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Professional development for core programs

Amplify professional development provides learning experiences that intentionally develop the knowledge and skills you need for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Learn and apply impactful instructional techniques and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in professional development.

Professional Learning Partner Guide Certified Provider

Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

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About Amplify core programs

Amplify’s high-quality programs make it easier for you to teach inspiring, impactful lessons that celebrate and develop the brilliance of your students. By equipping teachers with resources and strategies to provide robust scaffolding and differentiated instruction, Amplify’s core programs ensure that all students can fully engage with rigorous subject matter.

Literacy

  • Amplify ELAR K–5
  • Amplify SLAR K–5
  • Amplify ELAR 6–8

STEM

  • Amplify Math
  • Desmos Math
  • Amplify Desmos Math (for Grades K–Algebra 1)*
  • Amplify Science

We provide PD sessions for all Amplify programs. Contact your account executive to discuss the extended catalog of PD session options or request a quote.

*Amplify Desmos Math is a new core PreK–12 program from Amplify and Desmos Classroom—available in English and Spanish—that applies a problem-based approach to get results by developing deep conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Contact us to learn more about the packages and sessions currently available.

About Amplify Professional Development (PD)

Change is more likely to stick and get results when you take a systemic approach. Partner with us to do just that by developing a learning plan that will drive your program implementation, enrich your instructional practices, and increase student impact. Begin and Practice packages are available for core programs.


Prepare

Begin

Practice

Advance
Program-agnostic sessions will set up educators for success in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math. Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs. Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs. Offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more.

At each phase of implementation, we offer a range of unique packages and offerings. Sessions are strategically bundled for multiple touch points throughout the year. A variety of high-quality sessions set educators up for success with Amplify programs—whether you’re years into using them or just starting out.

Session types

Select a package to uncover the benefits of a customizable Coach session.

LAUNCH STRENGTHEN COACH
Beginning of year Mid-year, end of year Mid-year, end of year
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Propel your teachers into the new school year with sessions that introduce them to their Amplify program and support them in a strong implementation.
Boost implementation with sessions that target specific instructional practices.
Guide teachers and leaders with targeted learning tailored to their specific needs.
Before teaching
After 6+ weeks of teaching
 
Select a package to reveal the components of a launch session. To explore the core strengthen sessions, select your program: Select a package to uncover the benefits of a customizable Coach session.

Interactive sessions empower teachers and leaders implementing Amplify programs, giving them the tools and skills they need to inspire all students to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves.

Explore enhancement options to see how you can further customize your package to build capacity in teachers and leaders and meet the needs of all learners within Amplify literacy, biliteracy, and/or STEM program(s).

Begin packages

You’re in your first year of implementation. You’re ready to start making the shift to evidence-based practices, using your Amplify program(s). You know that individual change is critical to organizational change. Let us support educators with professional development that develops new skills, knowledge, and a positive orientation to change.

Explore the program-aligned package options below to learn more about the modality and duration of each Launch, Strengthen, and Coach session available to you during your first year of implementation.

Select from flexible on-site, hybrid, or virtual packages, including:

  • Launch sessions to introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.
  • Strengthen sessions to deepen understanding of the program.
  • Coach sessions to elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs.

Each package supports up to 30 participants in similar grade bands.

Overview: Begin packages for Amplify core programs

Package title and duration On-site package (15 hours) Hybrid
on-site package
(15 hours)
Hybrid 10 package (10 hours) Hybrid virtual package (15 hours) Virtual package   (7 hours)
Launch
One session per package
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
3 hr.
Virtual
6 hr.
(2 half-days)
Virtual
3 hr.
Strengthen
One session per package
On-site
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
Virtual
1 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
Virtual
1 hr.
Coach
One session per package
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
6 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual,
3 hr. session
Program overview for leaders

On-site package

Begin: On-site packages include program-aligned, on-site Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions. Providing 15 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Begin: On-site package

(15 hours for 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Launch (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Initial training for teachers
Strengthen (1) On-site, 3-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Coach session
Suggested enhancements On-site or virtual,
3-hr. session
Program overview for leaders

Launch

Propel your school or district into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Initial training for teachers

On-site, 6 hours

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new to our program. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of their program(s), including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively coordinating the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy; Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will partner closely with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math, Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 15 on-site package

Begin: Hybrid 15 on-site packages include program-aligned, on-site Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions. Providing 15 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Begin: Hybrid 15 on-site package

(15 hours for 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Launch (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Initial training for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. session Explore the Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Coach session
Suggested enhancements On-site or virtual,
3-hr. session
Program overview for leaders

Launch

Propel yourself into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Initial training for teachers

On-site, 6 hours

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new users. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of the program, including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively supporting the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy; Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve student’s learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math, Amplify Science

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 10 package

The Begin: Hybrid 10 package includes program-aligned, on-site and virtual Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions. Providing 10 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Begin: Hybrid 10 package

(10 hours for up to 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Launch (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Program overview for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 1-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Coach session
Suggested enhancements On-site or virtual,
3-hr. session
Program overview for leaders

Launch

Propel your school or district into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Program overview for teachers

On-site, 3 hours

Program overview sessions provide a basic introduction for educators who are new users of the program. In a program overview session, educators learn how to get started with the key features and materials of the program.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancements: Program overview for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively supporting the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy; Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve student’s learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math, Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 15 virtual package

Begin: Hybrid 15 virtual packages include program-aligned, on-site Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions. Providing 15 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Begin: Hybrid 15 virtual package

(15 hours for up to 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Launch (1) Virtual, 6-hr. session
(2 half-days)
Initial training for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. session Coach session
Suggested enhancements On-site or virtual,
3-hr. session
Program overview for leaders

Launch

Propel your school or district into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Initial training for teachers

Virtual, 6 hours (2 half-days)

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new to our program. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of their program(s), including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively supporting the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy; Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Virtual package

Begin: Virtual packages include program-aligned, on-site Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions. Providing seven hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Begin: Virtual package

(7 hours for up to 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Launch (1) Virtual, 3-hr. session Program overview for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 1-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (1) Virtual, 3-hr. session Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on
On-site, 3-hr. session Program overview for leaders

Launch

Propel your school or district into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Program overview for teachers

Virtual, 3 hours

Program overview sessions provide a basic introduction for educators who are new users of the program. In a program overview session, educators learn how to get started with the key features and materials of the program.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

Virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively supporting the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy; Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

Virtual, 3 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Practice packages

You’re becoming familiar with Amplify programs and are ready to deepen your knowledge and implementation. Our team will facilitate learning that emphasizes deeper understanding of resources and instructional practices through learning experiences focused on continuous improvement, enhancing your understanding of your Amplify program(s), and customized coaching.

Explore the program-aligned package options below to learn more about the modality and duration of each Strengthen and Coach session available to you at any time during your second year of implementation.

Select from flexible on-site, hybrid, or virtual packages, including:

  • Strengthen sessions to deepen understanding of the program, expand practice, and drive student outcomes.
  • Coach sessions to elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs.

Each package supports up to 30 participants in similar grade bands.

Overview: Practice packages for Amplify core programs

Select the package title to view session descriptions

Package title and duration On-site package
(15 hours)
Hybrid 15 package
(15 hours)
Hybrid 13 package
(13 hours)
Virtual package
(9 hours)
Strengthen*  One session per package On-site, 3-hr. Virtual, 3-hr. Virtual,1-hr. Virtual, 3-hr.

Coach
Two sessions per package    

On-site, 6-hr. On-site, 6-hr. On-site, 6-hr. Virtual, 3-hr.

*The topics of the Strengthen sessions will vary in Practice packages as determined by the needs of the school/district.

Suggested enhancements
Select the sessions to learn more.
Launch add-on
Virtual, 1-hr. session Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement training for teachers

On-site package

Practice: On-site packages include program-aligned, on-site Strengthen and Coach sessions. Providing 15 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Practice: On-site package

(15 hours for up to 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Strengthen (1) On-site, 3-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (2) On-site, 6-hr. session Practice: Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Select the sessions to learn more.
Launch add-on
Virtual, 1-hr. session Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement training for teachers

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve student’s learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet educators’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of how to implement Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills in their classrooms! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Session options: Amplify ELAR

Audience: Grade 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 15 package

Practice: Hybrid on-site packages include program-aligned, on-site and virtual Strengthen and Coach sessions. Providing 15 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Practice: Hybrid 15 package

(15 hours for 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (2) On-site, 6-hr. sessions Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Select the sessions to learn more.
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. session Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement training for teachers

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet educators’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal add-on to Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of how to implement Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills in their classrooms! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Session options: Amplify ELAR

Audience: Grade 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 13 package

Practice: Hybrid on-site packages include program-aligned, on-site and virtual Strengthen and Coach sessions. Providing 13 hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Practice: Hybrid 13 package

(13 hours for 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 1-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (2) On-site, 6-hr. sessions Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Select the sessions to learn more.
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. session Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement training for teachers

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Elevate instructional practice and help meet educators’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal add-on to Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of how to implement Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills in their classrooms! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Session options: Amplify ELAR

Audience: Grade 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Virtual package

Practice: Virtual packages include program-aligned, virtual Strengthen and Coach sessions. Providing nine hours of professional development for up to 30 participants, this package will build understanding of research-based practices supported by Amplify program(s) and develop knowledge and skills through a variety of curated sessions.

Practice: Virtual package

(9 hours for 30 participants)
    Select the session to learn more.
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. session Explore Core Literacy and Core STEM Strengthen sessions. Session titles scheduled upon request.
Coach (2) Virtual, 3-hr. sessions Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Select the sessions to learn more.
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. session Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement training for teachers

Strengthen

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve student’s learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach

Support teachers and leaders with learning experiences tailored to meet their specific needs.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Elevate instructional practice and help meet educators’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy, Amplify ELAR 6–8, Amplify Math, Desmos Math 6–A1, Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal add-on to Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of how to implement Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills in their classrooms! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Session options: Amplify ELAR

Audience: Grade 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Enhancement options

Want to extend learning for teachers and leaders? Have a unique need that you’d like to address? Seeking more targeted coaching options? Our package enhancements allow you to tailor your PD experience to meet the needs of your staff, whether they’re new or returning to the program.

Enhancements can be purchased for all teachers/leaders or a subset of educators.

General enhancement offerings

Add-on session name Leadership Launch session Leadership Strengthen session Launch
(Practice) session
Strengthen session
Coach session
Amplify ELAR Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers session
Session audience Leader Leader Teacher, Leader Teacher, Leader Teacher, Leader Teacher
Session modality
/duration
On-site
3-hr.
On-site
3-hr.
On-site
6-hr.
On-site
3-hr.
On-site
6-hr.
Virtual
1-hr.
Virtual
3-hr.
Virtual
3-hr.
On-site
3-hr.
Virtual
3-hr.
Virtual
3-hr.
Virtual 6 hr.
(2 half-days)
Virtual
1-hr.
Virtual
3-hr.

Biliteracy packages

Biliteracy packages for Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR

Built on the Science of Reading, Amplify Texas English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) sequences deep content knowledge with research-based foundational skills. Amplify ELAR is a K–5 literacy curriculum that inspires curiosity and drives results, empowering all students with rich background knowledge.

Amplify SLAR serves as the perfect Spanish language arts partner to Amplify ELAR. These aligned programs combine deep content knowledge with systematic foundational skills instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. They adhere to biliteracy principles and support multiple teaching models.

The table below lists Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR packages for first year implementation and beyond.

Begin packages

  On-site
package

(15 hours)
Hybrid on-site package
(15 hours)
Hybrid virtual package
(15 hours)
Virtual package
(10 hours)
Select the session title to view each description.
Launch session
Initial training for teachers
On-site 6 hr. On-site 6 hr.  Virtual, 6 hr. (2 half-days) Virtual, 6 hr. (2 half-days)
Strengthen session
Session titles scheduled upon request.
On-site 3 hr. Virtual 3 hr. Virtual 3 hr. Virtual 1 hr.
Explore Core Literacy Strengthen sessions aligned with the duration and modality of your biliteracy package.
Coach session On-site 6 hr. On-site 6 hr. On-site 6 hr. Virtual 3 hr.

Practice packages

  On-site
package

(15 hours)
Hybrid 15 package
(15 hours)
Hybrid 13 package
(13 hours)
Virtual package
(9 hours)
Strengthen session On-site 3 hr. Virtual 3 hr. Virtual 1 hr. Virtual 3 hr.
Explore Core Literacy Strengthen sessions aligned with the duration and modality of your biliteracy package.
Coach sessions (2) On-site 6 hr. On-site 6 hr. On-site 6 hr. Virtual 3 hr.

Companion programs

Additional sessions are available for Amplify ELAR’s companion programs (Writing Studio and Language Studio).

To learn more about enhancing your Amplify experience by purchasing companion programs and/or accompanying PD sessions, please contact your account executive.

Get in touch with a PD expert

We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.

Texas core programs professional development-NEW

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Professional development for core programs

Amplify professional development provides learning experiences that intentionally develop the knowledge and skills you need for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Learn and apply impactful instructional techniques and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in professional development.

Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

A man writes at a desk; adjacent images include a math graph with weights labeled 5 and 8, and an open book with stars above it.

About Amplify core programs

Amplify’s programs help you teach inspiring lessons that develop student brilliance through robust scaffolding and differentiated instruction.

Literacy

  • Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) 2nd Edition and 3rd Edition
  • Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Edition
  • Amplify ELA 2nd Edition

STEM

  • Amplify Math
  • Amplify Desmos Math* (for Grades PreK–5, 6–Algebra 1, or high school)
  • Amplify Science (for Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Contact your account executive for extended PD catalog options or quotes.

*Amplify Desmos Math is our new K–12 program (English and Spanish) using a problem-based approach for deep conceptual understanding. Contact us for available packages.

About Amplify professional development (PD)

Take a systemic approach to drive lasting change. Partner with us to create a learning plan that enhances implementation, instruction, and student impact.

At each phase of your journey, packages include different types of learning experiences strategically bundled for multiple touchpoints throughout the year.

Four circular icons in a row showing a lightbulb, pencil, whiteboard, and podium, connected by arrows in a cycle, representing stages of a process.
Prepare
Begin
Practice
Advance


Shift literacy and math instruction and deepen understanding of research-based practices to support new program implementation.


Build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s).


Refine instructional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced instructional strategies.


Deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation.

Click to learn more:

Review this page to learn more about the Begin and Practice packages.

 

Click to learn more:

Session types within packages

LAUNCH STRENGTHEN COACH
Beginning of the year
Mid-year, end of the year Mid-year, end of the year
Three people work together at a computer in a classroom; one woman points at the monitor while the others watch attentively.
Two people sit at a table reviewing documents together against a yellow background. An icon of a barbell is displayed in the top left corner.
Two women sit side by side at a table, each with a laptop. One woman points at the other’s screen as they focus on the display against a plain blue background.
Introduce programs and support implementation Target specific instructional practices

Explore the Strengthen sessions for your:

Tailored learning for specific needs

Begin packages

You’re ready to shift to evidence-based practices in your first year with Amplify programs. Let us support your educators with professional development that builds new skills and knowledge.

Choose from flexible on-site, hybrid, or virtual packages which include:

  • One Launch session to introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.
  • One Strengthen session to deepen understanding of the program.
  • One Coach session to elevate instructional practice and meet specific needs.
  • Suggested add-ons are available.

Each package supports up to 30 participants in similar grade bands.

On-site 15 package

Three people stand in front of a whiteboard with colorful sticky notes, discussing content on a tablet. A graphic indicates "Begin: On-site package" and "15 hours.

Participate in 15 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions.

Begin: On-site 15 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Launch (1) On-site, 6-hr. Initial training for teachers
Strengthen (1) On-site, 3-hr. Program-specific Strengthen session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual, 3-hr. Program overview for leaders
Launch add-on Virtual, 1 hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Begin: Launch: Initial training for teachers

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new to our program. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of their program(s), including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades PreK–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition sessions are available July 2026.

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively coordinating the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Grades 4 and 5 available July 2026

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5) or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will partner closely with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach: Customized support

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 15 on-site package

Two women smiling and looking at a computer screen in an office setting; text reads "Begin: Hybrid package" and "15 hours.

Participate in 15 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions.

Begin: Hybrid 15 on-site package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Launch (1) On-site, 6-hr. Initial training for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. Program-specific Strengthen session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual, 3-hr. Program overview for leaders
Launch add-on Virtual, 1 hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Begin: Launch: Initial training for teachers

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new users. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of the program, including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition sessions are available July 2026.

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively coordinating the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Notes:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 10 package

Two women smile while looking at a computer monitor in an office. A graphic overlay reads “Begin: Hybrid package” and “10 hours,” with icons for power, fitness, and communication.

Participate in 10 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions.

Begin: Hybrid 10 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Launch (1) On-site, 3-hr. Program overview for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 1-hr. Program-specific Strengthen Focus session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual,
3-hr.
Program overview for leaders
Launch add-on Virtual, 1 hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Begin: Launch: Program overview for teachers

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 3 hours

Program overview sessions provide a basic introduction for educators who are new users of the program. In a program overview session, educators learn how to get started with the key features and materials of the program.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades PreK–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition sessions are available July 2026.

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively supporting the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy (Grades PreK–5), Amplify ELA 2nd Edition (Grades 6–8), Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 15 virtual package

A person points at a laptop screen displaying an online training module. Icons and text indicate the start of a virtual package with a duration of 15 hours.

Participate in 15 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions.

Begin: Hybrid 15 virtual package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Launch (1) Virtual, 6-hr.
(2 half-days)
Initial training for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. Program-specific Strengthen session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (1) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual, 3-hr. Program overview for leaders
Launch add-on Virtual, 1 hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Begin: Launch: Initial training for teachers

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

Virtual, 6 hours (2 half-days)

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new to our program. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of their program(s), including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Program overview for leaders

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition sessions are available July 2026.

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively supporting the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Virtual 7 package

A person points at a laptop screen displaying an educational webpage; icons and text indicate the start of a virtual package lasting 7 hours.

Participate in 7 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Launch, Strengthen, and Coach sessions.

Begin: Virtual 7 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Launch (1) Virtual, 3-hr. Program overview for teachers
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 1-hr. Program-specific Strengthen Focus session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (1) Virtual, 3-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual, 3-hr. Program overview for leaders
Launch add-on Virtual, 1 hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Begin: Launch: Program overview for teachers

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

Virtual, 3 hours

Program overview sessions provide a basic introduction for educators who are new users of the program. In a program overview session, educators learn how to get started with the key features and materials of the program.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades PreK, K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: Program overview for leaders

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition sessions are available July 2026.

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

The program overview for leaders session supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively coordinating the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, Amplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, and Amplify Desmos Math high school sessions are available July 2026.

Virtual, 3 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Practice packages

You’re familiar with Amplify programs and ready to deepen your knowledge and implementation. Let us support your educators with professional development that emphasizes continuous improvement and enhanced understanding.

Choose from flexible on-site, hybrid, or virtual packages:

  • One Strengthen session to deepen understanding of the program, expand practice, and drive student outcomes
  • Two Coach sessions to elevate instructional practice and meet specific needs

Each package supports up to 30 participants in similar grade bands.

On-site 15 package

Three people discuss work while looking at a tablet in front of a whiteboard with colorful sticky notes. A "Practice: On-site package" label and "15 hours" badge are displayed.

Participate in 15 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Strengthen and Coach sessions.

Practice: On-site 15 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Strengthen (1) On-site, 3-hr. Program-specific Strengthen session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (2) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify Caminos 1st–3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify CKLA 2nd Ed/Caminos 1st Ed to Amplify CKLA 3rd Ed/Caminos 3rd Ed transition training for teachers
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers
Launch substitution
Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA 2nd–3rd Edition transition training for teachers
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. Language Studio for CKLA 3rd Edition session

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, and Amplify Desmos Math K–5 and 6–A1 are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st and 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition to Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch substitution

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal substitution for CKLA 2nd Edition Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: Language Studio companion training for teachers

On-site and virtual, 3 hour

Ideal add-on for Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition) Launch sessions
Participants will be able to summarize the key features of Language Studio. During this session they will connect key segments of Language Studio to ELD instructional best practices, identify the segments of Language Studio, and plan and practice a Language Studio lesson.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd or 3rd Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 15 package

Two women look at a computer screen and smile in an office setting. Text reads "Practice: Hybrid package" and "15 hours" with icons on the left side.

Participate in 15 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Strengthen and Coach sessions.

Practice: Hybrid 15 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. Program-specific Strengthen session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (2) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify CKLA 2nd Ed./Caminos 1st Ed. to Amplify CKLA 3rd Ed./Caminos 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. Language Studio for CKLA 3rd Edition session

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition and Amplify Desmos Math K–5 and 6–A1 sessions are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs,
and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition to Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch substitution

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal substitution for CKLA 2nd Edition Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: Language Studio companion training for teachers

On-site and virtual, 3 hours

Ideal add-on for Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition) Launch sessions
Participants will be able to summarize the key features of Language Studio. During this session they will connect key segments of Language Studio to ELD instructional best practices, identify the segments of Language Studio, and plan and practice a Language Studio lesson.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd or 3rd Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Hybrid 13 package

Two women work together at a computer in an office, smiling, with a graphic indicating "Practice: Hybrid package" and "13 hours.

Participate in 13 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Strengthen and Coach sessions.

Practice: Hybrid 13 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 1-hr. Program-specific Strengthen Focus session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (2) On-site, 6-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify CKLA 2nd Ed./Caminos 1st Ed. to Amplify CKLA 3rd Ed./Caminos 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify CKLA; Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition; and Amplify Desmos Math K–5, 6–A1, and high school are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition to Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch substitution

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal substitution for CKLA 2nd Edition Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Virtual 9 package

A person points at a laptop screen displaying an educational program. Text indicates "Practice: Virtual package" and "9 hours" of activity. Icons for learning and fitness are shown on the side.

Participate in 9 hours of program-aligned professional development across three sessions for up to 30 participants. Build understanding of research-based practices and develop knowledge through curated Strengthen and Coach sessions.

Practice: Virtual 9 package

Session type Modality/duration What’s included
Strengthen (1) Virtual, 3-hr. Program-specific Strengthen session (selected based on your needs) for Core Literacy and STEM programs.
Coach (2) Virtual, 3-hr. Coach session
Suggested enhancements
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. NEW: Amplify CKLA 2nd Ed./Caminos 1st Ed. to Amplify CKLA 3rd Ed./Caminos 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers
Launch add-on Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers
Launch substitution Virtual, 1-hr. Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Strengthen: Program-specific sessions

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

To explore the available core Strengthen sessions, select your program:

Amplify will closely partner with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Coach session: Customized support

Amplify CKLA; Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition; and Amplify Desmos Math K–5, 6–A1, and high school are available July 2026.

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd and 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, Amplify ELA 2nd Edition, Amplify Math (Grades 6–A1), Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school), Amplify Science (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition to Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition to Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 3–5 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch substitution

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal substitution for Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Enhancement options

Want to extend learning for teachers and leaders? Have a unique need that you’d like to address? Seeking more targeted coaching options? Our package enhancements allow you to tailor your PD experience to meet the needs of your staff, whether they’re new or returning to the program.

Enhancements can be purchased for all teachers/leaders or a subset of educators.

General enhancement offerings

Session name On-site,
6-hr.
On-site,
3-hr.
Virtual,
6-hr.
(2 half days)
Virtual,
3-hr. 
Virtual,
1-hr.
Leadership Launch session       A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Leadership Strengthen session A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Launch (Practice) session for teachers and leaders   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Strengthen session for teachers and leaders   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Coach session for teachers and leaders A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers         A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Launch add-on: Language Studio companion training for K–2 or 3–5 teachers   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition         A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: Amplify CKLA Grade 3–5 Skills supplement training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to implement Amplify CKLA Grades 35 Skills in the classroom. Learn the foundational elements of Amplify CKLA Grades 35 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.

Note:

  • Grade 3 Skills is included in the purchase of Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition, while Grade 4 Skills and Grade 5 Skills can be added on.
  • Grades 3–5 Skills are included with the purchase of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch add-on

Suggested enhancement: Language Studio companion training for teachers

On-site and virtual, 3 hours

Ideal add-on for Amplify CKLA (2nd or 3rd Edition) Launch sessions

Participants will be able to summarize the key features of Language Studio. During this session, they will connect key segments of Language Studio to ELD instructional best practices, identify the segments of Language Studio, and plan and practice a Language Studio lesson.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd or 3rd Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Launch substitution

Suggested enhancement: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition transition training for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Ideal substitution for CKLA 2nd Edition Launch sessions
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.

Session options: Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition (Grades 3–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Biliteracy packages

Biliteracy packages for Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos

We also offer several of the core Amplify CKLA sessions for our biliteracy and Spanish immersion programs. These specialized sessions support educators teaching with both Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos programs, facilitated in English, Spanish, or both languages as appropriate.

Contact your account executive for extended PD catalog options or quotes.

Companion programs

Additional sessions are available for Amplify CKLA’s companion programs (Writing Studio and Language Studio).

Get in touch with a PD expert.

Professional development for multi-program suites

Amplify professional development provides learning experiences that intentionally develop the knowledge and skills you need for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Now you can learn and apply impactful instructional techniques and develop a deeper understanding of the suite of Amplify programs.

