Announcing the NEW Truth for Teachers Daily Encouragement Podcast!
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
Release Date: 09/10/2023
EP338 Looking ahead to 2026: A new direction beyond Truth for Teachers
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
It’s the final episode of the 2025 season, and I want to leave you with something meaningful. I’m sharing some personal thoughts as I prepare to step away for my December internet sabbatical. I’m thinking deeply about alignment, presence, and what it means to move forward with clarity and purpose. If you’ve been feeling the tension between what you have to do and what you’re called to do … this episode might resonate. Key highlights: Why I'm shifting directions in 2026 to focus on deeper connections with educators (and serving more than just folks in K-12) How my personal life has...
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EP337 Restorative practices aren’t a strategy–they’re a way of being (with Marisol Quevedo Rerucha)
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
“The adults in the building need healing just as much as the kids do. Self-compassion isn’t soft. It’s the most radical act of self-preservation an educator can practice.” That’s a quote from my guest in this episode, Marisol Quevedo Rerucha. She’s the author of Beyond the Surface of Restorative Practices and the CEO of Heartset Consulting Group. A former teacher, principal, and district leader, she now supports individuals, communities, and systems in building high-trust, equity-centered spaces. Together, Marisol and I explore what a restorative way of being looks like, how...
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EP336 4 routines to help students notice and adjust their thinking
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
Metacognition — “thinking about your thinking” — is one of the most powerful skills we can teach students, and it doesn’t require adding anything new to your already packed schedule. In this episode, you’ll learn four simple, one-minute routines you can weave into your daily classroom flow to help students notice, analyze, and adjust their own thinking. We’ll explore: How to use attention checks so students can redirect focus in the moment Why brain break signals teach learners to connect physical energy with mental clarity (and how to manage them without chaos) How mistake...
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EP335 How teacher language shapes us—and teaches kids to find their wisest self (with Lily Howard Scott)
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
“Giving kids, and yourself, language to wrap around the idea that we have an inner leader (our kindest, best self) is transformative.” Join me as I talk with Lily Howard Scott, a NYC-based parent, educator, and author, who shares insights from her book The Words That Shape Us: The Science-Based Power of Teacher Language. We’re exploring how our internal self-talk shapes our perceptions of students and ourselves, and how intentional language can transform classroom culture. Lily shares practical strategies for helping students of all ages: Notice and separate from their thoughts and...
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EP334 Are you a Type A or Type B teacher? Rethinking effort, expectations, and balance
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
How much effort is enough—for you and your students? In this episode, I’m weaving together three listener questions about navigating effort, expectations, and balance. We’ll explore how to recognize whether you lean more toward Type A (overextending) or Type B (holding back) tendencies, and how to make small, mindful adjustments so you’re not burning out—or stagnating. You’ll hear practical advice for: Reworking your expectations of yourself during seasons of low energy, burnout, or chronic illness. Knowing when to give yourself permission to do less, and when to gently push...
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Join me for live PD this winter: Unlocking Teacher Productivity
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
SCHEDULE CHANGE! I’m partnering with Rocket PD to offer a live-virtual cohort called Unlocking Teacher Productivity starting in late January. (Originally when this announcement was released, I mentioned October, but we've pushed things back to accomodate a major release in federal funding that won't reach schools until later this fall.) Unlocking Teacher Productivity isn’t a self-paced course you sign up for and maybe forget about. It's a deep-dive, interactive experience where we’ll meet every TUESDAY for five 90-minute sessions: NEW 2026 DATES: JAN 27, FEB 3, 10, 17, 24 7:00-8:30 PM...
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EP333: Engagement isn't extra: boredom busters that prime the brain for learning (with Katie Powell)
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
Engagement is not the same as "fun." It's the foundation for meaningful and lasting learning. Join me as I talk with Katie Powell, author of Boredom Busters: Transform Worksheets, Lectures, and Grading into Engaging, Meaningful Learning Experiences. Katie shares simple yet powerful strategies that help teachers transform their classrooms into spaces where students thrive. Whether you’re trying to bring more fun into your lessons, address curriculum pressures, or manage student behavior during engaging activities, Katie’s practical advice can help. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why...
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EP332 Time blocking for teachers: Align your priorities, energy, & tasks to create a sustainable schedule
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
Time blocking sounds simple… but if you’ve ever sat down during your prep period with a plan and still ended the day feeling behind, you know it’s not always that straightforward. In this episode, I’m walking you through a flexible, teacher-centered approach to scheduling your time. This isn’t about squeezing more into the day—it’s about protecting time for what matters and letting go of the guilt about what doesn’t. I’ll share how to: Allocate time for high, medium, and low-priority tasks (without spinning your wheels) Match your work to your energy levels using deep vs....
