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Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers

SUMMER READING RESCUE - PART 1 [Ep 252]

Thu, 03 Apr 2025

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 summer reading programs that are a reimagining of what’s possible.  By focusing on PURPOSE, CHOICE, AND INTERACTION, Amanda has suggestions for a revitalized program that is worth a chat with your ELA department before summer comes along.

In Part 1, Amanda will address the research behind the summer slide and designing the PURPOSE of your summer reading program.

In Part 2, Amanda will continue the reimagining of the program by discussing what CHOICE and INTERACTION could look like as the second and third components.

Resources:

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode252

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TEACHERS REACT: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - Part 2 [Ep 251]

Thu, 27 Mar 2025

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 say about our high schoolers? Well, it’s not just about students struggling with books! It’s about an education system that’s set them up to prioritize achievement over learning. In this episode, we talk about the race to college, the stress that students are under, and why so many of them feel disconnected from reading.

Instead of pointing fingers, let’s figure out how educators can meet students where they are, spark their curiosity, and make reading feel less like a chore and more like an experience. We think through some practical strategies to bring reading back to life in the classroom (and have lots of episodes linked in the show notes on how to help achieve this). We’re definitely at a turning point in the history of education - and it’s not all doom and gloom! We truly feel that we’re all going to come out better on the other side of it all.

To continue this conversation, join us in Happy Hour, where we’re working together to plan and put things into practice!

Resources:

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TEACHERS REACT: The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books, Part 1 [Ep 250]

Thu, 20 Mar 2025

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, stay tuned for part two next week, where we’ll tackle college readiness and what comes next!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/episode250

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TRENDING BOOKS: SPRING TITLES [Ep 249]

Thu, 13 Mar 2025

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 for spring break. We don’t know about you, but we’re shooting for no less than three books a day over here 😉.  And we’re hoping that maybe there’s one or two we can use in the classroom as well! Send us a DM on Instagram @bravenewteaching and let us know what’s on your spring reading list.

PS: We’re not just here to talk about what we’re reading! We’ve got some homework for you, too! We’ll be diving into a two-part discussion on The Atlantic’s article The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books in our next couple of episodes. If you want to be part of that conversation (and trust me, you do), give the article a read and get ready to unpack it with us!

All the titles we talk about in the episode are listed in the show notes and you can shop all of the spring titles on Bookshop.org (Amanda’s List | Marie’s List) or Amazon.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode249

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DAY IN THE LIFE WITH MARIE [Ep 248]

Thu, 06 Mar 2025

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 bringing you along as I do it and you’ll hear how my students responded to it as we kick off a Fantasy unit centered around the question “Why do we pursue escape?”. Plus I’ll share what book snaps are. Your students will love it!

Then, you’ll hear me jump into full-on theatre production mode as I wrap up the school day. It’s a 16-hour day condensed into 15 minutes of audio! If you like this type of episode and want more vlog-style episodes, send us a DM on Instagram. We would love to bring you more!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode248

"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 claim your free bonus here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

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