Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers
Education:Courses
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 today’s episode of Truth for Teachers, I’ll 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 flashlight—intense & concentrated. Diffuse thinking is like ambient room lighting—gentle & expansive. When you (or students) can’t 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!)
You’ll also hear how you can teach your students to tap into the power of diffuse thinking. I’ll 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.
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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 it’s okay to struggle with focusing their attention, and learn how to:
Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion.
EP178 How to act (rather than react) and stop wasting class time when kids are off-task
EP177 Rage Becomes Her: Supporting students — and ourselves — in expressing our full range of emotions (with Soraya Chemaly)
EP176 Radical acceptance: How to deal with teaching frustrations you cannot change
EP175 Four myths about great teaching debunked (with Jennifer Gonzalez of Cult of Pedagogy)
EP174 Eight ways to move out of overwhelm when everything feels exhausting
EP173 Breathe for Change: Tools for teacher well-being and mindfulness
EP172 Some things a teacher shouldn't be "neutral" about...
EP171 Teach Like Yourself: Why YOU are the person your students need most (with Dr. Gravity Goldberg)
EP170 Five ridiculously unhelpful things I’ve said to students
EP169 The workshop model: beyond the basics (with Jen Bengel)
EP168 Tell yourself a better story this school year
Summer Series Pt 4: Purpose
Summer Series Pt 3: Authenticity
Summer Series Pt 2: Alignment
Summer Series Pt 1: Presence
EP167 Five summer traps to avoid so you can slow down and rejuvenate
EP166 How Kim Lepre trimmed 15 hours off her workweek
EP165 Overcoming mom guilt / dad guilt
EP164 How do you know when it's time to quit teaching?
EP163 I was a disengaged student who nearly failed high school
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