Professional Learning Partner Guide Certified Provider

Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

A diagram shows three math programs: mCLASS Math with a student's photo, Amplify Desmos Math with math tools, and Boost Math with a robot illustration, all connected by orange lines.

Amplify suites

Each of Amplify’s high-quality, research-based programs is designed to help you teach inspiring math lessons that celebrate and develop your students’ brilliance. When used together, our comprehensive math suite provides even greater support and coherence for every student across your curriculum.

Contact your account executive to discuss PD options or request a quote.

Math

Amplify Desmos Math with mCLASS Math assessments and Boost Personalized Learning combine the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessment into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers. With the full suite, teachers gain access to all the tools they need to inspire and motivate all learners in math class.

Empower educators with:

  • High-quality professional development
    Comprehensive PD sessions equip teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary for effective program implementation, enhancing instructional practices and boosting student outcomes. These sessions support educators in leveraging the full suite of Amplify’s K–5 math programs, ensuring seamless integration and maximizing classroom impact.
  • Core instruction for grades K–12
    Amplify Desmos Math lessons provide a structured approach to problem-based learning, helping teachers create a collaborative math community with students at its center. Each lesson systematically builds on students’ curiosity to develop lasting grade-level understanding for all students. Available in English and Spanish.
  • Integrated personalized practice
    Personalized Learning activities help students access grade-level math through engaging, independent digital practice. Responsive FeedbackTM adjusts to students’ work, providing item-level adaptivity to further support their learning.
  • Screening and progress monitoring
    mCLASS Assessments, along with daily formative checks, measure what students know and how they think. The asset-based assessment system provides teachers with targeted, actionable insights, linked to core instruction and intervention resources.
  • Embedded intervention
    Integrated resources like Mini-Lessons, Fluency Practice, and Math Adventures provide targeted intervention on a specific skill or concept connected to the daily lesson. Extensions are also available to stretch students’ understanding.

Each suite package will include:

LAUNCH STRENGTHEN COACH
Beginning of year Mid-year, end of year Mid-year, end of year
Three people work together at a computer in a classroom; one woman points at the monitor while the others watch attentively.
Two people sit at a table reviewing documents together against a yellow background. An icon of a barbell is displayed in the top left corner.
Two women sit side by side at a table, each with a laptop. One woman points at the other’s screen as they focus on the display against a plain blue background.
Receive one on-site or virtual Launch session for Amplify Desmos Math.
Receive one on-site or virtual Strengthen session for Amplify Desmos Math.
Receive one on-site or virtual Coach session for Amplify Desmos Math.
  In addition, select one 1-hour virtual Strengthen Focus session for the program of your choice:

  • Amplify Desmos Math
  • mCLASS Math
  • Boost Math
In addition, select one more on-site or virtual Coach session for the program of your choice:

  • Amplify Desmos Math
  • mCLASS Math
Add-on: Suggested enhancements are available for each Launch, Strengthen, and Coach session options.
Before teaching After 6+ weeks of teaching  

Begin packages for grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school

Launch sessions

  On-site package
(22 hr.)
Hybrid 22, on-site package
(22 hr.)
Hybrid 17 package
(17 hr.)
Hybrid 22,
virtual
package
(22hr.)
Virtual
package
(14 hr.)
One Launch session per package On-site,
6 hr.
On-site,
6 hr.
On-site,
3 hr.
Virtual,
6 hr.
(2 half-days)
Virtual,
3 hr.
Amplify Desmos Math: Initial training for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Amplify Desmos Math: Program overview for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
    A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Suggested enhancements
Launch add-on On-site or virtual, 3 hr. session Amplify Desmos Math: Program overview for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders
Launch add-on On-site or virtual, 3 hr. session mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Strengthen and Coach sessions

One Strengthen session and one additional Strengthen session (1 hr. Focus only) per package. Choose any of the following as a secondary Strengthen touchpoint.

  On-site package
(22 hr.)
Hybrid 22,
on-site package

(22 hr.)
Hybrid 17 package
(17 hr.)
Hybrid 22,
virtual
package
(22hr.)
Virtual
package
(14 hr.)
Virtual
package
Strengthen On-site, 3 hr. Virtual, 3 hr. Virtual,
1 hr.
Virtual, 3 hr. Virtual, 1 hr. Virtual, 2 hr.
Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
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Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing practice for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.    
Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing observations for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.    
Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting all learners: Differentiation in Amplify Desmos Math for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.    
Amplify Desmos Math: Teaching a lesson with digital student screens for K–5 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Amplify Desmos Math: Unit-level planning for
K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
    A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Amplify Desmos Math: Snapshots in the Teacher Dashboard for 6–A1 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
mCLASS Math: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical explanations for K–5 or 6–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Coach On-site,
6 hr.
On-site,
6 hr.
On-site,
6 hr.
On-site,
6 hr.
Virtual,
3 hr.
Coach session
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Suggested enhancements
Strengthen add-on On-site or virtual, 3 hr. session mCLASS Math + Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers
Strengthen add-on On-site or virtual, 3 hr. session Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting and facilitating meaningful discussions for teachers

Launch session options

Propel your school or district into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Initial training for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

On-site, 6 hours

Initial training sessions are designed for educators who are new to our program. In our initial training session, educators are oriented to the key components of their program(s), including learning how to navigate, teach, and monitor student progress, while exploring content and program resources. Participants will leave the session with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with the program.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Program overview for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Program overview sessions provide a basic introduction for educators who are new users of the program. In a program overview session, educators learn how to get started with the key features and materials of the program.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: Amplify Desmos Math: Program overview for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Ideal add-on to Launch sessions
The Program overview for leaders supports district and school-level instructional leaders in effectively coordinating the implementation of the program. Leaders will learn the foundational elements of the program, build an understanding of the key teacher and student practices to look for in classrooms, and develop an implementation plan.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Launch add-on: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Assessments. Learn how these assessments both highlight students’ strengths and help identify what’s next through an asset-based approach. Leave ready to administer assessments and understand reporting.

Session options: mCLASS Math (grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen session options

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

Amplify will partner closely with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve student’s learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive into planning for Amplify Desmos Math, both big picture and day-to-day. Practice using lesson- and unit-planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing practice for K–5 or 6–A1, or high school teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level up the student discourse in your math class. Explore in-the-moment differentiation support to help you orchestrate discussion and make the most out of key opportunities for conversation and collaboration.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing observations for K–5 or 6–A1 leaders

Virtual, 1 hour

Elevate your program knowledge to support teachers with effective Amplify Desmos Math implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in a problem-based math lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Supporting all learners: Differentiation in Amplify Desmos Math for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Learn how to use the differentiation supports in Amplify Desmos Math to effectively support all learners, both in the moment during a lesson and beyond the lesson. Leave with a plan for implementing resources to support, strengthen, and stretch students’ thinking.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Teaching a lesson with digital student screens for K–5 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Get ready to facilitate digital lessons with your students. Explore what’s possible with the Teacher Dashboard and plan to make the most of these exciting instructional moments.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (K–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Unit-level planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Dive into unit-level planning to learn the story of your upcoming unit, and discover the big ideas you will explore alongside your students in Amplify Desmos Math.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Snapshots in the Teacher Dashboard for 6–A1 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Explore how to use the Snapshots tool in the Teacher Dashboard to create a collaborative classroom that invites and celebrates student thinking. Leave with planning tips and tricks that will get you ready to use Snapshots during your busy math classes.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades 6–A1)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Begin: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS Math: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical thinking for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Available for grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

Virtual, 1 hour

Dig into mCLASS Math to reveal what students understand about mathematical concepts, and give them the tools to become more clear and confident communicators in math class.

Session options: mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Begin: mCLASS Math and Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Available for grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Ideal add-on Strengthen session
Explore how Boost Math uses mCLASS Math data to inform intervention recommendations and monitor student progress. Dig into your student data, explore relevant instructional resources, and leave with actionable next steps for intervention.

Session options: mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting and facilitating meaningful discussions for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Explore how Boost Math uses mCLASS Math data to inform intervention recommendations and monitor student progress. Dig into your student data, explore relevant instructional resources, and leave with actionable next steps for intervention.

Session options: mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Coach session options

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (K–5 or 6–A1) and/or mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Practice packages (grades K–5 or 6–8)

Launch sessions

  On-site package
(16 hr.)
Hybrid 16, on-site package
(16 hr.)
Virtual package
(16 hr.)
One Launch session per package On-site, 3 hr. Virtual, 3 hr. Virtual, 3 hr.
mCLASS Math 2nd Edition Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

Strengthen and Coach sessions

  On-site package
(16 hr.)
Hybrid 16, on-site package
(16 hr.)
Virtual package
(16 hr.)
One Strengthen and two Coach sessions per package Virtual, 1 hr. Virtual, 1 hr. Virtual, 1 hr.
Amplify Desmos Math: Teaching a lesson with digital student screens for K–5 teachers
A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Amplify Desmos Math: Unit-level planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Amplify Desmos Math: Increasing engagement with instructional routines for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
mCLASS Math: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical thinking for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Coaching On-site, 6 hr. On-site, 6 hr. Virtual, 3 hr.
Coach session
A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Suggested enhancements
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing practice for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing observation for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting all learners for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting and facilitating meaningful discussions for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. Amplify Desmos Math: Assessment in action: Analyzing data and reports and planning next steps for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers
Strengthen add-on Virtual or on-site, 3 hr. mCLASS Math and Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for K–5 teachers

Launch session options

Propel your school or district into the new school year. Program-aligned Launch sessions introduce teachers and leaders to their unique Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Practice: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition Program overview for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Math assessment program. Learn how these assessments both highlight students’ strengths and help identify what’s next through an asset-based approach. Leave ready to administer assessments and understand reporting.

Session options: mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Strengthen session options

Strengthen your Amplify implementation with program-specific sessions that support personalized learning and practice in your classroom.

Amplify will partner closely with you to select the appropriate session(s) that will deepen educators’ understanding of your Amplify program(s) and equip them with the tools they need to improve students’ learning outcomes. Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as Enhancements.

New session

Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Strengthen: Focus: Teaching a lesson with digital student screens for K–5 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Get ready to facilitate lessons with digital student screens. Explore what’s possible with the Teacher Dashboard and plan to make the most of these exciting instructional moments.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (K–5)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Unit-level planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Dive into unit-level planning to learn the story of your upcoming unit, and discover the big ideas you will explore alongside your students in Amplify Desmos Math.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Increasing engagement with instructional routines for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

Available Oct. 2026

Virtual, 1 hour

Explore how to use the instructional routines in Amplify Desmos Math to support and engage students as they make sense of new contexts, develop mathematical language, and solve problems.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS Math: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical explanations for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Available for grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

Virtual, 1 hour

Dig into mCLASS Math to reveal what students understand about mathematical concepts, and give them the tools to become more clear and confident communicators in math class.

Session option: mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing planning K–5 or 6–A1 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive into planning for Amplify Desmos Math, both big picture and day-to-day. Practice using lesson- and unit-planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing practice for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level up the student discourse in your math class. Explore in-the-moment differentiation support to help you orchestrate discussion and make the most out of key opportunities for conversation and collaboration.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing observations for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Elevate your program knowledge to support teachers with effective Amplify Desmos Math implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in a problem-based math lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: Supporting all learners: Differentiation in Amplify Desmos Math for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Learn how to use the differentiation supports in Amplify Desmos Math to effectively support all learners, both in the moment during a lesson and beyond the lesson. Leave with a plan for implementing resources to support, strengthen, and stretch students’ thinking.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting and facilitating meaningful discussions for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers

Available Oct. 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Explore how to transform your mathematics classroom into a social and collaborative environment where students deepen their understanding by sharing their mathematical thinking. Learn more about how Amplify Desmos Math provides support for these meaningful mathematical conversations.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5, 6–A1, or high school)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Assessment in action: Analyzing data, reports, and planning next steps for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers

Available Oct. 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Deepen your understanding of the different types of assessments in Amplify Desmos Math and how they provide evidence of student learning. Analyze sample student work to calibrate on assessment scoring, interpret student thinking, and make a plan for instructional next steps.

Session option: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New session

Suggested enhancement: Practice: mCLASS Math and Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for K–5 teachers

Available for grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Ideal add-on Strengthen session
Explore how Boost Math uses mCLASS Math data to inform intervention recommendations and monitor student progress. Dig into your student data, explore relevant instructional resources, and leave with actionable next steps for intervention.

Session option: mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Coach session options

Elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs with customizable Coach sessions.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coaching sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning.

Session options: Amplify Desmos Math (Grades K–5 or 6–A1) and mCLASS Math (Grades K–5 or 6–8)

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Contact us

Ready to lock in your dates? Want to learn more about developing a professional development plan to meet your needs?

Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with you to design professional development plans to meet the needs of your staff. Whether you’re returning or new to Amplify program(s), we provide guidance in answering your questions and making package/session recommendations.

If you’d like to order professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.

S1-05: How does coding fit in the science classroom? A conversation with Aryanna Trejo of Code.org

Podcast cover titled "Science Connections" featuring Aryanna Trejo, Season 1, Episode 5. It includes abstract illustrations of a globe and telescope, discussing coding in the science classroom.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Aryanna Trejo, a professional learning specialist of Code.org. Aryanna shares her journey from working as an elementary teacher in New York City and Los Angeles to teaching other educators at Code.org. Eric and Aryanna chat about computer literacy within the science classroom, problem-solving skills, and ways to model productive struggle for students. Aryanna also shares ways to teach coding and computer literacy in schools, no matter the classroom’s technology level. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Aryanna Trejo (00:00):

I would hear teachers saying things like, “Well, I just can’t do coding; this is too hard for me; the time has passed.” And I would ask them, “Would you say that to your student about math or English?” And they would always sheepishly go, “No.” And I’d say, “Well, be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.”

Eric Cross (00:19):

Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. My guest today is Aryanna Trejo. Aryanna is a member of the professional learning team at Code.org. Before joining Code.org, Aryanna led computer science professional development for elementary school teachers, and served as an instructional coach for new educators. She also taught fourth and fifth grade in both New York City and in Los Angeles. In this episode, we discuss Aryanna’s journey to Code.org, where she helps educators connect coding to real life, how to use a rubber duck to solve problems, and how coding and computer science principles can be taught to students in areas without access to the internet…or even a computer. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Aryanna Trejo. So I was born and raised here, and I saw that you went to UC San Diego.

Aryanna Trejo (01:11):

I did, I did. I actually just put a deposit down on an apartment in University Heights, ’cause I’m moving back.

Eric Cross (01:16):

You’re coming back?

Aryanna Trejo (01:17):

I’m coming back. Yeah.

Eric Cross (01:19):

So if you need a classroom to visit….

Aryanna Trejo (01:21):

I would love to do more classroom observations!

Eric Cross (01:24):

Are we doing this? Let’s do—we’re making this happen.

Aryanna Trejo (01:26):

We are. Yeah. So I’ll be there. I’m moving there in April. I actually grew up in Orange County too, so I’m like a very diehard SoCal person.

Eric Cross (01:35):

So I feel like I know the answer to, hopefully—Tupac or Biggie? ‘Cause you’re on the East Coast, and you’re on the West Coast.

Aryanna Trejo (01:40):

Yeah. I like Tupac, but I have more Biggie songs committed to memory. Which is not a lot. I have “Juicy” and “Hypnotized” memorized.

Eric Cross (01:53):

All right. So you’re just memorizing, and you have the Biggie songs memorized, but not the Tupac ones.

Aryanna Trejo (01:58):

No, but I do love Tupac songs. You know, it’s like, Biggie has the flow, but Tupac has the lyrics. Nobody’s—they both have something really amazing about them.

Eric Cross (02:06):

You know, I can respect that you broke it down into both of their strengths.

Aryanna Trejo (02:11):

Thanks for buttering me up before this interview. And not….

Eric Cross (02:15):

<laugh> Oh, we already started.

Aryanna Trejo (02:16):

Huh? We already started?

Eric Cross (02:17):

We’re already started. Yeah. We’re already into this.

Aryanna Trejo (02:19):

We’re into it.

Eric Cross (02:21):

You were in the classroom, fourth and fifth grade, and you were doing TFA.

Aryanna Trejo (02:26):

I did. I did Teach For America. I was 2012, New York City Corps. Right after graduation. ‘Cause I graduated UC San Diego in 2012. So graduation was on June 17th, and I touched down at JFK on June 19th.

Eric Cross (02:40):

Even though I wasn’t in TFA, I know a lot of the fellows that are in it. And there’s just some phenomenal teachers in there. How long were you doing elementary school when you were teaching?

Aryanna Trejo (02:49):

Yeah, I taught for—well, I did, three years of teaching fourth grade. Then there happened to be an instructional coach opening in my fourth year. I took that, did some instructional coaching within the same network, and then I moved back to LA and I taught fifth grade for a year.

Eric Cross (03:11):

  1. And what was it like now? Did you go to Code.org right after the classroom?

Aryanna Trejo (03:17):

No, I didn’t. No. I transitioned after teaching fifth grade for a year in downtown Los Angeles, in the Pico-Union neighborhood. I ended up getting this email out of the blue from someone who had actually found me through the Teach for America job site. ‘Cause I was hitting the pavement; I was really looking to transition out of the classroom. And she invited me to interview with this company called 9 Dots. And they taught computer science to kids K–6 throughout Los Angeles and Compton. And I was like, “Sure, no problem. Let’s do it.” So I interviewed, I got the job, and yeah, that’s how I transitioned to 9 Dots. And then after almost four years there, I transitioned to Code.org, with the same person. Actually, she moved over to Code.org first, and then she helped me get this job.

Eric Cross (04:07):

Oh, that’s happened a lot—like, that relationship kinda carries over.

Aryanna Trejo (04:11):

Yeah. We’re meant to be coworkers.

Eric Cross (04:13):

Yeah. Are you still? Is she still there? Are you both still together?

Aryanna Trejo (04:17):

Yeah, we’re on the same team and it’s nice. I saw her last night for Happy Hour, with another coworker who’s in LA. So we’re tight. And she’s a wonderful, wonderful mentor to me.

Eric Cross (04:28):

That’s great. Did you have computer-science background, when you were doing elementary school teaching? Did you have—

Aryanna Trejo (04:34):

No. <laugh> Not at all. When I was teaching in New York City, I had like four desktop computers in my classroom, and we rarely used them. Which was such a shame. And then when I moved to Los Angeles and taught fifth grade there, we were a one-to-one school, and the joys of that are just amazing. It was just really wonderful to, you know, get the students used to typing on the computer, using different software to submit their assignments. Getting creative—as creative as you can get—with Google Slides. You know, to show off what they know. And stuff like that. That’s all I had, though. And you know, when I transitioned to 9 Dots I was like, “Sure, why not? Let’s give a shot.” And I learned a lot. It was really interesting, yeah.

Eric Cross (05:26):

And so now at Code.org you are…well, so my journey with Code.org, I’ve been in the classroom for eight years. Still in the classroom as of…an hour ago, I was there. <Laugh> And I use Code.org, and I feel like I’ve checked it periodically, and I feel like it’s evolved over the gaps. And I’ve seen it. It’s become more robust in the things that they offer, over the years I’ve been an educator. Just to kind of…could you give a thumbnail sketch? Like, what is Code.org? Who’s it for? Who’s the target audience? What resources are there?

Aryanna Trejo (06:00):

Yeah. So it’s for everyone. It is a nonprofit that provides curriculum and training and a platform for teachers and students. We provide curriculum for K through 12. It’s completely free. And it comes with lesson plans, slideshows, all that. We focus specifically on underrepresented groups. So we have targeted measures for Black students, for Native American students, for students who identify as female. That’s a huge part of our mission. But we’re really working to expand access to computer science to as many students as we can.

Eric Cross (06:41):

One of the things I’m hearing in your story is you were teaching in Compton; you were in Bronx, New York. One of the reasons why I got into the classroom is because of educators, and the impact they made on me in exposing me to science and technologies I’d never had access to. And that intentionality, that you’re going about it…are there…not just the code, but how you bring that across to different groups…are there strategies, or are there ways to connect this idea of coding to diverse groups and diverse audiences? Or is it kind of, the curriculum applies for everyone? ‘Cause in science, when I’m teaching, I’m always trying to make what I’m doing relevant to the backgrounds of my students.

Aryanna Trejo (07:28):

Sure.

Eric Cross (07:28):

So I’m teaching biology, and I’m trying to make this kind of connection. Sometimes it’s more organic; sometimes it feels kind of forced. Because it’s just not always a nice fit. But it sounds like Code.org is really about inclusion. And in the numbers that I’ve seen for representation, in especially computer science software engineers, the groups that you’re focusing on are not necessarily represented in the professional workforce. At least disproportionately.

Aryanna Trejo (07:54):

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that’s correct.

Eric Cross (07:57):

And so how do you go about being intentional about reaching groups that we don’t see in, you know, the Silicon Valley software engineers? How do you start that? Like, at a young age, do you look for specific schools in specific areas to say, “We are going to bring this to the school. We’re going out to these populations of the cities”? Because we’re just not seeing…you know, on the map, we’re not seeing anybody really doing anything with coding here. Or we’re not seeing the numbers come out of these areas, out of these cities, of students who are going into STEM or going into computer science fields.

Aryanna Trejo (08:41):

Yeah. I don’t necessarily work on the recruitment side of it, is the issue, in my position. But I do work on the professional learning, that is brought out to teachers. And we have a huge focus on equity throughout the workshops that we create from K–12. It’s something we’re really passionate about. We definitely aim to prepare teachers to teach computer science. That’s a huge part of it. Knowing the content, but also thinking through, “What does recruitment look like at your school to make sure that the demographics of your classroom match the demographics of your entire school?” Also, thinking through, “How can we make sure that female students feel included in your classroom? How can we make sure that we are, giving students creativity to think about, or we are setting students up to be creative and think about the problems that are in their community, and how they can use computer science to solve them, or at least work towards them?”

Eric Cross (09:39):

So solving real-world problems and that inclusion aspect…are there things like…you were saying “female or students who identify as female”…are there things that teachers can do to ensure that they’re being more inclusive? Or to recruit, or encourage more female students to take part? One of the things I was thinking of, that I’ve seen, is I’ve seen coding kind of camps.

Aryanna Trejo (10:06):

Sure.

Eric Cross (10:08):

That were specifically for a female audience. And that seemed to help with recruitment. Is that something that you see on your side?

Aryanna Trejo (10:16):

That’s not something that we set up, no. But the curriculum that I work with is CS Principles. And it’s offered as an Advanced Placement course, as well as an AP class. So that’s a curriculum that’s designed for students who are in grades 10 through 12. And so at that point, we can really talk to teachers and ask them what the recruitment strategy is. But in terms of strategies that teachers can use to recruit those students…I mean, I’ve heard over and over from lots of different teachers who identify as female that they didn’t think that computer science was for them, until they saw a role model in that position. And so just being a role model for those students is really wonderful.

Eric Cross (11:00):

And I see it too, with—like, we do “Draw a Scientist” activity, which is like a popular science thing—

Aryanna Trejo (11:05):

Sure, yeah, I’m familiar.

Eric Cross (11:05):

But it’s the same thing, right? Like, it fleshes out. My students don’t draw themselves as scientists. They draw what they perceive, based on what television says. I imagine with computer science, it’s probably really similar, when you think about “What’s a software engineer look like?” Do students tend to draw themselves? Or is it even a mystery? Because I don’t even know what a software engineer looks like.

Aryanna Trejo (11:28):

Yeah, absolutely. Well, one of the things we love to do with our professional learning workshops is talk about understanding yourself, your identities, how they show up in the classroom as biases. And, you know, things like stereotype threat. We see that as really important to understand, and think through, and consider, before you step into the classroom. So that you’re not, you know, coddling certain groups of students because you don’t believe that they are able to be successful in computer science. Holding all the students to the same expectations and believing that they can succeed. And computer science, I think a lot of the times people have this conception of it being this utopian, bias-less, technocratic field. When in reality, everything has bias. And people talk about algorithmic bias and facial recognition, but also the people who created computers and computer languages have their own bias that comes through. And I think it’s really important to show students that. So that they can, one, know what they’re working with, and two, make sure that they can create products that reduce that bias.

Eric Cross (12:50):

It’s like…it’s not objective, just because we’re creating software. Like, once it gets to a point of being so sophisticated…I think, like, AI software, right? With facial recognition? And we’re seeing more and more articles come out about, you know, predicting trends based on historical data.

Aryanna Trejo (13:12):

Sure.

Eric Cross (13:13):

But then, the trends and things that they’re seeing tend to target things that have happened in the past. But it also doesn’t take into consideration a lot of other factors that can lead to certain groups or populations being identified. And I’ve seen some articles lately about how your code is really just representation of what you put into it. And like you just said, your bias—if you have that, conscious or unconscious—you’re gonna put that into your code. And the input is gonna be an impact, is gonna impact the output.

Aryanna Trejo (13:44):

Yeah, absolutely. Or even just—and I’m ashamed to say this, ’cause this is an idea that came to me just recently, through an article that I read—but computers themselves have bias. The hardware assumes that you have vision, that you can see the screen, that you are able-bodied, that you can use your hands to work the keyboard, the mouse, et cetera, and that you don’t have to use assistive technology. You know, there are small things like that, where we think that technology, like I said, is this utopian, futuristic science…but there are biases throughout.

