seeing a ton of results. 
 
It's even worse when your hard work is unappreciated, and you're criticized for not doing enough or for doing things wrong.
 
When you're trying your absolute best to teach well in a pandemic, the reality is that your best might not always be good enough. 
 
Sometimes what you're able to give really isn't sufficient. 
 
Of course you feel inadequate, when you know what you're capable of under optimal circumstances, and also know you're not working with anything even close to optimal circumstances.
 
So the only options are to try to single handedly compensate for all the adverse circumstances and perform at a superhuman level every day, or adjust our expectations.
 
You know which choice I'm going to advocate for.
 
I want you to let go of the "shoulds" and regrets about this school year. I want you to celebrate the small wins, instead of focusing on all the things that aren't happening.
 
I'm going to talk more on that next week.
 
For now, I want you to focus more on who you are becoming, instead of what you are able to do (or not do) for your students.
 
Ask yourself, Who do I want to be on the other side of pandemic teaching? What kind of teacher — and what kind of human — do I want this experience to shape me into? 
 
Because in our rush to figure out logistics and lessons and activities … we can't forget that who we ARE is more impactful than what we DO.
 
Our beliefs, values, and worldview shape the way we interact with kids and impact every decision we make, from classroom management to curriculum.
 
Unpacking our identities and the "who" we bring to the classroom can be a grounding force that holds us steady through change.
 
Of course, you don't have the time or mental bandwidth right now for a deep meditation on who you are as a person and a teacher. And as always, I'm encouraging you not to make this more complicated than it is. 
 
Self-reflection is a continual process, and it's often more about letting go instead of trying harder.
 
Focus on showing up as your true, whole, healed, essential self … letting go of any thoughts, beliefs, and actions that don't serve the highest good. At your core, you are loving, patient, kind, and compassionate. You are full of life and energy and purpose.
 
All the traits that are counter to that are simply baggage and coping mechanisms you've picked up along the way in your journey through life in a very challenging world. They're reactions you've developed as a result of fear, emotional wounds, defensiveness, prejudice, biases, outside expectations, and so on.
 
Growing as a person can be an act of returning to yourself and embracing who you really are, instead of trying to constantly change or improve yourself.
 
Your very existence, your presence in the classroom, has value. And the more that you show up with an open heart and mind, free from limiting beliefs about yourself, your students, and your school, the more your essential self will shine through.
 
So as you plan what you need to DO for kids … don't forget to think about who you need to BE. Your essential self — who you are at your core — is exactly the person your students need this year. 
 
Sending you much love and support.

Sign up for the Power Through series emails on this page here.

How do you develop confidence in your teaching when you're constantly hearing about everything you're doing wrong?

How do you know what you should and shouldn't be focusing on, and discern what's a good use of your time and what's not?

And most importantly, how can you be sure you're showing up as the person your students need you to be?

Answering these questions is a personal, lifelong journey, and I think the answers from my guest today will really get you thinking about how to answer those questions for yourself. I'm talking with Gerardo Muñoz, a teacher of middle and high school social studies who was named Colorado's 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Gerardo is here to share how his teaching identity has been shaped over the years, and how he's learned to prioritize what matters most. He discusses how he's developed the confidence to live and teach authentically, and ways he supports his students in also truly being themselves:

"I'm like every kid's hype man. I think that most of what we bring into our classrooms as teachers is the work that we've done on ourselves. That happens before we can work on our students. And so, I have to create a mindset in myself that says, 'Every single young person in this room is exactly who they are supposed to be'. My job is not to change their personalities; my job is not to make them different humans. My job is to help them identify their strengths, and help them gain skills and behaviors that are going to amplify who they are."

Gerardo then shares how he was on the verge of quitting the profession back in 2017, and what practices from the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program enabled him to not only stay, but to thrive. We talk about setting boundaries, and not being flattered into saying yes to everything.

When you know what you're truly, uniquely good at — what matters deeply to you and what really lights you up — it becomes much easier to say no to obligations that pull you away from those priorities.

Confidence and authentic teaching are inherently intertwined, and the work we do on ourselves is what helps us uncover what to focus on. As Gerardo says, "Our lens becomes our practice, so we need to interrogate that lens."

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've all had moments this school year when making it to summer felt impossible. You might even be feeling that way right now: like your job has just taken everything out of you, and you have nothing left to give. 
 
Being in that headspace is very normal, and it's fine to allow yourself to feel exhausted and overwhelmed. You don't have to talk yourself out of your feelings, ignore what your body is telling you, and push through no matter what.
 
(There's a difference, after all, between pushing through and powering through. Pushing through, at least to me, means doing it regardless of how you feel and just get it done with no regard to the outcome. I see powering through as tapping into the source of your energy and motivation to see things through with strength. We want to power through, not push through.)
 
The determination to power through comes partially from reminding yourself that the way things are now is temporary. No circumstances stay the same forever.
 
I guarantee that you will not be dealing with this exact same set of problems in the fall — your workload will change, your students will change, and YOU will change. 
 
Some of it will be for the better and a few things will change for the worse, but it will be DIFFERENT. You will not feel exactly like this every day for the rest of your teaching career.
 
Recognizing the temporary nature of our problems is a technique I learned when studying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The most influential CBT strategy for me has been learning to recognize my own distortions in thinking that create problems, and then reevaluate them in light of reality.
 
