Beyond My Years
BECAUSE TEACHERS NEVER STOP LEARNING

Our guest this week, Neysa Olivares-Torres, breaks down the process of finding and developing your own personal teaching style. Neysa details how she landed on her “firm-but-fair” approach before sharing tips for other educators trying to develop their authentic teaching style. Neysa and Ana also discuss how finding—and embodying—your teaching style can reduce classroom behavior challenges. Our beloved Classroom Insider, Eric Cross, then joins Ana to share how he carved out his personal teaching style, “the warm demander.”

Tina Boogren, Ph.D., joins Ana Torres, not only to discuss how it’s completely normal for first-year teachers (and even some veterans) to experience disillusionment, but also to offer tactics for overcoming those feelings. Tina and Ana kick off this episode by explaining Ellen Moir’s “The Phases of First-Year Teaching,” which outlines the emotional stages new teachers move through. They discuss how teachers have to name their feelings to tame their feelings, the difference between stress and burnout, and the importance of giving ourselves grace and avoiding comparison with others. Tina also details her three research-backed strategies for self-care: gratitude, altruism, and laughter. Finally, Classroom Insider Eric Cross joins Ana to share takeaways from the interview, including how and why to ask for help, even if it’s just so you can take a small break.

Angela Duckworth, Ph.D., the New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, joins Ana Torres to discuss school phone policies and what the science of self-control can tell us works. In this episode, Angela highlights the many complexities surrounding student cell phone use in schools and why there is a need to conduct research, such as her “Phones in Focus” study, to look at which phone policies are actually yielding the best outcomes. She also outlines the limitations of “growth mindset” and “simply trying hard,” and instead suggests four ingredients that set young people up to reach their goals. Finally, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross reflect on Angela’s insights, and Eric shares the strategies he plans to implement to provide mentors to his students.

Host Ana Torres is joined by Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D., a linguist and speech pathologist known for her work with multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs). In this episode, Elsa focuses on small changes that educators can make to create classrooms that are more inclusive and supportive of ML/ELs. She shares strategies for morphology instruction, learning useful information about students’ home languages, shifting away from a deficit mindset when it comes to ML/ELs, and more. She’ll also touch on why techniques like asking students to respond in full sentences and slowing down your rate of teaching can better serve students. Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross then reflect on Elsa’s insights, and Eric shares a vulnerable moment that demonstrates why humility and openness are some of his core teaching principles.

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.

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.

Ana Torres and Eric Cross give you the first look at Season 2 of Beyond My Years, launching Sept. 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!

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres is joined by Science of Reading: The Podcast host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., who’s here to make the case for all educators investing in student literacy development, regardless of the content domain they teach. Throughout the conversation, they discuss how all teachers are literacy teachers and share four simple tips for developing academic language in any classroom. Finally, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross discuss what they learned and Eric shares this top three takeaways from Susan.

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.

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.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres absorbs wisdom from A. Simone McQuaige, winner of the Amplify Science of Reading Star Awards 2024 Changemaker Award. 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 leading student-designed projects.

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.

On this episode of Beyond My Years, Ana Torres picks up every nugget of wisdom she can 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 lessons back to the classroom, Eric and Ana discuss pursuing professional growth opportunities, embracing your power as an educator, and focusing on excellence where you are.

En este episodio especial de Beyond My Years, Ana tiene el placer de hablar con Luz Selenia Muñoz en español, su idioma de origen. Luz ha sido maestra por 20 años, en dos países diferentes y en dos idiomas distintos. Con toda esa experiencia, Luz comparte las lecciones que le han parecido trascendentes para todos los estudiantes y todas las escuelas, como la importancia de crear conexiones significativas con los estudiantes, ser paciente con sus estudiantes y consigo misma, así como encontrar colegas que hablen su idioma de origen. Luz también entrega a los oyentes una estrategia fácil y factible que pueden intentar hoy mismo para involucrar a los estudiantes mediante la escucha activa cuando da las instrucciones.

Listen to our full episode in English.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres walks alongside Luz Selenia Muñoz as she retraces the path that led her from planning to become a psychologist in Puerto Rico to living in Chicago as a veteran bilingual teacher with 20 years under her belt. Luz shares how finding her happy place in second grade took time, describing how she quickly learned that teaching upper elementary was not for her. She also gives insight into how moving from Puerto Rico to the United States taught her how to persevere through the struggles of a new environment, and how she learned to balance her independence with reliance on and trust in her fellow educators for support. Luz stresses some of the most important lessons she has learned along the way, including teaching a culture rather than just a language, staying focused on your target language, making connections with students, trying something different instead of giving up, and understanding that tomorrow will get better.

Listen to our bonus episode in Spanish!