Eric Cross (14:19):

You’re absolutely right. I’ve never even—I’ve never even considered that. Even though I do use assistive tech, and figure it out, I’ve never thought from the ground up, the process is built for an able-bodied, sighted, hearing person.

Aryanna Trejo (14:31):

Exactly.

Eric Cross (14:32):

To be able to engage with the hardware. And then these other things, these tertiary things that we kind of add on, so that you can do this, but it’s not designed from the ground up for people who are, you know, different audiences, physically. So I’m glad you brought that up, though. Now I’ve seen—and I haven’t done this—but I know Hour of Code is a big thing. And this is something that’s ongoing. Can you talk a little bit about what Hour of Code is? I know it’s, it’s a big thing for the classroom teachers.

Aryanna Trejo (15:08):

Yeah. So Hour of Code is really exciting, and it’s just blossomed from something small to something tremendous. This year is gonna be the 10th Hour of Code. So what it is, is it happens during CS Education Week in December, during Grace Hopper’s—or to honor Grace Hopper’s birthday. She was a computer scientist and Navy Admiral. And basically the aim of it is to get as many students on the computer doing an hour of code, and demystify what coding is. You know, to do seed-planting. To show teachers that this is something that you can facilitate for your students. And also to show students like, “Hey, computer science is something you can absolutely do. Not just for an hour, but more if you want.” So, yeah. Now it’s worldwide, and it’s really exciting.

Eric Cross (15:58):

That’s awesome. And I think about teachers and I still hear the apologetic—when I’m helping teachers in the classroom with education technology—the self-deprecating “I’m a dinosaur; I’m not good with tech,” which is never true. Like, they’re better than they even realize. And I feel like sometimes there’s still a stigma, too. It’s like <laugh> The Simpsons’ Comic Book Store Guy. The condescending tech support person—

Aryanna Trejo (16:27):

Sure.

Eric Cross (16:28):

—who has that tone. And so I feel like some people have been so negatively impacted by that person. So I know when I’m helping people, I actually try to go full-spectrum the other side. But I’m thinking about teachers’ barrier to entry. Sometimes code is like, “Whoa.” And I don’t teach computer science. Do you see those barriers to entry, or at least the perception of them? And then, what’s the reality for like someone listening, and going, “I’m a fourth grade teacher,” or “I’m a humanities teacher in ninth grade.” What’s the perception that you see, versus reality, with the teachers that you train? Is it much more accessible than we think? Or is there a level of sophistication that you have to have coming into it?

Aryanna Trejo (17:10):

No, not at all. I know computer science, and that says a lot! <Laugh> You know, I know my own corner of computer science. And you know, that’s me being self-deprecating, too. But I think learning computer science has helped me in so many different ways that I wasn’t expecting. I recently took the GRE in hopes of, you know, getting back into grad school. And I think just the way that computer science teaches you to search for bugs in your code, or errors, and kind of tirelessly look at a problem from multiple different angles, I was able to carry that into the math that I was doing. And I noticed just a huge difference in the way that I approached it, and the way that I was open to it. But you asked a great question, in regards to the barriers to technology. In my position at 9 Dots, I was working directly with teachers to lead professional development with them. Sometimes it would be a full day; sometimes it would be an hour after school. And the one thing that I always had in my back pocket that was really useful is that I would hear teachers saying things like, “Well, I just can’t do coding; this is too hard for me; the time has passed.” And I would ask them, “Would you say that to your student about math or English?” And they would always sheepishly go, “No.” And I’d say, “Well, be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.” You know, it takes some patience and nobody’s gonna get it perfect 100 percent of the time. Have I banged my head against the wall trying to solve one tiny little syntax error in my code? Absolutely! But it feels absolutely phenomenal to fix that. And I was an English major in undergrad, and I had never done computer science before. So it’s something that becomes really satisfying.

Eric Cross (19:07):

Yeah, I imagine. I had someone—a trainer or a presenter—one time bring up the fact that our students rarely get to see us learn in real time.

Aryanna Trejo (19:19):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (19:19):

So we don’t get to ever really model failure. I mean, unless we’re in a classroom situation <laughs> in our failures, with classroom management. Then they see it, they see it! But they don’t get to see us model learning failure. And I don’t mean like failure—and yes, I know, “first attempt is learning,” and “no such thing as failure”—that’s not what I’m talking about. But just when we’re not successful with our code, and then we experience real-time frustration.

Aryanna Trejo (19:42):

Yep.

Eric Cross (19:42):

And they said that is actually a great learning experience for your students to watch you go through productive struggle. And that was really liberating for me. Because now I’m in the classroom, and I’m trying to go through it with my students, and the beautiful thing was, they started helping me. We were all trying to solve the problem. And then we had this authentic problem-solving experience. I think it was like a Scratch program, where we were trying to solve, trying to embed it somewhere, or something. And then, in the background of the class: “Mr. Cross! I got it! I figured it out!” And it was this really neat bonding experience. And I felt that—your ears get red, and you get hot, ’cause you’re not—

Aryanna Trejo (20:19):

Oh yeah.

Eric Cross (20:20):

You don’t know it! And you’re in front of 36 kids! And I said, “OK, I need to tell them how I feel.”

Aryanna Trejo (20:25):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (20:26):

So I said, “Now I feel really frustrated.” Like, “I want to go through this, and here’s my thoughts.” ‘Cause I knew that it would be helpful if they saw and would hear my thoughts. So I just did a quick think-aloud and I said, “In my head, <laugh> I want to just quit,” I said, “But I realize that this is the part where my learning’s happening. So I just want you all to hear what’s going on in my brain.” And now I feel like when I’m doing coding with my students, and it’s just basic coding, I feel much more comfortable, like, not knowing. But I needed someone to release me from that “I have to be the expert in everything” to do it.

Aryanna Trejo (21:06):

And teachers are used to being the experts. Right? And they should be. And coding is just such a different landscape. But I think once you kind of give over to the power of tinkering, I think it’s really gratifying. I love being able to…you can revise a sentence, and then read your paragraph back to yourself in English, and say, “OK, I get it.” But there’s something so gratifying about changing a line of code or a block and then being able to hit play and watch your program come to life, and say, “Hmm, that’s not quite what I wanted. Let’s try something different.”

Eric Cross (21:39):

I love your connection to tinkering. ‘Cause—I had never thought about it—’cause I love tinkering with my hands. But I always think about physical things. But coding is exactly that. It’s tinkering.

Aryanna Trejo (21:47):

It’s exactly that.

Eric Cross (21:47):

That’s exactly what it is.

Aryanna Trejo (21:49):

And a lot of it is, for me, especially when I’m trying something new, it’s guess-and-check. It’s like, “OK, that didn’t work. What if I add a semicolon here? Will it finally work? Or what if I add a ‘for’ loop? Will this get me what I want?” And it’s wonderful because you have that with students as well. Like, you have that record of their thinking, and you can ask them to go step-by-step and tell you, you know, “First, I added this, because I wanted the program to do this,” and so on and so forth. And so you have that record, but you can always get rid of it. Students often wanna get completely get rid of it. That’s something that I’ve noticed a lot as I’ve taught computer science. But, once you can get them to target the specific parts of the program, tinker with that, and continue, that’s a really wonderful learning space. There was also something you said about modeling failure. I love the fact that in computer science you can model failure for your students. You said to your students, “I’m getting frustrated.” I love that, because I never got that in math. Nobody ever showed me what it was like to be frustrated with graphing a parabola. Right? Like, my math teachers were always like, “Doot, doot, doot, here you go, you’re done!” <Laugh> And I would get so frustrated, because it didn’t come that easily to me. And I think there’s two parts to that. So there’s modeling the learning and the thinking and the productive struggle, but also there’s the identity of being a computer scientist and modeling what that looks like. So for me, when I get really frustrated with a program, I walk away. I take five minutes. I take a deep breath. I say, “I’m not gonna think about it in these five minutes.” And I come back to it. And I think once you start teaching computer science, you can facilitate that for students. And there’s so many different strategies that they can pick up. They can pick up rubber ducking, which is where they pick up a rubber duck or a similar object, and they talk to it as if they were a partner and talk through their code. And oftentimes, as you’re rubber ducking, you’re gonna find that error, because you’re explaining it to someone who’s a stand-in for a novice. And rubber ducking is a well-known strategy for computer scientists who make it their career. You know, there’s pair programming. Some students love pair programming; some students hate it. But the students start to build this identity about how they problem-solve. And how they approach failure. And I just love that.

Eric Cross (24:31):

I’m writing this down. Because the rubber-ducking strategy, I love. I just imagine my seventh graders, a bunch of 13-year-olds with, like, rubber on the desk. And not necessarily in coding, but I was thinking in my science class. And they’re working through a challenge, and they’re all looking at this duck, and they’re talking to it. But I just love the the idea of externalizing your thought process and talking through it yourself so that you can hopefully arrive at a conclusion. But it’s such a great practice, and this is something that’s been around for a long time, apparently. So.

Aryanna Trejo (24:59):

Yeah. Yeah. It’s a real thing. And you know, you can go low-fi. It doesn’t have to be a rubber duck. You can have students talk to their pencils or their imaginary friends. That’s not the issue; the issue is, you know, talking to somebody.

Eric Cross (25:10):

I know you support teachers. But I just wanted to…I was just curious about your typical day, what that’s like. And then what you do, how you support ’em.

Aryanna Trejo (25:15):

So, at my previous job at 9 Dots, I was in there with the teachers in the classrooms. I was coaching our internal staff who went out to co-teach with teachers. And I loved that. And I had such a great impact on a local scale. But now at Code.org, I have a much broader impact. But I don’t get to interface with—that’s such a tech-y word!—I don’t get to interact with—

Eric Cross (25:42):

You work at Code.org! You get to—

Aryanna Trejo (25:42):

I know! But I’m a teacher at heart, forever, right? That’s my identity that I forged when I was 22 years old. And a typical day looks like opening up my computer, taking a look at my calendar. I often have meetings to talk about, different things that we’re doing to support our facilitators who go out to our teachers and lead their workshops for them. I recently worked on a product that was designed for CS principles, teachers, to onboard to the course if they weren’t able to get into an in-person workshop. And it’s completely self-paced, so it gives teachers an on-ramp into the course. And now I’m working on some in-person workshop agendas. So I feel really wonderful that my work is going out to thousands of teachers. But at the same time, I really, really miss talking to teachers. Because that’s something that energizes me so much.

Eric Cross (26:46):

When should students start learning computer science? I feel like we see it in this kind of narrow lane. Like, this is computer science if you make an app. Can it be more than that? As far as like the benefit of computer science? And—I guess two-part question—when should students, one, start being exposed to it? And then two, what are some of the benefits beyond just, “I wanna just make an app”?

Aryanna Trejo (27:08):

I taught coding to kindergartners. It can start as early as you as you want it to. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be on the computer. A lot of students that I worked with didn’t have computers at home, were interacting with computers for the first time. And that’s a huge barrier, of course, to a lot of teachers. But there are so many unplugged lessons that you can do to start to start to have students think about algorithms, which is just a series of steps to complete to solve a problem. As long as a student can use a computer, I think they can do computer science. There are products out there like codeSpark, where students—and Code.org has these products too—where students are moving an avatar around a board, kind of like a quadrant to…you know, they feed the directions to a computer and then the computer enacts it for them. And with that, they can learn algorithms. You know, that is computer science. And a lot of people don’t see it that way, but it really is. And it starts to set students up for more complex thinking as they move on.

Eric Cross (28:13):

One of the biggest underserved communities, geographically, are students in rural areas.

Aryanna Trejo (28:20):

Yep.

Eric Cross (28:21):

They can be reservations; they can be places just not an urban area. Is there a way to serve our communities of students and bring these skills in an unplugged way?

Aryanna Trejo (28:32):

Yeah. Yeah. If you typed in “unplugged computer science lessons” to Google, you’ll have a ton of hits. And there are so many students out there—not just in rural areas. But there’s incarcerated students. It hurts my heart to even say those words, but in urban areas too. Like in my classroom, where I only had four desktop computers. Access is a real struggle. And there’s things, like I said, instead of moving an avatar around a grid on the computer, I used to have an actual mat that I would take out to my kindergarten classrooms, lay it out, and it would have a grid on it. And we’d have one of the students act as the avatar and the rest of the students would give them directions to get to a different point on the grid. And there, you’re building an algorithm or just a series of steps. Like I said, it’s not some fancy term to solve a problem. And there’s multiple ways to solve that problem, too. And I think investigating that can be a really good way to stretch those lessons.

Eric Cross (29:32):

It almost sounds like an oxymoron, but this low-tech computer science strategy. Develop these skills and then transfer that once you have access to the tools.

Aryanna Trejo (29:39):

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think it’s a good way for students who need kinesthetic means to start to understand something, or just different learning styles, to start transferring that over.

Eric Cross (29:53):

I probably have students in the classroom where those kinesthetic moving things would help be a great way—or WILL be a great way—for them to learn the principles and the fundamentals of coding. Instead of only giving the option to just do the computer, actually giving them some choice. Or giving them a way to be able to manipulate things. We’re still in the system of education that’s still very siloed. It’s been the same way for a hundred years. We got math and then we got science and we got English. I’m wondering, how can a teacher fit this into their daily lessons? And then, do you have any experiences or stories or things that you’ve seen, just really creative ways that you’ve seen teachers incorporate this? Outside the norm of, “This is a computer science class; we’re just gonna code.” But have you seen it branch out? In the trainings that you’ve done?

Aryanna Trejo (30:40):

I’ve seen examples of that. I’ve seen a teacher use Scratch to demonstrate different climates of California, and show the different climates. This past year for Hour of Code, my friend Amy—the one who helped me move to 9 Dots and at Code.org—she created this incredible tutorial called Poetry Bot. And it was a way to get students to match the mood of the poem to some of the elements that were happening in the stage. So they would have different backgrounds show up at different parts of the poem. When the words would show up, they would have different sprites show up. They would have, sometimes, sounds. Or the text would show up with different animations. So there are cross-curricular opportunities everywhere, if you can be creative enough to find them, or if you beg, borrow, steal from other educators who are doing this incredible work out there.

Eric Cross (31:36):

Yeah. I say this all the time, but I’m an educational DJ, not an MC.

Aryanna Trejo (31:44):

Oh yeah.

Eric Cross (31:45):

So MCs write their lyrics and DJs remix with things that other people have done.

Aryanna Trejo (31:48):

Absolutely.

Eric Cross (31:48):

I was like, I’m a DJ. I was like, all day. Sometimes I’ll write a lyric, once or twice, but most of the time I’m remixing things. So teachers, if you’ve been out there and you got an awesome interdisciplinary thing, or you’ve incorporated coding and it’s something that’s traditionally not seen, please send it to us. Share it with us.

Aryanna Trejo (32:03):

Yeah. And there are so many different places where you can find that. We have a forum for Code.org, but there’s also CSTA, the Computer Science Teachers Association. You can join your local chapter and get to know other computer science teachers out there.

Eric Cross (32:19):

I guess…to wrap up, I’ve been using Scratch programming, the MIT website. My students do the basic animated name, CS First, stuff. But over the years, I’ve noticed that my students are coming in with a higher level of sophistication in Scratch to where now the differentiation…some of my students are just doing very basic…and then I have other students who’ve created full-on video games with complex…like, you look at their Scratch page and it’s just an amazing amount of blocks and integrations and things that they have. Is there anything on Code.org that could be a next step? That takes them beyond, maybe like the visuals? And if so, what would be a good next step, to take students to advance them to another platform? There’s so many coding languages out there, I feel like. Or I might not even be thinking about that the right way.

Aryanna Trejo (33:20):

No, I think you are. You know, we have three different curricula out on our website right now. We have CS Fundamentals, which is probably more in line with what you’re talking about. We have a free CS Discoveries curriculum, and that is designed for, grades, I believe, 6 through 10. And that would be a really good entry point, for both teachers and for students.

Eric Cross (33:44):

There’s a lot of new stuff that I hadn’t seen yet, a few years ago.

Aryanna Trejo (33:49):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (33:49):

So I was really excited.

Aryanna Trejo (33:50):

One thing that I do know is that CS Discovery has just added an artificial intelligence slash machine-learning unit, that you can just pick up and give to your students. You don’t have to go in order with CS Discoveries, like you do with CS Principles. And I’ve gone through some of those lessons. They are really rad. And I would’ve loved to have learned that when I was in middle school or high school. So yeah, we’re constantly thinking of how we can make things one, relevant to our students, and two relevant to what’s going on in the world.

Eric Cross (34:20):

So would I be overselling it if I said, “If you go through this, you’ll be able to create an AI or a neural net to do all your homework”?

Aryanna Trejo (34:26):

You would be overselling it.

Eric Cross (34:27):

I would be? OK. So what I’ll do is, I’ll wait until the end of the school year, and then introduce it, and then by the time they’ve realized it’s not true, they’ll be eighth graders.

Aryanna Trejo (34:35):

There you go. Good old bait-and-switch.

Eric Cross (34:37):

You’re amazing. Thank you for serving teachers, and for being part of such a great organization that puts out great stuff. So much free curricula for teachers to be able to use. Especially nowadays we hunt and scour the internet for those types of things. And to be able to bring computer literacy into the classroom, and with your focus of serving communities of underrepresented groups, it feels good to know that not only is it high-quality material, but it’s also trying to raise everyone up. Because ultimately when we have more people trying to solve a common problem, we come up with better solutions. And I was talking to somebody who was a materials engineer somewhere in Europe, and he said one of the things about the U.S., As he was critiquing me on this flight, critiquing the U.S., He said, “One of the things about your country is that you have a heterogeneous group of people who, in a group, when you have multiple perspectives attacking a problem, you come up with more novel solutions.” He says, “That’s one of the great things, is that there’s not necessarily just a hive mind.” And I think that that’s one of the great things. We uplift different communities, and we uplift women, people of color, people who, have backgrounds that parents didn’t go to college but have these amazing qualities and strengths. And we put everybody focusing on the same issue. We come up with novel solutions that we wouldn’t have come up with if only select groups were trying to look at it and solve it. And so—.

Aryanna Trejo (36:22):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (36:23):

And we couldn’t do that without organizations like yours, that help empower teachers. So.

Aryanna Trejo (36:27):

Yeah! You really said it.

Eric Cross (36:29):

You’re coming to my classroom when you’re back in San Diego?

Aryanna Trejo (36:31):

Yeah! I totally will. Yeah. Let’s make it happen.

Eric Cross (36:34):

Last question. If you think back in your schooling, your own schooling, K through college, is there a person or a teacher that had a big impact on you? Or a learning experience that had an impact on you? And it could be, you know, positive or negative. But something that impacted you, even to this day, that stands out to you, that you remember?

Aryanna Trejo (36:56):

This is a big diversion from the topics that we’re talking about. But in grades 10 through 12, my drama teacher, Mr. Byler, who I still talk with, was such a huge impression on me. Really wonderful. And I couldn’t tell you the teaching moves that he did that were wonderful. I don’t know much about his management. But I can tell you that he gave me space to be confident, and grow into myself, through drama productions. They were high school productions, so they weren’t amazing. But I just really came into myself in high school, because I had the confidence to get on stage. And he was just such a wonderful mentor to all of us. So, props to Mr. Byler.

Eric Cross (37:39):

Shout out to Mr. Byler for creating space for Aryanna to fly! Thanks for making time, after your workday, to talk with us and to share Code.org with teachers.

Aryanna Trejo (37:54):

Of course. Happy to.

Eric Cross (37:59):

Thanks so much for joining me and Aryanna today. We want to hear more about you. If you have any great lessons or ways to keep student engagement high, please email us at stem@amplify.com. Make sure to click subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And join our brand new Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community for some extra content.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month.

What Aryanna Trejo says about science

“I would hear teachers saying things like, ‘Well I just can’t do coding, it’s just too hard for me.’ And I would ask them…Would you say that to your student about math or English? Be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.”

– Aryanna Trejo

Professional Learning Specialist, Code.org

Meet the guest

Aryanna is a member of the Code.org Professional Learning Team. Before joining Code.org, Aryanna led computer science professional development for K-6 teachers and served as an instructional coach for new educators. She also taught fourth and fifth grade in New York City and Los Angeles. In her spare time, Aryanna loves taking advantage of the California sunshine, creating wheel-thrown pottery, and hanging out with her dog Lola.

Person with curly hair smiling, standing in front of a brick wall. Circular frame with decorative star in the corner.

About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

Setting up your session for success

We know your time is valuable. This site is designed to help you quickly select the right professional development topics for your team and gather the step-by-step guidance you need for a successful session.

Quick Navigation Tips:

  • Find your program: Click any program in the sidebar to expand and explore its specific session topics and online courses.
  • Reset your view: To see the full list of programs again, simply click the “Return to Top” arrow in the bottom right corner or scroll past your current selection.

Preparation checklist

A circular arrow surrounds a checkmark inside a square, with a blue shadow on the right side, representing a completed or approved process.

To make the most of your learning plan, follow the directions below. They’ll guide you through preparing your participants, location, and support for your Launch and Strengthen sessions. (Your PLS will support you in building your Coaching session.)

Onsite sessions

Prepare your participants

Communicate session details with participants:

  • Session time & location
  • Session objectives and topics using the agendas on this page
  • Materials required:
    • A charged device that meets Amplify’s tech requirements
    • Personal Amplify login (if available)
    • Participant notebook (This will be shipped to you or you will receive a PDF attachment in your confirmation email.)

Prepare your space

  • Select a location with a strong internet connection.
  • Mark this location clearly for participants and your PLS.
  • Provide Wi-Fi details for participants and your PLS.
  • Set up a projector and screen with audio.

Plan your support

  • Designate a tech lead to address connectivity issues and provide login and navigation support during the session.
  • For your PLS, share your contact information in case of emergencies and any special directions for accessing the location.
  • Inform your PLS if you did not receive enough participant notebooks.
Remote sessions

Prepare your participants

Communicate session details with participants:

  • Session time & remote meeting link
  • Session objectives and topics using the agendas on this page
  • Materials required:
    • A charged device that meets Amplify’s tech requirements
    • Personal Amplify login (if available)
    • Participant notebook (This will be shipped to you or you will receive a PDF attachment in your confirmation email.)

Prepare your remote space

  • Plan for participants to join from individual devices from separate locations (highly recommended).
  • If participants share a room, they must still use individual devices to fully engage.
    • To prevent audio feedback join using Google Meet’s Companion mode.
    • If using another platform, use headphones or ensure all but one device in the room has its microphone and speakers fully muted.

Plan your support

  • For your PLS, share your remote setup plan.
  • Designate a tech lead to address connectivity issues and provide login and navigation support during the session.

Select your program

Use the sidebar to select your program and explore the objectives and topics covered in your session or online course.

Amplify Caminos

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify Caminos 1st Edition agendasAmplify Caminos 3rd Edition agendasAmplify Caminos California Edition agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Grade 6
ELA + Caminos
Skills Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2
K–2K–2
Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–23–5K–2
Program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Grade 6
Knowledge strand program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Skills Strand program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Program overview for leaders3 hoursK–5PreK–5TK–5
Skills supplement training for teachers1 hour3–53–6
Transition training for teachers to 3rd Edition1 hourK–2
3–5
Skills Strand
Knowledge Strand

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify Caminos 1st Edition agendasAmplify Caminos 3rd Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Amplify Caminos California Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Grade 6
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K2
3–5
Grade 6
Writing for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
Student engagement for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Grade 6
ELA + Caminos Grade 6
Supporting all learners for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Pacing for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Grade 6
ELA + Caminos Grade 6
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hoursGrade 6
Grading and assessment for teachers1 hourGrade 6
ELA + Caminos Grade 6

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Amplify CKLA

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify CKLA 2nd Edition agendasAmplify CKLA 3rd Edition agendasAmplify CKLA Florida Edition agendasAmplify CKLA California Edition agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursPreK
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
K–2
3–5
Skills Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Program overview for teachers3 hoursPreK
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
TK
K–2
3–5
Skills Strand program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Knowledge Strand program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Program overview for leaders3 hoursPreK–5PreK5K–5PreK–5
Transition training for teachers1 hourK–2
3–5
Skills Strand transition training for teachers1 hourK–2
Knowledge Strand transition training for teachers1 hourK–2
Skills supplement training for teachers1 hourGrade 3Grade 33–8

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify CKLA 2nd Edition agendasAmplify CKLA 3rd Edition agendasAmplify CKLA Florida Edition agendasAmplify CKLA California Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursPreK
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
TK
K–2
3–5
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2K–2
3–5
Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG/DERG for teachers3 hours3–53–5
Writing for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
Coming soon!
K–2
3–5
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hoursK–5K–5K–5K–5
Student engagement for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Supporting all learners for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Pacing for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition + mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Data driven instruction for teachers3 hoursComing soon!

