

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
Marie Morris & Amanda Cardenas, Secondary ELA Teachers
Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 9, 2021 • 28min
Episode 64: MAKERSPACE IN THE ELA CLASSROOM
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 FALL FESTIVAL ON TEACHING DYSTOPIA: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/dystopia SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode64Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Sep 2, 2021 • 33min
Episode 63: CHOICE READING 101
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 DYSTOPIA: https://www.curriculumrehab.com/dystopia SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode63Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Aug 26, 2021 • 32min
Episode 62: PICTURE BOOK LESSON WALK-THROUGH
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 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Aug 19, 2021 • 26min
Episode 61: LIVING IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD
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 allows them to begin to build their own options and questions around society. How cool is that? Today we’re making three solid points on why dystopia is something you need to get behind. Tune in to hear us dive into each of these points: 1. Dystopia is always relevant 2. It’s popular and engaging…hello Hunger Games! 3. It has limitless possibilities Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode61Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Aug 12, 2021 • 59min
Episode 60: MAKING THE CASE FOR WONDER
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 since hosted four live workshops, launched a library of virtual Keeping the Wonder sessions, and wrote a collaborative book that both informs and inspires. We’re so excited for you to hear this interview as they make a case for wonder, specifically in secondary classrooms. Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode60Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Aug 5, 2021 • 37min
Episode 59: ESSENTIAL QUESTION WORKSHOP: 12TH GRADE LIT
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 texts. Lucky for all of us, Amanda is absolutely incredible at writing and thinking through essential questions. Together we’ll talk through the themes we want to cover and the outcomes we want students to have as we craft an engaging and thought-provoking question. The essential questions writing process is SO much more enjoyable when you can go through it with someone else. It truly is a process and you have to say the bad ideas out loud before you can get to the good ones! As you begin to create your own EQs this year, just keep in mind that students thrive on predictability and routine. In other words, keep it simple! Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode59Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Jul 29, 2021 • 30min
Episode 58: CLASSROOM SETUP FOR 2021
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 your classroom. Do you really need those paper lanterns or more book boxes? If the answer is yes, then go for it! With so many distractions, the key is to be intentional and create a space that is functional. As we like to say, have your room do the work for you. If you have absolutely no idea what that means, don’t you worry. We’ll tell you all about it in this episode. Just remember that decorating your classroom should be fun. But there’s also a lot of pressure. How you do, or don’t, decide to decorate your room does not make you a good or bad teacher. Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode58Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Jul 22, 2021 • 29min
Episode 57: NEW TEACHERS NEED MENTORS
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 you’re feeling excited about the upcoming year, but it’s also okay to be nervous! Or, if you’re anything like we were, you may be waltzing into your first year with the highest confidence thinking you know it all! Regardless of how you’re feeling about this new adventure, you need support as a beginning teacher. You need a mentor. But not just any mentor! You need someone who will help you focus on the practical things rather than all the fluff. PS - This conversation is just as relevant for veteran teachers. We are all responsible for taking care of new teachers. They are coming in with a fresh perspective, and we can all learn from each other! Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode57Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Jul 15, 2021 • 36min
Episode 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 perspective. Today we’re sharing all about the fun (and maybe even a little scary) changes going on in our lives. Amanda has some especially BIG and exciting news! So push play and get brave with us! Join Curriculum Rehab: curriculumrehab.com/course SHOW NOTES: bravenewteaching.com/episode56Mentioned 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

May 6, 2021 • 49min
Episode 55: A YEAR OF BRAVE NEW TEACHING
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 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 out Curriculum Rehab here!Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel