Beyond My Years

On this episode of Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres is joined by Dan Meyer, Ph.D., Vice President of User Growth at Amplify and former Chief Academic Officer at Desmos. Dan’s journey in education began much like that of many other teachers—with a love of his content area. But entering the classroom proved difficult as he struggled to engage students who didn’t share his interest in math. In this episode, Dan gives listeners insight into his secret for engaging students in anything. He provides models for grounding lessons in real life, giving students more opportunities to show off their personalities, and reframing mistakes and “wrong answers” as valuable answers to different questions. He also touches on technology use in the classroom and how to know when it's the right tool for the job. Ana and Classroom insider Eric Cross then reflect on Dan’s insights, and Eric shares his top takeaways for the classroom.Show notes: Connect with Dan Meyer:Subscribe to Dan’s Substack, Mathworlds.Resources:Five Twelve Thirteen by Dylan KaneSubscribe to Beyond My Years https://amplify.com/beyond-my-yearsFollow us on Instagram @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes: “The posters are one thing, but the pedagogies are another.” —Dan Meyer, Ph.D.“What I'm always thinking about is how to make math more like the humanities, how to allow students to be right in personal ways and wrong in smart ways.” —Dan Meyer, Ph.D.“Kids like and learn from teachers who like and learn from them.”—Dan Meyer, Ph.D.“As human beings, sometimes we can get binary with things like tech or analog. But in reality, it's a tool. If I use the proper tool for the right job, I can be much more precise and accurate and detailed and creative.” —Eric Cross“Education is the kind of job that I love because I think I'll always feel, to some degree, like an amateur, like a learner in the work.”—Dan Meyer, Ph.D.“Create spaces where every kid could come in and say, “Whatever I offer here, if it's personal and earnest, it's gonna be well received and valuable.” —Dan Meyer, Ph.D.

Host Ana Torres welcomes former NJDOE Chief Academic Officer Tracey Severns, Ed.D., to discuss not just how to bring more joy to the classroom but how joy and laughter can draw in even the most vulnerable students. Tracey outlines the current research on what humor can do in the classroom and shares her own observational research in a case study school on the power of increasing smiles. She shares tips and tricks for both classroom teachers and administrators for how to encourage a culture of joy. Finally, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross reflect on Tracey’s insights, with Eric sharing his top three takeaways and what specifically he incorporated in his classroom after a trip to Disney.Show notes: Connect with Tracey Severns:Instagram: @tracey.severnsLinkedinResources:Read: “Mistakes, Missteps, Missed Opportunities: Lived Lessons from the Real World of Educational Leaders”Subscribe to Beyond My Years https://at.amplify.com/bmyFollow us on Instagram @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes: “We can do both rigor and relationships. We can address standards and smiles. We can do content and care.” —Tracey Severns, Ed.D.“ When you have a joyous classroom, you have a learning classroom.” —Tracey Severns, Ed.D.“There's research out there. I know some of us feel like we intuitively know that [smiling] is important, but the data shows how important that was.” —Ana Torres“When we view students not as difficult, but as those who challenge us to be our best, we switch from frustration to growth.” —Eric Cross

Ana Torres and Eric Cross give you the first look at Season 2 of Beyond My Years, launching September 17, 2025. This trailer highlights what’s coming this season including shorter episodes and takeaways from our Classroom Insider. Season 2 focuses on common classroom challenges, looking to the experts and to the research to get you answers. We'll discuss topics from how to find your teaching style and actually engage students in math, to helping students develop critical thinking, and more!Show notes:Subscribe to Beyond My Years: https://at.amplify.com/bmyFollow us on Instagram: @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Trailer: Get ready for Science of Reading: The Podcast's comprehension season

This discussion features Susan Lambert, Ed.D., a seasoned educator and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, alongside Eric Cross, a dedicated science teacher. They emphasize that every educator plays a role in literacy development, regardless of their subject. Listeners gain insights into effective strategies for promoting academic language in various classrooms. Throughout the conversation, they share personal experiences and practical tips, making a compelling case for a collaborative approach to teaching literacy across disciplines.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres and Classroom Insider Eric Cross reconnect with three past guests—Fawn Nguyen, Rebecka Peterson, and Simone McQuaige—to explore key challenges from their early teaching days: classroom management, decentering oneself, and time management. Ana and Eric share their own experiences with these common hurdles, then offer a quick look at what’s ahead in Season 2.Show notes:Episodes mentioned:Simone McQuaigeRebecka PetersonFawn NguyenSubscribe to Beyond My Years: https://amplify.com/beyond-my-yearsFollow us on Instagram: @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes:" So my biggest mistake early on was needing to have the last word." - Fawn Nguyen" Something I really struggled with and I actually took me several years to feel confident in how to manage my classroom in a way that like felt good and true to me." - Rebecka Peterson" Looking back, I realized it would've been so helpful to have learned how to set boundaries for myself and prioritize task, and definitely build time for my own self-care." - A. Simone McQuaige