Amplify CKLA companion programs

Session topicDurationAmplify CKLA 3rd Edition agendas
Writing Studio companion training for teachers3 hoursK–5
Language Studio companion training for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
Language Studio California Edition companion training for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Amplify CKLA + Caminos

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify CKLA 2nd Edition + Amplify Caminos 1st Edition agendasAmplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd edition agendasAmplify CKLA/Caminos California Edition agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Skills Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Program overview for leaders3 hoursPreK–5PreK–5TK–5
Transition training for teachers to 3rd Edition1 hourK–2
3–5
Skills Strand
Knowledge Strand

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify CKLA 2nd Edition + Amplify Caminos 1st Edition agendasAmplify CKLA/Caminos 3rd Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Amplify CKLA/Caminos California Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Writing for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
Student engagement for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Supporting all learners for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Pacing for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Amplify Desmos Math

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify Desmos Math agendasAmplify Desmos Math California Edition agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursK–5
6–A1
High school
Program overview for teachers3 hoursPreK/TK
K–5
6–A1
High school
PreK/TK
High school
Program overview for leaders3 hoursK–5
6–A1
High school
High school

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify Desmos Math agendasAmplify Desmos Math California Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Supporting all learners for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–A1
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hoursK–A1High school
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–A1
High school
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–A1
High school
Snapshots in the Teacher Dashboard for teachers1 hour6–A1
Teaching a lesson with digital student screens for teachers1 hourK–5
Unit-level planning for teachers1 hourK–5
6–A1
High school
Supporting and facilitating meaningful discourse for teachers3 hoursComing soon!K–5
6–A1/M1
High school
Assessment in action: Analyzing data, reports, and planning next steps for teachers3 hoursComing soon!K–5
6–A1/M1
Increasing engagement with instructional routines for teachers3 hoursComing soon!

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Amplify ELA

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify ELA 2nd Edition agendasAmplify ELA Florida Edition agendasAmplify ELA California Edition agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hours6–86–8Grade 6
ELA + Caminos
Program overview for teachers3 hours6–86–8Grade 6
Program overview for leaders3 hours6–86–8ELA + Caminos

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify ELA 2nd Edition agendasAmplify ELA California Edition agendas
Coming soon!
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hours6–86–8
ELA + Caminos Grade 6
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hours6–86–8
ELA + Caminos Grade 6
Writing: Improving through feedback for teachers3 hours6–8
Supporting all learners for teachers3 hours6–8
Data-informed instruction for teachers3 hours6–8
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hours6–86–8
ELA + Caminos Grade 6
Teaching with print and digital for teachers1 hour6–8
Lesson planning for teachers1 hour6–8
Pacing for teachers1 hour6–86–8
Increasing student engagement for teachers1 hour6–86–8
Grading and assessment for teachers1 hour6–86–8

Amplify ELA companion programs

Session topicDurationAmplify ELA Language Studio California Edition agenda
Amplify ELA California 68 Language Studio companion for teachers3 hoursAgenda

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Amplify Math

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify Math agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursGrade 6–Algebra 1
Geometry–Algebra 2
Program overview for teachers3 hoursGrade 6–Algebra 1
Geometry–Algebra 2
Program overview for leaders3 hoursGrade 6–Algebra 1
Geometry–Algebra 2

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify Math agendas
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Addressing prerequisite skills for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Using differentiation supports for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Using data to drive instruction for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Orchestrating math discussions for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hoursAgenda
Lesson-level planning for teachers1 hourAgenda
Unit-level planning for teachers1 hourAgenda
Increasing engagement with instructional routines for teachers1 hourAgenda
Building language with math routines for teachers1 hourAgenda

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Amplify Science

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify Science agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursK–5
6–8
Program overview for teachers3 hoursTK
K–5
6–8
Program overview for leaders3 hoursK–5
6–8

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify Science agendas
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursK5
6–8
Supporting all learners with complex texts for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
Supporting multilingual/English learners for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
Writing in science for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
Engineering Internship for teachers3 hoursGrade 6–Metabolism
Grade 7–Plate Motion
Grade 8–Force and Motion
Science Seminar for teachers3 hours6–8
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hoursK–5
6–8
Assessment system for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
Enhancing the digital experience for teachers1 hourK–5
Planning with the Coherence Flowchart for teachers1 hourK–8
Planning an Amplify Science lesson for teachers1 hourK–8
Supporting all learners: Exploring the resources for teachers1 hourK–8
Supporting all learners: Teacher modeling and student discourse for teachers1 hourK–8
Supporting all learners: Multimodal instruction for teachers1 hourK–8
Analyzing student work for teachers1 hourK–8
Unit Materials Kits and prep for teachers1 hourK–8
Grading with Amplify Science for teachers1 hourK–8

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Boost Literacy

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationBoost ReadingBoost Close ReadingBoost LecturaBoost Reading/ Lectura
Getting started for teachers2 hoursK–56–8K–2K–2
Getting started for leaders2 hoursK–5

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationBoost ReadingBoost Close Reading
Maximizing data for teachers1 hourK–56–8

Online courses

Online courses prepare teachers to implement Boost Literacy programs.

Course topicBoost ReadingBoost Close ReadingBoost Lectura
Getting started for teachersK–56–8K–2
Getting started for leadersK–5

mCLASS® Intervention

mCLASS Intervention sessions

Session topicDurationmCLASS Intervention agendas
Initial training for interventionists and coordinators6 hoursK–6

mCLASS Intervention Universal sessions

Session topicDurationAgendas
Initial training + DIBELS 8th Edition:
Administration and scoring training for interventionists and coordinators
9 hoursK–6

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Online courses

Online courses prepare teachers to administer and score mCLASS Literacy programs.

Course topicCourse overviews
Program overview for interventionistsK–6

mCLASS Literacy

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition agendasmCLASS Lectura agendasmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/mCLASS Lectura agendasLouisiana K–3 Literacy Screener agendas
Administration and instruction essentials for teachers6 hoursK–8K–6 English
K–6 Spanish
K–8K–3
Administration and scoring training for teachers3 hoursK–8K–6 English
K–6 Spanish
K–3
Administration and reporting training for leaders3 hoursK–8K–6K–8

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition agendasmCLASS Lectura agendasmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/ mCLASS Lectura agendasLouisiana K–3 Literacy Screener agendas
Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers3 hoursK–8K–6K–8K–3
Building a data-driven culture for leaders3 hoursK–8K–6K–8K–3
Assessing with fidelity for teachers1 hourK–8K–6K–8K–3
Reporting and instruction basics for teachers1 hourK–8K–6K–8
Progress monitoring for teachers1 hourK–8K–6K–8K–3
Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers1 hourK–8K–6K–8K–3
Reporting basics for leaders1 hourK–8K–6K–8K–3

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.PLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Online courses

Online courses prepare teachers to administer and score mCLASS Literacy programs.

Course topicmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition overviewsmCLASS Lectura overviewsLouisiana K–3 Literacy Screener overviewsmCLASS Literacy North Carolina overviewsmCLASS Lectura North Carolina overviewsPaper DIBELS 8th Edition overviews
Administration and instruction essentials for teachersK–8K–6K–3K–6
K–6
Calibration training for teachersK–8
Coming soon!
K–8
Coming soon!
Transition training for DDS teachersK–8
Administration and scoring training for DDS teachersK–8
Administration and reporting training for leadersK–3

mCLASS Math & Boost Math

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationmCLASS Math 2nd Edition agendasCalifornia Edition agendas
Program overview for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
K–5
6–8
Program overview for leaders3 hoursK–8K–8

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationmCLASS Math 2nd Edition agendasCalifornia Edition agendas
Student thinking and instructional next steps for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
K–5
6–8
mCLASS Math + Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention3 hoursK–5
6–8
K–5
6–8
Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical thinking for teachers1 hourK–5
6–8

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsResource
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching session.Coming soon!
2. If you select any PLC or grade-level meetings, select topics for those meetings.Coming soon!

Online courses

Online courses prepare teachers to administer and score mCLASS Literacy programs.

Course topicCourse overviews
Program overview and instructional next steps for teachersComing soon!

General sessions

Amplify Classroom

Amplify Classroom sessions build expertise in Activity Builder to design, organize, and facilitate engaging digital activities.

Session topicDurationAmplify Classroom agendas
Facilitating and building activities in Amplify Classroom for teachers6 hoursAgenda
Introduction to Amplify Classroom activities for teachers3 hoursAgenda
Building activities in Amplify Classroom for teachers3 hoursAgenda

Multilingual/English learners

Multilingual/English learners sessions align instruction with best practices for multilingual reading and writing development.

Session topicDurationMultilingual/English learners agendas
Build your knowledge of multilingual/English learners 90 minutesAgenda
Deepen your knowledge of multilingual/English learners3 hoursAgenda

Problem-based math

Problem-based math sessions identify actionable strategies that build students’ conceptual understanding while developing a sense of joy in learning math

Session topicDurationProblem-based math agendas
Build knowledge of problem-based math for teachers
90 minutesK–5
6–8
High school–Coming soon!
Deepen knowledge of problem-based math for teachers3 hoursK–5
6–8
High school–Coming soon!

Science of Reading

Science of Reading sessions examine the connections between literacy and the brain to align instructional practices with models that develop skilled reading and writing.

Session topicDurationScience of Reading agendas
Build your knowledge of the Science of Reading90 minutesK–5
Deepen your knowledge of the Science of Reading3 hoursK–5

Texas programs

Select your program from the sidebar to explore its sessions.

Amplify Desmos Math Texas sessions

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationmCLASS Math 2nd Edition agendas
Supporting and facilitating meaningful discourse for teachers3 hoursComing soon!
Assessment in action: Analyzing data, reports, and planning next steps for teachers3 hoursComing soon!

Amplify Texas ELAR & SLAR

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationAmplify Texas ELAR agendasAmplify Texas ELAR + SLAR agendasAmplify Texas SLAR agendas
Initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2
3–5
6–8
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Skills Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers6 hoursK–2K–2K–2
Program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
6–8
K–2
3–5
Program overview for leaders3 hoursK–5
6–8
K–5
Skills Strand program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2
Knowledge Strand program overview for teachers3 hoursK–2K–2

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationAmplify Texas ELAR agendasAmplify Texas ELAR + SLAR agendasAmplify Texas SLAR agendas
Enhancing planning for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
6–8
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Enhancing practice for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
6–8
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Writing for teachers3 hoursK–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
K–2
3–5
Enhancing observations for leaders3 hoursK–5
6–8
Supporting all learners for 6–8 teachers3 hours6–8
Data-informed instruction for teachers3 hours6–8
Student engagement for teachers1 hourK–5
6–8
K–5K–5
Supporting all learners for teachers1 hourK–5K–5K–5
Teaching with print and digital for teachers1 hour6–8
Lesson planning for teachers1 hour6–8
Pacing for teachers1 hourK–5
6–8
K–5K–5
Grading and assessment for teachers1 hour6–8

Coach sessions

Coach sessions can include model lessons, observations, walk-throughs, and/or co-planning. Use the resources to build your coaching session.

DirectionsELAR resourcesELAR + SLAR resources
1. Select agenda items to build your coaching sessionCoaching agenda optionsCoaching agenda options
2. If you select any PLC or grade level meetings, select topics for those meetingsPLCs or grade-level planning meeting options

Boost Reading Texas sessions

Launch & Strengthen sessions

Session topicDurationTexas Boost Reading agendas
Getting started for teachers2 hoursK–5
6–8
Getting started for leaders2 hoursK–5
Maximizing data for teachers1 hourK–5
6–8

mCLASS Literacy Texas sessions

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationmCLASS Texas agendasmCLASS Lectura Texas agendasmCLASS Texas DIBELS 8/ Lectura agendas
Administration and instruction essentials for teachers6 hoursK–8K–2K–2
Administration and scoring training for teachers3 hoursK–8K–2
Administration and reporting training for leaders3 hoursK–8K–2K–2

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Texas agendasmCLASS Lectura Texas agendasmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura Texas
Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers3 hoursK–8K–6K–8
Building a data-driven culture for leaders3 hoursK–8K–6K–8
Assessing with fidelity for teachers1 hourK–8K–6
Reporting and instruction basics for teachers1 hourK–8K–6
Progress monitoring for teachers1 hourK–8K–6
Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers1 hourK–8K–6K–8
Reporting basics for leaders1 hourK–8K–6

Online courses

Course topicmCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Texas course overviewmCLASS Lectura Texas course overview
Administration and instruction essentials for teachersK–8K–6

mCLASS Math Texas sessions

Launch sessions

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

Session topicDurationmCLASS Math 2nd Edition agendas
Program overview for teachers3 hoursK–5
Program overview for leaders3 hoursK–5

Strengthen sessions

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of Amplify programs through targeted support.

Session topicDurationmCLASS Math 2nd Edition agenda
Student thinking and instructional next steps for teachers3 hoursK–5

Online courses

Course topicmCLASS Math 2nd Edition online agenda
Administration and instruction essentials for teachersComing soon!

Amplify Texas, K–5

Built on a systematic scope and sequence, Amplify Texas, K–5 programs offer the explicit instruction needed in today’s classrooms. Amplify Texas includes both English and Spanish curriculums. The print version of the English curriculum is titled Amplify Texas ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading). The digital version of the English curriculum is titled Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program. The print version of the Spanish curriculum is titled Amplify Texas SLAR (Spanish Language Arts and Reading). The digital version of the Spanish curriculum is titled Amplify Texas Lectoescritura.

We’ve created a wide suite of professional development offerings that will help you meet your unique needs this school year. Find out more below!

Professional Learning Partner Guide Certified Provider

Amplify CKLA, ELA, and Science professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

Teacher observes student completing activity

Plan your professional development

We’re excited to partner with you on your Amplify journey. Flexible professional development pathways have been designed to meet your needs.

Illustration of three educational phases: a teacher launches a rocket, another reads a book, and four individuals discuss in a meeting setting.

Recommended Professional Development Plan

Our team has curated a recommended professional learning path from initial launch to continuous support. Use the Professional Development Planning Guide below to discuss the plan that best meets your school or district needs with your Account Executive.

ELAR

SLAR

Session overview

Recommended sessions are highlighted below.
Audience Title Duration Modality Available
Launch
K–5 instructional leaders Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
K–2 teachers Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training 1 day Onsite Yes
K–2 teachers Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training
2 half days
Remote Yes
Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) Skills Strand initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) Skills Strand program overview Half day Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) Knowledge Strand initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) Knowledge Strand program overview Half day Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
K–2 teachers Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) initial training 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
K–2 teachers Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Skills Strand (Habilidades y destrezas) initial training 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote Onsite/Remote 5/1/22 
Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Skills Strand (Habilidades y destrezas) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote  10/1/22 
Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Skills Strand (Conocimiento) initial training 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Skills Strand (Conocimiento) program overview  Half day Onsite/Remote  5/1/22 
3–5 teachers Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training 1 day or 2 half days remote Onsite/Remote Yes
3–5 teachers Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy program (digital) and ELAR (print) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
3–5 teachers Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) initial training 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote Onsite/Remote Yes
3–5 teachers Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote 5/1/22
Strengthen
K–5 leaders Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing observations for leaders Half day Onsite/Remote 9/1/22
K–2 teachers
 
 
 
Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & practice for K–2 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
K–2 teachers Amplify Texas ELAR writing for K–2 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas SLAR enhancing planning & practice for K–2 teachers 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas SLAR writing for K–2 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote 12/1/22
3–5 teachers Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & practice for 3–5 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote  Yes
3–5 teachers Amplify Texas ELAR writing for 3–5 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas SLAR enhancing planning & practice for 3–5 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas SLAR writing for 3–5 teachers Half day Onsite/Remote 12/1/22
K–5 teachers



Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & instruction for English language learners Half day Onsite/Remote 9/1/22
Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & instruction for students with special needs
Half day Onsite/Remote 9/1/22
Amplify Texas ELAR Strengthening consultation session 1 hour or 3 1-hour sessions Remote 2/1/22
Amplify Texas SLAR Strengthening consultation session 1 hour or 3 1-hour sessions Remote 2/1/22
Coaching sessions

K–5 educators (leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers)

Amplify Texas ELAR Coaching session 2 days consecutive Onsite Yes 
K–5 educators (leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers)




Amplify Texas ELAR Coaching session 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote
 
Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas ELAR Coaching session Half day Remote

Yes

 

Amplify Texas SLAR Coaching session 2 days consecutive Onsite Yes
Amplify Texas SLAR Coaching session 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Amplify Texas SLAR Coaching session Half day Remote Yes

Launch

K–5 instructional leaders

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training for K–5 instructional leaders

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement and support Amplify Texas instruction in your schools! Learn how Amplify Texas supports students as they build literacy skills in the early grades and move among reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language activities in the upper grades. Understand the purpose of the Amplify Texas program (Skills, Knowledge, and Integrated Strands) and identify components of the Amplify Texas design principles within lessons. Participants will begin creating an action plan to support communication and change management related to Amplify Texas to staff, parents, and other stakeholders.

Audience: Instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

K–2 teachers

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas K–2 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas K–2 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) Skills Strand initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas Skills Strand program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) Skills Strand program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas Skills Strand in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) Knowledge Strand initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas Knowledge Strand program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) Knowledge Strand program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas Knowledge Strand in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement Amplify Texas program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement Amplify Texas in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Skills Strand (Habilidades y destrezas) initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement Amplify Texas Skills Strand (Habilidades y destrezas) program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Skills Strand (Habilidades y destrezas) program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement Amplify Texas Skills Strand (Habilidades y destrezas) in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Knowledge Strand (Conocimiento) initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement Amplify Texas Knowledge Strand (Conocimiento) program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) Knowledge Strand (Conocimiento) program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement Amplify Texas Knowledge Strand (Conocimiento) in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

3-5 Teachers

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) initial training for 3–5 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas 3–5 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program (digital) and ELAR (print) program overview for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas 3–5 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) initial training for 3–5 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas 3–5 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Texas, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas Lectoescritura (digital) and SLAR (print) program overview for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Texas 3–5 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Strengthen

K–5 leaders

Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing observations for K–5 leaders

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for instructional leaders

Elevate program knowledge to support colleagues with effective Amplify Texas implementation! Practice analyzing Amplify Texas lessons and identify key instructional elements and next steps. Participants will be prepared to collect data and enhance classroom observations.

Audience: Instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

K–2 teachers

Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & practice for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers

Elevate program knowledge to strengthen your Amplify Texas K–2 implementation! Understand the progression of foundational skills and focus on high-quality questioning and discussion techniques through lesson study and practice. Participants will practice implementing key instructional elements and leave with annotated lessons.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas ELAR writing for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers and 2–3 months of Amplify Texas instruction

Dig into Amplify Texas writing instruction and student work in grades K–2! Identify writing opportunities in the Amplify Texas Skills and Knowledge Strand through analysis of a unit and daily lessons and analyze student writing using a program-aligned rubric. Participants will leave with an annotated unit highlighting the writing opportunities and student grouping suggestions.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR enhancing planning & practice for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers

Elevate program knowledge to strengthen your Amplify Texas K–2 implementation! Understand the progression of foundational skills and focus on high-quality questioning and discussion techniques through lesson study and practice. Participants will practice implementing key instructional elements and leave with annotated lessons.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR writing for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers and 2–3 months of Amplify Texas instruction

Dig into Amplify Texas writing instruction and student work in grades K–2! Identify writing opportunities in the Amplify Texas curriculum through analysis of a unit and daily lessons and analyze student writing using a program-aligned rubric. Participants will leave with an annotated unit highlighting the writing opportunities and student grouping suggestions.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

3–5 teachers

Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & practice for
3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for 3–5 teachers

Elevate program knowledge to strengthen your Amplify Texas 3–5 implementation! Understand the progression of foundational skills and focus on high-quality questioning and discussion techniques through lesson study and practice. Participants will practice implementing key instructional elements and leave with annotated lessons.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas ELAR writing for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers and 2–3 months of Amplify Texas instruction

Dig into Amplify Texas writing instruction and student work in grades 3–5! Identify writing opportunities in the Amplify Texas curriculum through analysis of a unit and daily lessons and analyze student writing using a program-aligned rubric. Participants will leave with an annotated unit highlighting the writing opportunities and student grouping suggestions.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR enhancing planning & practice for
3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for 3–5 teachers

Elevate program knowledge to strengthen your Amplify Texas 3–5 implementation! Understand the progression of foundational skills and focus on high-quality questioning and discussion techniques through lesson study and practice. Participants will practice implementing key instructional elements and leave with annotated lessons.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR writing for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers and 2–3 months of Amplify Texas instruction

Dig into Amplify Texas writing instruction and student work in grades 3–5! Identify writing opportunities in the Amplify Texas curriculum through analysis of a unit and daily lessons and analyze student writing using a program-aligned rubric. Participants will leave with an annotated unit highlighting the writing opportunities and student grouping suggestions.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

K–5 teachers

Amplify Texas ELAR enhancing planning & instruction for English language learners for K–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Develop a strong understanding of how to support English language learners (ELLs) with Amplify Texas instruction! Identify program-embedded instructional supports and strategies for ELL students of varying proficiency levels and plan how to adjust instruction based on formative check points. Participants will begin to develop a plan for using program supports and strategies for ELL instruction.

Audience: K–5 classroom teachers and ELL specialists (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas enhancing planning & instruction for students with special needs for K–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Develop a strong understanding of how to support students with special needs! Identify program-embedded instructional supports and strategies for students with special needs, including connections to IEP goals, and plan how to adjust instruction. Participants will leave with an accommodation plan aligned to Amplify Texas instruction and IEP goals.

Audience: K–5 classroom teachers and special education specialists (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas ELAR Strengthening consultation session

1 hour or 3 1-hour sessions

These 60-minute sessions will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify Texas and equip them with the support they need to drive toward stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district leadership team in advance of the session on the topic (chosen from a menu of options) that will best meet educators’ unique needs. The menu includes sessions on engagement, pacing, and supporting all learners.

Audience: K–5 classroom teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR Strengthening consultation session

1 hour or 3 1-hour sessions

These 60-minute sessions will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify Texas and equip them with the support they need to drive toward stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district leadership team in advance of the session on the topic (chosen from a menu of options) that will best meet educators’ unique needs. The menu includes sessions on engagement, pacing, and supporting all learners.

Audience: K–5 classroom teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Coach

K–5 educators (leaders, principals, coaches, teachers)

Amplify Texas ELAR Coaching for K–5 educators

2 days consecutive (6 hours per day, 12 total)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Texas with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–4 school sites for two days. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify Texas facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation. The flexible onsite coaching design allows for a collaborative approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite

Amplify Texas ELAR Coaching for K–5 educators

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Texas with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–2 school sites for one day. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify Texas facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation. The flexible onsite coaching design allows for a collaborative approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas ELAR Coaching for K–5 educators

Half day (3 hours)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Texas with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will virtually visit for a half day. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify Texas facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches)
Modality: Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR Coaching for K–5 educators

2 days consecutive (6 hours per day, 12 total)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Texas with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–4 school sites for two days. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify Texas facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation. The flexible onsite coaching design allows for a collaborative approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite

Amplify Texas SLAR Coaching for K–5 educators

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Texas with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–2 school sites for one day. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify Texas facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation. The flexible onsite coaching design allows for a collaborative approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Amplify Texas SLAR Coaching for K–5 educators

Half day (3 hours)

Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Texas with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will virtually visit for a half day. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify Texas facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches)
Modality: Remote

Pricing

We offer the following pricing for training sessions and packages:

Session typePricing
2-day onsite session$4,800
1-day onsite session$3,200
1-day remote session$1,200
Half day onsite session$2,500
Half day remote session$750
1-hour Strengthening consultation session$350
3 1-hour Strengthening consultation sessions$1000
Customized onsite or remote sessionPrice will vary

Please note that the prices are general ranges and may be subject to change.

Contact

Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with schools and districts to design professional development plans and answer your questions.

If you would like to order any of our professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.

Prepare for Amplify professional development

When you grow, your students grow.  

Whether you are implementing Amplify programs for the first time or strengthening instructional practices, our goal is to support your professional growth and help all students succeed.

Feel prepared and ready to grow with us.

This site provides session preparation guidance, the agenda and objectives for all Prepare, Begin and Practice sessions. The Prepare sessions are denoted as such. The Begin and Practice sessions are listed by product type – core, assessment and supplemental. All state-specific training is found in its own section.

A four-step process diagram labeled Prepare, Begin, Practice, and Advance, each with icons and brief descriptions of stages for implementing an educational program.
Four people are sitting at a table; one is reading, two are discussing notes, and one is writing on paper.

Onsite session preparation

Do you have an upcoming onsite PD session? Do you need to know what your participants should bring to their session or what should be provided in the training space? Click ‘learn more’ below for detailed information on how to prepare for your onsite session.

Learn more

Amplify resource hub webinar library

Remote session preparation

Do you have an upcoming remote PD session? Do you need to know what your participants should have at their session or how to set up a remote session? Click ‘learn more’ below for detailed information on how to prepare for your remote session.

Learn more

Prepare session agendas

Launch

Build your Knowledge of Math Problem-Based Learning (90 min)

Deepen your Knowledge of Math Problem-Based Learning (3 hour) 

Launch

Build your Knowledge of Science of Reading (90 min)

Deepen your Knowledge of Science of Reading (3 hour)

Multiliterate learners

  • Build your knowledge of multiliterate learners (90 min)     K–5
  • Deepen your knowledge of multiliterate learners (3 hour)     K–5

Core: Launch and Strengthen session agendas

Select your program to preview a session agenda and any other session specific preparation steps for participants.

