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Amanda Cardenas

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Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBREAK FOR THE 4TH: Amanda’s Road Trip Advice for Teacher Parents [Ep 265]It’s Amanda here, and if you’ve ever hit the road with a car full of kids (or just your teacher brain trying to stay five steps ahead) you know that summer travel takes some serious strategy. In this solo episode, I’m sharing all my favorite tips for stress-free, memory-filled road trips. From how I set up my car to the genius packing system that saves me from digging through suitcases at midnight, I’ve got you covered.I’m also diving into the nerdy (but fun!) extras that make our trips even better—like our go-to mu...2025-07-0356 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersAARON H. ACEVES: A Conversation about This is Why They Hate Us [Ep 264]This episode lit us up in the best way. Amanda sat down with Aaron H. Aceves, author of This Is Why They Hate Us, for a heartfelt conversation about identity and the power of honest storytelling. Aaron’s openness about his own journey challenged us to reflect on how we, as educators, can lead with vulnerability and create space for students to do the same. His protagonist, Enrique, is messy, hilarious, and deeply real—and that kind of representation matters more than ever in our classrooms.Aaron reminded us that books like his are more than stories—they'r...2025-06-2647 minWhat If I Say Yes? with Lucía CárdenasWhat If I Say Yes? with Lucía Cárdenas79 Amanda Huston - Yes to Begin Again...Amanda Huston, introduced to me by my dear friend Victoria, resides with her family in Oregon. She's a constant scholar and a wannabe helper to all. She's learning to set other people's expectations aside to Begin Again to explore and find new paths, and she's been lucky enough to find beloved mentors and friends along every step of the path.* Original music by Luis Cárdenas-Aceves.* This interview was published on YouTube (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatifisayyes2022⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) on June 24, 2025.2025-06-2445 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersAIMEE PHAN: A Conversation about The Lost Queen Part 2 [Ep 263]We’re so excited to share part two of our conversation with Aimee Phan, author of The Lost Queen! If you caught part one, you already know how rich and thoughtful this discussion is. In this episode, we dive deeper into how retellings like The Lost Queen can help students see that stories aren’t set in stone—and that they have the freedom to make stories their own. Aimee shares how the creative process can empower young writers to take risks, explore identity, and find their voice.We also talk about the evolution of Vietnamese American litera...2025-06-1924 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersAIMEE PHAN: A Conversation about The Lost Queen Part 1 [Ep 262]What if the legendary queens of Vietnamese history were reborn as modern-day teens in California? In this episode, we chat with author and educator Aimee Phan about her brand new YA fantasy novel, The Lost Queen. Aimee shares how her experience growing up as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees—and the absence of Vietnamese stories in the books she read—inspired her to create stories that center Vietnamese culture, history, and identity. From dragons and time travel to reimagined mythology, Aimee takes us behind the scenes of a novel that’s as empowering as it is imaginative.We als...2025-06-1235 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersSAMIRA AHMED: A Conversation About Internment, Part 2 [Ep 261]In part two of our conversation with author Samira Ahmed, we deep dive into the genre of Internment—is it dystopian, speculative, or realistic fiction?—and why that label matters in the classroom. What starts as a conversation about shelving quickly becomes an exploration of how genre influences student thinking, how we can break down subject silos in education, and why teaching through inquiry is more critical than ever. Samira shares insights on the emotional toll of teaching today, the urgency of connecting past and present injustices, and her belief that “teaching is a revolutionary act.” This episode is a remind...2025-06-0547 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersSAMIRA AHMED: A Conversation About Internment, Part 1 [Ep 260]Camp BNT is back for year three, and we’re kicking things off with bestselling author (and former high school English teacher!) Samira Ahmed. In this episode, Samira shares how her time in the classroom shaped her writing, the inspiration behind Internment, and how educators can use essential questions to spark powerful conversations. Plus, get a sneak peek at her upcoming projects—and hear why she’s so passionate about writing for teens. This is part one of a two-part conversation you won’t want to miss!Resources:Sign up for Camp BNTSummer Reading RescueIn...2025-05-291h 05Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: A Fantasy Choice Unit Approach for 11- 12 Grade ELA [Ep 259]We’re wrapping up our Hero’s Journey series with a fresh twist—this time through the lens of fantasy in eleventh-grade American Literature. Marie shares how she took a bold leap by introducing a fantasy choice novel unit, transforming student engagement and challenging traditional ideas of what counts as “American Lit.” This episode ties together our vertical alignment approach from earlier grades and emphasizes how thoughtfully crafted essential questions and genre expansion can deepen student connection and critical thinking.We also dive into the power of student choice, sharing how Socratic seminars, rhetorical analysis, and multimedia pairings h...2025-05-2233 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: Studying the Odyssey for 9-10 Grade ELA [Ep 258]Teaching The Odyssey doesn’t have to be stuck in surface-level plot points. It can be the unit where students are guided through their own epic journeys!In this third episode of our Hero’s Journey series, we’re diving into how we’ve completely reimagined teaching The Odyssey to ninth graders. If you’ve been following along, you know we started this series with an overview of using the Hero’s Journey as a curriculum tool, then explored what it looks like in middle school using The Hobbit. Now we’re shifting the focus to high school—and it’...2025-05-1521 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: Studying The Hobbit for Middle School ELA [Ep 257]Let’s be honest—The Hobbit isn’t always a crowd-pleaser in middle school, but in this episode, we’re sharing how to turn it into a powerful, skills-based exploration of the hero’s journey. We dive into using essential questions, shifting focus from content to critical thinking, and using tools like our favorite evidence tracker to make Bilbo’s transformation come alive. Plus, we chat about modern pairings and why it’s okay if your students don’t read every page. This one’s all about making fantasy feel relevant, engaging, and fun—for you and your students.Resources:2025-05-0825 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: Dos and Don’ts of Unit Design [Ep 256]We’re kicking off a new four-part series all about teaching the Hero’s Journey—starting with the dos and don’ts of unit design. In this episode, we share how this timeless framework can lead to deeper thinking, richer discussions, and yes… even a newfound love for fantasy (spoiler: one of us used to be a skeptic!). You’ll walk away with essential questions to anchor your units AND a free evidence tracker to help students go beyond surface-level plot.Resources:Freebie: Hero’s Journey Evidence TrackerJoin Happy Hour!Shop more BNT resourcesRelated E...2025-05-0137 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTHE WORST ACTIVITIES TO USE IN ELA (and How to Make Them Better) [Ep 255]We’ve all had those end-of-year activities that looked great on paper—but quickly turned into chaos in the classroom. In this episode, we’re sharing some of our own “what were we thinking?” moments, along with practical strategies to help you rethink and rescue those well-intentioned lessons. From creative writing prompts that actually work to research