Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers
Education:Courses
The expectation that students be fully engaged in learning tasks from the first minute of the class period until the last is known as “bell-to-bell instruction.”
It’s a widely-accepted practice in education, but does neuroscience actually support it?
Bell-to-bell instruction works from the premise that our class time with students is precious and limited, and therefore needs to be maximized. I think we can all agree on that: wasting students’ time and dragging out transitions isn’t beneficial.
But let’s dig deeper into what it means to “make the most of every moment” with students. What if the best way to maximize our instructional time is by NOT attempting to pack every single moment with more work?
The value of offering breaks and downtime to students is self-evident to most educators, and yet many schools and districts don’t permit it.
So, I’ve curated the brain research showing that breaks are absolutely essential for maximal learning and productivity.
I’ll share 6 big takeaways from the research around how the brain learns, and 6 practical ways to incorporate that research into your classroom. My hope is that this podcast/article can be shared to open up conversations about how our schools can better meet the needs of 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.
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EP297 Feedback first: How 2 different teachers help students focus on learning, not grades
EP296 Thinking creatively about tough problems: the power of diffuse thinking for you and your students
EP295 Can banning phones in school help solve the youth mental health crisis? (with Dr. Jean Twenge)
EP294 What does it mean to “teach like yourself’ in 2024? (with Dr. Gravity Goldberg)
EP293 When students don’t want to think for themselves or put in effort, try this.
EP292 How I'm planning and setting goals this year
EP291 Creating space this winter for dreaming and radical reimagination
EP290 The surprising research about how talent is developed (with Dr. Rishi Sriram)
EP289 A practical guide to building students’ attention stamina and ability to focus
EP288 Mindful moment: Finding the calm amidst chaos
EP286 Student-centered learning sounds great, but what’s the reality? (with Erika Walther)
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EP285 Why boys are struggling (and what educators can do about it)
EP284 Ask me anything: Listener questions about my personal + professional life
EP283 Rooted in joy: Creating a classroom culture of equity, belonging, and care (with Dr. Deonna Smith)
EP282 Where I’m going: Reflections on what excites me about my work & the future of schools
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