(I've actually written an entire book about this, called Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching. If you want to do a deeper dive into what I'm about to share, check that out.)
 
A pessimistic viewpoint is that problems are permanent, pervasive, and powerless. That means they will never go away, the problem is the same everywhere so you can't escape it, and you are powerless to do anything about it.
 
An optimistic viewpoint is that problems are temporary, specific, and changeable. The circumstance will not last forever, it's specific to this particular situation and is not something you'll have to face everywhere all the time no matter what, and you have some control over how you respond to the situation in order to make it better. 
 
Dr. Martin Seligman's research has shown that we can train ourselves to be optimists. Or, if you prefer, you can train yourself to be a realist. 
 
A realist sees things as they really are, which means giving an appropriate weight to the good stuff that's happening and not allowing our lizard brains to only focus on potential threats and problems. 
 
You don't have to choose a negative framing for your situation: "Teaching is just completely untenable for me. It's never going to get better, and in fact, it's only going to get worse. There's no point in trying to find another teaching position where I can have better working conditions, because it's terrible everywhere and I probably couldn't find another job anyway. The whole profession has gone to hell in a handbasket and there's nothing I can do about it."
 
While you are entitled to think these thoughts whenever you wish, I think it's obvious what kind of depressed feelings that choice will create. 
 
A realist would examine those thoughts, and consider what else might also be true: 
 
Is there any way to know for sure that teaching is always going to be too demanding and miserable for me forever? Of course not.
 
Is it absolutely true that there are no schools that have better working conditions? Nope.
 
Things will never get better? No, we don't know that for sure, either.
 
Once we recognize that this pessimistic viewpoint — that the current situation is actually permanent, pervasive, and powerless — is not really true, we can choose a more accurate perspective. For example: 
 
"Teaching is super tough for me right now. Next year will have different challenges, and they could be better or worse. The situation in each school was so unique this year, so I know what I'm going through isn't exactly what everyone else experienced — there ARE some things that can be done to make things better for teachers and kids, because those things are actually happening in tons of classrooms all over the country. I don't have control over as many factors as I'd like, but I do have some choice in __, __, and __. So I can focus my attention on the things I can do to make this situation more bearable, and set myself up to have better choices in the future."
 
So you don't have to worry about how you'll be able to keep this up until retirement, or even for just a couple more weeks. 
 
You can handle ANYTHING for just today. Focus on what you need to do just for now.
 
And then tomorrow when you wake up, remind yourself, "It's not going to be like this forever — things can change at any time. I can handle the current situation, just for today."
 
Repeat until you've powered through to the finish line.
 
Because while you may not feel like you have the strength to get through ALL the school days right now...you also don't NEED the strength for all the school days right now. All you need is strength for today. 
 
And if that feels like too much, focus on just the strength for right now. Just this moment right here. And then in the next moment, focus just on that second in time, too. Keep doing that, one moment after another. 
 
We're powering through this, together.

Sign up for the Power Through series emails on this page here.

Constantly issuing reminders and following up with kids is exhausting. Helping kids understand how their brains work and explore ways to funnel their focus, time, and energy is fascinating. 

So, how do you approach time management through this lens?

The teachers who are most successful at managing their time don't see doing so as a burden.

And, they don't see mismanaging their time as a failure: it's part of the experiment of learning what works for them and what doesn't. They're constantly trying out different approaches according to their moods and the changes in their workload, and adapting for new changes and preferences. It's not something they try to figure out once and for all. 

Having this perspective on your own time management naturally flows over into the way you treat students.

You no longer expect them to just "buckle down and get it down" since you're aware of all the mental tricks and productivity hacks you yourself use to follow through on tasks.

You no longer get as frustrated with kids who waste time because you understand some of the root causes and you have tools to help. 

What if we approach productivity as one giant experiment that we can have fun with doing alongside our students?

Learning to manage your time is a highly personalized lifelong process, and it can actually be a fun adventure if you approach it through a self-development lens.

Listen in to learn more about how there's no "right" or "wrong" approach to man aging your time, and how to teach kids that it' normal and okay for productivity levels to be inconsistent.

Then, click here to enter your email to have a PDF of tips to help you teach time management to students. You'll get more practical advice, teacher-tested tips, and photos sent straight to your inbox.

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 uncertainty and constant changes have been one of the most stressful parts of this school year.
 
Nearly every teacher I know has invested countless hours into setting up a system for one approach to learning, only to find out that everything's going to be completely different the following day … and then it's all going to change again two weeks after that.
 
Resilient pedagogy (as defined by Joshua Eyler) is "a combination of course design principles and teaching strategies that are as resistant to disruption and to change in the learning environment as possible."
 
The idea is that the essential qualities of your lesson plans will be in place, no matter what changes in the way you deliver instruction.
 
A resilient approach to teaching requires us to SIMPLIFY and SCALE DOWN.
 
You're not going to be able to offer kids all the resources and options you wish you could … and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Everything in our world right now is limited and restricted to an extent. If you go to a restaurant, for example, there are limitations as to where you can sit and probably fewer choices on the menu. 
 
It's the same for your instruction: the menu of options is different, and simplified. Since we were trying to cram in way too much to our pre-pandemic instruction, resilient pedagogy returns us to what is essential and most important.