assignments that don’t overwhelm, we’re diving into how structure and clarity can save your sanity this time of year!Resources:End of Year Activity Bundle for Secondary ELABuild a Story: Summer Break CountdownEnd of Year Countdown - Fa...2025-04-2431 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersLOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR: Fundraising Ideas for Books (Book Fairs & Read-a-Thons) [Ep 254]Looking for a way to fundraise and build a love of reading in your school? In this episode, we share how a well-planned Read-a-Thon can bring in big funds for books while creating a strong literacy culture. Amanda walks through her recent experience running a successful Read-a-Thon, including choosing a platform, organizing volunteers, and getting local businesses involved. We’re also talking about the perks of hosting a book fair (yes, in high school) to set the stage for an amazing school year ahead!Amanda has compiled her step-by-step process for hosting a read-a-thon into a resource fo...2025-04-1734 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersSUMMER READING RESCUE - PART 2 [Ep 253]What if summer reading didn’t have to feel like a chore for students or teachers?In part two of our Summer Reading Rescue series, I’m continuing the conversation about how we can reimagine summer reading programs to actually work, and even bring joy back to reading. We know the summer slide is real, and in part one, I laid the groundwork by talking about the research and the importance of having a clear PURPOSE behind your program. Today, we’re diving into the next two pillars: CHOICE and INTERACTION.I’m sharing practical ways to...2025-04-1045 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersSUMMER READING RESCUE - PART 1 [Ep 252]What the research tells us is clear: reading skills are lost over the summer.  And that loss is not equitably distributed among our student population.  It’s estimated that low income students can lose up to two months of reading achievement over the summer - much more than more affluent students.So we are faced with a dilemma: we know that the summer slide is real, but we also know that forcing students to read over the summer hasn’t necessarily worked for many of us.In today’s episode, Amanda makes the case for...2025-04-0341 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTEACHERS REACT: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - Part 2 [Ep 251]Did you catch last week’s episode? If not, listen here! In that conversation, we gave our initial reaction to the Atlantic article, The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books. Need the TL;DR? The article claims Gen Z is reading the fewest amount of books in recent history and some of the adverse effects of shifting to skill-focused learning. Today, we’re continuing the discussion, with a focus on college readiness.  The article shares the perspective of college professors who are finding their students unable to keep up with the reading. So what does that sa...2025-03-2727 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTEACHERS REACT: The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books, Part 1 [Ep 250]Are students reading less than ever before? In this episode, we dive into The Atlantic article The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books and unpack its bold claims about reading full books, attention spans, technology, and the shift toward skill-focused education. We’re asking the tough questions and sharing our real reactions!One thing is for sure. If we want students to read, we need to be intentional about how we build our curriculum! Grab our discussion guide to reflect on this conversation, and join Curriculum Rehab for the tools to create engaging, student-centered lessons. Plus...2025-03-2035 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTRENDING BOOKS: SPRING TITLES [Ep 249]Today we’re fully embracing the energy of spring - because what better time to refresh our bookshelves and reignite our love for reading?! We’re buzzing with excitement over all the amazing new releases coming out, from Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life to John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis. If you’re anything like us, your TBR list is about to explode, and honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way!We’re sharing our top books that we cannot wait to read this spring, and hopefully this episode is coming your way just in time f...2025-03-1330 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersDAY IN THE LIFE WITH MARIE [Ep 248]Marie here! Did you know that I teach high school English AND theatre? From early mornings with (multiple cups of) coffee in hand to juggling English lessons and theatre rehearsals, my days as a high school teacher are anything but boring. In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of a typical day in my life - showing you how I bring creativity into my classroom and balance all the moving parts of being a teacher.This day was extra special because I am transforming my English classroom into a giant cozy reading fort. I’m br...2025-03-0620 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTHE NOVELS IN VERSE COLLECTION: Assessments [Ep 247]Assessments don’t have to be boring, stressful, or one-size-fits-all - and in this episode, we’re proving why! As we wrap up our Novels in Verse series, we’re diving into fresh, creative ways to assess student learning that go beyond the standard essay. Whether you love assessments or dread them, this conversation will challenge the way you think about measuring student growth.We’re breaking down the balance between formative and summative assessments and sharing how small, intentional check-ins (like Sesame Street quizzes!) can build toward deeper, more meaningful final projects. You’ll hear how centering...2025-02-2722 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTHE NOVELS IN VERSE COLLECTION: Gateway Activity Ideas [Ep 245]Ever struggled to get students excited about novels in verse? In this episode, we’re sharing creative, low-pressure ways to ease them into poetry analysis without the overwhelm. With engaging, hands-on activities, you’ll learn how to make storytelling through verse feel accessible and fun from day one. As we always say, a good gateway can make or break a unit! 💥One of the biggest game-changers is meeting students where they are. By tapping into things they already love, like music and interactive learning, you can help them see the connections between poetry and storytelling in a way tha...2025-02-1321 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTHE NOVELS IN VERSE COLLECTION: Unit Possibilities [243]Have you ever considered how novels in verse can transform the way you teach poetry and literature? In this episode, we dive into the world of narrative verse and explore how these texts, like The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, can bring poetry to life in your classroom!With their accessible format and rich themes, novels in verse offer endless possibilities for fostering student engagement while covering essential literary skills and perspectives. We’re breaking down two powerful approaches to teaching these texts: a skill-based focus and a theme-based focus. Whether you’re filling gaps in poetry inst...2025-01-3025 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersNEW YEAR AT BNT: New Books for Teachers [Ep 239]Happy New Year, Brave New Teachers! 