Discovering your own teaching style, starring Neysa Olivares-Torres
Meet Our Guest(s):
Neysa Olivares-Torres
Neysa Olivares-Torres, affectionately known as “O-T,” is an experienced educator, instructional leader, and advocate for equity and representation in education. As the child of immigrant parents and a first-generation college graduate, she understands firsthand the power of seeing yourself reflected in your teachers and in the texts you engage with. With a background in professional learning and curriculum implementation, she is deeply committed to empowering educators and students alike. Neysa grounds her work in purpose and reflection, championing teacher collaboration to improve outcomes for all students.
Meet our host, Ana Torres.
Ana has been an educator for 30 years, working in both the K–8 and higher education sectors. She served as an administrator and instructor at various public and private colleges and universities and as a bilingual and dual language teacher, dual language math and reading interventionist, dual language instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal in K–8 schools. Ana is currently the Senior Biliteracy and Multilingual Product Specialist at Amplify, and delivers literacy and biliteracy presentations across the nation. Ana’s passion and advocacy for biliteracy and support for all students from all walks of life has led her to educate leaders, teachers, and parents about the positive impact of bilingualism and biliteracy in our world.
Meet our Classroom Insider, Eric Cross.
Eric Cross is a middle school science teacher who hopes to someday be a lifelong educator, like the guests on Beyond My Years! In each episode, Eric connects with host Ana Torres to discuss her guests’ best insights, gleaned from their long and rewarding careers in the classroom. Then, Eric talks about bringing some of their wisdom into his current classroom and busy life.
Quotes
“Understand that a teaching style is not just [something] you find once and then that's it, right? It's ever evolving; it's always in progress; and it's not ‘one size fits all.'”
“Great teaching is just like cooking, right? You never really stop learning, adjusting, and reflecting, because our students keep evolving and so we should also.”
“ My style came, really, with experience, with time, and with observing other teachers.”
“It's important to make sure that it feels like a partnership with your students, that we are equal partners in learning.”
“There will be times that you have challenges, and there'll be times that you call them mistakes. I call them ‘challenges’ because if they don't occur, we don't learn how to pivot.”
“Look at your strengths, your personality, and your values, and then build your classroom approach based on that.”
“When I did show up as my authentic self, it made such an impact in my classroom.”
“Students thrive when teachers combine firm boundaries, high expectations, and genuine care.”