As you think about supporting your students during these final weeks of the school year, ask yourself, What would this look like if it were easy? 

Then pick simple, flexible options that are going to reduce stress for you, your students, and their families. 
 
I know that many of you are under immense pressure to hold to pre-pandemic expectations and learning standards. Many of your students are going to be taking standardized tests this year.
 
Do what's necessary to power through this … but don't devote a ton of time, energy, or attention to it.
 
Check the boxes, dot the i's, cross the t's. But keep your gaze steadily focused on what matters most for your students. 
 
No one gives 100% to everything they do, so stop pressuring yourself to uphold that standard. Figure out what's worth the investment and pour your heart and soul into that, and give 75% or 50% or 25% to the other things.
 
Think about what you're doing that is really moving the needle for kids, and how you can get a return on your investment of time with future classes.
 
What things have you done this school year that were really effective and that can probably be used next year?
 
That's where you want to devote the majority of your time and energy. 
 
Obviously next school year's still a question mark for many of us, too … but that's where a resilient pedagogical approach really shines. Invest in lessons and activities that are context-independent (things that can work no matter what the teaching format is like in the future). 
 
The stuff that's just useful for now, or isn't really doing much for kids? 
 
Simplify it. Scale it down. Cut it out altogether if possible. 

Flexible resilience seems like a necessary survival tool for the foreseeable future. Let's lean into that instead of resisting it. 

Because this is not a "lost year of learning" as so many folks outside the profession like to call it. 
 
Sure, many kids will have adverse effects on their mastery of content due to the pandemic. That's true. But just because it's true doesn't mean it's healthy or useful to dwell on it. You don't have to choose that framing, or think and talk constantly about "how far behind" kids will be. 
 
Because it's also probably true that some of your students are actually doing better now than they would be in a traditional classroom during a typical school year. 
 
Some of your kids may be struggling academically or socio-emotionally, but not necessarily both, and some are experiencing some truly wonderful benefits right now, too. 
 
Many of your students are learning to develop critical thinking, tech proficiency, self-advocacy, time management, socio-emotional regulation, and other important life skills in ways that far surpass their abilities earlier this school year. Those skills will help them get back on track with any content-area loss … this is probably also true, right?
 
And it's certainly true that you will not be the only teacher grappling with this problem next year. The entire country (and many other countries around the world) will be dealing with how to keep moving kids forward after the disruptions we've experienced. 
 
So, this is not your problem alone to solve. It's a bridge that all of us are going to have to cross when we get there. 
 
Can you see how this is a better-feeling thought than, "Half my class is failing and they're never going to catch up?" 
 
You can choose these better-feeling thoughts and then actively look for evidence of them throughout the day. 
 
You can train yourself to focus on assets instead of deficits, or (as Dr. Byron McClure puts it), focus on what's strong instead of what's wrong. 

Be flexible. Be resilient. Support your students in doing the same. We're going to power through this, together.

Sign up for the Power Through series emails on this page here.

What if this is the perfect time to normalize outdoor learning and make it a permanent part of how we do school?

What exactly does outdoor learning look like, and how can we provide equitable access to it?

These are questions I've been mulling over for quite some time, and I've collected some fantastic photos, links, resources, and case studies to help you find a way to bring your classes outside.

I'll share a bit of the history of the "open air schooling movement" from the 1900s and 1910s, when the fear of tuberculosis and later the Spanish Flu created a shift in how some children were educated. We'll touch briefly on the historical (and current) inequities in how outdoor learning is offered, and examine how to bring classes outside even in areas where nature access is limited.

You'll then hear 2 case stories directly from the teachers who made outdoor learning happen in their schools (a high school teacher in Texas and a first grade teacher in Massachusetts).

Outdoor learning doesn't have to be complicated, and as you'll hear in this episode, even short periods of being outside have proven benefits for both teachers and children.

Access images, links, and resources in the blog post here. 

Join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

Has your workload created a huge strain on your family, friendships, and/or marriage/partnership?
 
Being a teacher often means making an impossible choice: when you're focused on your loved ones, you feel like you're neglecting your students. When you're focused on your students, you feel like you're neglecting your loved ones. Trying to add on your own wellbeing and self-care just compounds the guilt.
 
My encouragement to you today is to think about the relationships you have that enhance your confidence, wellbeing, and energy levels. Who are the people whose presence is caring and life-giving to you? How can you choose to prioritize interactions with those folks?
 
You might strengthen those relationships through a quick daily text message, or a deeper conversation on the phone while you're cleaning or exercising. You might be having a cup of coffee together every other week, or carve out some time each Friday night to be together.
 
This isn't just about how good it feels to be connected with folks you love. That's super important for lots of mental health reasons, especially right now when so many of our relationships are strained by the pandemic.
 
This is about investing your time and energy into something meaningful and lasting that is NOT tied to your profession.
 
It's so easy to get caught up in the urgency of our work in schools: the kids need so much, and we're running out of time this year to do All The Things. 
 
We can often spend the whole weekend worrying about this student's reading level and that one's standard mastery and what's happening at home for another one. 
 
All of these things matter. Your students matter. Your work matters.
 
But sometimes it helps to remember that teaching is a career, and your career is just one part of your life. 
 
Being a teacher is not your entire identity, and it's crucial that you never let it become that.
 
