“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 feelings (“feelings as visitors”)
• Understand they are always good inside, even when they make a bad choice
• Access their wisest self to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically

Lily also introduces tools like “outer shells and inner swirls” to help students notice assumptions and guide interactions in more mindful, empowering ways.

Whether you’re looking to improve classroom culture, support student self-reflection, or strengthen your own teacher mindset, this episode offers actionable strategies and inspiring reminders about the words we choose and the impact they have.

Get the shareable article/transcript for this episode here.

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

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

You’ll hear practical advice for:

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

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

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

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

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 Eastern / 4:00-6:30 Pacific

Here’s how it works: each week, we’ll meet over Zoom. There will be a mix of my teaching (you’ll see my face and slides), short periods for quiet reflection—meaning I’ll pause periodically for you to complete exercises so you don’t have to do them afterward on your own time—and opportunities for discussion with other educators during the 90-minute session if that’s something that appeals to you. I’ll also answer questions afterward if you’d like personalized advice.

We’re going to cover practical systems and strategies to help you get control over your time and your work. You’ll learn how to:

• Get your email under control once and for all.

• Organize your digital files so you can actually find what you need.

• Build a to-do list system that doesn’t live in your brain 24/7.

• Plan lessons in advance in a way that’s flexible and responsive to your students—no more scrambling the night before.

• Prioritize high-impact work so you can spend less time on busywork and more time on what really matters for learning.

• Explore time-blocking, AI tools, productivity for students, and more.

Now, if you’ve taken my 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Full Year course, yes—there’s some overlap in concepts, like the target number planner. But this cohort is live and interactive, rather than self-paced, and has built-in accountability because we meet each week and check in to see how the strategies are working for you. And, it’s only a five-week commitment.

I’ll give a variety of options for “homework” between sessions: stuff you can just reflect on if that’s all you have time for, easy actionable steps to try out, and deep dives if you really want to get results. Regardless of which option you choose, you’ll have time each week to reflect, discuss how to apply what you’re learning, and report back the next week. It’s accountability in the best sense—you’re not just consuming information; you’re actively putting it into practice.

Remember, you don’t have to attend every live session. You’ll get recordings of every session plus a downloadable workbook. Templates, systems, and strategies are all included—it’s ready to implement immediately.

Plus, you’ll receive a nationally recognized PD certificate for CEUs.

This cohort is designed to be practical and doable: real solutions that will stick with you for your whole K-12 teaching career, no matter what or where you teach in the future.

This is only offered once per year, so if you’ve been waiting for a chance to finally get your teaching life organized, to feel on top of your time, and to plan ahead without burnout—this is it.

Spaces are limited. Sign up below for my cohort or others happening this fall, winter, and spring:

https://rocketpd.com/cohorts/unlocking-teacher-productivity-with-angela-watson/