🎉In this episode of the "Brave New Teaching" podcast, hosts Marie and Amanda chat about their reading goals for 2025, highlighting how literature can really boost both personal and professional growth. They toss around some great book recommendations like "The Poppy War" by R.F. Kuang, and they’re super excited about discovering new authors and upcoming book releases. They also explore the fun idea of starting family book clubs and the joy of sharing reading adventures with kids. Marie's Books:Financial FeministThis is So Awkward: Modern Puber...2025-01-0226 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers238. LOOKING BACK/LOOKING FORWARDTeachers, it’s the home stretch to winter break and we hope you’re hanging in there! It’s hard to believe, but this is the LAST Brave New Teaching episode of 2024. It’s been quite a year, and we want to take a moment to reflect on the challenges and triumphs from the year. You’ll hear about our favorite podcast highlights and personal highlights from 2024, including interviewing incredible authors, featuring our kids on the podcast, and traveling to schools to offer PD to teachers. Plus, we’re sharing three big changes regarding this podcast and Happy Hour th...2024-12-1935 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers237. CHILL! WE HAVE YOUR SUB PLANS COVERED!Grab our Sub Plan FREEBIE here!We’ve all had those days. The days when something happens and you just can’t go to work. You caught the stomach bug, your child is sick, or you have an emergency. Whatever the reason, the only thing worse is knowing that you have to scramble to put sub plans together!You don’t want your students to have a waste of a day, but you also don’t have the time to whip something together that fits into the unit you’re currently working on. Well friends, we’ve been...2024-12-1240 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers236. THE BNT BOOKS OF 2024As we approach the end of 2024, it’s the perfect time for an updated book recommendation episode. At the time of this recording, one of us is in a bit of a reading rut and the other is absolutely killing it! Whether you’re struggling to pick up a book in this season or can’t get through them fast enough, you’re in the right place.Today we’re sharing our favorite books of 2024 - and there’s something for everyone. We have picks in all the genres from fantasy to historical fiction to YA and more. All th...2024-12-0531 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers234. The Art of Analysis: Scenario and Game-Based Strategies that are FUN (Part 3/3)In this episode of Brave New Teaching, Amanda finishes a three-part series on teaching different types of analysis, this time focusing on scenario-based and game-based teaching methods. Amanda, a former English teacher from Illinois, leads the discussion, sharing three specific lesson ideas: Rhetoric Roll-the-Dice and The Spare Change Gameshow. The episode contains a full walk through of implementation ideas for each type of lesson, so tune in for an episode bursting with inspiration and practical next steps for a lesson you can use tomorrow!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can...2024-11-2734 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers233. The Art of Analysis: 3 Visual Tactics to Teach Analysis (Part 2/3)In this episode of Brave New Teaching, Amanda continues a three-part series on teaching different types of analysis, this time focusing on visual teaching strategies to help students break apart a text. Amanda, a former English teacher from Illinois, leads the discussion, sharing three specific lesson ideas:  Map it Out, One Pager Quote, and the Literary Polaroid. The episode contains a full walk through of implementation ideas for each type of lesson, so tune in for an episode bursting with inspiration and practical next steps for a lesson you can use tomorrow!"Send us a message - p...2024-11-1534 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers232. The Art of Analysis: A Deep Dive into Personification (Part 1/3)In this episode of Brave New Teaching, Amanda and Marie launch a three-part series on teaching literary analysis, focusing on close reading and personification. Amanda, a former English teacher from Illinois, leads the discussion, sharing insights from a summer training session. She emphasizes the importance of breaking down texts to understand how authors use personification to convey deeper meanings.  The episode includes a detailed analysis of a passage from "I Must Betray You" by Ruta Sepetys, illustrating how personification enhances emotional depth in literature."Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can c...2024-11-0831 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBuilding Strong Writers: An Interview with Christina Schnider of The Daring English Teacher [Ep 230]Let’s be honest…teaching writing can be a struggle. We know that so many of you are seeing challenges with student engagement, confidence, and skills when it comes to writing, and let’s not even get started with AI! If you often feel like no matter what you do, writing just isn’t sticking for your students, then this episode is for you. We’re joined by full-time English teacher and author, Christina Schnider (aka, The Daring English Teacher). Christina has cracked the code on what high school ELA teachers can be doing in the classroom to build st...2024-10-2443 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers5 New Texts to Add to your Gothic Fiction Unit: Guest Collaborators Share New FavesGrab your pumpkin spice latte and favorite sweater, because it’s almost Halloween and there’s no better time than now to read gothic fiction! We’re here to share some new texts with you - roundup style.  You’ll hear from us and three of our ELA friends so you can walk away with fresh stories to add to your gothic fiction archive. You can pair these newer options with the classics (Poe, we’re looking at you!). If you enjoy these suggestions, come join us over in Happy Hour! It’s our monthly membership whe...2024-10-1727 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBuffalo Dreamer: An Interview with Author Violet Duncan [Ep 228]Books are so special because they allow you to see the world from the comfort of your own home (or classroom!). Our guest today, author Violet Duncan, brings part of her world to students around the world through her storytelling. Violet is Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation and began self-publishing books when she didn’t see her family represented on bookshelves.In this episode, Violet shares about her latest book, Buffalo Dreamer. It’s a middle-grade novel that explores Indigenous history, focusing on the legacies of residential schools and the discoveries of unmarked graves. If y...2024-10-1038 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers225. THREE NEW BOOKS FOR YOUR CLASSROOM LIBRARYReady to uplevel your classroom library this year? We’ve got just the thing for you! We’re sitting down with our executive assistant (and full-time ELA teacher) to share our top three new book recommendations. Choosing just one book each wasn’t easy, but we got it done!You’ll hear each of our selections and why we think it deserves a spot on your shelves. From historical to fantasy, we’re confident that this list has something for everyone. They just might become some of your students' favorites this year! For more book recommendat...2024-09-1927 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers214. BNT LIVE (VLOG) WITH AMANDA AND MARIEWe say it each week in our podcast intro: Brave New Teaching is so much more than a podcast. We consider you part of our BNT family and that’s why we want to share a more personal episode with you today.We recently attended the TPT conference together in sunny San Diego, California and brought our mics along so you could join in on the fun. We are bringing you behind the scenes of special moments from the trip from reuniting at the airport to touring Marie’s house and more. We are beyond exci...2024-08-0131 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers212. WHY ALL MY RAGE SHOULD BE ALL THE RAGE IN THE ELA CLASSROOM (BNT '24)Camp BNT is in full swing and it’s time for our YA pick: All My Rage, by Sabaa Tahir. This book is beautifully written and will be so incredibly easy for your students to connect with. At the same time, it covers some very challenging topics, so much so that one of us had difficulty getting through it.Inside this episode, we’re sharing an overview of All My Rage, why we chose to highlight it this summer, what to know before reading, and examples of how you can use it with your students. We hope that...2024-07-1830 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers209. WELCOME TO CAMP BNT 2024: YOUR SUMMER TEACHER BUCKET LISTIt’s officially summer and that means Camp BNT is kicking off! We’re back for round two of Camp BNT and we’ve made some adjustments since last year that we’re excited to share with you.Last summer, we interviewed several incredible authors. You can catch up on those interviews and 2023 Camp BNT content