Observing 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...
Jan 20, 2022•39 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Have you seen those “unpopular opinion” posts all over social media lately? There are so many different topics people have been sharing so we decided to get your feedback on your unpopular opinions about education. After minutes of asking our listeners to share their unpopular opinions, Marie was FLOODED with responses. There were so many good ones that we decided to share them all with you in not one, but two episodes! Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteachi...
Jan 13, 2022•46 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jan 06, 2022•41 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Today'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 ...
Dec 30, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is a re-run of one of our very favorite episodes where we share all about the Bard! We took listener questions about Shakespeare - planning, teaching, assessing, and more - and answered them in the nerdiest teacher way we could! PLUS a big announcement - registration is now open for the 2021 Shakespeare Teacher Festival (April 5-10, 2021). This free festival includes our best teaching tips & strategies for including Shakespeare in your classroom, and you won't want ...
Dec 23, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2021 is coming to a close and it's the perfect time to share our top 9 from this year. We're listing our 3 favorite things that we have in common as well as each of our favorite book, resource, and recipe! This Top 9 activity is so fun to do with your students as well and can be used in several different ways. Don't worry, we'll give you ideas on how you can use it in your classroom too! SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/home/our-top-9-of-2021 Join Curriculum Rehab: https://ww...
Dec 16, 2021•38 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Nothing compares to the dreaded Sunday scaries after a long break. Fear not, friends. Let’s talk through how you can make decisions in December that will make your life easier that first day back in January. We guarantee that anxiety will decrease if your copies are made and lesson plans are drafted before break starts. We’re going to help you prepare now so that you aren’t scrambling the day before school is back in session. SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/home/plan-with-us Join Curriculum Reh...
Dec 09, 2021•28 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast End-of-semester grading, gift giving, party planning, parent phone calls, and IEP updates are just some of the many many tasks on your shoulders during this time of year. Are you feeling the weight of getting everything done before you walk out of your classroom door for winter break? We have solutions for you as we help you backwards plan your way to freedom. SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/home/backwards-planning Join Curriculum Rehab: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/course Mentioned in this ...
Dec 02, 2021•39 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Happy Thanksgiving, friends! We are so very thankful for YOU and all that you do to support this podcast. We wanted to do something fun for today's episode, and if you know us then it probably comes as no surprise that fun sometimes comes in the form of formative assessments! Specifically, a Sesame Street Quiz. That's right, we've got a Thanksgiving themed Sesame Street Quiz on today's show. We hope you enjoy it. If you have questions about how to create engaging assessments ...
Nov 25, 2021•27 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast In episode 3 of our discussion series, we’re sharing part of a real pre-recorded classroom discussion. This took place in 2020 during virtual teaching and the topic of this conversation was crossing cultural and moral lines when it comes to Halloween costumes. You will hear how students interact with each other during the conversation and our feedback on what went really well and what could be improved for future discussions! Head to the show notes for your FREE workbook: bravenewteaching.com/ho...
Nov 18, 2021•38 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast Planning classroom discussions is not a one size fits all. Every class looks different, and you likely have some students who always dominate the conversation while other students have extreme anxiety around speaking. So how do you scaffold their work and support them emotionally and academically? Where do you even begin?! We're sharing several ways that you can troubleshoot challenges that arise during classroom discussions and how you can finally get all of your students to contribute val...
Nov 11, 2021•48 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast Grab a notebook, because we’ve got a mini PD session coming at you for the next three episodes all about classroom discussions and ways to teach important speaking and listening skills. In part one, our focus is on possible goals and strategies for student-generated classroom discussions. As with many things, if you want to get the most out of it, you need to do it often! You can tune in next week to hear how to troubleshoot challenges that come up in discussions. Head to the show notes for your...
Nov 04, 2021•45 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast This season is “supposed” to be incredible and filled with Hallmark movie moments. But, when you add in COVID, flu season, work overwhelm, and pressure from family, it often ends up being super stressful instead. This year, we invite you to prioritize the things that are meaningful to you so that you can spark joy rather than dread over the holidays. Consider this our “Marie Kondo Your Holiday Calendar” episode! SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/home/teacher-work-life-balance Mentioned in this ep...
Oct 28, 2021•37 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast There's so much to celebrate during the season of Fall. Pumpkins, apple picking, sweaters, lattes, and YOU. Today's episode is a reminder to take a breath, reflect on how things are going for you, and to indulge in the season by doing things that make you truly happy. We'll share our definition of self-care and why we like to focus on the small moments of joy throughout our day. Let us know how you're celebrating the season by sending us a message on Instagram @bravenewteachi...
Oct 19, 2021•38 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast Your 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-potash Mentioned in this episode: Get more Brave New ...
Oct 14, 2021•25 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is a re-run of one of our very favorite episodes where we share the voices and ideas of some of our favorite teachers out there. We recruited six phenomenal English teachers to share their favorite ways of taking inspiration from the season to create engaging, challenging, and fun lessons for their students. We hope you are inspired by their ideas and can implement them in your classroom this season (or any time of the year, really!). CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES Mentioned in t...