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres soaks up wisdom from Kareem Weaver, an educational powerhouse who has spent over 30 years working toward the end of illiteracy. Kareem levels with Ana about the hard truths of education reform. Together, they get vulnerable about the personal costs they’ve paid in being committed to their work and the belief they share that no teacher should have to make those sacrifices. Kareem also discusses his time working in juvenile detention facilities, how a frightening diagnosis changed the way he approaches education, and how administrators can best help create sustainable careers. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Ana and Beyond My Years Classroom Insider Eric Cross talk about preparing more than just lesson plans, developing focused skill improvement, and making the connections between academic success and behavior reform. Show notes:FULCRUM website: https://www.fulcrumliteracy.org/kareem-weaver Research for Better Teaching: https://www.rbteach.com/ Subscribe to Beyond My Years: https://amplify.com/beyond-my-yearsFollow us on Instagram: @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes:“Where do we want our young people to go? What opportunities, what paths do we want them to have access to? Reading is a gateway for life.” —Kareem Weaver“If you can't grow people, what are you doing in a seat? If you're an administrator and you can't grow teachers' practice, then you're a manager, not an administrator.”—Kareem Weaver“Hope is wonderful, but that's not a strategy. You have to be very specific about what you're going to fix, what you're going to address, and what you're going to master.” —Kareem Weaver“There are no broken children; there's broken systems.” —Kareem Weaver

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres absorbs wisdom from A. Simone McQuaige, winner of Amplify's Science of Reading Changemaker Star Award in 2024. Simone teaches Ana about what it takes to support wider change across an entire district, and about the common traits she sees in all seasoned educators. She also shares stories about how her mother tried to convince her not to become a teacher, about learning to be calm and reflect, and about how she thinks about her legacy as an educator. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross discuss creating a teacher network, building buy-in, and student-designed projects.Show notes: Connect with A. Simone McQuaigeListen: Hear McQuaige’s advice on the Science of Reading Listen to McQuaige and the rest of the Star Award winners on Science of Reading: The PodcastLinkedIn: Simone McQuaigeX: @simone_mcquaige @PGCPSK5RELASubscribe to Beyond My Years https://amplify.com/beyond-my-yearsFollow us on Instagram @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes: “There are a lot of lessons to be learned from ‘back in the day’. It doesn't mean we always had it right. We were learning along the way and we recognize that our students are not the same students that were sitting in front of us ‘back in the day.’” —A. Simone McQuaige“Seasoned teachers are often looked at as the ones with all the answers, and they may not truly have all the answers, but they've lived experiences that I think a lot of new teachers could learn from.” —A. Simone McQuaige“When you look at a lot of the seasoned teachers who've been in the profession for quite some time, there's a calmness about them. And you work effectively when you're in that calm space.” —A. Simone McQuaige“One of the things that I've learned over the years is you cannot make change by yourself.”  —A. Simone McQuaige

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres gets wisdom from Serena Klosa, an educator with 37 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and now deputy chief of schools. Serena discusses what it takes to be a good mentor and to be mentored by others—stressing the humility it requires and the strength it creates. She also shares stories of the “Queens of the Third Floor” and their no-nonsense approach to mentoring, and opens up about the lessons she won’t let herself forget. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross discuss maintaining positive routines with students, staying humble, and valuing every role in the school. Show notes:Connect with Serena Klosa on X: @spetersonklosaSubscribe to Beyond My Years https://amplify.com/beyond-my-yearsFollow us on Instagram @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes:“Every kick in the butt is a boost up.” —Serena Klosa“My teaching is not something I do. It's who I am.” —Serena Klosa“Asking for mentoring is not a sign of weakness. It's saying, ‘I want to be better and I want to grow.’ And  sometimes, if you don't ask, they're not going to do it.” —Serena Klosa

To close out the year, we’re revisiting some of our favorite moments from the first nine episodes of the Beyond My Years podcast – and looking ahead at some of what’s to come in 2025! Listen to Beyond My Years: Subscribe to Beyond My Years on AppleSubscribe to Beyond My Years on SpotifyListen to Beyond My Years via web browser

On this episode of Beyond My Years, Ana Torres picks up every nugget of wisdom she can learn from LaTonya M. Goffney, Ed.D., superintendent of schools for the Aldine Independent School District in Texas. LaTonya shares her journey through many different roles in education before she ended up in an educational leadership role. She stresses the importance of building a teaching community, including finding teacher mentorship, having people advocating for you, and valuing the work you do. LaTonya notes that if it weren't for those that believed in her and encouraged her to strive for more, she never would have ventured to apply for the opportunities she did. She goes on to share one of her most valuable lessons: As you grow in education, you need to make sure you're looking behind you and pulling other people up. She concludes with tips for connecting with other educators, learning from each other constantly, and continuing to grow. Taking all those opportunities back to the classroom, Eric and Ana discuss pursuing professional growth opportunities, embracing your power as an educator, and focusing on excellence where you're at.Show notes:Connect with LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D. on LinkedInConnect with Aldine Independent School DistrictWebsite: AldineISD.orgX: @AldineISDFacebook: @AldineSchoolDistrict IG: @aldineschooldistrict Subscribe to Beyond My YearsFollow us on Instagram @amplify.education Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/Quotes:"When you have passion for people and you have a purpose for making a difference, and if you're open to learning, anything is possible. And that's what my life has demonstrated in education." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D."The best way to get the next job is to do a good job where you are." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D."Public education is the profession that makes all other professions possible." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D."We can't be siloed. We can't just go to our classrooms, close the door, and not be helpers to one another." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D