inside episodes 152-166. Today, we’re beginning to think about our summer bucket lists and are encouraging you to do the same. Plus, you’ll get a glimpse at what’s lined up on our summer book stack from a YA novel to a PD...2024-06-2740 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers208. LIVING WITH ADHD: AMANDA'S JOURNEY TO DIAGNOSISJust like our students are unique and have brains that work in different ways, the same is true for us as teachers. The more information that we have about our students, and ourselves, the better we can support them and appreciate their individuality. Today it’s just me, Amanda, and I’m taking a risk as I get incredibly vulnerable behind the mic. I’ve had suspicions that I may have ADHD and decided to start my journey towards a diagnosis so that I can figure out how my brain works and make improvements in my physical and men...2024-06-2052 minSchool of Sellers: TPT Strategies, Tips, + Seller StoriesSchool of Sellers: TPT Strategies, Tips, + Seller Stories132. Diversify Your Teacher Business: All About In-Person PD With Amanda CardenasWe're kicking off a series on diversifying with Amanda Cardenas, founder of Mudd and Ink Teaching and cohost of the Brave New Teaching podcast. Amanda chats with me about diversifying her teacher business through in-person professional development. She shares her journey from selling on TPT to discovering her passion for in-person PD and speaking engagements. Amanda opens up about the personal challenges she faces in embracing her role as a professional development leader, particularly dealing with anxiety and self-doubt. Her candid sharing about breaking the traditional teacher money mindset and the transition from a classroom teacher to a...2024-06-1734 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers204. STOP MAKING THESE ASSESSMENT MISTAKESAre you tired of constant reading quizzes that you give just because you feel like that’s what you’re supposed to do? If so, you likely realize that you aren’t getting the data and information you need to know about your students’ understanding from them. We’ve been there and we get it!Assessment is legitimately the most important part when you're looking at data and metrics of education. But in order to get actual, usable data that informs your instruction, you need aligned formative assessments that assess students along the way, making sure that their skil...2024-05-2343 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers199. LESSON PLAN RESCUE: NOT ENOUGH BOOKSWhat do you do when you aren’t provided enough copies of books for every student? Unfortunately, this is a real problem that ELA teachers are facing. We know how incredibly frustrating and problematic this is for both teachers and students!  You want students to be engaged with the book. You know how important it is for students to read at home and dedicate class time to instruction. But access to limited materials is not allowing that to happen. Today we’re back with a lesson plan rescue! We’re sharing creative and productive ideas to overc...2024-04-1835 minAnti-Burnout For English Teachers, a podcast for inspired teachingAnti-Burnout For English Teachers, a podcast for inspired teaching39. Plot Twist Summit Series: talking essential questions and unit planning with Amanda CardenasIn this episode the podcast I welcomed Amanda Cardenas to discuss essential questions. Amanda shares why crafting inquiry units with essential questions is so important to her, tips for creating essential questions, and how she went about creating her most recent unit offering for Othello. Join us at Plot Twist! a summit on reading choice: https://english-classroom-architect.thrivecart.com/plot-twist-choice-reading/ Get to Know Amanda! Instagram @mudandinkteaching: https://www.instagram.com/mudandinkteaching/?hl=en Her website: www.mudandinkteaching.com Brave New Teaching Podcast: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/2024-04-1539 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers193. DIVERSE VOICES: FEMALE VOICES TO CENTER IN YOUR ELA CLASSROOMIt’s officially Women’s History Month and we’re absolutely celebrating here at Brave New Teaching! While we firmly believe that we should be doing this work all year round, it’s still powerful to pause and have some intentionality behind what’s being celebrated this month. For us, that’s not only women’s voices, but also women’s issues, both past and present.In today’s episode, we’re highlighting different female voices and resources that you can use with your students this month from poetry to speeches to film and more. Celebrating these voices from all diff...2024-03-0730 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers192. 6 NON-NEGOTIABLES FOR EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ELA TEACHERSHow many times have you sat through a Professional Development Training and thought “This is not the best use of my time”? As an ELA teacher with a to-do list a mile long, there’s nothing worse than feeling like your time is wasted or you aren’t walking away from a PD session with strategies you can actually use to better your instruction.That’s where I (Amanda) come in! In 2021 I stepped away from the classroom and have been working hard to fulfill my dream of being a professional development leader, specifically in the inquiry space for...2024-02-2935 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers191. PROJECT BASED LEARNING: AN INTERVIEW WITH DANIELLE HICKSDo you enjoy assigning projects in your class, but have found that small group projects come with a whole new set of challenges? Whole-class projects may be your answer. Our guest today, Danielle Hicks, has found great success with whole-class engagement projects and is here to share about her experience.If the thought of one big giant project brings immediate overwhelm, stick with us. Sometimes veering away from traditional approaches is exactly what we need to spark creativity and collaboration among our students! In this episode you’ll hear how this type of group learning is also personalized, th...2024-02-2232 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers190. LESSON PLAN RESCUE: PROCRASTINATING & UNPRODUCTIVE CLASS WORK TIMEDo you struggle to find a solution for unproductive student work time? We hear you, and we’re here to help with a new lesson plan rescue episode! When our precious class time is not spent the way we hope for, it throws everything off balance like our planning, grading, and student progress…which is enough to drive you crazy! There’s no one hack to combat this, but instead, we’ve discovered the need for a mindset shift.Today we’re discussing why we need to be meeting students where they are, effective grading and assignm...2024-02-1531 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers189. 5 WAYS TO USE AI POWERS FOR GOOD IN THE ELA CLASSROOMWhen AI first came on the scene in a big way, there was a lot of panic. In the world of education, there were (and still are!) concerns about how it could make cheating easier for students. However, we all know it’s here to stay and we’ve learned that there are lots of positive ways that AI is changing the classroom.Today we’re sharing four ways that you can use AI for good in the ELA classroom. It’s really exciting to think about all the ways AI can be used to better engage students, have som...2024-02-0839 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers188. HOW TO BATCH PLAN FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS (SPOTLIGHT ON SESAME STREET QUIZZES)Do you batch anything in your life? Some people like to batch their meal prep or batch laundry duties. We’re big fans of batching here at Brave New Teaching, and that includes batch planning!Not only can batch planning save you time, but it can also keep you organized and better prepared for what’s to come in your teaching. Today we’re sharing all about what batch planning is, why it’s such a game-changer, and what it looks like in action for us, specifically when it comes to batch planning formative assessments like Sesame Street Q...2024-02-0136 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers187. OUR FAVORITE THINGS: TEACHER LIFE 2024We’re teachers, and this is a teaching podcast, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have interests beyond the world of education! We want to be a consistent reminder to you that as much as we love nerding out over curriculum, and as much as we love what we do, teaching can’t be the only thing we do.We talked about setting intentions inside episode 185 and shared a free Intention Journal that you can download. Setting intentions is going to help gently push you to think about, and follow through with, things that will help you...2024-01-1840 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers186. TEACHER PLANNING 101: OUR SIX BEST PLANNING TIPSIt’s the beginning of a new calendar year, which means planning is probably a hot topic on your mind. Today’s episode will help you get your wheels turning in terms of planning the upcoming second half of the school year, or whatever time of year may be ahead of you!Teacher planning is a subject that we talk a lot about on the podcast, so we’ve put together some of our best tidbits from episodes in the past. Instead of just listing the episodes out for you to go back to (although you could do tha...2024-01-1141 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers185. SETTING INTENTIONS: MINDFUL TEACHING IN THE NEW YEARHappy 2024! It’s a new year, so we thought we’d try something new to help you really get the most out of 2024. Today we’re debuting The Brave New Teaching Challenge, and it’s all about setting intentions for your year.Here’s the best part about this challenge. We’re doing it together one step at a time. We know from firsthand experience that we are better teachers when we are in community with other teachers who get it and when we push ourselves a little bit outside of our comfort zones. We have six inte...2024-01-0434 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers184. WHAT WE'RE READING NEXT IN 2024In episode 183, we shared our top reads from 2023. You can probably guess what we’re going to do next. That’s right, it’s time to make our 2024 TBR list. New year, new books, new you!If you’re new around here, you should know that we are total book nerds. We like reading books by ourselves, with our students, with our children, and in book clubs. Hard copy, Kindle, Audible…give us all the books! We love sharing our latest reads with you and are excited to fill you in on what’s on our shelves f...2023-12-2831 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers181. UNPOPULAR OPINIONS: FINAL EXAMS (COLLABISODE)It’s time to unleash the sass! We’ve got another unpopular opinion episode for you today. These episodes are always popular with our Brave New Teaching audience and today some of YOU are contributing to the conversation.If you despise the way that final exams are traditionally given, you are most definitely not alone! There is a good reason that you feel this way. Final exams are not research based or best practice. We are here to back you up and validate your feelings and you can help keep this conversation going by passing this episode alon...2023-12-0730 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers180. THE ONE PAGER QUIZ: A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT WALKTHROUGHWe understand the importance (and challenge) of finding engaging and effective ways to assess student learning. That’s why we created a F-R–E-E masterclass that walks you through three formative assessments that will change the way you teach reading.In this episode, you’ll hear a snipper of this masterclass, which focuses on the one pager quiz. Generally in the world of ELA, one pagers are thought of as a summative assessment. But in this training, we share how to use them as formative assessments.One pager quizzes are just one of the changes that w...2023-11-3016 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers177. THE ULTIMATE TEACHER-GROWTH PROGRAM: MODERN CLASSROOMS PROJECTTeaching and learning is not a one-size-fits-all, which is why we need to redesign our classrooms in order to meet the needs of all our students. Today’s guest will give you a dose of inspiration to help you thrive in today’s teaching climate.Kareem Farah, co-founder of the Modern Classrooms Project, is a former teacher who recognized the need for a teaching model that meets the diverse needs of his students. Fueled by his desire to make a difference, Kareem and others developed an instructional approach that is now being scaled across the country…the blende...2023-11-0950 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers176. LESSON PLAN RESCUE: LITERARY TERMSLet’s paint a picture of a scenario that most of us have likely been in at one point or another. You have a list of literary terms that you want your students to learn. You’re teaching them over and over (and over) again. You’ve given them the lists. You’ve played Kahoot and Jeopardy. You’ve done all the things, and yet, your students still can’t analyze literacy terms.Sound familiar? Well, have you tried caring less and letting them cheat? We know it sounds crazy, but hear us out! It actually make...2023-11-0236 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers174. SYNTHESIS ESSAY LIVE COACHINGWe recently hosted a live training session with members of the Brave New Teaching community and let’s just say, it was pretty awesome! During this training, we focused on teaching and guiding students through the process of synthesis writing.So today in this podcast episode, we’re bringing you part of that live session. You’ll hear us talking through writing a prompt, using essential questions, and other things to keep in mind when you are crafting a prompt for a synthesis writing assignment. Plus, we give a couple of different options for outlining. After l...2023-10-1930 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers173. PICTURE BOOK LESSON WALKTHROUGH (RE-RUN)Using picture books is one of our favorite strategies for opening up a unit or individual lesson. Without fail, it always  sparks interest and gets students excited to learn about the topic at hand! Tune in to hear us walk through a lesson plan using one of our favorite picture books to introduce a unit in Dystopia.Not only is leveraging picture books a way to level up your engagement, but it is also a great practice in inclusive instruction. It’s a fantastic way for your entire class to be able to access the same text and...2023-10-1234 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers172. 3 SECRETS TO TEACHING DYSTOPIAWhat time is it? Dystopia time! We all know how important it is to engage our students with relevant and thought-provoking content, and dystopia is the perfect genre to do just that. Today we’re sharing three secrets to teaching dystopia that will help you get the most out of your units. It’s not just about reading dystopian novels. Dystopia is a great opportunity for our students to dig deep, think critically, and connect with characters. We’ll discuss strategies such as how to contextualize current events and legislation alongside these texts, allowing our students to bridge...2023-10-0532 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers171. NEW DYSTOPIAN TEXTS & SUPPLEMENTS FOR YOUR ELA CLASSROOMMany of you have been eagerly waiting for us to dive back into the dystopian genre. You don’t have to ask us twice! We love any excuse to geek out over dystopian literature and that’s exactly what we’re doing today.We have a fresh book list update for you to help you rethink some ideas moving forward in your own dystopia units. Whether you’re looking for something that’s an all-class text, student choice, book club, or lit circle, there’s something here for everyone.Books We Mention in This Episode:...2023-09-2841 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers170. LESSON PLAN RESCUE: CLOSE READING SOLUTIONSA few months ago, we sent out a listener survey to get a feel for what you wanted to hear more of on the Brave New Teaching podcast. The overwhelming consensus was that you wanted detailed lesson advice. We hear you and we’re ready to deliver with our new “lesson plan rescue” series!Today we’re zoning in on one of our favorite things to talk about - close reading. Have you ever been in a situation where you’re in a good rhythm of close reading in your classroom but then things start to feel super repe...2023-09-2127 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers169. SUMMER