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Thereâs a powerful connection between movement and cognitive performance. Standing up and moving around can both foster diffuse thinkingâthe kind of relaxed mental state that encourages breakthroughs and innovative ideas.
In this episode, Iâll share Cal Newportâs research on training the brain for deep work through âproductive meditationâ, a practice that involves focusing on a specific problem while engaged in physical movement.
Iâll then share 4 practical ways to incorporate productive movement into your instruction, not as a break from learning but as a critical component of it:Standing meetings and discussions to increase engagement and collaboration.
Dictation while walking, allowing students to process and express ideas on the move.
Using audio learning while students walk, so they can absorb information away from their desks.
Encouraging walking brainstorming sessions to help students collaborate and generate new ideas.Iâll also share how to extend these strategies to outdoor environments for an even greater cognitive boost, even if you donât have a large, quiet school campus.
Finally, Iâll talk about handling off-task behavior and off-topic conversations you observe during productive moment activities, and offer a mental reframing you can use to determine when you should (and shouldnât) use these movement activities.
Discover how simple shifts in how we think about movement can unlock deeper thinking and more focused learning for both you and your students!
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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Many teachers are already seeing incredible results when their students use artificial intelligence to brainstorm creative project ideas, get instant feedback on their writing, and even generate unique artwork.
The potential is there for a lot of goodâŚbut also, a lot of bad. As educators in this particular moment in time, we have a unique opportunity to guide students in harnessing AIâs potential while teaching them to think critically about its limitations and impacts.
In this episode, Iâll explain exactly what to say and do to help students to be thoughtful, tech-savvy learners in an AI-driven world. This kind of instruction could begin as soon as kids are using devicesâafter all, even an elementary-aged child whoâs watching videos on YouTube or playing games from the app store is already being impacted by AI-driven algorithms, images, and text.
Obviously, you donât need to go into a ton of detail with kids who arenât using AI, but weâre seeing kids as young as fourth graders discovering ChatGPT and using it for assignments, so I think that an awareness of AI is important for teachers of any age group. And of course, we need to understand it for ourselves as adults, so weâre prepared to be thoughtful and intentional about how we use AI ourselves in our personal lives, and how we allow it to shift the way schools operate.
Listen in for a detailed guide to introducing AI in the classroom, breaking down complex concepts in a way thatâs engaging and accessible for students:
Step 1: De-mystify the technology.
Step 2: Set a purpose: why should we care?
Step 3: Spark curiosity and explore possibilities.
Step 4: Build awareness of limitations and potential problems.
Step 5: Generate guidelines for responsible AI use.
Step 6: Communicate clearly about when it is and isnât okay to use AI for assignments in your class.By giving kids an in-depth understanding of AI, youâre going to really increase their buy-in. Youâre not just saying âAI is cheating; donât use itâ and trying to police violations and punish students. Youâre helping them understand and use it responsibly.
This episode offers a clear roadmap for empowering your students to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly.Access the written step-by-step guide on the blog.
Get a done-for-you mini unit on introducing students to ethical AI use: https://shop.truthforteachers.com/products/ethical-student-ai-use-guidelines-teach-students-to-use-artificial-intelligence -
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When students give up on assignments or get overwhelmed, itâs tough to find ways to help them re-engage.
So, Iâve invited Dr. John Spencer (https://spencereducation.com/) of The Creative Classroom podcast (https://spencereducation.com/podcast/) to help us uncover 5 brain-based ways to help kids who shut down in class. John is a former middle school teacher and current college professor on a quest to transform schools into bastions of creativity and wonder.
Listen in as John and I explore how to:
1. Intentionally cultivate self-empowerment (the ability to self-regulate and self-direct.)
2. Introduce creative constraints when kids are overwhelmed.
3. Use the gradual release model to slowly acclimate students to more self-directed work.
4. Think diagnostically, looking for root causes beyond those related to behavior.
5. Call impromptu workshops when you notice a significant number of students struggling.
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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Starting the school day doesnât have to be chaotic or rushed. In this episode, Iâll explore how soft starts are transforming classrooms by offering a calm, low-pressure beginning that allows students to ease into their day.
Soft starts accomplish more than just setting a calm toneâtheyâre a powerful tool for promoting social-emotional learning and giving kids the autonomy they need to feel in control of their learning, fostering self-regulation, self-direction, and self-management.
Iâll break down why this approach is beneficial (and super simple to implement!) for all age groups, from elementary to secondary students, and share practical ways to implement it in your classroom.
Soft starts donât require a monumental shift in your daily routine, but provide a powerful opportunity to create a foundation of calm, focus, and connection that will ripple through every lesson.
If you want your students to learn how to gauge their own needs and choose activities at the beginning of class that help meet those needs so theyâre prepared to learn, soft starts might be the perfect option.Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels trying to improve your teaching, but not seeing the results you want?
In this episode, we delve into the transformative power of sequential lesson design with Gretchen Bridgers of Always a Lesson.Gretchen is a teacher coach and trainer who has spent more than 2 decades mentoring and coaching educators, and leading professional development. has a fantastic podcast called Always a Lesson's Empowering Educators podcast which I often recommend to Truth for Teachers listeners, as there's a lot of overlap between Gretchen's mindset and areas of interest and my own. Her advice is really practical and spot-on. And, she recently published her third book, called, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.
In our conversation you'll hear today, Gretchen breaks down some key ideas from that book. She counters the common narrative that classroom management is the first and most important thing to nail down, and reveals why lesson design is actually the secret sauce to transforming your classroom.
Join us as we explore:
The pitfalls of improving instructional skills in isolation
The "Teacher Success Pathway" and its four foundational bricks: lesson design, classroom management, student engagement, and student choice
Why a well-thought-out lesson plan can prevent classroom disruptions before they start
The importance of creating strong habits to free up cognitive load for both teachers and studentsLearn how to identify and fill gaps in your current instructional strategies, avoid common pitfalls that even veteran teachers fall into, and use simple ideas like video self-reflection to revolutionize your teaching. Gretchen's fresh take on reusing what works (instead of constantly reinventing the wheel) is a total game-changer for busy teachers.
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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Even young students can learn how to understand and combat misinformation, and it's a key information literacy skill in 2024.
In this episode, I'm talking to Melanie Trecek-King of Thinking is Power, because I love how her approach to the topic of misinformation is characterized by compassion and empathy.
Melanie emphasizes that everyone is susceptible to misinformation, and falling for it doesn't indicate a lack of intelligence. This perspective humanizes those who believe in conspiracy theories or disinformation, so we can view them as people who--like ourselves--have unknowingly accepted false information.Melanie and I discuss 3 primary reasons we fall for misinformation:
Confirmation Bias: Our tendency to interpret information in ways that confirm our existing beliefs. Once we believe something, we see evidence for it everywhere, reinforcing that belief. Skepticism is crucial for protecting oneself from misinformation, but it's most challenging when information confirms our biases.
Appeals to Emotion: Emotions, particularly anger, outrage, and fear, can trigger the part of our brain that hinders critical thinking. Many forms of misinformation specifically appeal to our emotions to convince us without evidence. When we feel emotionally triggered, it's a good time to slow down and practice emotional skepticism.
Reiteration Effect: Also known as the illusory truth effect, the reiteration effect means that the more we hear something repeated, the more likely we are to think it's true, even if it isn't. Our brain equates ease of processing with truth, so repeated exposure to false information can lead us to believe it.
We also discuss the problem with "doing your own research," and why Melanie sees 2024 as a the post-trust era, not the post-truth era, and how we can respond.
The remainder of our conversation is centered on how to teach information literacy to students. Melanie provides actionable tips and ready-to-use resources to help you:
1. Demonstrate to students that they can be fooled (e.g., through personality reading exercises).
2. Discuss how beliefs are formed using non-triggering examples (e.g., historical witch trials).
3. Include misinformation in lessons to help students recognize its characteristics.
4. Use tools like the FLOATER toolkit to help students evaluate claims systematically.
5. Have students create misinformation to understand its techniques better.While these concepts are typically taught at the college level, they can be introduced as early as middle school. Even elementary students can begin to understand concepts like author's purpose and recognizing persuasive techniques.
Understanding misinformation is crucial in our daily lives, yet it's often absent from educational standards. Check out Melanie's site for lots of free resources to teach about misinformation using humor and non-triggering approaches to help students recognize it in the real world.
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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Yes, weâre talking about accommodations FOR TEACHERSâŚ
I recently asked educators on social media if neurodivergent staff were being offered any support, and folks had a LOT to say! In this episode Iâll share:
What we mean when we talk about neurodivergence Why neurodivergence isnât a deficiency, just a difference What teachers say about accommodations that are (and arenât) happening in their schools The legal rights that U.S. teachers have under the Americans with Disabilities Act The types of supports you can request and the logistics of making them happenFrom there, Iâll share the commonalities and patterns in the response from educators about whatâs been helpful and whatâs needed.
