Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

No, the answer is not throwing the whole stack in a recycling bin. (Although it's perfectly fine to toss out some assignments from time-to-time.) And, the answer isn't to give more assignments digitally. That can help make assessment more effective and efficient, but the pile-up of student work awaiting feedback online can feel just as daunting as a stack of papers. This episode will help you explore ways you may be overcomplicating the assignments you give or your approach to assessment, and think outside the box about how to streamline. I'll share how to instantly reduce the assignments you need to grade, and help you uncover your own answer to the following questions: Is there ONE type of assignment that I'm giving to students which is taking me forever to grade, and that I might be able to reduce or change up a bit? What can I do to experiment or push back on expectations this year, in order to make my grading workload more sustainable? 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 ready to reevaluate your job, and decide if you want to return next school year or explore other options, this episode will help you consider the possibilities. I'm talking with Daphne Williams Gomez of The Teacher Career Coach about what's changed in the job market for teachers since she was a guest on the show back in March 2020. She'll share trends she's noticing, as well as questions you can ask yourself to make the very personal decision about whether teaching is still what you want to do. We'll discuss ways to make teaching work, and the benefits of looking for a school, grade level, or subject area that's a better fit instead of transitioning to an entirely new career path. We then explore the attachment many educators have to their job identity, and the struggle to find another career that offers the same noble calling and sense of purpose. We discuss the pros and cons of finding a job that you like–not love–in order to have the time, energy, and money to do non-work-related things you love. We push back against the "anti 9-5 and "be your own boss" narratives that aren't the right fit for everyone. Daphne will also share examples of former teachers who have matched their skill sets to other jobs that they enjoy–often, careers they'd never even considered. Finally, Daphne shares what your next steps should be if you're curious about other work you could do apart from teaching. You can take Daphne's free quiz about career options here: TeacherCareerCoach.com/truthforteachers You'll also find links to her Teacher Career Coach podcast, resume and job hunting resources, and info about her online course + mentorship to help you transition to your next career. 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.

Finally — a sustainable model for self-paced learning and mastery-based grading! Kareem Farah of the Modern Classrooms Project (MCP) shares how ANY teacher of any grade level or subject area can maximize class time and connect with students one-on-one. If you feel like you never have enough time to truly differentiate or personalize learning, try the MCP approach. Kareem's sharing 3 strategies that you can experiment with integrating in your classroom to allow kids to work at their own pace, and free you up to work with students individually and in small groups. This convo will help you figure out logistics and practical considerations, whether your school's fully on board with student-centered, innovative teaching methodologies or you're just getting started. Check out MCP's free online course at: https://learn.modernclassrooms.org/ 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.

How do you show up each day as the best version of yourself? Kyle Cohen, a 4th grade teacher in Cleveland OH, is here to share his contagious positive energy. Listen as Kyle talks about what keeps him motivated, how he taps into his patience and empathy when working with students, and how implementing fun, engaging lessons helps him keep energy levels high throughout the school day. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

"When I leave school, I'm not only ready for the next day, I'm ready for the rest of the week. I almost never do planning or preparation the day before." These are the words of high school social studies teacher Megan Faherty, who's sharing her lesson planning strategy in today's episode. Megan's overall strategy boils down to making decisions about planning early, so her day-to-day work consists of simply implementing the decisions she's already made. During our conversation, Megan will share the 9 steps of her lesson planning process. She'll also share tips on overcoming obstacles to efficient planning, suggestions for team planning, and lessons she's learned from hybrid and virtual teaching over the last 2 years. 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 constant pressure to achieve more, work harder, increase results, generate more money, and so on can be exhausting. In this episode, I wanted to share some things I've been mulling over in terms of holistic wealth and wellbeing, and what it means to use our time well. What if we didn't try to maximize EVERY moment, and instead allowed for some moments of rest, daydreaming, and moving slowly with intention? What if we identified some things that add a richness and satisfaction to our lives, and prioritized those activities at the same level as "getting things done"? What might it look like — in our schools and in our personal lives — if we weren't constantly upping the ante and working toward the next goal, but focused on reveling in what we've already done? 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.

Teachers are expected to pack way too much into a school day, and it can be tricky to sift through everything in the curriculum and figure out what's most important (and relevant for your particular students). Sally Berquist, a teaching veteran with 24 years of experience and writing instruction specialist, is going to share some strategies to help you identify clutter in your curriculum and simplify your lesson design to account for realistic cognitive load and time management. As Sally shares, folks who write curriculum may be experts in content, but YOU are the expert on delivering that curriculum and implementing it in a way that works for your students. If you've been overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you're supposed to teach, I think you'll find this conversation validating and also helpful in learning to view your curriculum through a lens of what's developmentally appropriate and relevant for your students. 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 instability and unpredictability that students have experienced in this third school year impacted by COVID has definitely taken a toll on kids … but the impact can look very different from student to student. High school teacher Jessica Kirkland is here to share what she's observed in her students and discussed with them in terms of their mindset, behavior, and socio-emotional wellbeing. If you can't quite put your finger on what feels "off" with students this school year and how class dynamics, relationships, and motivation levels have changed since the pandemic began, I think you'll find this conversation illuminating. Jessica shares in her deeply empathetic way how both childhood and teenage experiences have been impacted in myriad ways by the pandemic. We explore the root causes for disconnection and lack of motivation, and how even if one particular student is doing okay (or even thriving), that student is still impacted by the people around them who aren't. We talk about the limits of resiliency and how nearly everyone has been pushed to or beyond capacity for an extended period of time, and how that plays out in schools. We end with Jessica's thoughts on what's giving her optimism and hope for the future of our students and our schools. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

You know your students and who's struggling, and you can prepare lesson scaffolding even without data "proof" that students need it. Tia Butts, teacher and Truth for Teachers writer, is joining me for a relaxed, upbeat conversation about 4 ways she's simplified tiered instruction and differentiation in her classroom. Tia shares how she uses a relationship-based approach with students to assess and meet their needs, rather than relying ONLY on data and assessment scores. Her process is about trusting herself and her students, and finding ways to make the extra work of differentiation truly meaningful. She's learned to think of tiering instruction and differentiating as something wonderful that she really likes doing because of the impact she sees on her students. Tia's found that her students are more engaged in their learning when she uses these 4 strategies, and that makes her day with them less stressful and more enjoyable. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

I wanted to kick off Season 15 of the podcast with an update on what I've been up to during my time off, and what I have planned for you in the coming year. If you're new here, this episode is NOT our normal vibe: this episode is much more Angela-centered and our regular eps are centered on YOU and resources/ideas for your life and teaching practice. I just like to do some personal updates every now and then, so you'll hear what my sabbatical was like, what I'm working on in 2022, and what topics we'll be covering on the podcast this season. Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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: A mental vacation (taking a break from thinking about work) Reflecting on what you learned about yourself and your teaching 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: Teachers are craving autonomy and respect for their professional judgment. Teachers need uninterrupted planning time in order to be at their best for students. Teachers need administrators to have their backs, and support them when their professionalism is undermined. Teachers need school leaders to provide the necessary support and resources for students to be successful, OR adjust expectations to align with reality. 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 gr

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.

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 throu

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

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

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.

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: Teach thematically and help kids make connections between topics/subjects Use mobile devices — not just computers — when having kids analyze information Create learning environments that value questioning, not just finding the right answer Guide students to understand their brains and examine bias/assumptions Move from a checklist approach to an investigative approach for fact-checking Teach kids to be specific about the falsehood rather than claiming "fake news" Illuminate the people behind the information that's shared 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 Teach kids HOW to think, not WHAT to think 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: 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. 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. 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