READING DEBRIEF & FALL BOOKS FOR OUR TBRIt’s time for another reading update! We’re sharing what we read (and loved) this summer, and what we plan to read this fall. These updates seem to help us keep up with our reading and we hope it does the same for you.We have a variety of recommendations today from historical fiction, YA, and fantasy, to plays and musicals. You can see our recommendations below or shop our full lists here and here.Resources:Join Happy Hour!Reduced Shakespeare Company YouTubeMarie's Amazon Book Stack ListAmanda's ListLearn to teach the Synt...2023-09-1439 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers168. MISTAKES WE'VE MADE: BACK TO SCHOOLWhether you’re a first year teacher or a teacher with 20+ years of experience, we all make mistakes throughout the school year. These mistakes ultimately teach us how to pivot and do things differently in the future.We’ve made our fair share of mistakes, and today we’re sharing four that made specifically during the back to school season. From comparing student rosters to giving too much information on the first day of school, we hope you can avoid these mistakes as you kick off the year!Plus, you’ll hear a new podcast segment...2023-09-0740 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers166. LESSON PLAN INSPIRATION WITH ELIZABETH ACEVEDO: AN INTERVIEW DEBRIEFIt’s sad, but true. Camp BNT is coming to a close with this episode (at least for this year!). We’re wrapping things up with a debrief from our interview with Elizabeth Acevedo, author of Family Lore. If you haven’t already heard that episode, run and listen to it now! You’ll hear us think through ideas in real time of how to use Elizabeth’s novels in your classroom. With a range of students, including those in AP Lit, general education, and special education, we understand the importance of catering to different learning needs. We delve in...2023-08-2437 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers165. FAMILY LORE & OTHER STORIES WE LOVE: AN INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH ACEVEDOWhen we started this podcast at the beginning of 2020, it stemmed from a desire to create a space for like-minded teachers. We wanted to have the conversations that you craved, but might not be getting at your schools. It’s turned into something bigger than we ever could have imagined. We appreciate you doing things to support this show like listening every week and leaving your reviews on Apple Podcasts.YOU are one of the big reasons that we have been able to get an interview with today’s guest, Elizabeth Acevedo. We are beyond thrilled that we h...2023-08-171h 00Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers164. FIND YOUR JOY: INTERVIEW DEBRIEF & BOOK PREVIEWCamp BNT is still going strong! If you’re new to this summer series, we have interviewed several authors to uncover highlights, takeaways, and reflections to help us have a more intentional approach to creating culturally responsive and equitable classrooms. Last week we interviewed the incredible Dr. Deonna Smith, author of Rooted in Joy: Creating a Classroom Culture of Equity, Belonging, and Care. Be sure to tune in to episode 163 if you missed that conversation!Today we’re doing a full debrief of the interview. Since Rooted in Joy falls into the PD category, we are...2023-08-1031 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers162. STRATEGY RECALL - HEXAGONAL THINKING WITH BETSY POTASHThis week we're bringing you a rerun from very early in the podcast to help refresh our minds on some strategy.  Amanda had the pleasure of interviewing Betsy Potash from Spark Creativity. Their conversation centers on hexagonal thinking, and you'll want a pen and notepad handy for this one - so many good ideas!! Enjoy!CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy2023-07-2729 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers161. A SUMMER READING UPDATE: BEST READS OF 2023 SO FARThis summer we’ve been busy running the best summer camp around…Camp BNT! We’ve had the opportunity to host several authors on the podcast during this series, followed by a debrief episode with our takeaways and actionable ways that you can use each text specifically. It’s all part of our mission to support you in your culturally responsive and equitable teaching practices.If you are just now joining the party, welcome! We encourage you to go back and listen to episodes 151-160. And don’t forget to join in on the conversation inside our Camp BNT F...2023-07-2037 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers160. INDIGENOUS PEDAGOGIES: BOOK PREVIEW & ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYSInside episode 159, we interviewed author and educator, Jo Chrona. This week, in true Camp BNT fashion, we are sitting down for a formal debrief of that conversation.We spent time talking to Jo about her why, her background, and her book, Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies – An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education 2022. It’s a must read for non-Indigenous educators who are new to the conversation or want to deepen their learning.This book will explore topics such as how indigengeous knowledge systems inform our teaching practices and enhance education, and how to create an educ...2023-07-1327 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers159. INDIGENOUS EDUCATION ISN'T MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION: AN INTERVIEW WITH JO CHRONADid you know that British Columbia is home to the largest number of First Nations in the entire country? There are more indigenous languages spoken there than in the rest of Canada combined. We learned this and so much more from our interview with Jo Chrona.Jo is an educator, author, and advocate for indigenous education and is here to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with us. Throughout the interview, Jo emphasizes the importance of creating environments that respond to the whole person and the need to model a commitment to lifelong learning for our...2023-07-0654 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers158. MODERN FOLKTALES: A DEBRIEF & UNIT OVERVIEWHave you listened to episode 157 yet? If not, go check that out before listening to this one! Inside that episode, we interview middle grades author, Diana López. During our conversation with Diana, we discussed her career as a former middle school teacher, how she became an author, and how her stories were born from her own experiences growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas. We also got to hear the details of Diana’s latest book, Felice and the Wailing Woman. During this follow-up episode, we unpack our takeaways from the interview and share...2023-06-2942 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersUnit Makeover feat. Ruta Sepetys: Historical Fiction, Research, and StorytellingDid you catch our two part interview series with New York Times Bestselling Author, Ruta Sepetys? If not, you can check out part one in episode 152 and part two in episode 153. (Quick update: I, Amanda, have since met Ruta in real life on her book tour!)Now that the interview is over, we are dedicating this episode to two main things - a full debrief and to strategize how you can practically integrate her texts into your curriculum.We’ll share what our big takeaways were from our conversation with Ruta. Then, we’ll di...2023-06-0142 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 147: THE MAGIC OF THE POETIC TURN - AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. MICHAEL THEUNEBrave New Teaching friends, it’s Amanda here, and I’m so incredibly excited to share today’s guest episode with you! It features Dr. Michael Theune, who was one of my professors during undergrad. This conversation highlights two topics that are, in my experience, unequivocally the areas where students often feel lost, and that is poetry and creative writing. We’re here to dispel the myth that poetry has to be difficult and empower you to feel comfortable, confident, and excited to teach it.One key element to focus on when teaching poetry is the poeti...2023-04-1345 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 145: TEACHING POETRY WITH THE BIG SIX (RE-RUN)We’re giving you a re-run of a two part series we did on poetry at the very beginning of the podcast!  