In a few more week's time, these children who fill your every waking thought will no longer be your responsibility. In most cases, you will no longer have any influence over their lives. You will be releasing them to the work of other educators down the line. 
 
There's a tremendous sense of peace that can come with this perspective. It can help you remember that your job is to support students, not save them. You are one adult figure out of many they have had and will have in their lives. 
 
In other words, you will be replaced by another teacher for your students next year, and your students will be replaced by other kids. 
 
But you have deep connections with other people in your life (family, partner, friends) that you hope to grow even closer to next year. 
 
Those relationships deserve nurturing, and they require it if you're going to sustain your work as a teacher. 
 
Students will pass in your doors and back out again, over and over for years to come. Who are the people you want by your side during that process?
 
I was talking about this with a 40 Hour Teacher Workweek member named Christie, whose marriage was really suffering due to the amount of herself she gave to students. She wrote,
 
"What changed for me was the day after Spring Break. I went back to school and realized that as much as I love them, those students would be out of my class in 10 weeks, and in reality, most won't give me more than a passing thought for their entire lives. 
 
My husband will be with me every night for the foreseeable future. Do I want a happy marriage for the rest of my days, or do I want to continue putting all my time, effort and energy into teaching?
 
As much as I love teaching, I realized that having a happy spouse allowed me to teach. I couldn't afford to teach financially or emotionally without his support. So I realized that I needed to put more time, energy, effort, and thought into our relationship. Like you say in your materials, Angela, you don't always get your priorities right, but you can keep starting over and recommit to doing fewer things, better."
 
Prioritizing relationships apart from school will look different for each person, of course — this is simply Christie's story.
 
The question is, who matters to YOU?
 
Whose love and support sustains you in your work?
 
Who do you want to prioritize in your life?
 
Reach out to that person. Tell them you miss talking with them, and suggest a time when you can spend time together (even if it's a really short block of time or done virtually).
 
Don't make relationships "one more thing" you have to squeeze into your schedule. Don't tell yourself you'll have more time in the summer. Just figure out the easiest step you can take that to nurture your connection, and do that. A small step in the right direction will get you on the path.
 
Simply notice when you're tempted to put school work before your relationships, and experiment with a different choice. Pay attention to those moments when you're tempted to check school email for the 300th time in the evening, or spending way more time than necessary on a lesson plan. 
 
Ask yourself, "Who could I be spending time with if I weren't doing THIS?" Weigh the trade-off carefully rather than always defaulting to school work first.
 
See how this goes over the next few weeks, and watch out for self-inflicted guilt trips. There's no bad or wrong choices here. Choosing now to reprioritize a relationship that's been on the backburner is not somehow an admission that your priorities were wrong before. This is much more nuanced than a good/bad binary will permit.
 
You're simply experimenting with your time, and looking for easy ways to enjoy being with the PEOPLE you love, so those relationships can sustain the WORK you love.

Sign up for the Power Through series emails on this page here.

How can we make SEL more than a buzzword? School psychologist Dr. Byron McClure is here to go beyond what's trendy, and give an honest overview of the mental health and socio-emotional support students really need from us right now.

Byron shares 3 specific practices you can do with kids to address their social-emotional needs on a daily basis in your classroom. You're probably familiar with restorative conversations, daily check-ins, and morning meetings ... but Byron frames them in a larger context that taps into the real power behind the practices.

Listen as Byron shares some of the history of SEL and what elements have been intentionally obscured and overlooked. We'll examine how to keep SEL from being "touchy-feely fluff that doesn't prepare kids for the real world."

The key is to be action-oriented, and ground the work in culturally affirming practices, justice, and equity. We can help students understand ways that privilege is showing up, and ways they might be able to dismantle systems for themselves or others.

You'll learn how to use a strength-based approach to building relationships within a sense of community. As Byron says, we can "shift from what's wrong to what's strong with students."

We'll also talk at the end about how schools can address teachers' socio-emotional needs, as well.

Byron's energy is contagious, so if you're ready to get fired up, listen in!

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 know what many (most?) of you are being asked to do right now is NOT reasonable or sustainable.
 
And because you could never have enough time and energy to do everything that kids need right now, the solution could never be for you to just work harder.

We are still in a pandemic. This is not a "normal" school year. Regardless of how much districts want to pretend we can hold to the exact same expectations as last year, we cannot.

Of course you're distracted and panicky and overwhelmed and unfocused at times. Of course your students are the same way. 

We can't be expected to accomplish what we normally accomplish because our world is not functioning as it normally does.

Rather than trying to keep our frantic pace and be productive like nothing has changed…

What if we allow ourselves space to explore different approaches, and give ourselves permission to have adjustment periods for continually changing routines?

What if we choose time for disconnecting from the outside world, and prioritize reconnecting with ourselves?

What if we stop pushing ourselves and our kids 24/7 to keep trying to accomplish more, and instead have some time to just be together for a while? 

What if we stop worrying about getting ahead for a moment, and read and play games and cook and take naps and go for walks and have conversations and just … be?

We need physical rest. We need mental rest. We need emotional rest. 

None of this is easy in a culture that determines our worth by how hard we work, how much we produce, and how much money we earn. We've been conditioned to feel guilty for taking a break or "doing nothing" or "wasting time." 