Launch

Initial training (6 hours)

  • Initial training for teachers    K–2    3–5
  • Skills Strand initial training for teachers    K–2
  • Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers    K–2

Program overview (3 hours) 

  • Program overview for teachers    K–2    3–5
  • Skills Strand program overview for teachers    K–2
  • Knowledge Strand program overview for teachers    K–2
  • Program overview for leaders     K–5

Strengthen

Strengthen (3 hours)

  • Enhancing planning for teachers    K–2    3–5
  • Enhancing practice for teachers    K–2    3–5
  • Writing    K–2    3–5
    • Note: teachers should bring a recent class set of student writing samples from the Amplify curriculum to this session. 

Focus (1 hour)

  • Student engagement    K–5
  • Supporting all learners    K–5
  • Pacing    K–5

Launch

Initial training (6 hours) 

  • Initial training for teachers    PreK    K–2    3–5
  • Skills Strand initial training for teachers    K–2
  • Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers    K–2

Program overview (3 hours) 

  • Program overview for teachers    PreK    K–2    3–5
  • Skills Strand program overview for teachers   K–2
  • Knowledge Strand program overview for teachers    K–2
  • Program overview for leaders    PreK–5

CKLA Writing Studio (3 hours)

  • Writing Studio companion training for teachers    K–5

CKLA Language Studio (3 hours)

  • Language Studio companion training for teachers    K–2    3–5

CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition Transition Training (1 hour)

  • Transition Training for Teachers     K–2     3–5
  • Skills Strand Transition Training for Teachers     K–2
  • Knowledge Strand Transition Training for Teachers     K–2

Grade 3 Skills (1 hour)

Strengthen

Strengthen (3 hours)

  • Enhancing planning for teachers    PreK    K–2    3–5
  • Enhancing practice for teachers    K–2    3–5
  • Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG    K–2
    • Note: teachers should bring a recent set of graded class data from an Amplify benchmark or end-of-unit assessment to this session.
  • Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG/DERG    3–5
  • Writing    K–2    3–5
    • Note: teachers should bring a recent class set of student writing samples from the Amplify curriculum to this session. 
  • Enhancing observations for leaders    K–5

Focus (1 hour)

  • Student engagement    K–5
  • Supporting all learners    K–5
  • Pacing    K–5

Launch

Initial training (6 hours) 

  • Initial training for teachers    K–2    3–5
  • Skills Strand initial training for teachers    K–2
  • Knowledge Strand initial training for teachers    K–2

Program overview (3 hours) 

  • Program overview for teachers     K–2    3–5
  • Skills Strand program overview for teachers    K–2
  • Knowledge Strand program overview for teachers    K–2
  • Program overview for leaders     K–5

CKLA 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition Transition Training (1 hour)

  • Transition Training for Teachers     K–2     3–5
  • Skills Strand Transition Training for Teachers     K–2
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    • Note: teachers should bring a recent set of student work samples from an Amplify Science assessment to this session. 
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S5-04. Coaching tips for managing math anxiety in teachers

A blue graphic with text reading "Math Teacher Lounge" in multicolored letters and "Amplify." at the bottom, with abstract geometric shapes and lines as decoration.

So far this season, we’ve investigated math anxiety in students and its causes with passionate researchers and curriculum experts, including one from Sesame Workshop! Now we hear from Dr. Heidi Sabnani, consultant, coach, and co-host of Math 4 All, as she gives us research-based tips for teachers who are facing math anxiety themselves! Listen as we discuss Heidi’s own math anxiety and journey through math, the effects teacher math anxiety can have on instruction, and practices educators can implement right away for overcoming math anxiety.

Listen today and don’t forget to grab your MTL study guide to track your learning and make the most of this episode!

Download Transcript

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (00:00):

Coaching is the opportunity to provide that just-in-time kind of professional development for teachers, if we go at it in a slightly different way.

Dan Meyer (00:10):

Hey folks, welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. I’m your host, Dan Meyer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:14):

And I’m Bethany Lockhart Johnson.

Dan Meyer (00:16):

Bethany, how are you doing, and how are you feeling about our current trajectory through this exploration of math anxiety?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:24):

Dan, I gotta tell you — let me make it about me for a second. <laugh>.

Dan Meyer (00:29):

Go. Do it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:30):

If only I had known that so many other people experienced math anxiety, and I wasn’t the only one. I mean, I’ve said it before, but you know, I hope that this series so far is helping to reframe math anxiety for folks who maybe have a narrow definition of it … and I guess expand, reframe. And also, for those folks who are working with students who have math anxiety, or who they themselves have experienced math anxiety, I hope they’ve found some tools, some resources. Right? Like, “Yes!”

Dan Meyer (01:04):

Yes! Same.

New Speaker (01:06):

And what about you? How are you feeling?

Dan Meyer (01:08):

Yeah, I hope this has been cathartic for all of our listeners who have experienced math anxiety, and not re-traumatizing, that there are lots of people who feel this way about math in particular. And that it’s so well-experienced, so broadly experienced, that people have decided to study it a whole bunch. Which is great. And now we’re moving into our kind of solutioning. You know, in my relationships, I’m sometimes told that I rush too quickly to solutions before trying to understand what’s going on. So I’ve loved our episodes that have been about what is going on. And now, with Dr. Truglio last episode and our guest today, we’re moving more into some solutions, which I’m excited about.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:49):

I don’t know, Dan, I think next time I see you I’m gonna bring a list of some concerns or worries I have, and I would love if you just get right to the solution. I’m actually OK with that.

Dan Meyer (02:01):

All right. Good to know. Good to know. I’ll say I am coming off of a day where I was feeling some teacher anxiety today, because I taught really real students. So just to let you know where I’m coming from here. I taught some seventh grade students at Montera Middle, here in Oakland Unified School District. Taught ’em a lesson outta the Desmos curriculum. And it was one of those lessons where some thorny stuff comes up. I’m talking students who are wrong for smart reasons, who are right for the wrong reasons, and their minds are working so hard trying to figure out inequalities. And I’m like trying to just step into that process as an educator with some curriculum and help shape those ideas. But it’s just … I don’t know, you want it to be as easy as like, “let me just show you how it’s done a few times, and now you got it.” But whew, some of these ideas, they take a long time to form up and they’re really easily reshaped by lots of stuff going on. So that’s where I’m at, anxiety-wise, right now. The teacher anxiety stuff.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:04):

I think there’s probably plenty of teachers who do kind of just say, this is how you do it. And so, from what I have seen of your teaching and what I know of the Desmos curriculum, it is such an opportunity to think hard about the things that we are assuming about our students, assuming about what we know about the math itself. And yeah, that requires some thought.

Dan Meyer (03:30):

Yeah, for sure. I came in ready, like, “When you multiply both sides of an inequality by a negative, this sign flips around.” And I could just say that to kids and say, “Hey, remember that! Write that down!” And a lot of them would do it really well, you know, provided the assessment problems looked like ones we’ve gone over in class. And they’re also learning — in addition to that math, they’re learning that math is a giant sack of tricks they gotta memorize, right? So there’s just these pros and cons. And at the end of the one period I’m gonna teach this week, I was like, “Well, your teacher’s gonna go over that tomorrow, when they’re with you instead of me.” So it felt a bit like I copped out on that one. And I’m just in in my feelings about that right now. And I’m gonna try to come on down here and be present in the math-anxiety world.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:25):

I appreciate you sharing that, Dan. And I think … I have a feeling that you could write a pretty catchy rhyme to allow the students to flip and <starting to rap> “multiply by negative. and dit-dit-dit-dit.” Can you feel it? You picking up that beat?

Dan Meyer (04:40):

Ooh, yeah. A nice little beat. Uh-huh. Yup.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:41):

Yeah. You know, you could come up with something pretty clever, and yet you did not lean on your wordsmithing skills. You said, “No, let us dive in.” So what are you gonna do with this lesson, by the way? What happens now? You popped in for one period, and then what happens?

Dan Meyer (05:03):

Yeah. So this is gonna be a blast. I hope you folks tune in. We’re gonna actually release the footage of me teaching this lesson live. You know, it’ll be replayed live. And on top of that, a couple of my favorite teacher coaches and just smart people about teaching are going to be giving commentary. They are gonna be giving the director’s commentary, the sports announcers’ commentary on what they’re seeing. I beg for their generosity in their commentary. But I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I’ve never seen anything like this before, a commentary track on top of a teaching lesson, in this way. So I’m just gonna gonna be excited to see what they noticed that I didn’t, what they might have done, the thoughts they might have. Maybe I’ll do a post-game interview, you know.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:50):

Ooh, yes!

Dan Meyer (05:50):

With my towel around my neck, <laugh> looking all sweaty.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:54):

Ready, set, grow!

Dan Meyer (05:55):

Like, “Yup, we gave it all out there, you know, just a real team effort.” You know, that kind of thing. We’ll see how that goes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:02):

I actually love that idea. I love that it’s not just this one random lesson that just kind of floats out there, and it’s about, you walk away with whatever feelings you have, and the students obviously walk away, but that this is gonna help other educators.

Dan Meyer (06:17):

Yeah. Yeah. We’ll multiply my anxiety and make it more people’s anxiety. We’ll see how that goes. So stay tuned on the Math Teacher Lounge feed for that. All right?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:25):

All right! And speaking of anxiety, Dan Meyer, we gotta get to today’s show. You know, last time we had some amazing strategies for helping students from Dr. Truglio from Sesame Workshop. I gotta tell you, I sent that episode to so many of my friends, like, “Listen to these ideas!” and have had some interesting follow-up conversations. And we would love to hear what you think about this season so far, at MTLShow on Twitter or in our Facebook group, Math Teacher Lounge. So today, we’re gonna focus on strategies for supporting teachers.

Dan Meyer (07:00):

Yes. Which is why we’re so excited to bring to you folks Heidi Sabnani, who — we’ve had researchers. We’ve had Sesame Workshoppers. And Heidi Sabnani has been a classroom teacher; she’s teacher-consultant; newly minted doctoral degree holder. We’re so pumped to bring to you folks: Heidi Sabnani.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:25):

Dr. Sabnani, thank you for being here. Can we call you Dr. Heidi? What would you. …

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (07:31):

You can just call me Heidi. Yeah. Heidi is good.

Dan Meyer (07:36):

Right on.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:36):

  1. Heidi, thank you for joining us in the Lounge. We’re so excited to talk with you.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (07:41):

I am super-honored to be here. It’s really exciting and I just really appreciate the opportunity.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:47):

I will say I don’t have a PhD, although the two people I’m talking with right now, both do, and you’re both like holding up your degrees as we speak and saying, “Wah-wah.” But I imagine that if I did, I’d wanna throw that doctor in more frequently, so.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (08:02):

Well—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:03):

If I sneak in a “Doctor,” Heidi, it’s only out of respect.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (08:05):

  1. I appreciate it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:07):

Dan makes me call him Dr. Meyer all the time.

Dan Meyer (08:10):

You don’t call me Dr. Dan or Dr. Meyer, ever. So—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:13):

I will now!

Dan Meyer (08:14):

—this respect only goes towards Dr. Heidi, it seems. But yeah, we’ll take that off the air.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:19):

Well, we are going to delve into your research on math anxiety soon, because I actually — speaking of becoming a doctor, a new doctor, I have some questions. We have questions about your research, but on a personal level, I really appreciated the way that you share that you yourself experienced math anxiety as a student. So I’m wondering if you could tell us a bit about your own math anxiety, your <laugh> journey through math.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (08:50):

Yeah, so much like the people in the research that I did, and with the research that I read by others, many of us can tie the beginnings — or like the evil villain origin story of math anxiety — to a particular event, or series of events. And my series of events started, the big blow-up, I guess, in fourth grade. And I had had some struggles in school — I have mild dyslexia and dyscalculia. And so I had always been in the special group of kids who got some extra attention <laugh> from the teacher, or from an aide, or whoever happened to be in the room. But in fourth grade — at that time, they taught multiplication and division facts in fourth grade. Many, many moons ago. And I struggled greatly with just understanding what was happening and why we were moving so quickly. And, my teacher was probably not the best person to be entrusted with my learning at the time. Like, her style may have been OK for others, but it was obvious that she felt like kind of wasting her time with some people in the classroom. And I happened to be one of those people.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:26):

Mmm. You said that really diplomatically, though. <Laugh>

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (10:30):

Well, you know, you look back at things from the perspective of many years. And having made lots of mistakes myself in the classroom as a teacher, I try to give some grace to things that happened, and how you remember them. Yeah, that’s my story, but maybe she had a different one, right?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:55):

Yeah. But fourth grade Heidi was still, you know, still experiencing that. Yeah.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (11:01):

Yeah. Fourth-grade Heidi didn’t like being in the “dumb group” and didn’t like being told that she would probably not graduate from high school. So that was kind of the general environment. And I got further and further behind in math. The dyslexia was less and less of an issue the older I got, because I had great comprehension. And so I could figure out the fluency thing just by the pattern of language, because mine is mild in comparison to so many who struggle with that. But math was not working in that same way. And I got more and more behind and to the point where I was having to stay in every day at recess. And I had had it after like a month. Like, I’m not staying in at recess anymore to do this math that I don’t understand, by myself. Like, not doing it. So I—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:53):

Which, by the way, if there’s one way to make you hate it, <laugh> like, to engender, to endear you to a subject, could it be, “Let’s have you stay in at recess”?

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (12:07):

Right. And so one day I just stormed out of the classroom, I was like, “I’m not coming. I’m not staying, I’m not doing this anymore. I’m done.” And I can remember her standing up at the top of the hill screaming at me to come back, and I was like, “No way. Not doing it. Done with this.” I went to a parochial school, though, and my dad is a pastor. So that whole little incident blew up in the greater community in a way that I didn’t really anticipate as a fourth grader. And my parents had no idea that this was going on. And so they were shocked and dismayed that their — up until that point — oldest child, rule-follower, had done this. But then even more upset when they found out what was happening with my math understanding, or lack thereof. And they did what they knew best at the time. So my mom was a great memorizer. She has a brain like an elephant. And my dad grew up in the British system in India and Singapore, and it was at that time very much based on memorization. And so they were like, “We are gonna just work really hard. We’re gonna buckle down and do this thing <laugh>.” And so that’s what we did, and that’s where all of it began. It was not — it was just about “We’re gonna learn the facts. We’re not gonna ask questions; we’re not gonna think about it, because it’s just the rules. And if you can figure out the rules or the system or what the teacher wants, and mimic what the teacher is doing, then you’ll be successful.” And it was really successful for me, once I figured that out all the way through. My whole goal in high school when I took high school math was to take enough math courses with a high-enough GPA that when I got my BA in college, that I would never have to take math again. And I succeeded in that and got an English degree and a Master’s in world lit. And I was in no way doing math ever again.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (14:31):

But little did you know that Future You was going to be researching math anxiety. How did you wind up researching it then? How did you wind up researching math anxiety?

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (14:43):

So I took a job in school improvement when I was working in Ohio, after a number of years teaching high school English in Southern California and Guatemala and Michigan, all over the place. And I took a job in school improvement with a co-consultant who was gonna be doing the math end, and I was gonna be doing the literacy end, and we were just gonna go in, and I was gonna make kids love reading, and she was gonna make kids love math, and it was gonna be so fun. And then she decided she didn’t like working with adults and they couldn’t find anyone else. And my boss said, “So you’re just gonna do both for the rest of the year.” After that year, I got requested to go back and, and do this again. I said, “Well, if I’m gonna do this, I’m going to go back and reteach myself the math in ways that I wish that fourth-grade Heidi had learned it, and fourth-grade-and-up Heidi had learned it.” And so that was like the, the beginning of the switch. And so now equal amounts of time in my career have been spent in both. But when I started, when I continued working, when I left the classroom to continue working with teachers, and when I transitioned more into an elementary setting, I began to notice the same behaviors that I had in high school of avoiding math, and avoiding teaching math, were happening in the classrooms that I was supporting. And so I would have teachers come and say, “Oh, can we talk about this literacy thing?” And even if it was like a math meeting, or we were supposed to split the time evenly, and ohhh, for some reason the literacy time talk would just like move over <laugh>. And then there was no time to talk about math at the end. And “Oh, that’s just too bad.” Like, we’re just gonna move on to this next thing. Funny how that happens, right?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:32):

Yeah. <laugh>.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (16:34):

And noticing teachers’ behaviors around going to and or avoiding math professional development that I was giving. Or getting sick. Or like having to leave the room for a long period of time. And so I began to notice these behaviors. And initially I thought I wanted to look at math anxiety in children, which is one branch of the research that I started with. But as I got into things more, the people that I have the most influence in are adults right now.

Dan Meyer (17:09):

Right.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (17:09):

And so as I started looking at the research that had already been done, I feel like we do a really nice job of admiring the problem of math anxiety, and we do less in the “what to do about” phase. And so I was like, “Well, if I’m going to continue to be in this career and in this profession, then I need to be doing something in the space of ‘what are we gonna do about it?’” And so that’s how I switched to looking at “what do we do to help teachers?” Particularly elementary school teachers, because that’s the area of greatest need, based on previous research that we could at least do something to help.

Dan Meyer (17:51):

Yeah. A previous guest mentioned that a lot of research is better understood as me-search, especially in this kind of arena, where we’re going back in to try to understand what it was that happened for us and how to prevent it for future generations. And I have nothing but respect for that motivation right there. And your point is well-put, that it is very possible to spend a ton of time examining math anxiety from every angle, every facet, you know, put it up there on a mounted board and admire it … and there’s a lot of value there, but I appreciate that you’re moving into, “So, now what?”

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (18:27):

Yep.

Dan Meyer (18:28):

And so I’d love if you’d share with us and our listeners the broad details of your study, and what you ultimately found. Like, if there are any large takeaways here, what were they?

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (18:40):

Yeah. So a couple of things to kind of just lay a little bit of the groundwork. One out of four teachers say that they have math anxiety. Those numbers increase rapidly, the younger of the grades that the teachers teach. So if we think about preK to two, it’s about 88%, based on other people’s research. So I was like, “Well that’s a lot of people <laugh>!” And so, that’s the scope of the problem. And so I was thinking, “OK, what do we do in these moments?” Because other researchers had said they’re spending — when they don’t like it, they’re spending less time teaching math and avoiding it, or relying on methods that were done to us. Just out of fear of trying something different, at many times. And so one thing that has become more prominent in math education since I transitioned 16 years ago into this has been the role of coaches in school systems. And so one of the questions I wanted to think about was, “What can coaches or math specialists who work with adults as well do to help the teachers that they work with?” So that was kind of the lens that I was looking at. Like, let’s think about the systems that we currently have in place. Is there something that we could be doing that would help teachers, that wouldn’t be so huge or so monumental that with little shifts in our own behavior as coaches or professional development providers that we could make that would make a difference? So that being said, this was a qualitative study, so a small group of people in very intense settings. So I kind of always wanna preface that, because in academic world, you know, there’s <laugh> all sorts of thoughts about that. So I had asked teachers from districts that I work with who self-identified as having math anxiety if they would be interested in the study. So, this is what we’re thinking of, this is what it would look like, and the scope of the support they would have.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (20:50):

So basically you’re tracking these four teachers who self-identified as math anxious. And were you serving as their coach and kind of seeing what was working?

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (21:00):

I was serving as their coach. Yeah. I was serving as their coach during that time period. And some fairly recent research that had been done was in the idea of “Can we do some reflective conversations or reflective writing around where your math anxiety started, and how that makes you feel both as a teacher of mathematics now, because you are teaching math, and how that affects your identity as a mathematician?” And so that was the first starting point. And that was a really critical moment that I’m glad that I had stumbled across the research on, because it turned out that having someone hear and acknowledge that what happened to them was both wrong and inappropriate, in many cases, and in a couple instances, was traumatic and also abusive — that that mattered. That it was OK to feel anger and hurt and frustration based on what happened to you in the past. And then have that moment to reflect on, “OK, so what do you want the classroom environment that you’re building as a teacher to feel like for your students?” So it was turning that moment of how they felt to thinking about, then, what kind of environment do we wanna make within the math classroom? And what steps can we take to ensure that happens? So that was like, Step One is just thinking about what that looks like. What kind of math identities then do you want to create for your students? Because all of the teachers were very concerned with not continuing the cyclical nature that often happens with math anxiety, from teacher to student and back again.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (22:54):

Well, and even that validation, right? Like, how many of them hadn’t even had, like you said, had that? We had another, when in our first episode, Dr. Gerardo Ramirez talked about that validation and how key.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (23:09):

Yeah. That was the first thing. The next step of it, which very different from what I often do — I don’t generally go in and model for teachers — just me, taking over your classroom. I really like to co-plan with teachers and co-teach with teachers and have it not feel like they’re losing control over what’s happening in that moment. And that’s generally the way that I go in when I’m doing professional development in a classroom, right? Like, I’m working with the teacher and we’re a team; we’re doing this together. But in these four cases, these teachers were very, very resistant <laughs> to co-teaching. And so I said, “OK, well, let’s throw everything out. Let’s try whatever it happens to be.” So the modeling aspect turned out to be really important, in part when three out of the four cases, because they were like, “Oh, I can do that.” <laugh> like, Well, yeah, I know you can! Like, it was that having a moment to sit back and see someone else doing it — which is harder to do when you’re co-teaching, right? It’s harder to be reflective in the moment when you’re still thinking about the teaching choices you’re making, because you’re both co-teaching.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:24):

Right. Or sometimes you see, like in co-teaching, it falls into “one teach, one manage,” you know, or something like that.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (24:31):

Yes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:31):

I have definitely fallen into that. But you, by modeling … it was almost, I don’t know, it feels like you’re kind of holding their hand. Like, “I’ll show you!” And not that it has to exactly look like that, right? But you found if a coach is coming in and the teacher gets to sit back and basically watch their students learn, they’re probably gettinga ton of information about their students, and they’re really learning some teaching strategies for mathematics that they can then like dip their toe in. I think? <Laugh> Am I kind of thinking of this? I’m trying to picture this and it feels rich and rife with possibilities <laugh>.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (25:16):

Well, and it, it turned it from … I think sometimes, when I go into a classroom, I learn so much from watching teachers and being able to sit and listen to students, that you don’t always have the luxury of when you’re the teacher. <Laugh> Right? It’s so much harder to be like, “OK, I’m gonna be watching what a kid does, because I’m hoping someone uses this strategy, so I can connect it to this other person’s strategy, so that we can take that apart and look at it and really have immediate discussion around it.” Those are all so many things that are happening in the moment as a teacher. You don’t get to sit back and look at it from a researcher kind of lens. Or look, you know, from the up-above lens. And when I had these conversations with teachers, I was like, “That’s what I want you to do. I want you to be able to sit back and look at all the things that are happening.” Because then you begin to notice not only the moves that the teacher — in this case, me — who was modeling for them was doing, but also the student conversations. And it was almost like having a case study within that moment, where they got to sit back and just experience, versus thinking about all the decisions that they would make at the moment. So that was something that was really surprising to me.

Dan Meyer (26:33):

Yeah. And I love the idea that they’re seeing the pedagogical moves, but they’re also experiencing perhaps a sense of math that’s de-stressed. You know, they are allowing themselves to sit next to students and feel as though they are a student, in ways that if you’re co-teaching, you are still like enmeshed in the gears of the whole lesson. I wonder if that’s a part of this too. So I’m hearing from you that we’re taking these teachers who have all admitted to some math anxiety, and that one of the interventions, or one of the findings, was that modeling worked really well for, again, this set of teachers. But you modeling lessons that highlighted mathematics, that was less anxious, that helped the teachers see that students were engaging in really productive un-anxious ways, brave ways. Were there other kinds of takeaways that you experienced there?

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (27:24):

Yeah. So in addition to that, we had to think about and start at Step One. One of the teachers that I worked with had done her student teaching with a teacher who had math anxiety, and who never taught math. And so she entered her teaching career, never having taught math before or seen it taught. And so in her situation, she had had one course in her teacher preparation program, that was on fractions.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:54):

That’s often the case, right? One math methods course! Help, we have to get it all in in this semester! <Laugh>

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (28:01):

<Laugh> Yes. And so she came in and said, “I feel like I have to start at the beginning.” And so there was no question that was inappropriate, or that we weren’t going to explore or think about. And so that was, I think, the starting place with that particular teacher. And then one other, who was kind of in her same age range, where we had to start thinking about, “OK, how did you learn as a learner? What ways are you seeing your students learn as learners? And then let’s focus on those first as the areas that you wanna explore in your teaching.” And so a lot of that ended up being much more visual and hands-on ways of exploring. And so those were some of the changes in, I think, pedagogy that were the most significant. In a couple of cases, these are early elementary teachers who had had one experience with manipulatives in their whole teaching career up until that point. And so one teacher brought me a bucket of Cuisenaire rods and said, “These are in my room. I don’t know what they are. <Laugh> Are we building things with them? Are they blocks that are just small? <Laugh> Like what are they for?”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:20):

Yes!

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (29:21):

And so, <laugh> it was that idea of, “OK, let’s, let’s explore all the different ways that we can use these, and that we can think about how your students might learn best with this particular tool that you have in your room.”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:34):

So hearing you talk about this research — which by the way, I know, you’re like, for our listeners, it’s all, “Quick, boil down your years and hours of research and synthesize it for us.”