Amanda and Marie dive into teaching poetry - the why, the how, and more! Listen for an in-depth breakdown of actionable strategies to build your poetry-teaching confidence! Show Notes: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/toteachpoetryClick here to join Happy Hour!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bra...2023-03-3051 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 141: BNT READING UPDATES: GREAT READS AND NEW TBRSWhat type of reader have you been lately? Are you moving through books like crazy or barely getting through a chapter a week? Either way, we get it. Just because we’re ELA teachers, that doesn’t mean we always have the time or energy to read outside work hours.Back in episode 131, we shared our list of books we couldn’t wait to read in 2023, and well, let’s just say we haven’t gotten to them all! That’s why this week we’re sharing our reviews on what we have read recently, and what’s on...2023-03-0243 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 140: INDEPENDENT READING SERIES (INTERVIEW WITH ABBY GROSS)Did you catch episode 139 with Dr. Jenna Copper? We talked all about independent reading and student choice at the high school level. Today we’re continuing our independent reading series with our friend, Abby Gross.This one is for all of our middle school teacher friends! Abby was a high school teacher who recently moved to middle school. This transition is what gave her the chance to wake up to a whole new set of possibilities for what independent reading could look like in her classroom.We have a feeling that this conversation wi...2023-02-231h 09Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 139: INDEPENDENT READING SERIES (INTERVIEW W/ DR. JENNA COPPER)When we decided to do a series on independent reading, the first name that came to mind was our friend, Dr. Jenna Copper. Jenna has just as much passion and excitement for independent reading and student choice as we do. Plus, she shares Marie’s love of YA fantasy books, which is just the icing on top!In this conversation, we talk about what independent reading has looked like in our classrooms. We also discuss a lot about the exciting ways to position units within your curriculum and how to approach student choice strategically. You’ll love hear...2023-02-1652 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 132: THE YEAR TO COME - BOOKS WE CAN'T WAIT TO READIt’s the last Brave New Teaching episode of 2022, and the time of year for reflection, goal-setting, and thinking about next steps. But first, books! Today, we’re sharing our top picks of books we can’t wait to read in 2023 because if we’re being honest, that’s kind of a top priority for us. Books are a form of self-care, and that includes talking about them and finding different types of books to add to our TBR list. Does that make you as happy as it makes us?You can check out all the books w...2022-12-2940 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 131: A YEAR IN REVIEW - THE BOOKS WE'VE READWe are constantly gushing over our latest reads to each other behind the scenes, and realized that we should probably record these types of conversations for you! As English teachers, books are a huge part of our lives, but not just in the classroom. We love books because they bring us joy, they entertain, they educate, and they can be a great way to connect with others. So, why not talk to you about the books that we read and enjoy?Today you’ll hear our top books from 2022. Happy book browsing, brave new teachers! 2022-12-2248 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 130: TEACHER THERAPY SESSION: PERFECTIONISM & THE HOLIDAYSToday’s episode is truly a gift to the Brave New Teaching community. It’s Amanda here, and I’m joined by my dear friend and life coach, Blair Wilson.I met Blair during 2020 when I was taking my first steps in seeking out therapy and mental help support during the overwhelming experience of pandemic teaching. I knew that I needed to have someone to talk to in order to process through my aspirations, my issues, my questions, and all of the things that were holding me up in my personal life and making teaching particularly difficult at the...2022-12-1548 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEPISODE 121: TEXT PAIRINGS: MACBETH & LONG WAY DOWNIf you’ve been racking your brain for a way to approach a Shakespeare unit in a way that is engaging and impactful for your students, then you’ll want to stick around. This episode is a conversation between Amanda and one of her coaching clients, Kelsi. You’ll get to hear them give all the juicy details about an incredible unit that they designed together.  Kelsi initially came to Amanda for help because her English course was extremely standards-based and focused on teaching for mastery (aka, drill, drill, drill for state testing).  She was struggling to create u...2022-10-1349 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 90: POETRY MARCH MADNESSWhat’s March without March Madness, right? Well my friends, it’s time for not just March Madness, but Poetry March Madness! This is Amanda coming at you solo this week, and I am going to walk you through exactly how to get started with Poetry March Madness. You’ll hear which supplies you're going to need and how you can fit this into your classroom and unique schedule.  Grab my brand new resource, Teaching Poetry with the Big Six: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Poetry-with-The-Big-Six-for-secondary-ELA-7800445 Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: h...2022-03-1022 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 83: COLLABORATIVE READING WORKSHOP: INTERVIEW WITH JOLENEObserving fellow teachers is so beneficial and such a great way to collect new and inspiring ideas to take back to your classroom. Amanda was able to do this recently when she went into the classroom of teacher and author, Jolene Heinemann, to participate in a reader's workshop that Jolene was putting on. Following the workshop, Amanda and Jolene sat down for a debrief in this interview. In addition to learning all about the details of a collaborative reading workshop, you'll also hear about choice reading and why it's so important. Purchase Choice & Voice: How to Champion...2022-01-2040 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 81: ESSENTIAL QUESTION WORKSHOP: DYSTOPIA (WOOHOO!)We’re kicking off season four with one of the topics that we get the most requests for, and that is all things related to essential questions. You want to know how to best write them and use them, so we are sharing a special Dystopian-themed essential question workshop. This workshop is unique because it features a conversation with one of our listeners, Taylor. You'll hear Amanda and Taylor walk through the unfiltered process of crafting an engaging and effective essential question for her Hunger Games unit. Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: brav...2022-01-0641 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 80: (RE-RUN) ESSENTIAL QUESTION WORKSHOP: 12TH GRADE LITToday's episode is a re-run of one of our favorites. Grab your pen and paper because you may want to take notes on the magic that happens in this episode. We’re doing a LIVE essential question workshop, which we haven’t done since last year (by the way, doesn’t last year feel like a decade ago?).  The point of this workshop is for Marie to plan and prepare essential questions for an upcoming 12th grade literature course. The end goal is to help students begin to find ways to recognize all the various parts of themsel...2021-12-3036 minBadass Babe ShowBadass Babe Show#4- Trauma & Emotional Healing with Women In Service Ft Special Guest Allison Schill & Amanda DiamondJoin us on Remembrance Day as we talk to RCMP Office Allison Schill & Veteran Amanda Diamond.  We discuss trauma experienced in careers in service and raise awareness of the emotional healing that needs to take place.  