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.
EP282 Where I’m going: Reflections on what excites me about my work & the future of schools
EP281 Why planning ahead can be a form of self-care (with Lisa Woodruff)
EP280 Where I’m at: Reflections on who I’ve become as a person and educator
EP279 Summit sneak peek: K-12 teachers share their favorite timesaving tips & tricks
EP278 How I got here: Reflections on 20 years of sharing teaching ideas online
EP277 Can you do "fewer things, better" when there's a staff shortage?
EP276 Finding flow: How to teach productivity strategies to students
EP275 What does it mean to “bring the best version of yourself” to the classroom? (with Elena Aguilar)
EP274 Unlocking new ways to see learning—and ourselves—through STEM practices (w/ Jason McKenna)
EP273 The power of asking better questions for self-reflection
EP272 The neuroscience of co-thriving with students (with. Dr. Rebecca Branstetter)
EP271 What could be possible if you aimed for B+ work?
EP270 How ChatGPT can reduce your teacher workload (with Dr. Monica Burns)
EP269 Why YOU always seem to be right (and how to tell if you're not)
EP268 A message of encouragement and call to rest: You. Are. Still. Here.
EP267 How to release unrealistic standards and change the stories you’re telling yourself
EP266 Creating change in education without burning out (w/ Dr. Nadia Lopez)
EP265 Why I’m pulling some of my books out of print & rewriting "Awakened"
EP264 Help students do more with less effort using cognitive load theory (with Jennifer Brinkmeyer)
EP263 How to reframe a negative situation when you just can't move on
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