Iâll talk about the 5 ways schools can offer support to neurodivergent educators and what these recommendations look like in practice:
#1: Allow for flexibility and autonomy, especially within breaks
#2) Designate quiet areas and mitigate the effects of overstimulating environments
#3) Communicate proactively about scheduling and changes
#4: Give clear directives, so the invisible expectations become visible
#5) Differentiate PD and offer topics related to executive function and organization
Additionally, Iâll make the case for universal design: thatâs what good for neurodivergent educators also benefits neurotypical educators, and that these practices can (and should) be implemented school-wide.
Listen in to hear more about whatâs helping neurodivergent teachers thrive, and how to advocate for the support YOU need in your school. -
"Transformative change means feeling different, having different experiences every day, not just little changes that feel like a band-aid."
These are the words of todayâs guest, Elena Aguilar, an instructional coach whose latest book is called Arise: The Art of Transformation Coaching. (https://amzn.to/3Srseot) Through her book and our conversation today, youâre invited to teach in a âhuman-centered, compassionate, wildly optimistic way.â
Listen in as we discuss:
What âtransformationâ looks like and how it applies to the work of classroom teachers Why transformation results from addressing the Three Bs: beliefs, ways of being, and behavior⌠and why that order matters Which conditions allow for beliefs to change and how we can implement them in our classrooms How our âways of beingâ as teachers tie to transformationAs we look toward the start of a new school year, I hope that Elenaâs thoughts will help you reimagine whatâs possible in your classroom, and create conditions for both student transformations and your own.
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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Hereâs an innovative way to get student buy-in for your cell phone policy, reduce distractions, and maximize class time.
Today youâre going to hear from Ashly Hilst, a secondary teacher at North Clackamas Christian School in Oregon City, Oregon. Ashly has taught high school English for 7 years in both public and private schools.
For the 2024 Summit for the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek, Ashly unveiled her innovative approach to managing cell phone use in the classroom, and it was so impactful I wanted to make sure more teachers had a chance to hear about it.
Her method focuses on conveying the message that "phones don't make good moments, people do," drawing from personal experiences to connect with students.
In this episode, youâll learn from Ashly how to establish clear expectations and consequences for phone use while allowing flexibility and gentle reminders.
Discover for yourself how Ashly's approach reduces stress levels and enhances the teaching experience by promoting responsible phone habits in the classroom.
Get the transcript + free copy of Ashlyâs slideshow here: https://truthforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/how-to-get-true-student-buy-in-for-your-no-cellphone-policy/
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It seems like every tech tool we use has now integrated generative artificial intelligence. Open a Google Doc, youâre prompted to use Gemini to help you write. Read a post on Facebook, Meta prompts you to âask anythingâ via their AI. Itâs powering our phones and our email, and the customer support chatbots on nearly every website when shopping online and even with utility companies.
AI is everywhere, and itâs designed to help save everyone time. So, why not let it help you in your role as a teacher, too?
I talked at length in episode 304 about the pros, cons, and drawbacks of AI, so if youâre worried about AI, please make sure you listen to that episode for the context.
In this episode, though, I want to show you possibilities. Thatâs my job. Your job is to decide whatâs right for you and your classroom.
So letâs talk about possibilities.
Listen in for 5 easy ways I see currently for AI as a tool to automate teachersâ workloads:
Differentiation Assessment Writing Tedious tasks Creative expressionAnd if youâd like to stay up-to-date on all the latest with artificial intelligence, check out the new 40 Hour AI membership.
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
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We know thereâs potentialâŚbut letâs talk about the larger implications for the profession.
In this episode, Iâm sharing how AI has already transformed the way many teachers work, and exploring the ethics, best practices, and future trends for AI in schools.
Listen in to hear:
What surprised me in a survey about schools' AI policies 3 principles that guide my approach to AI Why educators MUST shape the direction of AI (and not leave this to tech companies) My favorite ways to use AI to streamline teaching tasks, including differentiation and assessment When you might want to use ChatGPT in place of a search engine My recommendations for the best free AI tools for teachers 3 crucial mindsets to develop as you plan how to incorporate AI in your workLet's explore the big picture overview of AIâs impact, its strengths and weaknesses as a tool for teachers, and specific ways fellow educators have used it to reduce their workload responsibly.
Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.
Learn about 40 Hour AI here.