But that approach is part of the old paradigm which has to fall away and be replaced with a way of working, teaching, and learning that is humanized and centered on wellbeing rather than accomplishment.

Your worth is inherent to your being; it is not tied to how much you get done. 

You have the right to simply exist and not perform, create, produce, or serve others every single moment in order to feel of value.

Pushing yourself to work more when your body's calling for rest will not help you get ahead.

So, resist the pressure to perform at optimal levels when we are not working in optimal conditions. 

You deserve grace and compassion. Give those things to yourself when no one is giving it to you. 

Remember that rest is necessary for your survival. It's not something you "earn" after you've checked off everything on your (never ending) to-do list. You do not need to apologize for needing to rest.

Will you close the laptop after 7 pm every night? 

Refuse to think or worry about school on Saturdays?

Schedule a block of time into your calendar this week in which you do something that is rejuvenating and reenergizing? 

Don't overthink it: just pick an approach that sounds easy and manageable right now, and DO IT. Any time for rest is better than none.

A huge block of free time is not going to magically appear, and the weight of unfinished work is not going to lift on it's own. No one is going to create boundaries for you. 
 
So, don't wait for someone else to offer you the opportunity to take a break. 
 
Claim your right to rest.

Sign up for the Power Through series emails on this page here.

"Better listeners are better learners," says my guest Monica Brady-Myerov. She's the Founder and CEO of Listenwise, an award-winning listening skills platform and the sponsor for this episode. Monica explains that audio is a powerful tool for equity and differentiation, because most kids have a much higher listening comprehension level than reading comprehension.

You can bring authentic stories and primary sources to your students via audio, helping to build empathy and personalize information that might be difficult to connect with through just words on a page.

Not only are podcasts a great way to build students' content-area knowledge, but audio instruction also helps strengthen their listening comprehension skills.

Monica shares examples of how teachers are incorporating podcasts into their instruction. She also explains the features of Listenwise which make it faster and easier for teachers to find high-quality audio content to use with students. There's a free version of Listenwise available, and you can sign up for a free 30 day trial of the premium version here.

We also delve a bit into some of the brain research that tells us how we process audio information and the benefits of it. By the end of the convo, my mind was racing with possibilities and ideas of how the things Monica taught me could be used with students, and I hope you'll feel the same. If you love podcasts yourself and are curious about how to use them more with students, you'll find some great practical strategies and tools 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.

What if school was designed around student agency, real-world learning, and deep relationships—instead of compliance and test scores? In this episode, I take you inside Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, a Big Picture Learning school in the South Bronx that is reimagining what education can be.

I spent two days observing classes, talking with students and teachers, and experiencing firsthand how this school operates within the constraints of the public school system while centering student voice and engagement. You'll hear about:

• How Fannie Lou's advisory system, looping, and block scheduling create a close-knit, supportive learning environment
• Why students don't take standardized tests and instead defend portfolios of work
• How extended learning opportunities (ELOs) and internships connect students to real-world experiences
• The role of AI and technology in supporting student-driven, competency-based learning
  What it actually looks like to make relationships the foundation of a school

Fannie Lou's approach isn't a magic bullet or an exclusive model—it's a public school choice within NYC's Department of Education that any student can opt into. Listen in to hear what's possible when we trust students, empower teachers, and rethink what high-quality learning truly looks like.

Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

Need something to look forward to in the final weeks of school? This new Wednesday morning podcast series will provide 5 minutes of audio encouragement and sound therapy instruments. It's designed for you to listen mid-week to get re-energized. If you'd also like a written version/transcript, sign up for the 6-week email series of free bonus teaching support + encouragement here.

In my experience as a teacher, this time of the school year always felt uniquely challenging. It's like the finish line is in sight, but not close enough to feel motivating yet. Student engagement drops off drastically, and it's right at the point where you're panicking that there's still a ton of content you didn't teach yet and you need your students to ramp UP, not DOWN.

I can only imagine how that feeling is magnified for this past school year. 

My intuition is telling me that for educators, the next few weeks are going to be about powering through and making the very best of a difficult situation until the school year is complete.

And to do that, I thought it might help to have a realistic + regular pep talk from someone who's rooting for you.

That's where this series comes into play. 

For each of the next 6 Wednesday mornings, I'm going to release a mini episode of encouragement to help you power through the end of the school year. They're going to be super short: around 5 minutes each, and will be perfect to listen to just before class starts for a bit of encouragement and practical mindset shifts.

I'll also be incorporating some sound therapy instruments periodically in the episodes: you'll hear short segments of the words accompanied by me playing the koshi chimes, a few different kalimbas, and a hang drum. 

As I started producing this series, I realized that each week's focus was centering on a word that starts with "r", so I decided to go with that: Rest. Reconnecting in relationships. Resilience. Reframing. Reflecting. Release of regrets.

I'm calling this series "Power Through", because I think that's probably the most realistic approach for most folks. Powering through means "to continue in a strong and determined way until the end of something, even when it's difficult." 

That's the task ahead of us in the next few weeks, and I hope this mid-week encouragement will give you a boost of energy and help equip you for whatever challenges come your way.

Now I know that your time alone for listening to podcasts can be limited right now, and I know you probably have teacher friends who would benefit from this, but they're just not into podcasts, or maybe they are hearing impaired.

