About

Author Bio

ANGELA WATSON (formerly Powell) has earned international recognition for her unique  contributions to the field of education.  She was first known for Ms. Powell’s Management Ideas for Teachers, a website she created in 2003 to share behavior management strategies, teaching techniques, organizational tips, and Christian devotions. The site was later expanded and renamed TheCornerstoneForTeachers.com.

Angela’s ideas have been featured in a variety of magazine articles, newsletters, and Internet resources, and are utilized in teacher preparation and support programs throughout the nation.    Having earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist, she currently works as an Educational Consultant based in New York City and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Consulting Services

As an Educational Consultant, Angela provides regular and ongoing instructional coaching services to teachers in New York City. She works as both a math coach and literacy coach with a wide range of teachers in grades PreK-8. In this capacity, she models demonstration lessons, supports teachers in lesson and unit planning, provides informal observations and feedback, and helps teachers transform their rooms into functional spaces that support both classroom management and student learning. She frequently assists teachers in creating and utilizing centers, incorporating cooperative learning strategies, and developing and implementing the use of hands-on materials. She also conducts professional development workshops on math, literacy, and family outreach topics, and specializes in Cornerstone Classroom Management seminars. Her presentations often include individual/grade-level consultations and classroom organizational makeovers. Please visit the Consultations page for more information.

Editorial Work

Angela is the Educational Editor for BrainPOP Jr, an award-winning and internationally recognized company that creates animated, curriculum-based content. In this capacity, she outlines movie script topics and creates BrainPOP lesson plans for grades K-12. She also copy edits and content edits the BrainPOP Jr scripts, quizzes, and features to ensure they’re developmentally appropriate and aligned with state standards.

Publishing

Angela published her first book The Cornerstone: Classroom Management That Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient, and Enjoyable in July 2008. She then founded her own publishing house, Due Season Press, and re-released the title under her company on May 1, 2009. Due Season Press is an independent publisher that focuses on educational and inspirational books, and actively strives to restore integrity and transparency to the self-publishing process.

Website Creation

TheCornerstoneForTeachers.com was launched in July 2008, but began in 2003 as Ms. Powell’s Management Ideas for Teachers.  The site boasts of:

* over one million unique visitors (currently over 300,000 a year)
* more than a dozen best-of-web awards
* 75+ pages of free resources
* hundreds of free downloads and classroom photos
* message board forums and live chat rooms

Blogging Experience

Angela began blogging nearly eight years ago and is currently writing two well-respected edublogs. The newest (as of August 2008) is The Cornerstone Blog, which features humorous and insightful reflections on classroom life, relevant commentary on educational news, and useful reviews of both print and online teacher resources. Her second blog is The Cornerstone Devotions for Teachers, which provides spiritual encouragement for educators.  Angela also blogs collaboratively with several other influencial bloggers at In Practice.  In addition, she micro-blogs on Twitter (@Angela_Watson), posts frequent status updates on her Facebook fan page, and contributes regularly to her message board forums The Cornerstone yGroup.

Freelance Writing Articles

Weekly Ed World Column: Ms. Powell’s Organization Tips Read an entire school year’s worth of organizational advice!  Fresh ideas for managing classroom materials, reducing clutter, and overcoming paperwork overload.

Teacher Resources at BrightHub.com Angela is now a regular contributor to both the K-12 Learning Channel and Special Education Channel. Visit Bright Hub to read expertly written articles, ask questions, offer opposing views, and discuss content in a variety of forums for educators.

Education Articles at eHow.com Angela has written dozens of eHow articles as a freelance writer for Demand Studios. Some of her titles include: How to Teach Math Facts, How to Make Math Games for Kids, Planning a Classroomm Party, How to Make a Homemade Pack Organizer for a School Desk, Making Japanese Fans with Children, How to Build Thermometers for Kids,Teach Kids to Use a Compass, and How to Teach Locomotor Skills to Kids.

Featured In

‘Better Teaching’ Newsletters School systems and universities across the country have featured these articles from Angela’s site on brain breaks, grading, family outreach, and more.

Teacher Feature: Token Economies Interview on the innovative ‘World’s Easiest  Token Economy’, a system later referenced on the NEA‘s website.

Teachers.Net Gazette ‘Teacher Feature” Classroom Photos.  Includes a photographic class tour.

Curriculum Contributions

Angela has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and actively seeks opportunities to create and review curricular materials in order to improve the quality of student instruction nationwide.

University of Oregon-OELP Angela’s cooperative learning and transition tip resources were utilized in the creation of an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course for teachers, as part of a collaboration with the University of Oregon. The university also utilized those ideas for a 14 module video and paper manual in a national service project for a US State Department, Office of English Language Programs (OELP) teacher training program.

PGCPS Head Start Curriculum Angela was selected to participate in a district-wide, collaborative effort to create a standardized curriculum and align it with developmentally appropriate objectives for the HeadStart program of Prince George’s County, Maryland.  This undertaking resulted in a uniform district curriculum complete with sample lesson plans and supporting resources impacting over 800 students each year.

Teaching Expertise, Training, and Certification

*  B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Art from Hood College, 1999
*  M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Maryland College, 2002
*  National Board Certification, Early Childhood Generalist, 2006
*  Florida teaching certification (300 hours) in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), 2009
*  11 years classroom teaching experience (grades HeadStart/Pre-K, 2, 3) primarily in Title 1 schools
* Demonstration Teacher and Mentor for new and student teachers for 9 years
*  Extensive inclusion work with students who have ADHD, LD, ED/EI, ODD, autism, and Asperger’s
*  Expertise in differentiated instruction, reading/writing workshop, and balanced literacy

Mission Statement

Angela’s primary mission is to inspire and rejuvenate educators, instilling confidence through practical suggestions for classroom management and instruction.  She aspires to make each reader’s teaching life more effective, efficient, and enjoyable.

Her ultimate goal is to bring increasing glory, honor, and fame to the Lord and turn people’s hearts and minds toward Him through her daily work.

Contact Information

Angela responds personally to every email. You can reach her at angelawatson [at] live [dot] com.