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As an educator who's lived and taught in both the US and Denmark, Pernilleâs story is a revealing look into two vastly different education systems. Let's unpack her journey and what it tells us about work-life balance, societal values, and teaching philosophies.
Youâll hear:
Why Pernilleâs family moved to Wisconsin from Denmark when she was a teenager, how she became a teacher in the U.S., and why she and her American husband made the decision in 2022 to move with their four children to Denmark The cultural differences Pernille has noticed living in Denmark, particularly in relation to families, children, work, and school How the Danish school system is set up, including how students are not formally taught to read until the equivalent of 2nd grade in the U.S, and how high school (as Americans understand it) ends around age 15 so students can focus on career training What the school day looks like for Pernille, who is looping with her students through multiple grade levels, including how much instructional vs planning time she has and why Danish teachers are not permitted to work more than 40 hours a week The aspects of the Danish approach to work/life balance that U.S. educators might replicate to make teaching more effective, efficient, and enjoyableShe shares, "In Denmark, being a teacher is about nurturing well-being firstâboth for students and educators. It's about giving your best within working hours and then fully embracing life at home."
âAnd, education here isnât just academics; itâs learning through play, community building, and practical skills that prepare children for real-world challenges from an early age."
Iâm always curious about what itâs like to teach in different countries, and if you feel the same, I think youâll find this informal conversation is a fascinating deep dive into values, priorities, and what it means for kids and teachers to co-thrive.
Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion.
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As the school year comes to a close, weâre taking a step back from practical strategies, and looking at the big picture of K-12 education. Until summer, thereâs not a lot of time or mental bandwidth to consider questions like, âWhat are the larger factors impacting our work? How are other schools handling these challenges? How do we proactively prepare for whatâs next and create a vision for where weâre heading, instead of just trying to put out fires all the time?â
In an era of student disengagement and teacher disillusionment, itâs crucial for us to envision a better way of doing school and collectively work to make that vision a reality.
So, in this episode, Iâm sharing the statistics around teacher vacancies, student enrollment declines, and budget forecasts, along with the implications for schools.
Iâll then analyze the trends and focuses that weâll be seeing more of in education in the coming years. Topics covered include:
Artificial Intelligence Student safety and mental health Rationalizing and consolidating curriculum Hybrid learning and multi-classroom models The 4-day school week Vocational-technical training and non-college prep Microschools and âschools within a schoolâYouâll be invited to reflect on what else might be possible for schools and use your expertise as a teacher to help shape the future of education. Together, we can change the narrative around the profession and find the overlap between whatâs best for teachers and whatâs best for kids.
Read the blog post for this article here.
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Bored with your curriculum or instructional routines? Iâm talking with Betsy Potash of the Spark Creativity Podcast about easy ways to make things feel fresh and interesting again.
Often we switch things up in our teaching to keep ourselves from getting bored. But, too much change can create unnecessary work for us. It can also waste class time for students as they spend more energy on figuring out how to complete an assignment than on practicing the skills we want them to learn.
So, Betsyâs identified 5 open-ended activities that you can add to your rotation of go-to strategies, and incorporate them in unique ways throughout the year. Weâre talking about how to use the following in gr. 2-12 classrooms:
⢠podcasts
⢠stations
⢠hexagonal thinking
⢠escape room design
⢠one-pagerBetsy will definitely spark your creativity as you listen to these easy-to-understand activities which you can plug into the lessons youâre least excited to teach. These ideas will get students actively engaged in learning and boost your energy and enthusiasm as a teacher.
Click here to read the transcript, see photos of the lesson ideas, and get links to Betsy's templates.
Resources mentioned:
Spark Creativity website and podcast Learn about student podcasting in a free PD series Free Digital Toolkit for Hexagonal Thinking Video: Using hexagons to build critical thinking skills Free escape room toolkit Guide to creating one-pagers Angela's Teachers Box of Tricks on TPT / Truth for Teachers shop -
This topic is definitely new territory for my Truth for Teachers podcast, and I was initially hesitant to include it because I didnât want to overshare.
However, as I began to talk to other women about this, I realized how many of us really didnât have a good grasp on the way hormones impact our daily function. The experience is so individualistic, and no two bodies are alike. I realized that the more folks talk about this, the better informed we'll be.
So in this episode, Iâm sharing my own journey with perimenopause and brain fog. It took me many months to recognize what was changing in my body and why, and I misdiagnosed the brain fog as simply pandemic-related stress.
At age 43, menopause wasn't on my radar yet, and I didn't know pre-menopausal symptoms were a thing. Once I sought guidance from my OB-GYN, I was able to find relief from my symptoms, and I want to help other women understand their options, too.