I'm also offering this Power Through series in written form, and it can show in your inbox each Wednesday morning if you'd like. Just click the link in the show notes to enter your email address, and you'll automatically receive a message of support each Wednesday morning for the next 6 weeks. 

Your first "Power Through" message will come right to your inbox immediately so you'll know you're signed up and can get some helpful advice and resources right away. That email includes links to ways you can cultivate engagement in remote/hybrid learning, reduce grading and simplify assessment for digital assignments, teach students time management skills for online learning, and more. 

Sometimes just a small shift in the way you approach your workload can help you feel less stressed and overwhelmed. See if you can choose just one idea to try out — whatever seems easiest at the moment.

And of course, you can unsubscribe from anything, anytime, using the link provided at the bottom of every email.

So that's what you get if you also sign up for the email version of the Power Through series. But know that the weekly 5 minute audio encouragement is not about giving you more things to do or learn. I'm just offering a few short, kind words each week to help clear away overwhelm and shift your perspective so you feel more energized.

This series will carry you through the spring here in the northern hemisphere, ending at the beginning of May. At that point, you can work back through the series a second time if you'd like, or revisit messages that particularly spoke to you that can help with the final weeks of school. I just didn't want to wait to release these messages too close to the end of the year, when I know folks need them now. 

So, the first Power Through episode will release next Wednesday--click the link in the show notes to get it + the bonus tips/resources sent to you via email. 

I hope these resources help you feel like we can continue together in a strong and determined way until the end. Remember that everything happening right now is temporary. Teaching will not be exactly like this forever. And, you're not alone … we're going to power through this together. 

Sign up for the 6-week email series of free bonus teaching support + encouragement here

"I've never worked so hard in my life to try to reach students, and yet never felt like such a big failure. That carries a lot of emotional weight. But when we are dismissed to 'just figure it out', we're not actually given credit for all of the incredible work that has happened."

Those are the words of my guest Pernille Ripp, a 7th grade ELA teacher, author, blogger, keynote speaker, and passionate advocate for education.

We are here to hold space for you to process the heaviness of the past year. Pernille illuminates some of the common emotions that come from teaching in a pandemic under the weight of so many expectations, and talks about the impact on her own mental health.

We're offering this conversation to you not as advice and how-to tips, but as a release valve for the pressure that so many educators are feeling. We're dismantling the narrative that kids have "lost a year of schooling" and are "falling behind," and examining how teachers have been the easy scapegoats for the systemic problems COVID has exacerbated.

Pernille talks about the challenges of teaching while also supporting her own 4 children in their learning. And, she shares how she creates moments of joy and things to look forward to for herself, her family, and her students.

"I don't know what the future is going to hold, so I'm not going to prepare for it," Pernille says. "But I'm going to focus on the things that will continue to sustain me as an educator and as a human being. I'm going to try to be in the best mental state that I can to welcome all of the kids in and to say, 'Whatever happens, we're going to meet it together, and I'm going to be by your side, no matter what that looks like'."

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.

Want to develop your students into digital detectives? Join me as I talk with Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins, who are co-authors of the book Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking In the Age of Fake News, and also a new book coming out in July 2021 called Developing Digital Detectives.

This is the second episode in our 2 part series about media literacy. Episode 216 with Peter Adams of the News Literacy Project shares how educators can be informed media consumers and advocates for truth. This is an important first step, because we can't teach skills to students if we don't have those skills ourselves.

In this episode, we're doing a deeper exploration into how to support students in information literacy. Jennifer, Darren, and I will talk a bit about big picture issues, like making time for instruction on digital literacy, and how to teach kids to think critically about conspiracy theories when those conspiracy theories are widely believed among the community you teach in.

But we'll spend the vast majority of our time talking about specific, practical things you can do with your students right now to help them be smart media consumers:

1. Teach thematically and help kids make connections between topics/subjects
2. Use mobile devices — not just computers — when having kids analyze information
3. Create learning environments that value questioning, not just finding the right answer
4. Guide students to understand their brains and examine bias/assumptions
5. Move from a checklist approach to an investigative approach for fact-checking
6. Teach kids to be specific about the falsehood rather than claiming "fake news"
7. Illuminate the people behind the information that's shared
8. Help kids analyze information not only in long-form articles, but also in the mediums they frequently consume, such as video, memes, and social media images
9. Teach kids HOW to think, not WHAT to think
10. Remember that information literacy is a human problem, and even small steps to tackle it are worthwhile

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.

In a time where there's so much to be sad or upset about, we have the power to choose thoughts that feel better. 

And, we can actively look for evidence that those thoughts are true and that good things are happening.

In this article and podcast episode of Truth for Teachers, I'll share a couple of examples of how this has worked in my own life and work, and how it might be useful for you, too.

I'll also outline 4 specific steps you can take to choose a better-feeling thought about something that's bothering you right now, whether it's personally or professionally. 

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.

investing in our own news literacy is one of the best things we can do for kids. But with so much disinformation, how can we as educators ensure what we're finding and sharing is accurate? 

Join me as I talk with Peter Adams. He's the head of the education team of the News Literacy Project, a national education nonprofit offering nonpartisan programs that teach students how to know what to believe in the digital age.

We'll begin by talking about why information (and misinformation) is more prevalent. Peter gives a brief overview of how extremists of all kinds have become better networked and influential, and how hate groups and conspiracy theorists have leveraged our polarization to promote their own agendas.