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EP331 Want to individualize learning without overwhelm? Try this self-paced approach (with Rob Barnett)
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
How can you meet the needs of every learner in your classroom while keeping your workload manageable? In this episode, Robert Barnett shares how self-paced learning can transform your teaching and create a more personalized, effective, and sustainable experience for both you and your students. We dive into the Modern Classrooms approach, breaking it down into actionable steps that any teacher can take—whether you’re ready to fully embrace self-paced learning or just want to try one small change tomorrow. From recording simple instructional videos to using mastery checks, Rob shares what...
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EP330 Design a self-running classroom that frees you to teach
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers
One of the most exhausting parts of teaching is the constant decision-making. You’re answering questions like: Where do I turn this in? Can I go to the bathroom? What do I do when I’m done? My pencil broke—what now? Over and over. All day long. You’re managing behavior, passing out materials, troubleshooting tech, resetting the room, redirecting energy, keeping everything afloat. And underneath all of that is the belief—often unspoken but deeply ingrained—that YOU have to be the one holding it all together. But what if that’s not true? What if your students—yes, even the...
info_outlineI’m starting a brand new show with short episodes dropping each week from Monday-Friday!
The purpose of the Truth for Teachers Daily Encouragement Podcast is to offer an exclusive message each day for educators who want to show up as the best version of themselves. Every weekday, you’ll receive a short message that helps you return to what matters, stay grounded in your purpose, and uplift your mood.
The TFT Daily Encouragement podcast is ad-free and exclusive to subscribers for $3.99/month.
(And don’t worry, the regular TFT podcast you already know and love isn’t going anywhere, isn’t changing, and remains free for listeners! This is something NEW and ADDITIONAL for those who want more.)
Each episode of the Daily Encouragement podcast is 3-5 minutes long: no promotions, no fluff, no filler. You’ll hear just a boost of motivation and inspiration on topics like:
- mindfulness
- self-compassion
- radical acceptance
- reframing your thoughts
- managing anxiety
- enjoying your work
- connecting deeply with students
- staying grounded in your vision and purpose
I plan to make one episode per week a guided meditation or mindfulness moment, in which you’re invited to slow down and be fully present in the moment and in your body. You don’t have to close your eyes and you’re not expected to enter a meditative state: these eps will just be a quick moment to get out of your own head and connect to your higher self or even just to your breath. It’s a break in which I guide you to reflect on gratitude, non-attachment, joy, or another concept that helps you return to a state of ease and flow.
This podcast is designed for ALL educators (anyone who works in a school), including those who ordinarily don’t listen to podcasts because they don’t have the alone time or mental bandwidth to consume lengthier episodes.
It’s designed to be the perfect short, calming listen for:
- When you first wake up to start your day on a positive note
- During your commute to school to ease into “school mode”
- On your break to re-energize yourself for the afternoon
- After dismissal to ground, calm, and re-center when the day’s done
I tried to pick a price that felt affordable for educators while staying mindful of the hosting/payment process costs, and I think that $3.99/monthly offers a really good value for a Mon-Fri daily show. If you appreciate my work in general and with the podcast specifically, I would love your support with this project!
The technical details: Subscriptions and payments are handled through Spotify so the link to subscribe is a Spotify payment link. You can use a credit card or Google Pay. Once you’ve subscribed, you can listen right in Spotify. If you have another podcast app that you like better, you can copy/paste the private RSS feed link into the podcast player of your choice and listen there. Each weekday a new episode will automatically appear in the feed wherever you want to listen to your podcasts. You can cancel anytime through Spotify, just know that your access to the podcast archives will be removed at the end of your monthly billing period.
I’m committed to the TfT Daily Encouragement Podcast ONLY for this school year, and will then re-evaluate. So, if this is something you’re interested in, sign up now!
Subscribe to the TfT Daily Encouragement podcast;
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyencouragement/subscribe
Learn more:
http://truthforteachers.com/dailyencouragement
The first episode drops Monday, Sept. 11th!
I hope this will be an easy, fun, way for you to hear some positive words spoken into your heart and mind on a daily basis, so you can keep showing up as the best version of yourself each day.
Thank you for supporting me and my work!
Angela