This is the 2nd episode in my 3 part summer podcast series offering a deep dive into my personal story: where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I’m going.

Usually you can listen to my podcast episodes in any order you want, but since this is basically my life story, what I’m sharing in this episode will make a lot more sense if you’ve heard the beginning of what happened.

In this second installment of the three part series, I'm sharing more about the lived experiences and personality traits that shape who I am, how I interact with the world, and the kinds of resources I create.

Content warning: In the second half of the episode, I will share how my religious and spiritual beliefs have changed over the last 20 years. If you're not interested in hearing my experiences in this area, you can listen to the first half of the episode, and I'll let you know when I'm about to shift into discussions of religion.

Listen in as I share:

• My honest answer about whether I miss being in the classroom
• How the focus area I choose for my Masters degree lit a spark that led to the work I'm doing now
• What I discovered about myself through the National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) process
• What my close friendship with the teacher next door taught me about my own strengths and weaknesses as an educator
• The ways being an introvert and empath impact my work and how I see the world
• How I rebounded from religious trauma as a teenager and found a new way back to the Christian faith in my mid-20s
• How spending years doing prison ministry and mentoring the incarcerated has shaped my thinking
• Why I began to feel pushed out of the Christian faith and disillusioned with the doctrine
• Where I'm at now spiritually and what brings me a sense of peace and joy
• How these changes in my belief system, personality, and identity shifts have impacted my marriage

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.

The first FREE online summit focused entirely on saving teachers time is happening July 10th and 11th!

The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit is:

• Entirely online Completely FREE
• Beneficial for all K-12 teacher
• Includes 30+ presentations and roundtable discussions
• Opening and closing keynotes by 40 Hour founder Angela Watson (that’s me)
• No fluff, filler, icebreakers, or pitches: each session is just 15-20 minutes long
• All session presenters are current K-12 classroom teachers + 40 Hour members!

In this podcast episode, you’ll get to listen to excerpts of 8 different presenter’s time-saving tips!

Tip #1: Use learning contracts to transfer ownership of assignments to your students.

Tip #2: Carve out time buckets for life, career, relationships, and self so you can ensure your life isn't just about work. '

Tip #3: Share the grading load with a coworker.

Tip #4: Give fewer assignments and fewer grades.

Tip #5: Give yourself (and your students) something to look forward to when you return to school after the weekend.

Tip #6: Delegate responsibility to students through classroom jobs.

Tip #7: Get ahead in your lessons by batching the task.

Tip #8: Create theme days for specific tasks so you can focus without feeling pulled in so many directions.

If you enjoy these excerpts from the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit, sign up to join us for the full FREE live event happening July 10th and 11th!

And if you can’t attend a session or want to watch and rewatch at your convenience, the Forever Access Pass will get you the recordings, plus a note-taking guide, summary of key ideas for each session, full transcripts, and special bonuses. It’s just $19 right now (the price will increase once the event begins.)

See you at the Summit — sign up to join us here!

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.