You are not weak. IG: @coachxtinecardenas @evolve_eliteonlinecoaching FB: Christine Cardenas -https://www.facebook.com/evolvehealthandfitnesscoaching Evolve Health & Fitness Coaching - https://www.facebook.com/evolvefunfit Website: www.joinevolve.ca2021-11-2433 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 69: BUILDING CONNECTION WITH CLASSROOM DESIGN FEATURING BETSY POTASHYour classroom is a magical space. It's a place where you and your students spend a good deal of time, and you can design it in a way that fosters a sense of community, inclusivity, comfort, and inspiration. This episode is from The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, and will share several ideas on how you can get creative in creating a classroom space that's right for you! SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/classroom-design-with-betsy-potashMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!2021-10-1426 minSchool of Sellers: TPT Strategies, Tips, + Seller StoriesSchool of Sellers: TPT Strategies, Tips, + Seller StoriesEp 66: Outside-the-box Offers: A Tale of One Seller's Success (With Special Guest Amanda Cardenas)We’ve all heard of Shakespeare festivals, but have you ever heard of Shakespeare Teacher Festivals? Amanda Cardenas from Mud & Ink Teaching is taking things to a much cooler level. She has transformed a brick and mortar event into an online playground for ELA teachers everywhere. Listen in to hear behind-the-scenes details from her festival success and tips about how she was able to make money from a free event!Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for The FB & IG Ads for Listbuilding Bootcamp at https://283731--heartsoulhustle.thrivecart.com/jan25-fb-ig-ads-bootcamp/2021-09-2130 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 64: MAKERSPACE IN THE ELA CLASSROOMAs the great Ms. Frizzle says, take chances, make mistakes, GET MESSY! The same rings true when using a makerspace in your classroom. You name it, it’s possible in a makerspace. In this episode, Amanda is sharing how to get started with building a makerspace, simple materials you can use, and specific examples of activities to try out. She also walks through one of her favorite projects she implemented with her students and what both her and her students gained from it.  REGISTER FOR THE FREE BNT FALL FESTIVAL ON TEACHING DYSTOPIA: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/dyst...2021-09-0927 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 59: ESSENTIAL QUESTION WORKSHOP: 12TH GRADE LITGrab your pen and paper because you may want to take notes on the magic that happens in today’s episode. We’re doing a LIVE essential question workshop, which we haven’t done since last year (by the way, doesn’t last year feel like a decade ago?).    The point of this workshop is for Marie to plan and prepare essential questions for an upcoming 12th grade literature course. The end goal is to help students begin to find ways to recognize all the various parts of themselves through characters in texts.    Lucky...2021-08-0536 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 56: WELCOME TO SEASON 3 - LET'S GET BRAVE!Well hey there podcast besties! It’s been a hot minute, but we are back in action for season three and could not be more excited! Lately we’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be brave. As teachers, there will likely come a time when you have to make big career decisions that aren’t easy to make. It takes a ton of bravery to envision yourself doing something other than being in the classroom.    Over the past year, we have learned a lot and things have really been put into perspect...2021-07-1535 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 46: TO THINK HEXAGONALLYThis week Amanda had the pleasure of interviewing Betsy Potash from Spark Creativity. Their conversation centers on hexagonal thinking, and you'll want a pen and notepad handy for this one - so many good ideas!! Enjoy! CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching...2021-03-0429 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 31: TO GET STARTED WITH ESSENTIAL QUESTIONSWe have another interview with an amazing educator - Kyle Etheridge, who began his teaching career with none other than out own Amanda as his teacher mentor. In today’s interview, Kyle recounts his journey through troubleshooting inquiry-driven curriculum design and teaching as well as an on the spot design of an essential question. Kyle and Amanda are totally honest about their struggles and successes in the classroom and offer some insight that can make your journey that much more inspired. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave Ne...2020-10-2256 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 27: TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS IN THE CLASSROOMOn this episode we are joined with our good friend Amanda Werner from Amanda Write Now, who talks to us about her journey into practicing mindfulness regularly, introducing mindfulness practice with students, and all the ups and downs in between. Enjoy! CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway...2020-09-2444 minThe Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELAThe Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELARemote Teaching: Grading, Discussion, and Building Community with Marie Morris and Amanda CardenasTrying to plan for remote teaching this fall in your high school ELA classes? In this podcast, we're diving into best practices for grading, discussion, building community, first units and more for distance learning this fall. Join me as we chat with guests Marie Morris and Amanda Cardenas. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to sha...2020-06-2339 minO Que os Músicos FazemO Que os Músicos FazemO Que os Músicos Fazem ep. 17 - Da ópera ao musical feat. Amanda SouzaNeste podcast: tudo sobre a rotina dos músicos e todas as oportunidades e abordagens possíveis que esta profissão pode oferecer. Episódios novos toda quinta-feira, às 17h. No décimo sétimo episódio de "O que os músicos fazem? Ulises Cardenas recebe uma cantora incrível. Ela se chama Amanda Souza, e veio nos contar tudo sobre sua carreira nos palcos, onde interpretou óperas nos teatros São Pedro e Municipal, da cidade de São Paulo, até chegar aos palcos dos musicais, interpretando uma das fases de Donna Summer em musical sobre a vida e...2020-06-0458 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 6: TO TEACH POETRY (PART B)In PART B of this two-part episode, Amanda and Marie dive into teaching poetry - the why, the how, and more! Listen for an in-depth breakdown of actionable strategies to build your poetry-teaching confidence!  CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy2020-04-2330 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersEpisode 5: TO TEACH POETRY (PART A)In this two-part episode, Amanda and Marie dive into teaching poetry - the why, the how, and more! Listen for an in-depth breakdown of actionable strategies to build your poetry-teaching confidence!  CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudyCheck o...2020-04-1625 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTo Be Brave: Welcome to BNTIn the very first episode of Brave New Teaching, hosts Amanda & Marie discuss what it means to be brave in modern education - finding the courage to challenge the status quo, experiment, and learn from mistakes. Please subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes!CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy...2020-04-0234 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTo Try New Things: Welcome to BNTIn Episode 2, hosts Amanda and Marie discuss the next portion of the podcast title - what it means to try new things as educators! Please subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes!CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com...2020-04-0240 minBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersBrave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School TeachersTo Be a Teacher: Welcome to BNTIn Episode 3, hosts Amanda & Marie discuss the final part of this podcast's title, Teaching. They share their own teaching journeys and what brought them to this point in their careers and lives, and where this podcast came from. Please subscribe so you don't miss any episodes!CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTESMentioned in this episode:Get more Brave New Teaching each week:Join BNT Happy Hour Here!"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Get your FREE...2020-04-0234 min