Then we discuss:

• How we can identify point-of-view or propaganda in our news sources
• Why objectivity does not mean staying neutral
• What's actually news-worthy ("How come the media isn't talking about this?")
• The difference between a conspiracy and conspiracy theory
• Intellectual humility and not demonizing everyone on "the other side"
• Looking for disconfirming evidence of our beliefs
• Having open, offline conversations with people who think differently
• What it means to "do your own research"
• Overcoming cynicism and relentlessly pursuing truth
• How social media and search engine algorithms shape our thinking about what's true
• How educators can ensure they're relying on and sharing accurate info
• Why investing in our own news literacy as educators is one of the best things we can do for kids

For ongoing support in these areas, you can sign up for The Sift, a free weekly newsletter for educators distributed by NewsLit.org. It's a rundown of what happened the week before that you can use in the classroom to teach news literacy. It includes a distillation of the most news-literacy-relevant pieces of news and information that were published the previous week to help educators stay informed. It also includes a Viral Rumor Rundown of about four or five viral rumors that circulated the week before, with ideas for discussion, classroom activities, and links to resources.

NewsLit also offers a free e-learning platform called The Checkology Virtual Classroom, with 14 lessons to help teach students about many of the topics you'll learn about in my interview with Peter, including how to understand conspiracy theories. Checkology is primarily aimed at middle school and high school grades, but some teachers in upper elementary adapt the lessons and folks in higher ed have utilized them, as well.

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.

Extending grace shouldn't be a one way street. And yet, many educators feel like they are constantly told to accommodate students and families while they themselves are held to rigid, unrealistic standards.

When you start to feel the resentment and frustration building, here are 3 shifts that can help:

1. Instead of giving grace, think of giving people space to be themselves. Rather than trying to fit people into narrow boxes, expand the space you offer so folks are free to be inconsistent in how they think, feel, and behave. It's natural to have good days and bad ones, low moods and high moods. Allowing students and families space to move back and forth between these states of being can ease your stress and resentment.
2. Stop making your work look effortless, and invite folks into the process. Teachers in general — and women especially — are conditioned to make everything we do look easy and natural. But this often backfires because it causes people to expect even more of us. Let families and students peek behind the scenes so they can see not only your hard work, but also your humanity.
3. Say "thank you" instead of apologizing. Set a class culture of thanking one other for bearing with each other's faults, and giving each other space to be your full selves. Apologies are necessary when someone's been hurtful or offensive, but making minor mistakes is part of being human, and not necessarily something to feel sorry for. Gratitude is a more positive, uplifting emotion that people feel good about participating in, so substitute thankfulness for apologies whenever possible.

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.

Need practical tips for doing "fewer things better" in a remote/hybrid setting? Check out this episode with Dr. Catlin Tucker.

We'll talk about simplifying assessment, virtual station rotations, student engagement, and more. We'll also discuss specific steps teachers can take to advocate for more realistic expectations for themselves and their students.

Check out the blog post/transcript with links to my favorite resources from Catlin here.

You can also join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

Learn more about Catlin here: https://catlintucker.com
Follow her on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Catlin_Tucker

Check out Catlin's blended learning courses here: https://catlintucker.teachable.com/?affcode=685936_arhw3kaz

The spring and summer of 2020 were some of the darkest times of my life, both personally and professionally. In this episode, I want to offer a bit more of myself and my journey with you:

• My struggle with depression and anxiety
• Professional burnout and lack of motivation
• COVID and the disillusionment of offering solutions for schools when there aren't any good ones
• Where my train metaphorically derailed and I lost sight of the destination
• The choice to cut out non-essential obligations and go offline in December
• The response (and pushback) to my sabbatical announcement
• Why I've never seen stepping away from work as a weakness (this wasn't the first or last time)
• How I used my time offline in December
• Why the sabbatical was not a cure-all, and coming back was harder than anticipated
• The path back: finding the spark of inspiration and nurturing it into a roaring flame

Thank you for allowing me these weeks to heal, breathe, regroup, and clarify my vision for the year ahead.

Thank you for your messages, and for encouraging me even though I did not have the strength to encourage you.

Thank you for believing in me and my work. I may have taken a pause, but this work does not end. The next phase of our journey together is now underway.

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.

For 2021, I want to have a single-minded focus on the destination ahead. A train can't go in multiple directions at once.

So, what is my mission? My contribution? What is the thing I can be doing right now in the world to make it a better place? I want to decide that and get on board the train.

I've wasted far too much time hanging around the station, arguing with naysayers and trying to persuade people (who don't want to be persuaded) that they should come on board.

I believe this moment in time is meant for us to map out the next stop, holler out "all aboard," and start moving down the tracks…regardless of how many people are with us. Other folks can always hop on at a later stop if they want, or catch the next train.

They can also spend the rest of their lives grumbling at the station. They can even board a train heading in the opposite direction. Don't let any of their choices stop YOU from where you need to go.  

Get really clear on the destination you want to head toward. Where are you trying to take your students? Your family? Your personal relationships? Your community? Yourself? And pull that train out of the station. 


Start the journey and move forward boldly. Now is the time. Listen in as we kick off Season 13 of the podcast, and get inspired!

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.