Dan Meyer (29:50):

Your life’s work.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:50):

In a little tiny neat package. But really though, even though I know there’s so many layers to your research, and your work with these teachers, I wanna flag for our listeners that even the things that you’ve identified for us, you were giving teachers space — as coach, giving teachers space, and validating their experience as a mathematician, as you know, as a young student, right? Making space for that experience and validating “Yeah, that was really lousy and your math anxiety is real.” Like, Step One is already powerful. And then you’re creating space where they get to be in their classroom as a learner, right? And have a lesson modeled. And then you’re creating more <laugh> space for them to learn and ask questions. And I have absolutely seen teachers like, “I don’t know what to do with these,” and kind of shove aside the district-provided tools or the curriculum-provided tools. And so even those things, Heidi — Dr. Heidi <laugh> — you know, even if … I don’t know, for me, I am listening to you and just holding those points in mind and feeling like that, alone, if a coach did even just that … I know there’s so much more to it, but what a powerful opportunity for reclaiming math as an educator, right? That’s what I’m feeling.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (31:25):

Well, and I was hoping that there wouldn’t be … I mean, OK, it’s a double-sided hope. If there was something like so novel and so fantastic that was so different from the things that we have already at our disposal, that would’ve made a much better book or dissertation. <Laugh> But the reality is, there are things that we already know work. And we don’t often take the time or, or are given the time to be able to explore those things. Right? So even as coaches, you have district initiatives or things like, “this is what we’re working on this year,” and that’s fantastic, right? We keep those things moving forward. But if we’re thinking about coaching teachers with math anxiety, no teacher with math anxiety is going to be coming to NCTM.

Dan Meyer (32:16):

Right. Right. Or the training.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (32:19):

Or the training. They’re like, “Oh, PD day? Literacy! Yes, please! Bye!” You know, it’s that piece of it. So when we have these moments, the coaching is the opportunity to provide that just-in-time kind of professional development for teachers, if we go at it in a slightly different way. It does not have to be huge. It can be things like, they feel that they’re stronger in literacy. Well, then, let’s explore some of the ideas around math, anxiety and math identity and examples of people who’ve overcome either those things or other barriers in their life. And how can those things help form not only your students’ math identity, but your math identity. And it gives entry points in ways that you have access to if you’re a person’s coach.

Dan Meyer (33:18):

So in that sense, I’d love to know from you, if someone came to you at a coach’s meeting at NCSM and asked you, “What is something I can do right now to support the teachers at my site and my district, who are commonly experiencing math anxiety?” What is something that you would offer them in that brief moment you had with that coach?

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (33:40):

So it is hearing their story first. That’s the big one. And then, can you, in your coaching, provide opportunities to slow down? We all have these pacing guides in some form or another, that drive the things that are coming. Is there a way that you can set up meetings a month or more in advance of the content that those teachers are going to teach? Can we explore a month in advance, that content? And ways to teach it and understand it? There’s the ways to teach it, but there’s also like, “What is this math and how do kids experience this math?” What kind of experiences do we want to have ourselves as learners and then have as kids? If we can create cycles like that, that then don’t feel so rushed. It’s so hard when we’re like, “Oh, we have a planning meeting and we’re meeting with our coach!” And you’re teaching this lesson tomorrow. “Learn all this stuff about adding and subtracting on a number line. Go!” It’s so fast. And so if we had those opportunities to build in cycles, where we could slow down that process, it would make a huge difference in the lives of so many teachers. And it’s finding that time and the willingness. If you listen to teachers, they will work with you. If you validate what happens to them, and acknowledge that sometimes that still happens to us. I mean, I still have experiences like that. Sometimes I’ll walk into a classroom and I’m like, “Oh, I forgot how to do that!” You know, like, “I’ve not reached that far in my remaking of my own education!”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (35:24):

Yehhhh, heh heh heh.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (35:25):

<laugh>. And you think, “I don’t wanna look like an idiot. I’m the math consultant who’s here to duh duh duh.” All of those things still come up. Yeah. And stopping and saying like, “OK, everybody, this is what’s happening to me right now.” <laugh> The vulnerability you have, you have to think about that. Even if you don’t have experiences of math anxiety in your own life. Let’s say you always rocked out in math, and you’re now a math specialist and you love it. You think it’s the most spectacular thing. There’s some other element in your life where you face some anxiety. All of us do. So it’s about thinking about, “OK, this is where I experience anxiety. Can I find that in the teachers that I work with? And then, can my teachers find that in the students they work with?” You know, the teachers, as they begin to reflect on their own experiences, began noticing which students always went to the nurse during math time, always asked to go to the bathroom during math time, always couldn’t find a pencil, or whatever it happened to be. And they began to be more aware of their students’ behaviors as well, and could then say, “Hey, let’s sit and talk about how you feel in math class. Like, I’ve been noticing that when it’s time for math, like your stomach hurts. Can we talk about like why that might be?” Because those teachers with math are more attuned, often, to those students. And so it just … the time factor, I guess is, is the bottom line.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (36:59):

I just wanna say, it’s so great to have you in the Lounge. Because I think you’re really bringing this perspective that we haven’t talked about, which … we are not expecting coaches to walk in and know it all. That’s actually the exact opposite. You are allowed to be vulnerable. We are not saying, “Come,” quote-unquote, “Fix this.” It’s like, “Hey, how can you facilitate and make space?” And I feel like you have given us just a taste of like how that might be possible. And you know, I think even if it’s just a chance for teachers to reflect on their own experience in math, even that would probably be kind of revolutionary for — and I don’t say that word lightly — for some PD spaces, especially if they have another peer in their team that is like quote-unquote, “a whiz,” or like, “Oh, I don’t feel like I can be vulnerable in my math anxiety because this teacher seems to know it all.” But you’re creating space where it’s like, “Hey, we all have strengths. We all have areas where we could support each other.” And I love that invitation for coaches. I love that invitation for teachers. And … yeah. I’m just, I’m so glad we get a snapshot of your research. Again, I know, I respect that this is not the whole thing!

Dan Meyer (38:22):

Can we find … is there a link to your dissertation in the show notes, for those of us who peruse dissertations? Can we add something here? Think about —

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (38:29):

Oh, I have no idea!

Dan Meyer (38:30):

Just think about it. Just think about it. But —

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (38:34):

It’s somewhere on ProQuest. It did get some. …

Dan Meyer (38:36):

Right on.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:36):

Is that a thing, Dan? Could I go, like, Google your dissertation?

Dan Meyer (38:39):

You definitely could. Yeah, for sure. It’s around. Yeah, same way. Well, that’s awesome. And I think it’s so helpful for those who write those enormous unwieldy essays to, you know, distill it in different ways. I hope it’s been … we’ve enjoyed so much, hearing you carve up a huge project into pieces that were really helpful for us to think about here in the Lounge. Thank you so much for coming on and hanging out with us. Dr. Sabnani, it’s been a pleasure.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (39:06):

Hey, I’m happy to do it any time. Always the biggest joy in the work that I do is little changes in a positive direction.

Dan Meyer (39:18):

Right on.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (39:19):

That’s all that this is about. Right? Whether it’s kids, whether it’s teachers, whether it’s administration. The work that we all do is so valuable, and it is more and more difficult over time. And just giving ourselves a little bit of space to think about and acknowledge that, I think, is really important. So I appreciate you all making space as well. And thinking about this idea. Because <laugh> we’re math people! And we don’t have math anxiety! Right?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:51):

<laugh>

Dan Meyer (39:51):

So people would assume

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (39:54):

<laugh>. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:54):

Thank you so much. You’re welcome back in the Lounge anytime. <laugh> Thanks so much for listening to our conversation with Dr. Heidi Sabnani, consultant and co-host of the show “Math for All.” I can’t get enough about talking about math anxiety!

Dan Meyer (40:13):

Especially from people who are working with teachers so closely.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:18):

Yes, totally. I loved that lens of, “Hey, look at what happens if we actually focus on the teacher’s experience and help them kind of reclaim this comfort, this sense of identity, relationship with math that’s positive. How does that impact their teaching?” I loved talking about it, and I’m really interested in how that work continues to evolve. So thank you so much Dr. Sabnani, for your time. And you know, listeners, please keep in touch with us on our Facebook, in our discussion group, Math Teacher Lounge Community, or you can find us on Twitter at MTL show.

Dan Meyer (40:58):

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to Math Teacher Lounge, wherever you get podcasts. Also, if you like what you’re hearing, please rate us and leave us a review. It will help more listeners find the show. And it just makes me and Bethany feel good about ourselves, too. You can find more information on all of Amplify’s shows at our new podcast hub. Go to Amplify.com/hub.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (41:20):

You know, Dan, I also always like to say, I find most of my podcasts through recommendations from other listeners, friends, folks. So if you like what you’re hearing, share it in your teacher lounge. Just, like, on break, turn it up and start vibing and having the conversation right there.

Dan Meyer (41:40):

Yep. Yep. I got a better idea. Take the link to this podcast and then copy it and find the longest — the thread in your inbox with the most people on it. One of those ones that’s like, someone accidentally cc’d like 500 people, everyone at your school. Press “reply.” This is crucial. Not “reply,” but “reply all.” Paste that link in. Press “send.” Watch what happens.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:04):

Nothing but good —

Dan Meyer (42:04):

Good fortune will be yours.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:06):

Nothing but good things can happen when you send this to 500 people in the next 10 minutes. Next time on Math Teacher Lounge, we’re gonna be joined by Dr. Marjorie Schaeffer of St. Mary’s College for a conversation about math anxiety, and specifically Dan, how parents and caregivers, how their disposition influences the way their kiddos feel about math.

Dr. Marjorie Schaeffer (42:29):

I think the most important thing we know from literature right now is that high-math-anxious parents, when they interact with their children, their children learn less math over the course of the school year.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:40):

And get this, she’s gonna talk to us about an app that just might be something worth, you know, heading over to the app store for.

Dan Meyer (42:49):

I’ve used some apps, I have opinions, and I can’t wait. We just share recommendations on apps with Dr. Schaeffer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:56):

That’s next time on Math Teacher Lounge. Thanks so much for listening.

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What Dr. Heidi Sabnani says about math

“Much like the people in my research, many of us can tie the beginnings or the ‘evil villain origin story’ of our own math anxiety to an event or series of events.”

– Dr. Heidi Sabnani

Consultant and Co-host of Math 4 All

Meet the guest

Heidi Sabnani is always surprised that she works in math education. She developed math anxiety as a young student and spent much of her school life and early career avoiding math. After teaching English in the United States and Guatemala, and earning her MA in World Literature, she found herself in the uncomfortable position of working in math classrooms as a school improvement consultant. Once she realized that her life was going to involve math, Heidi decided to relearn math in the ways she wished she had learned the first time around. 18 years later she is still learning with and from the students and teachers she has the privilege to serve.

Heidi’s doctoral research at Northeastern University focused on interventions for math anxiety in elementary teachers. She currently works as a consultant, speaker, and author.

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About Math Teacher Lounge

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!

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Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers
    A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Reporting basics for K–8 leaders
    A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.

Add-on
  On-site or virtual,
3 hr.
On-site,
6 hr.
Self-paced,
online course
Coach session for individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura: Administration and instruction essentials training for teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Calibration training for teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Transition training for DDS teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

Begin: Launch: Administration and instruction essentials for K–8 teachers


On-site or virtual, 6 hours

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program. Learn how to administer and score the assessment(s) and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Launch: Administration and scoring training for K–8 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Learn how to administer and score your mCLASS assessment(s) and leave ready to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Launch: Administration and reporting training for K–8 leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Prepare to implement your assessment program(s) at your school site(s). Determine systems-level actions that will ensure assessment fidelity and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decisions.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.

Available July 2026

Begin: Launch: mCLASS additional assessment measures training for K–3 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling, RAN, Vocabulary, and/or Oral Language and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–3)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Begin: Launch: mCLASS Español assessment measures training for K–3 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling Español, Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS Lectura (K–3)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English.

Available July 2026

Begin: Launch: mCLASS/mCLASS Español additional assessment measures training for K–3 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling/Spelling Español, RAN, Vocabulary/Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language/Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–3) and mCLASS Lectura (K–3)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen: Creating a data-driven classroom for K–8 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive deep into mCLASS reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen: Building a data-driven culture for K–8 leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Fortify your assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting basics for K–8 leaders

Examine your school-level mCLASS benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours or virtual, 3 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura: Administration and instruction essentials for teachers

Online course, self-paced

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program through this on-demand course. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, mCLASS Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Available July 2026

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Calibration training course for teachers

Online course, self-paced

Ensure accuracy and reliability of mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition test administration through this on-demand course. Review how to administer and score each teacher-administered measure, then calibrate your scoring through scoring mastery checks.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 1–3 hours to complete, depending on learner needs. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Transition training course for DDS teachers

Online course, self-paced

Prepare to administer and score the DIBELS 8th Edition assessment in the mCLASS platform through this on-demand course. Learn the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Begin packages for mCLASS Math 2nd Edition

Assessment programs

  On-site package
(6 hours)
Hybrid 6 package
(6 hours)
Hybrid 4 package
(4 hours)
Virtual 6 package
(6 hours)
Virtual 4 package
(4 hours)
  One Launch and Strengthen session per package
Launch sessions
  On-site
3 hr.
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
NEW: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview for K–8 leaders A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Strengthen sessions
  On-site
3 hr.
Virtual 
3 hr.
Virtual
1 hr.
Virtual 
3 hr.
Virtual 
1 hr.
mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Student thinking and instructional next steps for K–5 or 68 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical explanations for K–5 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
mCLASS Math and Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for K–5 or 6–8 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Add-on
mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview and instructional next steps course for K–5 teachers

Self-paced online course
mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview and instructional next steps course for 6–8 teachers

Self-paced online course

New

Begin: mCLASS Math: Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Available for grades 6–8 teachers July 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Math assessment program. Learn how these assessments both highlight students’ strengths and help identify what’s next through an asset-based approach. Leave ready to administer assessments and understand reporting.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New

Begin: mCLASS Math: Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 leaders

Available for grades K–5 and grades 6–8 leaders July 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Prepare to implement your mCLASS Math assessment program at your school site(s). Determine systems-level actions that will ensure successful assessment administration and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decisions.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New

Begin: mCLASS Math: Student thinking and instructional next steps for grades K–5 teachers

Available for grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Explore how mCLASS Math helps determine what students know in relation to grade-level content, and how to use data to inform instructional next steps that support, strengthen, and stretch student thinking. Dig into your own student data and leave with actionable next steps that connect directly to the ways your students are thinking about mathematics.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New

Begin: mCLASS Math + Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Available for grades K–5 teachers July 2026 and grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Explore how Boost Math uses mCLASS Math data to inform intervention recommendations and monitor student progress. Dig into your student data, explore relevant instructional resources, and leave with actionable next steps for intervention.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

New

Begin: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS Math: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical explanations for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers

Available for grades K–5 teachers July 2026 and grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026

Virtual, 1 hour

Dig into mCLASS Math to reveal what students understand about mathematical concepts and give them the tools to become more clear and confident communicators in math class.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Begin: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview and instructional next steps for grades K–5 teachers

Online course, self-paced

Through this self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Math K–5 and leave ready to administer the assessment, understand reporting, and take instructional next steps based on the data.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately six hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Available July 2026

Begin: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview and instructional next steps for grades 6–8 teachers

Online course, self-paced

Through this self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Math 6–8 and leave ready to administer the assessment, understand reporting, and take instructional next steps based on the data.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately six hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Practice packages for mCLASS Literacy

  On-site package
(6 hours)
Virtual 6 package
(6 hours)
Virtual 4 package
(4 hours)
Virtual 2 package
(2 hours)
Two Strengthen sessions per package
Strengthen session titles*
  On-site
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr. and 1 hr.
Virtual
1 hr.
Creating a data-driven classroom for K–8 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Building a data-driven culture for K–8 leaders A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Reporting basics for K–8 leaders      A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
NEW: mCLASS DIBELS 8 additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers       A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
NEW: mCLASS Español assessment measures training for K–8 teachers       A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
NEW: mCLASS DIBELS 8 and mCLASS Lectura additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers       A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.

Add-on
  On-site or virtual, 3 hr. On-site, 6 hr. Self-paced, online course
Coach session for individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition: Data-driven instruction for K–5 teachers A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.    
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura: Administration and instruction essentials training for teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Calibration training for teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Transition training for DDS teachers     A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

Practice: Creating a data-driven classroom for K–8 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive deep into mCLASS reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Building a data-driven culture for K–8 leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Fortify your mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Reporting basics for K–8 leaders

Virtual, 1 hour

Examine your school-level mCLASS benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English.

Available July 2026

Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling, RAN, Vocabulary, and/or Oral Language and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8)

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available July 2026

Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS Español assessment measures training for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling Español, Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS Lectura (K–6)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English.

Available July 2026

Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling/Spelling Español, RAN, Vocabulary/Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language/Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6)

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Add on: Coach session

On-site, 6 hours or virtual, 3 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Available October 2026

Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition: Data-driven instruction for K–5 teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive deep into mCLASS reports and instructional recommendations to drive instructional decisions in Amplify CKLA and stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports program with Amplify CKLA as your core instruction.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition

Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura: Administration and instruction essentials for teachers

Online course, self-paced

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program through this on-demand course. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately eight hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, mCLASS Lectura

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Available July 2026

Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Calibration training course for teachers

Online course, self-paced

Ensure accuracy and reliability of mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition test administration through this on-demand course. Review how to administer and score each teacher-administered measure, then calibrate your scoring through scoring mastery checks.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 1–3 hours to complete, depending on learner needs. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Available July 2026

Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Transition training course for DDS teachers

Online course, self-paced

Prepare to administer and score the DIBELS 8th Edition assessment in the mCLASS platform through this on-demand course. Learn the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately eight hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Amplify intervention PD sessions

Each intervention program offers Launch and Coach sessions for up to 30 participants per program for year one and beyond. Our interactive sessions are available on-site or virtually, empowering teachers and leaders anywhere with the tools and skills they need to inspire all students to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves.

mCLASS Intervention

mCLASS Intervention is a staff-led Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading intervention program that does the heavy lifting of data analysis and lesson sequencing, freeing up teachers to teach the reading skills each student needs. View the table and select the session title to learn more about each mCLASS Intervention PD session.

  On-site or virtual sessions
6 hr.
Self-paced course
Launch sessions
Initial training for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.  
Initial training for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators   A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background. 

Coach sessions

  On-site sessions
6 hr.
On-site or virtual sessions
3 hr.
Coach session
 
Coach session
 

Launch

Propel your teachers into the new school year with sessions that introduce them to their Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Initial training for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators

On-site or virtual, 6 hours

In part 1 of this training, interventionists and intervention coordinators will prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures. In part 2, intervention coordinators will learn the essentials of coordinating mCLASS Intervention and leave ready to implement the program at their school site.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff, intervention coordinators (maximum 30 participants)

Initial training course for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators

Online course, self-paced

Prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures through this on-demand course. Intervention coordinators will additionally learn the essentials of coordinating mCLASS Intervention to support implementation at their school site.

Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately three hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Coach

Support teachers and leaders with learning experiences tailored to meet their specific needs.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Coach session

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Additional assessment and intervention programs

Additional sessions and online courses are also available for other mCLASS programs (Paper DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Intervention Universal).

To learn more about enhancing your Amplify experience by purchasing other mCLASS programs and/or accompanying PD sessions, please contact your account executive.

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Invest in high-quality professional development.

Amplify’s professional development (PD) provides a variety of learning experiences over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Gain insights into effective instructional techniques and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in PD.

The foundation for long-lasting and sustainable change

Partner with us to plan long-lasting and sustainable change for your school or district. Change achieved deliberately is much more likely to stick and get results. We can support you through this journey to drive your professional improvement, enrich your instructional practice, and increase student impact.

Professional learning journey

Prepare

You’ll understand research-based practices to support new program implementation.

Prepare learning experiences will help shift literacy and math instruction in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math.

Begin

You’ll build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s).

Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs.

Practice

You’ll refine instrucional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced insturctional strategies.

Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs.

Advance

You’ll deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation.

Program-aligned offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more.

Learn more about our curated catalog of packages and sessions to support each stage of your learning journey.

Multi-program, suite packages

Core program packages

Literacy

  • Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR K–5
  • Amplify Texas ELAR 6–8

STEM

  • Amplify Math
  • Amplify Desmos Math (K–A2)
  • Amplify Science
 

Supplemental program sessions

  • Boost Reading Texas K–8
  • Boost Lectura K–2

Assessment program packages

  • mCLASS Texas Edition
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mCLASS Intervention K–6 program sessions

 

Empower teachers to continuously improve.

Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.

You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.

Launch

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

After learning about the program’s foundational principles and key features, you’ll practice administering the program within a collaborative environment.

Strengthen

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of the program. Session offerings are targeted and meant to take your practice—and your students’ learning—to the next level.

Offered as part of core packages, as well as enhancements, Strengthen sessions are intended to effectively address your students’ needs. Examples include:

  • A focus on data analysis.
  • Examining student writing.
  • Targeted intervention instruction.

Coach

Coach sessions elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs.

Partner with an Amplify coach who will support you in planning a day tailored to meet the needs of teachers and/or leaders. Your customized session will leverage our menu of support, which can include:

  • Lesson modeling by an Amplify facilitator.
  • Classroom observations and debriefs.
  • Grade-level planning.

Coach sessions are customized to you with an Amplify facilitator.

Commit to sustainable change for long-term impact.

Learning may ebb and flow between phases depending on your teachers’ and leaders’ needs, experiences, and professional goals. Amplify PD aims to continually grow, develop, and refine instructional practices to support student learning and achievement.

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We value your partnership and aim to provide you with the highest quality learning experiences. Check out our frequently asked PD questions below, along with responses.

Additional learning

Once you become an Amplify customer, you’ll have access to many opportunities to continue learning how to get the most out of your Amplify program(s).

To get a sense of our support, check out some of our free resources:

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Biliteracy supports

Sessions are available to support educators teaching with both Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR core programs, or both mCLASS Texas Edition and mCLASS Lectura Texas assessment programs.

Facilitated in both English and Spanish, these specialized sessions should be scheduled for biliteracy teachers using both curriculums and/or assessments. Substitute a biliteracy session for the six-hour initial training in your package, or add these sessions on to your package for your biliteracy teachers.

Speak to our team to learn more!

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If you’re ready to submit your price quote, purchase order, or payment, please visit our Ordering Support site for more information.

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Connect with fellow Science of Reading, math, or science advocates in one of our public Facebook groups. Join a community or tune into one of our podcasts today:

Amplify customers can join our exclusive, program-specific Facebook communities to ask pedagogical questions, share Amplify teaching hacks, and more!

Our experts

We are educators supporting educators. Every member of Amplify’s national team of highly experienced and qualified facilitators is a former educator with years of hands-on classroom and/or administrative experience. Our facilitators are passionate about supporting educators in the implementation of their Amplify programs and creating transformational change for all students.

Get in touch with a PD expert

We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.

S4 – 03: LIVE from NCTM with Bethany and Dan

Hosts Bethany and Dan, both smiling, in a promotional image for the "Math Teacher Lounge" podcast, Season 4 Episode 3, titled "Live from NCTM!" with an

In this episode, co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer are LIVE with more than one hundred Math Teacher Lounge listeners at the recent National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. Listen in as they answer the pressing question: Who is the best teacher in film or television?

Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page

Download Transcript

Presenter (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, from Math Teacher Lounge, we have Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer! <cheering>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:08):
Doesn’t go well that the door was locked. Like, I could not get in! <Laugh>

Dan Meyer (00:12):
Yeah. Gotcha. All right. We’re gonna sit a little bit. Let’s see how that works—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:16):
Hi!

Dan Meyer (00:16):
Yeah. I think we’ll stand up? Or whaddaya think, sit…?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:19):
Should we stand? Hi.

Dan Meyer (00:22):
Hello. Great to see you folks. Yeah, I can hear you.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:25):
Can you hear me? That’s—I know YOU can me. Can you hear me OK? OK! We’re here. Hello. Thank you for like, lining up and coming out and being here. Thank you!

Dan Meyer (00:35):
Means so much to me that you could be here for me, on my show, with Bethany Lockhart Johnson, my co-host. <Audience laughs>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:40):
The hour has just started.

Dan Meyer (00:42):
We’re just getting going. Yeah. If you folks have heard the podcast, you don’t know how much gets cut out. And it’s like, mostly me just having, you know, anxious nerves and saying something silly and then we cut it out and we can’t do that here today. So it should be real fun for all of us, I think. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:55):
It’s not true. It’s mostly dancing. “Bethany, can you stop talking? Bethany?” Cause it’s mostly—

Dan Meyer (00:59):
“It’s my turn. It’s my turn! Bethany <laugh>! I haven’t been heard for a while.”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:02):
Dan. We’re at an in-person conference.

Dan Meyer (01:05):
In-person BIG conference, I would say. I’d say a big conference. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:08):
And have you been to the Amplify booth?

Dan Meyer (01:11):
I have! Have these people? There’s a claw machine with free socks.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:16):
Yeah. You’re saving me socks, right? That’s what you’re saying. <Laugh> I mean, it’s exciting. How has your conference been so far?