Oct 07, 2021•50 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast If you haven't checked out our previous episode [episode 66] go check that out! This is part two of our banned books discussion. We're looking at what to do when the professional decisions you've made in regards to text selection are challenged by parents and/or administration. How do you respond without getting defensive? How can you be well prepared for questions you're bound to get throughout the year? We're covering it all! REGISTER FOR THE FREE BNT FALL FESTIVAL ON ...
Sep 30, 2021•31 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast In celebration of banned book week, we are addressing what our role is as a teacher when it comes to challenged books. In the first part of this two-episode series, we discuss the decisions we have to make when selecting texts, what to consider if a text or author is challenged, getting our students involved in the conversation, and more! REGISTER FOR THE FREE BNT FALL FESTIVAL ON TEACHING DYSTOPIA: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/dystopia SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/banned-books-part-1 Men...
Sep 23, 2021•39 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast It’s no secret that we are so passionate about inquiry. Inquiry is more than just questioning. It’s a whole view of how to approach teaching. Today we’re doing a deep dive into what inquiry is and what it isn’t, and why we use inquiry to drive curriculum. Better yet, we’re sharing how inquiry can decentralize the text and the teacher, and in turn allow students to take control of their own learning. REGISTER FOR THE FREE BNT FALL FESTIVAL ON TEACHING DYSTOPIA: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/dys...
Sep 16, 2021•32 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast As 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...
Sep 09, 2021•27 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Does giving your students choice come easily to you? For some teachers it does, but for others it can be extremely difficult to release that control! Incorporating choice requires a major mindset shift as you learn how to navigate your students all doing something different. In this episode, we're showing you how you can allow students to have choice without letting go of having a central focus and common skill that everyone is learning. REGISTER FOR THE FREE BNT FALL FESTIVAL ON TEACHING D...
Sep 02, 2021•32 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast 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. REGISTER FOR THE FREE BNT FALL FESTIVAL ON TEACHING DYSTOPIA: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/dystopia SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode62 Mentioned in this episode: Get more B...
Aug 26, 2021•31 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast If you aren’t already on the dystopian band wagon, we’re fairly confident that you will be after this episode. We’ve taught dystopia for YEARS, and it hasn’t lost any steam along the way. Can you say that for other genres? So, why is dystopia as a specific genre so gosh darn exciting? Why is it something we believe should be in every single ELA classroom? We couldn’t even begin to count the reasons, but to begin, it helps kids understand the society they are growing up in. More importantly, it a...
Aug 19, 2021•25 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast Kids have a magical way of looking at the world. Sadly, overtime this magic begins to dim. But what if it didn’t have to? What if you could play a part in holding on to that joy of discovery? Our guests today are going to help you do just that. We are joined by Ashley Bible, Jenna Cooper, Abby Gross, and Staci Lamb. They are the powerhouse team from Keeping the Wonder. Ashley, Jenna, Abby, and Staci connected in 2018 through a mutual love of teaching, engaging, creating, and learning. They have ...
Aug 12, 2021•59 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast Grab 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 t...
Aug 05, 2021•36 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast Imagine stepping into your classroom at the beginning of the new school year. What do you feel? Excitement? Overwhelm? Maybe all the Pinterest images you’ve been staring at all summer start to run through your head. Whether you’re stepping back into your old room, a new room, or your FIRST EVER classroom, it’s your space and it’s important to feel good in it. Before you go and make a zillion trips to the Target Dollar Spot, slow down and really think about what truly matters when it comes to you...
Jul 29, 2021•30 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast Look, we’re not going to sugarcoat it. Your first few years of teaching are TOUGH. It’s the beginning of a new career and it takes some time to find your footing. Don’t even get us started on the constant meetings that you can’t even pay attention to because you’re SO overwhelmed. There’s a reason why more teachers leave this profession in their first three years than any other point in their career. Those first three years are a make or break time. We want to help you prepare for it! Hopefully ...
Jul 22, 2021•28 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast 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 perspective. To...
Jul 15, 2021•35 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast In this week's episode, we take a look back at the first year of Brave New Teaching & reflect a bit as we move forward to the end of this school year. We've learned, grown, and changed in surprising ways... Enjoy! CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES Mentioned 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!" Purchase your copy of Role Call here and then be sure to clai...
May 06, 2021•48 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is a walk-through of the absolute best formative assessment you'll ever give your students. It asks students to synthesize their understanding of content, explain that understanding through concise writing, and can be adapted to ANY CONTENT AREA. That's right. Any subject. Enjoy! CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES Mentioned in this episode: Get more Brave New Teaching each week: Join BNT Happy Hour Here! "Send us a message - please include your contact information ...
Apr 29, 2021•24 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast 