So, Iâve invited Dr. Jen Gunter to shed some light on this topic for us. Jen is an obstetrician, gynecologist, and author known for her advocacy work in women's health and her efforts to debunk health misinformation. She is a prominent voice on social media and shares evidence-based information about women's health issues and challenges pseudoscientific claims, and has authored several books, including "The Menopause Manifesto," in which she addresses common myths and provides accurate information about women's health.
In this interview, Jen and I discuss the impact of hormonal changes on energy and focus, throughout different stages of life, emphasizing that hormones should be viewed as a symphony of factors rather than isolated elements.
Jen also dispels negative stereotypes about hormonal changes and challenges patriarchal concepts around women's competence related to hormones and aging. She encourages women to embrace their capabilities, and make informed decisions about how and when to utilize medical experts for support.Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion.
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Do you refuse to throw anything out because you MIGHT need it one day, or find yourself holding on to worthless stuff âjust in caseâ you need it?
In this episode, Iâll share 10 things you can get rid of in your classroom this spring to make space for what you actually need and use.
And, Iâll help you establish a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity, so you can approach spring cleaning with a perspective that will help you feel good rather than apprehensive about getting rid of the things you worked so hard to accumulate:
I like to streamline and simplify how my classroom runs. I donât keep things I donât really need. I could still teach well with a fraction of the materials Iâve accumulated. If there is something that I need later and donât have, I trust that I will be able to find it again, or borrow it, or be able to do without it just fine. The foundation of my classroom is my energy, enthusiasm, and know-how, not my stuff. I feel good about clearing away the things that drain my energy and enthusiasm by creating a cluttered, disorganized work space. I can let go of things I donât need in order to make space for things I do.Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion.
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This episode features a sneak peek from one of the upcoming 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit sessions. Youâll hear from a teacher named June Link, whose session is called, âClock out confidently: 5 tips to get out the door at contract time.â
In this episode, June shares some helpful principles and mindset shifts, along with the exact process she used to carve out time for a new demand in her workload. June and her colleagues were supposed to implement a new socio-emotional learning curriculum, but needed to find time to explore it, write lesson plans, and figure out how to integrate the new materials into everything else they were doing.
June shares how she estimated how much preparation time sheâd realistically need in order to implement this new curriculum, which was 10 hours. Then she explains how she made time for that work during her contractual hours, instead of taking the new curriculum home to figure out on the evenings or weekends.
Listen in to learn about that experiment and more.
Then, save your spot for the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit:
â 30+ presentations
â Opening and closing keynotes by 40 Hour founder Angela Watson
â All presenters are current K-12 classroom teachers
â No fluff, filler, or pitches: each session is just 15-20 minutes long
â Chat with other teachers during the live sessions and get personalized advice
Sign up for the free live Elementary Summit April 5th-6th
Sign up for the free live Secondary Summit April 12th-13th
If you canât attend live or the event has already passed by the time you see this, you can purchase forever-access to all the sessions (both elementary and secondary), plus get time-stamped transcripts, note-taking guides, and all the presentation links and templates in one document so that you can reference them easily. Forever-access is just $19, and helps cover the cost of running this event and compensating the teachers who share their ideas.
Thank you for your support, and for spreading the word about this event!
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It's the only event focused entirely on saving teachers TIME! Learn from current K-12 teachers as they share their best tips for working more effectively, efficiently, and enjoyably.
The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program is an online course I first created in 2015 (with a total update in 2020), and weâve now had tens of thousands of teachers complete the course.
With so many different personality types and teaching contexts, the amount of new ideas to spring out of the course was inevitable. Iâve always been impressed by the tweaks, offshoots, extensions, and transformations teachers have done as theyâd made my ideas their own. The Summit is an opportunity for you to learn more about them and their phenomenal work!
The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit this April features:
Opening and closing keynotes by 40 Hour founder Angela Watson (that's me) 30+ presentations by current K-12 classroom teachers No fluff, filler, icebreakers, or sales pitches Each session is just 15-20 minutes long The ability to chat with other teachers during the live sessions to get personalized adviceThis event is entirely online, completely FREE, and beneficial for all K-12 teachers!
Some presenters will take you on a video tour of their classrooms to share organizational tips and classroom routines. Others will screen share their way through tutorials of how they organize digital files, manage assessment, or plan lessons. Still others will give a fast rundown of all their best timesaving tips for grading, differentiation, email, and more.