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres delves into the wisdom offered by Rebecka Peterson, 2023’s National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) and an educator whose journey began much like Ana’s: as a young immigrant to the United States. Rebecka shares all that she has come to love and appreciate about the K–12 environment after a tough transition from teaching college-level courses. She also reveals her most important lesson learned: Teach humans over content. Rebecka talks about her “One Good Thing” blog, where she documented daily positives in her classroom that transformed her perspective on teaching. She shares personal experiences of feeling like an outsider and how those experiences drive her to create an environment of belonging for her students. Rebecka stresses the significance of building authentic relationships with students, as well as the impact of mentors in education. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Eric and Ana discuss strategies like “rebellious joy” that seem essential to sustaining a long career in education.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres learns from the best, sitting down with 2024’s National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman. Missy talks about always being open to new ideas and perspectives, offers tips on building relationships with families, and discusses the importance of slowing down. She also shares the story of being the “bossy” kid in the classroom, because she wanted to help her classmates learn. Today, she feels that being a dedicated teacher means advocating for her students, because she believes that showing up means creating a vital safe place. Missy does not shy away from tough topics, such as knowing when it’s time to step away from teaching, and managing the “who knows best” struggle between administrators and teachers, parents and teachers, etc. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Ana and her Classroom Insider Eric Cross discuss understanding your community, being more flexible and present in your lessons, and seeking mentorship and continuous growth.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres takes you to the northernmost region of Alaska to sit down with Patti and Rod Lloyd. Patti and Rod are longtime educators in a rural school district where caribou outnumber people, the village is only accessible by plane, and the Indigenous culture of the Iñupiat people goes back 10,000 years. They teach Ana about how they make the content matter by connecting it to student life outside of the classroom, the honor of teaching where children are the most valuable part of the community, the importance of listening more than you speak, and they offer advice for teaching responsibly as an outsider. They also share stories of how the first week of every school year is spent connecting to the land and having the village elders teach about their culture, emphasizing the joy to be found when you open yourself up to what your students have to teach you. Throughout the conversation, it is clear that despite teaching in a unique landscape, the lessons that Patti and Rod have learned are applicable to teaching any student anywhere. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Eric and Ana discuss the benefits of building genuine community relationships, making learning culturally relevant, and the importance of focusing on effective teaching methods.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres learns all she can learn from the life stories and lessons of Khamphet Pease. As a refugee from Laos, Khamphet shares the difficulty she experienced navigating a home culture that did not encourage education or career ambitions for women. Despite that, she laughs over her stubbornness that she sees as an integral part of what has motivated her to chase her dreams, spend over 20 years as a STEM teacher, and what earned her the presidential award for excellence in mathematics and science teaching. Due to gendered norms and expectations, she almost lost out on the future she truly wanted. Since then, she has made it her mission to champion a learning environment where young girls feel they belong and can thrive in STEM fields. Khamphet takes Ana on a journey through all the lessons she learned along the way of managing work/life balance, creating a classroom culture of trust, and the importance of finding a mentor during the hardest teaching years of your life. Once back in the classroom, Eric Cross and Ana check in on Eric’s first two weeks of back-to-school and discuss practical ways to take care of yourself first so you can then take care of your students.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres learns from Fawn Nguyen, a math educator with over 30 years of classroom experience! Fawn tells Ana the story of her near-death experience being lost at sea while escaping Vietnam, and explains how it shaped the sense of gratitude she leads with in the classroom. She also discusses what it means to be yourself in the classroom, the importance of sharing your mistakes with your students, and the merits of practicing advocacy vs. authority with students. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross then discuss connecting with students through shared struggles and challenges.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres becomes a student of Eric Jones, an educator who came out of retirement at 80 years of age to help with a national teacher shortage—thus becoming the oldest paid teacher in Britain. Eric shares his insights with Ana about building a collaborative classroom and what it means to teach children, not content. He also reflects on how the trajectory of his life changed when one man recognized and encouraged his desire to be a teacher. Eric delves into how attending school in the ’50s shaped his teaching style, his experience of retiring before the smartphone era only to return when every student has one, and how his anti-bullying efforts contributed to the passing of a national law. He also discusses why his love for teaching has lasted a lifetime. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Eric Cross and Ana then discuss how they would apply the tenets of respect and collaboration in their own classrooms.

Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres 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 Ana all about her experiences working in a Title I 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 teaching, how it has felt to witness the success of “Abbott Elementary,” and the passion she sees as her driving force. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Eric and Ana then discuss teaching tips and strategies for connecting with students.

Join host Ana Torres and her classroom insider, Eric Cross, to learn what the new Amplify podcast Beyond My Years is all about. Together, they dig into the essence of what it means to be an educator, the challenges that come with it, and how Beyond My Years will connect with it all. Plus, you’ll get a sneak peek into what’s ahead, including conversations with legendary educators (like one who was an inspiration for a hit TV show).