Dan Meyer (01:21):
So far it’s been a blast. I feel fed. I feel like the community’s been awesome. How are you feeling about it?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:29):
OK. Let’s talk about me for just a second.

Dan Meyer (01:31):
Yeah. Talk about you.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:31):
Last night, Dan, was the very first night that I was away from my toddler. <Audience: Aw!>

Dan Meyer (01:38):
Big commitment being here. Thank you.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:40):
I got super-emotional walking back to the hotel after dinner, and then I got in my room, <laugh> I put on pajamas, and I turned on music. I slept so good!

Dan Meyer (01:50):
Yeah. <Audience laughs> Give it up for no kids! <Audience laughs> Hey!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:55):
I love him so much. But I slept all the way through the night. Oh, by the way, I ordered room service in the morning.

Dan Meyer (02:01):
On Amplify.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:01):
That bill’s coming. But it’s been a great conference and I’m so delighted to be here in person and to get to share energy…and hopefully that’s all we’re sharing today. Y’all got your tests, right? Yep. Sharing energy and community today. Because we know it’s been hard. Hardness. Hard.

Dan Meyer (02:25):
Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:26):
Years. Hard. And to be in person, I know conferences reinvigorate me and I go back into my educational spaces feeling revitalized with new connections and new ideas to try. So yeah, I’ve been excited to be here. And thank you all for being here.

Dan Meyer (02:40):
Yep. I don’t care if I get six different strains of Covid here. I’m just thrilled to be here. <Audience laughs> I don’t know if you’ve had the same feeling, though, Bethany, you folks…I’m a little bit confused to some degree about what we’re doing. I just wanna be really transparent. This is my sarcastic voice but I’m being sincere here. It kind of feels like we’re in a little bit of a time capsule. Like we all got in a time capsule in 2019 and, you know, you open it back up and it’s like, OK, so we’re still, you know, talking about X, Y, or Z protocol for establishing classroom routines or whatever. And I’m like, OK! Like, I loved that in 2019! But I do admit, I’m still trying to figure out a little bit like, what are we doing now? What’s our relationship to the world out there? Things are very different. I have had some great sessions that I’ve enjoyed. I’m also like, still waiting for a session to draw a little blood. Do you know what I mean? Like there’s been sessions…no? OK. You’ve been in these sessions where it’s like, “Oh, ow.” Like, and you look down and there’s and there’s blood there. It’s like, I thought I knew what we were up to. Like, I thought I knew what teaching was and how we relate to the world. I dunno, like in any Danny Martin session in 2019, “Take a Knee” was one, where I was like, “Oh, OK. Like, I’m not as hot as I think I am here. Like, I’m part of a system.” That kind of thing for me draws blood. And I haven’t been in one of those yet. Been some great sessions. I’m a little hopeful that today we draw a little blood and think about what we’re doing here, is my hope here, if that’s OK. So Bethany’s gonna moderate that impulse and she’ll be the fun one and I’ll be the blood-drawing one.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:05):
No, I don’t…that metaphor doesn’t speak to me personally. But what I will say is, I get what you’re saying about really wanting to be in that room where there’s like this synergy happening. No promises about that today other than—

Dan Meyer (04:18):
I promise. <Audience laughs> Go on.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:20):
Other than I get what you’re saying. I’ll find my own metaphor that does not involve bloodshed, but.

Dan Meyer (04:25):
Sure. There’s a lot of ways we we could go about this today. And the one that I’m excited about is, you know, we could like, you know, analyze some results from students, and talk about what went into that. Look at classroom video. Lots of possibilities. But here’s what we’re up to today. Hope you’re into it. Which is, we are here in the heart of the entertainment industry. You know, Tinseltown! Um, the Big Apple! Uh…

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:47):
No!

Dan Meyer (04:47):
Come on. What do you got here? Um…

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:51):
It was daytime at night. Like the lights were so bright.

Dan Meyer (04:54):
The City of Lights.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:55):
There was a movie premiere outside my hotel room, which I was not invited to, unfortunately. But so what are we doing today?

Dan Meyer (05:01):
So here’s what we’re doing. We are gonna settle, once and for all, a question you have not asked yourself yet, perhaps, but will want to know the answer to in a moment. Which is: Who is the best teacher in all of film or television? OK? We’re gonna do that. It’ll be fun. But I hope that in debating this a little bit with a special guest we’ll bring up in a moment, that we will start to uncover some truths about what makes good teaching. How that’s different from teaching as we see it in movies and tv. Why middle-class America wants teachers to look a certain way in movies and tv. What all that means. And it’ll be awesome. I think. I’m hopeful it’ll be awesome. So what we did here is we’ve invited eight people. Eight folks you people may have known. You’ve been in their sessions today, in this conference, perhaps. And asked them: Who’s your fave? Like, we might have our favorites, but we wanted to democratize it a bit. So asked some cool people who you folks like, who are very smart and thoughtful about teaching: Who’s your favorite teacher?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:58):
A few of whom are in this room. Thank you for your submission.

Dan Meyer (06:00):
Thank so much. Yeah. We’ll see what happens here. <laugh>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:03):
As they shrink down.

Dan Meyer (06:03):
Yeah. Might draw some blood that I don’t mean to right now. We’ll see. OK.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:06):
That metaphor, what IS that??

Dan Meyer (06:07):
Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I’m still going with it. <laugh> And you folks will be a huge part of this. THE part of this, really. So what will happen is I’ll share with you our first nominees. A few of us will make a case for our favorites, or least favorites, as the case may be sometimes. And then by applause, by acclamation, you folks will decide who wins and advances to the next round. Start with eight, move to four. You folks know math.You know where this goes. OK.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:34):
No, keep going. Keep going.

Dan Meyer (06:36):
Two, then one.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:36):
Yeah. Got it.

Dan Meyer (06:37):
Then a half of it. No?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:38):
He had to school me on the making of brackets. But we got it. Yeah.

Dan Meyer (06:41):
How brackets work.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:41):
But we got it. March Madness, what?

Dan Meyer (06:44):
Yeah, in order to do this right, we had to bring up—all the folks that you’ll see are also former Math Teacher Lounge guests, or like, just fan favorites. And we’re also bringing up a former Math Teacher Lounge guest to help us decide this and debate this in a respectful manner.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:59):
New dad.

Dan Meyer (07:00):
New dad.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:01):
You see where my brain’s still at? I miss him. <Laughs>

Dan Meyer (07:03):
Friend from San Diego. Really cool teacher.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:06):
Incredible teacher.

Dan Meyer (07:06):
Works at Desmos and Amplify. And I just want you to welcome up your friend and mine. Chris Nho!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:11):
Chris Nho!

Dan Meyer (07:13):
Come up, Chris. Let’s go, buddy. We didn’t talk about it, but did you want to do the cornball stuff too?

Chris Nho (07:22):
Wow. Would I love to do—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:23):
And then the door could be locked! And then you have to wait and like, just—

Chris Nho (07:27):
Yeah, I’ll skip that part.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:28):
Hi. Welcome. You’re here. We’re here in person.

Chris Nho (07:30):
Very glad to be here. Thank you all for having me.

Dan Meyer (07:33):
Tell me who you are.

Chris Nho (07:34):
My name is Chris Nho. I live in San Diego. I’m a new dad. A three month old, just had. Yeah, she’s actually here at the conference with us in the hotel room. And I promise you she is not by herself. She is with…come on. I was like, “Hey, just gimme one hour. I’ll be right back. I have to do very important work.” But yeah, I think I got invited here because I have opinions and I’m willing to draw…some…blood.

Dan Meyer (08:02):
There we go! Two outta three! We’re good on the metaphor now.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:06):
We’re so glad you’re here. If you haven’t listened to the episode where Chris and Molly and some other public math folks share their ideas and ideas of how to take math out into the world, please listen, because we had a blast.

Dan Meyer (08:19):
Inspiring work. Really inspiring work. Very cool. Cool. OK. Right on. OK.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:23):
Let’s do this!

Dan Meyer (08:24):
Let’s get started here. Yeah! <Audience cheers> Yeah. And we might ask you who your favorite teacher is, who’s missing from our list of eight? We might have forgotten some people. Anyway. All right. So here’s our first two. Our first two are nominated by way of, let’s see, um, Mandy Jansen is a professor at the University of Delaware. Got some awesome talks here this week, a Shadow Con talk last night. She’ll be nominating one. And also, um, Lani Horn is a professor at Vanderbilt, also extremely cool, prolific author and speaker, just all-around great human and friend of teachers everywhere. And she’ll nominate another in this bracket, which is the Northeastern Comedy bracket, Northeastern comedy bracket.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:06):
It just worked out that way.

Dan Meyer (09:07):
Yeah. Here it is. Here is Tina Fey in Mean Girls.

Tina Fey in Mean Girls (09:12):
“OK. Everybody close your eyes. All right. I want you to raise your hand if you have ever had a girl say something bad about you behind your back. Open your eyes. Now close your eyes again. And this time I want you to raise your hand if you have ever said anything about a friend behind her back. Open up. It’s been some girl-on-girl crime here.”

Lani Horn (09:52):
I am nominating Sharon Norbury from Mean Girls as the best movie math teacher. She is an awesome teacher who is always there for her kids. She always sees the best in them. She shows that she can forgive even some pretty bad behavior, if she sees that kids are trying. She’s a strong feminist who makes sure that smart girls don’t dumb themselves down just to impress boys.

Tina Fey in Mean Girls (10:22):
“Katie, I know that having a boyfriend may seem like the most important thing in the world right now, but you don’t have to dumb yourself down to get guys to like you.”

Lani Horn (10:30):
She’s also super hard-working. She works three jobs. She’s always there for the kids. She plays piano in the talent show and takes them to Mathlete competitions. And she’s also socially aware. And when things go really badly among the girls, she does some pretty creative things to try to get them to be kinder to each other.

Dan Meyer (10:54):
OK. That’s one.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:55):
Helen Case.

Dan Meyer (10:57):
All right. Settle down. Settle down. Settle down. All right.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:59):
Piano too!

Dan Meyer (11:00):
Bethany’s already trying to bias people here. All right. Chill out. Hold on. So next one is Mandy Jansen with Jack Black from School of Rock. Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

Jack Black in School of Rock (11:09):
“What was your name?”

Kid in School of Rock (11:10):
“Katie.”

Jack Black in School of Rock (11:11):
“Katie. What was that thing you were playing today? The big thing.”

Kid in School of Rock (11:14):
“Cello.”

Jack Black in School of Rock (11:15):
“OK. This is a bass guitar and it’s the exact same thing, but instead of playing like this, you tip it on the side. Chellooooo! You’ve got a bass! <Laugh> Try it on.”

Mandy Jansen (11:25):
And I’m nominating for best teacher in a film Jack Black as Dewey Finn playing Mr. Ned Schneebly in the film School of Rock. So why this portrayal? First of all, playing a longterm sub. Those are so hard to find right now. <Audience laughs> Really hard. And then he teaches using class projects. That’s brilliant. Integrated learning. And then love this. He gives students roles and tasks that are differentiated and align to the specific strengths that each student has.

Kid 2 in School of Rock (12:05):
“I can also play clarinet, you know!”

Jack Black in School of Rock (12:06):
“I’ll find something for you when we get back from lunch. I’ll assign the rest of you killer positions.”

Mandy Jansen (12:13):
And the film culminates in a performance of a collaborative song that they all wrote and performed together. And the students experience that collaboration and teamwork and creating something beautiful is much more important than winning first place. And finally, one of the songs that the character sings in the film is “Math is a Wonderful Thing.” Can’t beat that.

Dan Meyer (12:40):
All right. That’s tough. That’s tough. So here’s the deal. What we have right now is just a quick minute—so Bethany, you ranked, we all ranked our own faves here outta the list of eight. And Bethany put Jack Black in School of Rock a bit higher than Tina Fey in Mean Girls.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:54):
Missed the piano part though.

Dan Meyer (12:55):
And Chris, vice versa here. So Bethany, would you start us off and just make a quick case here for Jack Black versus Tina Fey?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (13:01):
OK. So here’s what I’m thinking. There’s been rumor that maybe they’re putting less than credentialed people into classrooms to fill teaching gaps. I mean, just rumor. And so here’s this guy who is a rocker. He is not a substitute. He has no teaching training. And yet he goes in there and it turns out that he has the ability to see students’ potential and to recognize their unique abilities. And like Mandy said, he really tapped into, like, he saw them and said, “No, more is possible for you than what you think is possible.” And there’s like real sub anxiety. When you walk in, you can either be like, happy there’s a sub, but I was usually really nervous. Right? And he goes in and he makes that classroom into a home.

Dan Meyer (13:53):
Wow.

Chris Nho (13:54):
Wow.

Dan Meyer (13:56):
Chris, speak on it. Tina Fey needs you. Chris.

Chris Nho (13:59):
Tina Fey. Here we go. I’m gonna argue here that—when was that movie made?

Dan Meyer (14:03):
T is for terrific. I is for Interesting.

Chris Nho (14:06):
Decades ago. And I’m gonna argue that Tina Fey was very progressive for her time. OK, let’s talk about social emotional learning. Hello. <Audience laughs> Love that. Right? Stand up if, I mean, she’s getting people to talk about their emotions. And there’s a curriculum. But let’s just pause, because that’s not what’s really happening in the classroom right now. So social emotional learning, I think she’s, she’s got that a lot. And then number two, you know, if you remember the plot of Mean Girls a little bit, she gets her name written in that Burn Book. Like she sees what they say about her. Restorative justice. Let’s go. <Audience laughs>.

Dan Meyer (14:38):
Whom amongst us. Yes.

Chris Nho (14:40):
You write Mr. Nho in the Burn Book?? Well, your grade book is gonna look like a Burn Book! OK? <Audience laughs> Tina Fey, Tina Fey, she was like, “No, you know, know what? I’m actually gonna spend more time with you. You’re gonna become a mathlete.” And Lindsay Lohan discovers—she drops the most iconic line in all of math education. “The limit does not exist.” Thank you, Tina Fey, for that. For that gift.

Dan Meyer (15:04):
Bless. Bless you. Tina Fey. Wow.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (15:05):
Oh, man. Wow.

Dan Meyer (15:09):
Let’s see what the people say here. I do wanna just add one quick thing about—it’s interesting to me how often in these movies—just kind of go in a little bit, zoom out just a minute—how often it’s a teacher who has no training as a teacher. <Bethany laughs> I am kind of curious why it is. Like, those are the movies that get hot, that get made. Again, these are all kind of a mirror of the taste of the moviegoing public. You know what I’m saying? Like, these, these are not movies—I wanna believe they are made for me and for us as teachers. But they are not. There’s not enough of us to justify, you know, Jack Black’s, you know, M&M budget or whatever he’s got going on in his trailer or whatever. That needs to be for everybody in middle-class America. So what is it about middle-class America that wants to see teaching as something that anybody can do? Just like, you know, just, just run up there in your van and make it happen.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (15:54):
Magic magically manifests.

Dan Meyer (15:56):
Yeah. Manifest. Yeah. That’s just interesting to me. I just toss that out there as some red meat. Let’s see what the people say here. All right, OK, so you’re ready. Let’s get the bracket going here. The question is Tina Fey versus Jack Black. You had a moment here. Just whisper to someone real fast who you’re going for here real quick. What are you thinking here? <Crowd murmuring> All right. Crowd’s buzzing. Crowd’s buzzing. Would you folks…? All right. Bring it back. Go ahead and make some noise for Tina Fey. <Crowd cheers> OK. OK. Make some noise for Jack Black! <Crowd cheers> Judges say Tina Fey. Tina Fey moves on. All right. All right.

Chris Nho (16:44):
Stunned. I’m stunned. I’m speechless.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:46):
Tina Fey moves on. Wow.

Dan Meyer (16:48):
This has exceeded my expectations in terms of having some fun, but also getting deep, getting deep and real about teaching. I’m into this right here. Yeah. What’s up?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:54):
That’s the goal. That’s the goal. OK. You wanted blood? Oooh, this next matchup might just be where that blood comes forth! OK. Stretch. Warm up. Dan Meyer, who’s up next?

Dan Meyer (17:11):
We’ve got the animated/animatronic round here in the Southeast. And repping the two contestants here, who do we have? We have Allison Hintz, professor, author outta Washington, as one of the two nominators. And the other nominator is one of my heroes, though we’ll find out very wrong about this nomination, Jenna Laib, who’s in the crowd, and I’m trying not to make eye contact here. <Laugh> And here are the two nominations. A couple minutes each. And then we’ll chat about it. And one of us will probably die. But we’ll see how it goes.

Allison Hintz (17:50):
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, MTL, we began learning from the Jedi Master of Teaching. With the Socratic and experiential approach. With unparalleled mindfulness, compassion, and humility. The best teacher in TV and film, Yoda is. <Audience laughs> Yoda lives the values we share as teachers and learners. He humbly comes alongside us as we construct new knowledge.

Yoda (18:29):
“You must unlearn what you have learned.”

Allison Hintz (18:32):
Yoda allows us to struggle and sees mistakes as critical to learning.

Yoda (18:39):
“The greatest teacher, failure is.”

Allison Hintz (18:43):
Yoda values curiosity and reminds us of the beauty and joy of teachers learning from children.

Yoda (18:52):
“Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.”

Allison Hintz (18:59):
MTL! Join the Resistance! Let the force flow through you in declaring, the best teacher in TV and film, Yoda is.

Dan Meyer (19:18):
Give it up for Allison Hintz! All right! <Audience applauds>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:20):
Alison! And to have that on hand too, which Is kind of perfect.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:26):
Just to be clear, the helmet is not a part of a Zoom background.

Dan Meyer (19:29):
You may evaluate the quality of the nomination based on the costumes of the nominator. That is acceptable. That’s acceptable.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:35):
That is a REAL HELMET.

Dan Meyer (19:35):
All right. The next nominator here, this one is from Jenna Laib, math coach, all-around stellar human. Here we go. This is Ms. Frizzle.

Ms. Frizzle (19:42):
“Single file, class. Our rotten field trip has only just begun.”

Jenna Laib (19:47):
And I think that the best teacher from TV or movies is Ms .Valerie Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. First and foremost, Ms. Frizzle believes in her students. She encourages them to take an active role in their learning, and also to advocate for change in their local community. For example, there’s an episode where there is a logger who’s gonna cut down a rotting log that would benefit the local ecosystem. And the students figure out a way to convince him to leave the log so that all of the animals and the plant life can benefit. She orchestrates really challenging situations for these students, and she allows them the space to ask questions and engage in problem-solving and puzzle their way out of these really, really difficult scenarios. Ms. Frizzle has unmatched pedagogy. She’s bold, she’s innovative, and she’s a major proponent of experiential learning. So these students are heading straight into a storm to learn about weather systems. <Audience laughs> These students are heading into the human body to learn about digestion and disease. They literally get baked into a cake to learn about some chemistry and reactions.

Children in The Magic School Bus (20:54):
“What’s happening?” <Audience laughs> “Why is it suddenly getting so hot?” “Maybe it’s because the floor is on fire!” <Audience laughs>

Jenna Laib (21:02):
This pedagogy is all led by her outstanding catchphrase, which is:

Ms. Frizzle (21:06):
“Take chances; make mistakes; get messy!”

Jenna Laib (21:14):
From her pedagogy to the classroom community that she creates, Ms. Frizzle is an inspiration, and that is why I think that she is the best teacher from TV or film. <Audience applauds>

Dan Meyer (21:25):
Right on! Give it up for Jenna. Give it up for Jenna. All right. I’m gonna take first pass at this. Chris knows my argument already, so I’m gonna take this here. I see some of you are feeling how I’m feeling on this one. OK, so I don’t have tons to say in favor of Yoda. I think it was all true what Allison said. I think the costume was banging. It was awesome. So there’s all that, but I have more to say against Ms. Frizzle than for Yoda.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:48):
No, no, no. Wait a second!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:49):
Let’s let it happen. Bethany, I’ve come prepared.

Dan Meyer (21:54):
I may have made a misstep here, I realize.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:56):
I’ve come prepared.

Dan Meyer (21:56):
So I think Jenna is all correct. I think those clips spoke for themselves. I think that what they add up to, to me, is not “great teacher,” but more “someone who should be locked up.” <Audience laughs> Or at the very minimum, “someone who should be kept away from children.” <Audience laughs> Do not let that woman around children. I mean, check it out. Look, I don’t wanna throw down credentials. I’ve been to grad school, though. I know how this works. When your brain is stressed, you get these—all the cortisol happens. Your working memory shrinks up. You cannot learn when you’re stressed. And those kids, like whatever lesson Ms. Frizzle is teaching by sending them into an oven, I repeat, an oven <audience laughs>, like, they’re not gonna learn anything ’cause their brains are freaking out with stress and fear. OK?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (22:41):
“What’s happening??”

Dan Meyer (22:43):
“What’s happening? Am I on fire? Well…I’m learning lots, though! Sure is magical!” <Audience laughs> It’s like, “No. Get that woman out of a classroom.” That’s my opening and closing argument. Right? There’s all it is.

Chris Nho (23:01):
All right. All right. All right.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (23:02):
Chris knows.

Chris Nho (23:03):
I’ve got, I’ve got lots to say. First off, I think Dan was in charge of the editing of those video clips. So let’s let that be—you know, let the record stand. <Audience laughs>

Dan Meyer (23:11):
Where’s the lie though? Where’s the lie?

Chris Nho (23:14):
And, you know, second, I think, um—this is the guy up here saying, “I wanna see blood.” You know? And then he has a teacher who literally takes the students into a blood cell and, and you get a little scared! You get a little worried for the students, you know? So I just don’t get it, Dan. This or that. OK? I think Ms. Frizzle—so I actually went to a project-based learning school. I taught at a project-based learning school. And the best thing about it is like, your learning, it doesn’t just stay in this box of math lesson or writing lesson, history lesson. And I think with Ms. Frizzle, like you can’t help but learn things because you are getting baked in a cake. <Audience laughs> Yeah, it is a little scary. And I imagine there’s cortisol and things happening, but guess what? Probably the next episode, they go into their own brains and explore what’s happening. That kind of thing. You know?

Dan Meyer (24:07):
The kids that survived, just be clear. <Audience laughs>

Chris Nho (24:10):
Yeah. OK. Would I want Nora, my three-month-old, to be babysat by Ms. Frizzle? Maybe not. <Audience laughs> But what I have to say about Yoda is Yoda maybe wins the best tutor award. Give it up for Yoda’s Best Tutor Award.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:24):
Oh, yeah…

Chris Nho (24:25):
That ratio’s looking really nice. I could teach the heck outta Luke Skywalker. OK? But 20 little Luke Skywalkers running around. I’m not sure. OK?

Dan Meyer (24:34):
Luke did survive the training, though. <Audience laughs> So that’s awfully nice to say about it. All right, Great words from Chris here. I’m still not convinced. We’ll see how you’re convinced here. Would you whisper to someone where you’re leaning here? Frizzle or Yoda? <Audience buzzing>

Chris Nho (24:47):
I tried. I tried.

Dan Meyer (24:53):
All right. That’s enough of that. Let’s hear it folks. Give it up for Yoda. <Audience cheers> Give it up. Give it up. You. Give. It. Up.

Chris Nho (25:05):
Hey, next. Next.

Dan Meyer (25:06):
All right. All right, all right. <Mutters> Give it up for Ms. Frizzle. <Audience cheers louder> I dunno, it’s pretty close. Call a tie. Maybe Yoda? Yoda by nose? <Audience laughs> All right. All right. Let’s…let me see who’s it. Let’s get the people advancing here. I’ll keep on moving here.

Chris Nho (25:26):
As you’re doing that. Um, Dan ranked Ms. Frizzle last in his personal ranking. And I ranked Ms. Frizzle very high, so we knew this one would be spicy,

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (25:36):
<laugh> Spicy it was. Are you having a good time so far? <Audience cheers> So while we love seeing these images and we love seeing these video clips, at the core, what are these things about how teachers are portrayed? And how accurate is that to our real lives? I mean, besides the cake part, right? That my chemistry class did often feel like I was on fire. I was so stressed in it. Um, we’re ready?

Dan Meyer (26:05):
Yep. Great. We’re ready, we’re up here. So the next two nominees are coming to you folks from Tracy Zager, who is the editor of my book, forthcoming in 2027 at the earliest and 2032 at the latest. And also your very own Zak Champagne from Florida, here in the room. Hey, Zak. Zak, let’s see who the nominations are. I’m gonna skip past that, didn’t work out so well for me. Here it is. This is Marshall Kane from the TV show Community.

Michael K. Williams in Community (26:32):
“You two complete your case to the class and let them decide your grades.”

Joel McHale in Community (26:37):
“Professor, thank you.”

Michael K. Williams in Community (26:40):
“It’s not a favor, Mr. Winger. Man’s gotta have a code.”

Joel McHale in Community (26:44):
“Awesome.”