You can join us LIVE for FREE in April:
Sign up for the free live Elementary Summit April 5th-6th
Sign up for the free live Secondary Summit April 12th-13th
If you canât attend a session or want to watch and rewatch at your convenience, the Forever Access Pass will get you all the recordings, plus a notetaking guide, summary of key ideas for each session, full time-stamped transcripts, and special bonuses. Itâs just $19 right now (the price will increase once the event begins).
Your purchase of the Forever-Access Pass helps me recover some of the costs of running this as a free event and paying our presenters. Thank you for your support!
Questions? Check out the FAQ here.
Please share this free event widely with teacher friends and colleagues! Just send folks to join.40htw.com/summit.
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Teachers spend so much time giving feedback to students, but often kids donât internalize it. They tune out the carefully-crafted written comments on their work, briefly register the grade they earned, and move on.
So how can we help students care about improving their skills and take time to reflect deeply on their learning?
In this episode, youâll hear how two different teachers have reimagined their instruction to make that possible.
Itâs a sneak peek at two sessions from the upcoming 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit, a FREE event that is focused entirely on saving teachers time, and helping you do your job more effectively and efficiently.
First up, youâll hear from Andrea Clark. Sheâs presenting for the elementary Summit in a session called, âFeedback first: Shifting from traditional grading to reflection sessions.â As youâll hear from Andreaâs description of her fifth gradersâ reflection sessions, this is one of the most worthwhile ways she spends her time as a teacher because her students learn so much from it.
Then, youâll hear from Tanya Jo Woodward. Sheâs presenting for the secondary Summit in a session called, â7 time savers for IB and AP teachers.â She talks first about how she grades and gives feedback in her high school English classroom while students are working independently on a task or assessment. She also offers tips for helping students self-correct by providing editing stations or peer editing guided sheets.
Like so much of the Summit content, I think youâll find value in hearing both of these teachersâ experiences, regardless of which grades or content areas you might teach.
Listen in now to hear Andrea and Tanya Jo share the exact processes theyâve used to transform the way their students think about feedback vs. grades.
Then, save your spot for the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit.
All sessions are just 15-20 minutes long with no filler, fluff, icebreakers, or pitches. And, all the sessions are presented by current K-12 teachers, with bonus keynotes from me (Angela Watson).
Sign up for the free live Elementary Summit April 5th-6th
Sign up for the free live Secondary Summit April 12th-13th
If you canât attend live or the event has already passed by the time you see this, you can purchase forever-access to all the sessions (both elementary and secondary), plus get time-stamped transcripts, note-taking guides, and all the presentation links and templates in one document so that you can reference them easily. Forever-access is just $19, and helps cover the cost of running this event and compensating the teachers who share their ideas.
Thank you for your support, and for spreading the word about this event!
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Have you ever noticed how breakthroughs often come when you're not actively trying to find a solution? That's diffuse thinking at work: a relaxed state in which creativity flourishes.
On todayâs episode of Truth for Teachers, Iâll share how stepping back can lead us forward. It turns out that intense concentration isn't always the best approach to problem solving, and we can instead let our minds wander through the meandering paths of diffuse thinking.
Focused thinking is a bit like a flashlightâintense & concentrated. Diffuse thinking is like ambient room lightingâgentle & expansive. When you (or students) canât concentrate, you can harness the power of diffuse thinking. This shift in mindset from focused to diffuse can spark innovation and creativity.
Listen in to discover how to use diffuse thinking when you've pushed your limits in focused thinking, and harness the power of diffuse thinking overnight during sleep. (Your dreams can be a powerful tool for problem-solving, too!)
Youâll also hear how you can teach your students to tap into the power of diffuse thinking. Iâll share how to incorporate "thinking walks" into your instruction, try skygazing with students as a productive mental break, prime students for their next lesson with a question that requires diffuse thinking.
Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion.
ââ
If you teach at the secondary level, check out my 10 lesson unit on Focused Attention. It includes a lesson on harnessing the power of diffuse thinking which takes just 15-20 minutes to implement. The resource has slides you show to your class which explain everything for you and guides you through the activities, including a student journal page that helps kids reflect on the topic. In this unit, students will also learn that itâs okay to struggle with focusing their attention, and learn how to:
Take productive breaks from concentration Create healthy phone habits and manage distractions Use movement to do better focused work Build concentration stamina Tolerate and push through boredom and procrastinationDownload the PDF brochure about Finding Flow Solutions to share with your administrators and get school funding for the curriculum.
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