This is a deeply personal podcast episode, so if you're new here, I encourage you to revisit previous eps that are probably going to be more helpful and along the lines of what you're hoping to get.

This one is all over the map: part inspirational, part confessional, part political, part visionary.

I've decided to end the podcast early, for reasons that will be apparent as I share what's on my heart here. I will not be back with another episode until at least January 2021.

In the meanwhile:

Find the small good things. Take the next right steps. Focus on who you want to become through the remainder of this pandemic. What kind of person will you be on the other side of these challenging times? What kind of educators do we want to be? What kind of nation do we want to be? Vote accordingly.

Sending you all love, support, and solidarity until next time.

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're tackling one of the biggest challenges educators face today: keeping students engaged in a world full of distractions. 

AJ Juliani joins me to explore how to create meaningful and relevant learning experiences that resonate with today's learners, even in the age of TikTok, smartphones, and endless notifications.

He's an educator, author, and speaker who serves as an instructor for the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (PLN). AJ has worked towards innovative learning experiences as the Director of Learning and Innovation for Centennial School District, as Curriculum Coordinator, as Tech Director, English teacher, football coach, and K-12 Instructional Coach.  His favorite role is being dad to five kids. You might know AJ from his books Adaptable, Empower, Launch, or The PBL Playbook.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why simply removing phones or distractions won't solve the engagement problem.
• How to balance direct instruction with collaborative, student-centered learning.
• Why meaningful, relevant tasks are more effective than "rigorous" assignments for long-term learning.
• The "traffic light" system for integrating technology and AI into classroom activities.
• How to help students develop focus, self-regulation, and intrinsic motivation.
• Strategies for using choice and ownership to foster deeper learning experiences.
• The surprising truths about rigor, assessment, and knowledge transfer.
• How to create performance tasks that build real-world skills and make learning stick.
• Why human connection and relationships are more vital than ever in education.
• Practical advice for building long-term habits of engagement that go beyond quick fixes.

AJ also shares insights from his latest book and offers actionable strategies for educators who want to make their teaching meaningful and impactful in a rapidly changing world.

Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

What happens when you're asked to follow bad pedagogy or teach topics that seem irrelevant for kids? You can do exactly as you're told...or you can quietly subvert the system, and find ways to do what's best for kids.

Listen in as Dr. Robyn Jackson and I talk about ways that we've done this in our teaching practice, and how we've supported other teachers in doing the same.

We speak the quiet part out loud in this episode: the best teachers don't just follow directives without question — they're NOT doing everything they're told, because a lot of what they're told to do isn't good for kids.

You don't have to settle for just "getting through" boring curriculum and test prep. You can be actively looking for ways to get yourself excited about what/how you need to teach and make the learning meaningful for kids so they're more engaged, 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.

I decided to scrap the topic I had planned for this week and speak to the teachers who feel like they're drowning. I know what's expected right now of many kids, families, and teachers is not humanly possible on a long-term basis. And in this episode, I want to counter the system-wide gaslighting that is occurring.

What many (most?) of you are being asked to do right now is NOT, in fact, reasonable ... and the solution is not for you to simply work harder.

We are still in a pandemic. This is still crisis distance learning. This is emergency hybrid teaching. Regardless of how much districts want to pretend we can replicate normal, we cannot.

Resist the pressure to perform at optimal levels when we are not working in optimal conditions. Pushing yourself to work harder when your body's calling for rest will not help you get ahead. That approach is part of the old paradigm which has to fall away and be replaced with a way of working, teaching, and learning that is humanized and centered on well-being rather than accomplishment.

You deserve grace and compassion. Give those things to yourself when no one is giving it to you. Rest tonight. Rest this weekend. Rest is necessary for your survival and you don't need to apologize for it.

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 didn't forget how to be teachers. It's the same passion, engagement, and relationships — you already know how to do that. What we have to learn is a few tech tools, so that we can accomplish the teaching moves that we want, but we did not forget how to teach ... Human beings know how to develop relationships, and sometimes they develop from a distance."

Listen as I talk with Doug Fisher (of Fisher & Frey) about the most important ideas from their new book with John Hattie called "The Distance Learning Playbook: K-12 Teaching For Engagement and Impact in Any Setting."

The book is based on the classroom experiences of a diverse group of more than 70 teachers this past spring. I ask Doug to sum up their most important takeaways, the things that surprised him, and the best practical ideas that came out of these teachers' experiences.

We talk extensively about the best ways to get kids to show up to distance learning and complete their work, as well. Doug shares specific examples, and says, "When you move to higher levels of engagement — where kids drive the learning, where they set their goals, they monitor their progress, they reflect on what they've been learning — that's when we see them show up and participate."

If you need to hear a positive outlook and some inspiration about distance/hybrid learning right now, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation:

"I did not sign up to be this distance teacher. But right now our kids need us. We're still a school. We still have a job to do. Together, we will get through this pandemic and we will be better, as a result, when we come back."

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 frustrated with kids who don't seem to be putting forth any effort, this episode can help you shift your mindset and think about the problem in new ways.

We'll examine 3 limiting beliefs that are a very common part of many people's worldview, and look for ways to choose perspectives that are more constructive and helpful.

When you feel like you've tried EVERYTHING, sometimes the missing piece is to change the way we think about the problem...and this episode can help you choose thoughts that serve you (and your students) better.

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.