Check out Amplify’s new podcast, Beyond My Years— host and educator Ana Torres seeks out educational insights and hard-won lessons directly from people who have thrived for decades in the classroom: seasoned educators.

On this premiere episode, Ana soaks up wisdom from Joyce Abbott, an educator so passionate about her students that she inspired one of them to go on and write the hit show “Abbott Elementary.” Joyce tells all about her experiences working in a Title 1 school and what it means to know the community of Philadelphia. They also discuss how Joyce’s time serving in the military informed her work as an educator, how she transformed a challenging classroom during her first year, how it has felt to witness the success of “Abbott Elementary,” and her driving force: passion. At the end, Ana is joined by Classroom Insider Eric Cross to discuss some actionable teaching tips for bringing Joyce's lessons into your classroom.

Show notes:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years on Apple
• Follow Beyond My Years on Spotify
• Website: Beyond My Years

Quotes:
“Sometimes your bad days are going to outweigh your good days, but when you see and remain focused and see what your goal is, and you look at those students and say, ‘This is my main focus,’ that can be the greatest motivator.” —Joyce Abbott

“A lot of times they are dependent upon you to teach them in every aspect of their life. When you understand the community, you can serve.” —Joyce Abbott

“Me and my military buddies definitely had respect for each other. And we operated as a team, regardless of our differences, because sometimes you may not agree with every teacher on your team, which many times I did not. But you have to keep your focus toward our mission, [which] is to move a certain child or do this for the student body.” —Joyce Abbott

“They know when you care. And they will have a whole different level of respect for you when they know you care. And you set the bar high for them. That shows that you care, because you know that they can do it and you believe in them.” —Joyce Abbott

“I think it's so important in the schools that they embrace the younger teachers, because you only get better through learning and through support.” —Joyce Abbott

“When you're passionate about a profession and committed to the goal of the whole school, you're going to do what you can to help these new teachers because they have to learn. So many leave because they're encountering so many problems and they don't feel that they're supported effectively.” —Joyce Abbott

Listen to this trailer for our new podcast, Beyond My Years, launching August 14th.

Every day headlines tout something “new” in education—the latest research, the hottest tech, the trendiest new hacks for organizing your classroom. However, beyond all the hype there’s one underestimated resource that’s truly deserving of our attention: educators who’ve been doing this for years. In this trailer, you’ll hear from host and educator Ana Torres as she explains her season-long journey of learning from the experiences and lessons of seasoned educators from around the world. Their stories will make you laugh, make you cry, and—just maybe—change the way you think. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a thing.

(Not an Apple user? Subscribe here via Buzzsprout.)

Tune in to the finale of Science Connections with elementary educator and recipient of the 2023 Anton Banko Award for Excellence in Teaching Elementary Science, Kate Bala. In this episode, Kate shares teaching tips on how she seamlessly integrates science with other content areas to give students an engaging, phenomena-based learning experience. Listen to hear about Kate’s unique teaching style and the helpful tips she offers to make science the superhero of any classroom.

To learn more about the resources Kate shares, check out the following:

• Dive into The Wonder of Science for list of phenomenon for each NGSS grade band.
• Read Sharing Books, Talking Science, to start integrating literacy into your own science lessons.

Join us as we sit down with doctoral student and 2023 NSTA keynote speaker, Minerva Contreras. Listen as Minerva tells her science story, discusses the benefits of storytelling in science, and shares how diverse representation and inclusion in science opens doors for students.

And don’t forget to grab your Science Connections study guide to track your learning!

For more from Minerva, check out these resources:

• Watch the latest episode of Crash Course en Español, Biología
• Check out the posters Eric's students made that highlight Minerva.
• Hear more of Minerva’s story by tuning into her episode on Story Collider.
• Keep up to date with Minerva by following her on Instagram and Twitter.
• Catch Minerva in person at the 2023 NSTA National Conference.

Join us as we continue our discussion on the importance of integrating critical thinking into the science classroom with former teacher and current director of education at the Center for Inquiry, Bertha Vazquez. Listen as Bertha shares her experience with engaging students through identifying pseudoscience, and how developing these skills creates an identifiable impact on the real world.

For more from Bertha , check out the following resources:

• Check out Generation Skeptics to access some of the resources Bertha shared.
• Learn more about combatting pseudoscience at Science Saves.
• Find out more about the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science.
• Get your free back-to-school toolkit from Amplify Science.

Join us as we sit down with Melanie Trecek-King, college professor and creator of Thinking is Power, to explore how much of an asset science can truly be in developing the skills students need to navigate the real world. You’ll learn about “fooling” students and the importance of developing critical thinking, information literacy, and science literacy in the classroom. We’ll also share real strategies and lesson examples that help build these essential skills and engage students in learning.

And don’t forget to grab your Science Connections study guide to track your learning and find additional resources!

For more from Melanie, check out the following resources:

• Website: Thinking is Power
• Skeptical Inquirer article: “How to Sell Pseudoscience” by Melanie Trecek-King
• Assignment: How to Sell Pseudoscience
• Skeptical Inquirer article: “Teach Skills, Not Facts” by Melanie Trecek-King

In the latest episode of the Science Connections podcast, we explore using AI in the classroom and its impact on our students. Listen as I sit down with teachers Donnie Piercey and Jennifer Roberts to discuss ChatGPT and how we can use it to build science and literacy skills in K–12 classrooms while preparing students for the real world.

And don’t forget to grab your Science Connections study guide to track your learning and find additional resources!

We’re continuing our investigations around science and literacy with Doug Fisher, Ph.D., professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University. We talk about the importance of integrating science and literacy, as well as practical guidance for teachers who want to unite the two disciplines in their own classrooms.

Listen as we discuss how science and literacy can be powerful allies and specific strategy areas to focus on when integrating the two disciplines. And don’t forget to grab your Science Connections study guide to track your learning and find additional resources!