Zak Champagne (26:46):
This is a pitch for an underdog. This teacher didn’t stand on desks or encourage his students to follow their musical passions. In fact, this teacher was seen only in a few episodes of my favorite TV show of all time, Community, Community has set at Greendale Community College in Colorado. And in season three, we get to meet Dr. Marshall Kane, a biology professor whose story is an inspiration to anyone who just takes the time to look and listen. Dr. Marshall Kane slowly earned his PhD while in prison, serving a sentence of 25 to life. In his classroom, he inspires students to love biology, question why LEGO has become so complicated, and randomly pairs his students for group projects to ensure no one feels left out. His greatest performance comes when a group of students believe their yam project was intentionally sabotaged. Dr. Kane took this as an opportunity for some trans-disciplinary real-world learning. So yes, at community college, he felt that a middle-school mock trial was the best way to determine who killed the yam. So let’s all pick the underdog and vote for Dr. Marshall Kane. After all, man’s gotta have a code. <Audience goes “oh!” and applauds>

Dan Meyer (27:53):
Thank you, Zak.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:54):
I have a code.

Dan Meyer (27:56):
Next up is Tracy Zager, nominating an unusual nomination, not a single person, but an ensemble performance. A bunch of people from a movie called Searching for Bobby Fisher. Here we go.

Rapid-fire movie dialogue (28:11):
“What’s that?” “Schleimann attack.” “Schleimann attack? Where’d you learn that from, a book?” “No, my teacher taught me.” “Aw, your teacher. Well, forget it. Play like you used to, from the gut. Get your pawns rolling on the queen’s side.”

Tracy Zager (28:26):
Hey, Math Teacher Lounge. This is Tracy Zager. I’m excited to share my nominee for the best movie teacher. But I have to admit that when I first got the email, I thought, oh, who am I gonna nominate? Because most movies about teachers are highly problematic. They usually have like a saviorism thing, usually white saviors. And I just felt like I couldn’t suggest any of those. So rather than nominate a movie about a single teacher, I wanted to nominate a movie that taught me something about teaching. And that movie is a deep cut. It’s Searching for Bobby Fischer. It’s a movie about a chess prodigy. And what I love about it is that all of the different adults in the movie are in teacher roles in some way. And the student, Josh, the chess player, is a fully realized character, not an empty pail, who pulls from the strengths of each one of those adults while also dealing with their flaws and humanity. And there’s just beautiful synergy in the way he gets the best out of everybody, but also has to overcome some of the barriers that they put in front of him. So I feel like it’s a much more authentic and humbling, but also inspiring, movie about the power of teaching. So if you haven’t ever seen it, check it out. And I can’t wait to see who the other nominees are. Thanks so much.

Dan Meyer (29:53):
Right on. Thank you, Tracy. Wherever you are. <Applause> We’ll move a little quicker here. I’m curious, Bethany, you put Marshall Kane pretty high. I put Bobby Fischer pretty high. What do you have to say about Marshall Kane for us here?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:04):
Well, I just wanna say two things. One is that, like Zak said, he has this code of conduct that he brings in. And he stays true to it no matter what happens. If you saw him in in Community, you know that he held himself up to such high esteem, but not just himself, his students as well. And he took accountability when he felt he had done wrong, even though, well, that’s controversy. But first—oh, the other thing, rest in peace, Michael K. Williams. Oh my gosh. The actor who plays Marshall K. And the thing that I wanna say most of all about it is that he brings his whole self to the classroom. He was in prison for decades. He brings his whole self and says, “This is who I was. This is who I am today. And this is how we can work together as a community.”

Dan Meyer (30:58):
That’s big. I love your comments about code of conduct too. It makes me wish that Ms. Frizzle had a code of conduct also.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:05):
I knew that was coming back!

Chris Nho (31:06):
Two slides ago, Dan. That was two slides ago.

Dan Meyer (31:08):
Can’t let it go. So yeah, I love what you said there. I have no strong beef here either way. Bobby Fischer’s a movie I have loved dearly and can’t be objective about it. I love that the kid in that movie, more than any other movie here, the kid teaches the adults so much through his innocence and how he challenges them and how they’re treating him. Dig all that so much. Will not, will not begrudge anyone any vote either way here. I do begrudge many of you your vote in previous rounds. <Audience laughs> So let’s just, let’s hear. We’re not gonna ask you folks at all to chitchat. We’re gonna move on this one. So would you folks make some noise here for Marshall Kane in Community? OK. OK. And would you make some noise here for Bobby Fischer, the kid in Bobby Fischer, the ensemble? <Audience cheers, applauds>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:56):
Marshall Kane.

Dan Meyer (31:57):
Marshall Kane takes it. All right. Good job, Marshall Kane! All right. Zak’s feeling good. Moving on to the final four here, Zak, right on. OK. Our last—the Northwest Division here is also the large urban district division here. We have a couple different teachers in sets of large urban schools. They’re nominated, they’re advanced by a couple people here. One is past president of NCTM, Robert Berry. And another is Fawn Nguyen, Southern California phenom. Great teacher and friend of lots of us. Um, let’s see who they nominated here. First from Robert Berry, let’s see, who is it here? Janine Teagues from Abbott Elementary.

Abbott Elementary dialogue (32:37):
“Hey, you know what? I’m probably probably gonna be Kenny’s second-grade teacher. Why don’t you just let him get a head start with me today?” “That’d be great.” “Yeah? OK. Hey, Kenny, would you like to be in my group today?” “Not really.” “That’s the spirit.”

Robert Berry (32:54):
My nomination is gonna be Quinta Brunson, the Emmy Award-winning Quinta Brunson from Abbott Elementary. Janine Teagues is the character. She exemplifies care not only from an affect way, but she also exemplifies care in the things that she does for her students. While the scenes in the show are entertaining, they do represent the challenges that teachers experience when they’re trying to meet the needs of her students. So she goes, goes all out for her students and finding resources. She accesses other people to get resources for her students. But the care shows up in the way that she is mindful of their needs. And so, for me, when I think about teachers and teaching, sometimes we can talk about pedagogy, but sometimes we also can talk about those kind of intangibles that makes a teacher a great teacher. It is apparent from her students that she cares about them, she supports them, and she goes all out 100% for her students. Janine Teagues, Quinta Brunson is, I think, is my choice of the best teacher on television because of the realism and the representation that she brings to this character of what teaching is about. <Applause>

Dan Meyer (34:28):
Right on. Right on. OK. OK. Next up, we’ve got, Fawn Nguyen is nominating Erin Gruwell from Freedom Writers. Here we go.

Hilary Swank in Freedom Writers movie (34:39):
“Look, you can either sit in your seats reading those workbooks or you can play a game. Either way, you’re in here till the bell rings. OK? This is called the Line Game. I’m gonna ask you a question. If that question applies to you, you step onto the line and then step back away for the next question. Easy, right? The first question. How many of you have the new Snoop Dog album? <kids move around> OK, back away. Next question. How many of you have seen Boys in the Hood?”

Fawn Nguyen (35:26):
We all learn about Miss G and her 150 students in the movie Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. All great teachers share a common set of traits. They care deeply about their students, have high expectations of them, and always believing wholeheartedly that they will succeed. Great teachers go above and beyond, not because they extraordinary—as Anne Gruwell would always refer to herself as an ordinary teacher—but because extraordinary things happen to people when we believe in them, give them hope, help them write their own story with a different ending. So what stood out for me with Miss G is the scope of her reach, the ever-expanding sphere of her humanity. The red tape she had placed on the classroom floor for the line game shows just how much we all have in common despite our differences. Her students didn’t just learn from her; they learned from one another. If you’d like to be part of this expanding sphere to give voice and hope, please check out Freedom Writers Foundation dot org.

Dan Meyer (36:38):
OK. This right here is a tough one for us. Thank you, Fawn. We collectively ranked—that’s our number one seed and number eight seed, which I hasten to say does not have to do with Erin Gruwell, a person, but the portrayal and the movie. So we don’t have like a whole lot of…there’s not a lot of defense we have to offer here of our eighth seed. And I heard like a kind of a little bit of a murmur over the crowd on Erin Gruwell. So I’m more interested than having a defense back and forth. I’d be curious what you, Bethany, think about what, like, what both movies have to say about like, what teaching is, especially teaching urban schools with black and brown kids and lower-class kids, for instance. They both have, I think, very different things to say about them. Do you have thoughts about that?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:19):
Well, it’s interesting because there is some overlap in the sense that the arguments that both Fawn and Robert Berry put out, they both care deeply about their students, right? We’re not gonna argue that. They care deeply. And something that I would say about Miss Teagues is there’s something about the way that she sees not only her classroom, her students, but she sees all of the students in the school as her students. And her idea of resource generation is really helping the teachers to generate resources from their community themselves, and to also realize that the students see themselves reflected in the teachers. And I think that—you know, again, this is not about the real person—but the movie portrayal, and we often see kind of this, for Freedom Writers, we often see this like, Great Last Hope whisked in and her personal sacrifices are what makes these students, these brown and black students’ transformation possible. Because of her sacrifices. Including her marriage. Including, you know, three jobs. And it’s just portrayed in a way that I think really celebrates her sacrifices rather than what the students have already brought—they already come into the room bringing so much as they are, already, without her intervention.

Dan Meyer (38:38):
I love the portrayal of the teacher as part of a community of teachers. Versus in so many of these movies, it’s the teacher as the only person who gets it, you know, oftentimes coming from outside of the world of teaching and everyone’s against them and wants ’em just to fall in line and do the thing we always do, and they’re the outlier. But in Abbott Elementary, it’s like we all rise and we fall together. And teachers are investing in each other’s success, especially with Gregory the longterm sub. We’re all rooting for his, you know, his flourishing. I love that. And yeah. That’s bigtime.

Chris Nho (39:09):
Yeah, I think one interesting thing is that Freedom Writers, when it came out, I think it was like a commercial success.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:17):
Oh, big time. Yeah. It was.

Chris Nho (39:18):
It probably influenced a lot of people to try teaching out. So I do wonder what it says about us, right? Like that we want teaching to fit this narrative, and we wanna be those people who could go into a classroom and <puts on “cool voice”> “Y’all listen to Snoop Dog?” and just have that question HIT. <laughter> And you know, I’ve taught in a large urban school district, and I’ve been that person and I’ve seen other people try and be that person. And I think stepping away from it a little bit, just—it’s a reflection of what people want out of teaching and what they think better education looks like.

Dan Meyer (39:57):
Yeah, yeah. This idea that, so I’m a middle-class person, let’s say, and like, there’s this idea, like, “I know what I would do if I was going into circumstances of impoverishment.” Like I have—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:06):
“All they really need is…”

Dan Meyer (40:07):
…for me to give ’em some real talk and tell ’em, you know, pull their pants up or whatever, listen to Snoop Dog, that kind of thing. And that will be the key. And that’s not how it is in, you know, in Jack Black in School of Rock or Tina Fey school, which are, you know, coded as largely like upper-class or largely white schools. And in those movies, it’s interesting, like how it’s about students discovering themselves, oftentimes. And the central figures are often students. And the students need to reject an oppressive parent figure or something and find themselves. But no, in Freedom Writers, it’s like, “You need to become more like the middle-class teachers who are coming in here to give you this wisdom.” It’s just interesting. I do find it—a pet peeve of mine is when movies portray teachers as only successful if you endure, for instance, the failure of your marriage, or even in Stand and Deliver, for instance, like Jaime Escalante, they depict him having a heart attack. And, like, the job oughta be…easier. <Audience laughs>

Chris Nho (41:04):
Truth.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (41:05):
That’s the barometer for how much….

Dan Meyer (41:09):
Like, no heart attacks and no divorces related to the job, that kind of thing. I do love how in Abbott—one last thing and we’ll vote and Abbott will win <audience laughs>—is like how, like there, there is a lot of degradation in Abbott, but it’s not a divorce or a heart attack—it’s the petty indignities of asking a student, “Do you wanna hang with me?” And a student says, “Nah, not really.” And that just spoke to me like how it’s not cinematic, but teaching, successful teaching, is like a collection of developing an immunity to students saying, “You’re not hot.” <Laugh> You know? And so I love that. I do wish that there was more depiction of students in Abbott Elementary. It’s a lot of adult stuff. Whatever. Give it up for Abbott, if you would, please. Let’s just get this done here. All right. That’s plenty. That’s plenty. Not gonna ask folks about Freedom Writers. OK, let’s move on to— all right, let’s hear it for Freedom Writers! Yeah. OK, cool. We go, yep.

Chris Nho (42:05):
Plot twist!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:07):
OK, let’s see our final four. Cut and paste. Real time. Real time.

Audience member (42:12):
Where’s Dolores Umbridge?

Dan Meyer (42:14):
Oh….

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:16):
Hey, did you hear that? He said, “Where’s Dolores Umbridge?”

Dan Meyer (42:20):
All right. OK.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:20):
See, we missed so many. We could…

Dan Meyer (42:21):
So coming up here, we’ve got in the Eastern Conference, Tina Fey and Ms. Frizzle. Y’all know how I feel about that one. Let’s just get this one done. OK, let’s give it up for Tina Fey. Let’s hear it. <Audience cheers> OK. All right. Yes! Let’s give it up for menace to children everywhere, the terror, the Ms. Frizzle. <Audience cheers> One more time for Tina Fey. Let’s hear it. <Audience cheers> One more time for Ms. Frizzle. Let’s hear it. <Audience cheers>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:59):
Yeah. OK.

Dan Meyer (43:00):
It took ’em one round, but they made the right call in the end. <Laugh>

Chris Nho (43:04):
All it took was 10 minutes of constant Ms. Frizzle-bashing. <Laugh>

Dan Meyer (43:09):
Persevering and problem-solving, that’s my game. Yes. All right. So, do either of you want to influence the audience one way or the other?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (43:16):
That’s not how I play, Dan.

Dan Meyer (43:18):
Oh, OK. Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. You’re good. On Abbott versus Marshall Kane, should we just let ’em have it? All right. All right. Give it up For Abbott Elementary. Not bad. And for Marshall Kane. OK. OK. I hear Zak and five other people. All right, cool. <laugh> Right on. All right. We got our, we got our finals,

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (43:45):
We did it. We made it to two. And we know: We left out a lot of people. Right? And honestly, I kind of wish we could poll like everyone. I mean, think you put it on Twitter, right? Like, who would you pick? But I would say we had a pretty solid eight there. I’m excited to see who… Look at the little crown he put, you guys. Come on.

Dan Meyer (44:05):
I worked hard for you. For you. <Laugh> Yeah. I liked that it was a good bunch that had a lot of different kinds of qualities…and lack of qualities in some cases. And it allowed us that—I shouldn’t knock her while she’s down, and she IS down, it’s true. <Laugh> And I appreciate the conversation we’ve had, what they have revealed overall about teaching and what the world wants teaching to be versus what it actually is or actually should be. I appreciate that. So let’s settle this here. Give it up, if you would, for Abbott Elementary. <Audience cheers> And give it up for Tina Fey in Mean Girls. <Audience cheers>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (44:49):
Wow.

Dan Meyer (44:51):
That was close. I almost give that to Tina Fey.

Audience member (44:55):
Yeah, we do!

Dan Meyer (44:55):
I don’t know. That was a bracket-buster for me right there. Yeah. I lost money in the office pool off that right there. Maybe let’s just find out one more time here. One more time.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:03):
Last time.

Dan Meyer (45:03):
Time to summon up all your conviction on one or the other here. No half-measures right now. All right.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:07):
Emmy Award-winning Quinta Brunson.

Dan Meyer (45:09):
Yeah, you saw Robert Berry on that, right? He was like, “Oh, I got one more card to play. Emmy Award-winning.” That’s admissible. That’s admissible. We’ll take that. All right. So…give it up for Abbott Elementary, one last time. <Audience cheers> OK. All right. All right. And give it up for Tina Fey in Mean Girls. <Audience cheers>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:30):
Drumroll, please!

Chris Nho (45:33):
Best teacher is….

Dan Meyer (45:34):
Tina Fey in Mean Girls! Yeah. Not a bad pick.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:39):
I love it. And I think, too, I think we’re gonna have a little bit of a more reflective lens than we thought we did when we see depictions of teachers in film and television. And, you know, hopefully we’ll see some new tropes come in, right?

Dan Meyer (45:55):
Yep. Yeah. Every dollar we spend on movies with lousy teachers is just encouraging these people to make more lousy teacher movies, you know? Awesome. Thank you for being here for a live taping—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:06):
Thank you for being here.

Dan Meyer (46:06):
—of our podcast, Math Teacher Lounge, in a hot room. Appreciate that. Yeah, it’s been fun for us to have you here. Um, super-important, super-important final remark: Bethany loves Oprah and Oprah occasionally, in the show—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:18):
Is she coming?! Is she here?!

Dan Meyer (46:19):
Not here! Not here! Calm down. Calm down. Um, but we do have in Oprah fashion, not something—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:24):
Oh. Oh, OK. Oh, that’s, that’s OK. Sorry. I got, had really excited for a second. As if the Amplify playing cards, The Amplify t-shirts being chucked at you at high speed—I did try to get a t-shirt cannon, and that was quickly ruled out <laugh>. They didn’t know about my rocket arm, right?

Dan Meyer (46:46):
Yeah, you got a cannon. <Laugh>

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:47):
Yeah. Oh, that’s a compliment. Oh, is that a compliment? Thank you, Dan. Thank you. Look under your seat because we have five winners. We wanna thank you for being here in person. We wanna thank the folks who are listening. We wanna thank Amplify. Oh my God. Somebody just pulled off the chair tag. You get to take that chair home with you.

Dan Meyer (47:08):
Does anybody have a prize?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:10):
OK, stand up if you…stand up if you…Yes! Stand up if you have one!

Dan Meyer (47:16):
Free set of classroom dry-erase boards, right here. Congratulations.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:22):
And for you who pulled off the chair tag, I don’t know. We gotta we gotta find something for you.

Dan Meyer (47:27):
Put that in your backpack.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:30):
Thank you again for being here. Thank you. Amplify. Thank you, Desmos. Thank you. Dan Meyer.

Dan Meyer (47:36):
Thank you folks. Chris, thank you buddy.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:38):
Chris! Chris Nho, everybody!

Dan Meyer (47:40):
We will be, we will be at—Bethany and I will be at the booth, if you wanna chit-chat and hang out, sign some stuff. Whatever. You wanna have Bethany sign you, she’ll do that. Um, come on down to the Amplify booth and we’ll—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:50):
We’ll talk to you more about Ms. Frizzle.

Dan Meyer (47:52):
Fun and prizes. I will share with my real thoughts about Ms. Frizzle down there. I’d love to see you. Thanks for being here, folks.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:57):
Thanks for listening. Bye.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month.

What Dan Meyer says about math teaching

“Teaching, more than other professions, is a generational profession. The kinds of joyful experiences we offer—or don’t offer—now affect the experiences students that haven’t even been born yet will have years later.”

– Dan Meyer

Meet the guests

Dan Meyer

Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 United States and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson

Bethany Lockhart Johnson is an elementary school educator and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

A woman with curly hair and glasses smiles outdoors; a man with short dark hair smiles indoors in front of a blurred math teacher lounge, highlighting valuable math teacher resources.
A graphic with the text "Math Teacher Lounge with Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer" on colored overlapping circles.

About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!

Professional development for assessment and intervention programs

Amplify professional development (PD) provides learning experiences that intentionally develop the knowledge and skills you need for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Learn how to administer and score your assessment and develop a deeper understanding of reporting and instruction by investing in professional development.

Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

About Amplify PD

Change is more likely to stick and get results if you take a systemic approach. As our partner, you’ll develop a learning plan that will drive your program implementation, enrich your instructional practices, and increase student impact.

Amplify’s professional development is designed to ensure successful, sustained implementation of our programs. Through strategically bundled packages, our PD sessions provide continuous support that adapts to your educators’ evolving needs.


Prepare

Begin

Practice

Advance
Program-agnostic sessions will set up educators for success in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math. Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs. Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs. Offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more.

Our packages include:

  • Launch sessions: Propel your teachers into the new school year by introducing them to their Amplify program, laying a strong foundation for effective implementation.
  • Strengthen sessions: Boost implementation with mid-year sessions that target specific instructional practices, providing the support needed to enhance program efficacy.
  • Coach sessions: Provide tailored guidance and support for educators and leaders to address specific needs, refining and advancing their instructional practices.

About mCLASS Texas® assessment PD packages:

  • Begin packages: Ideal for the first year of implementation, these packages help educators transition to evidence-based practices. Each package includes Launch and Strengthen sessions to set the foundation and support the initial phases of program adoption.
    • Format options: On-site, Hybrid, Virtual
    • Components: One Launch session introduces and supports a strong implementation and one Strengthen session deepens understanding of the program.
  • Practice packages: Designed for the second year of implementation and beyond, these packages deepen educators’ knowledge and refine their practice. They focus on continuous improvement, using data to drive instructional decisions and enhance student outcomes.
    • Format options: On-site, Hybrid, Virtual
    • Components: Two Strengthen sessions expand practice and drive outcomes. We recommend enhancement Coach sessions for ongoing support and addressing customized needs.

About mCLASS Intervention PD sessions:

  • Each intervention program offers Launch and Coach sessions for up to 30 participants per program for year one and beyond.
  • Our interactive sessions are available on-site or virtually, empowering teachers and leaders anywhere with the tools and skills they need to inspire all students to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves.

About Amplify assessment and intervention programs

Amplify’s high-quality programs make it easier for educators to teach inspiring, impactful lessons that celebrate and develop the brilliance of their students. Empowering teachers with tools to provide robust scaffolding and differentiated instruction, assessment, and intervention programs take the hassle and guesswork out of assessments with real-time, actionable plans personalized for every learner.

Learn how to get the most out of your assessment and intervention program(s) through Amplify’s PD.

Assessment

  • mCLASS Texas
  • mCLASS Lectura Texas
  • mCLASS Texas + Lectura

Intervention

  • mCLASS Intervention

We provide PD sessions for all Amplify programs. Contact your account executive to discuss the extended catalog of PD session options or request a quote.

mCLASS Texas Assessments

We’ve created professional development offerings that will help you meet your unique needs this school year. Explore the Begin and Practice packages available for mCLASS Texas Edition and mCLASS Lectura Texas by selecting the session titles to learn more.

Please note that mCLASS Texas and mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy sessions are currently unavailable for the Hybrid 4 and Virtual 4 packages.

Begin packages

Assessment programs

  On-site package
(9 hours)
Hybrid 9 package
(9 hours)
Hybrid 4 package
(4 hours)
Virtual 9 package
(9 hours)
Virtual 4 package
(4 hours)
  One Launch and Strengthen session per package
Launch sessions
  On-site
6 hr.
On-site
6 hr.
On-site
3 hr.
Virtual
6 hr.
(2 half-days)
Virtual
3 hr.
Administration and instruction essentials for teachers    
Administration and scoring training for teachers
     
Administration and reporting training for leaders      
Strengthen sessions
  On-site
3 hr.
Virtual 
3 hr.
Virtual
1 hr.
Virtual 
3 hr.
Virtual 
1 hr.
Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers    
Building a data-driven culture for leaders    
Assessing with fidelity for teachers
     
Reporting and instruction basics for teachers      
Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers      
Progress monitoring for teachers      
Reporting basics for leaders
     

*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.

  Coach session
Suggested enhancements

On-site On-site or virtual
6 hr. 3 hr.

Begin: Administration and instruction essentials for teachers

On-site or virtual, 6 hours

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Texas assessment program. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Administration and scoring training for teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Learn how to administer and score your mCLASS Texas assessment(s) and leave ready to collect data using standardized guidelines.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Administration and reporting training for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Prepare to implement your assessment program(s) at your school site(s). Determine systems-level actions that will ensure assessment fidelity and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decisions.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.

Begin: Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive deep into mCLASS Texas reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Building a data-driven culture for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS Texas reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Fortify your assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS Texas classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS Texas Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting basics for leaders

Virtual, 1 hour

Examine your school-level mCLASS benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.

Practice packages

  On-site package
(6 hours)
Virtual 6 package
(6 hours)
Virtual 4 package
(4 hours)
Virtual 2 package
(2 hours)
Two Strengthen sessions per package
Strengthen session titles*
  On-site
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr.
Virtual
3 hr. and 1 hr.
Virtual
1 hr.
Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers  
Building a data-driven culture for leaders
 
Assessing with fidelity for teachers    
Reporting and instruction basics for teachers    
Progress monitoring for teachers
   
Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers
   
Reporting basics for leaders     

*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.

  Coach session
Suggested enhancements

On-site   On-site or virtual
6 hr.   3 hr.

Practice: Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Dive deep into mCLASS Texas reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Building a data-driven culture for leaders

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS Texas reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Fortify your mCLASS Texas Edition assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS Texas classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Implement mCLASS Texas progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

New session for mCLASS Lectura Texas and mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Practice: Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers

Virtual, 1 hour

Learn how to use mCLASS Texas Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura Texas) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.

Practice: Reporting basics for leaders

Virtual, 1 hour

Examine your school-level mCLASS Texas benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.

Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy

Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English.

Amplify intervention PD sessions

Intervention programs

Each intervention program offers Launch and Coach sessions for up to 30 participants per program for year one and beyond.

mCLASS Texas Intervention

mCLASS Intervention is a staff-led Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading intervention program that does the heavy lifting of data analysis and lesson sequencing, freeing up teachers to teach the reading skills each student needs. View the table and select the session title to learn more about each mCLASS Intervention PD session.

  On-site or virtual sessions
3 hr.
Self-paced course
Launch sessions
Program overview for interventionists  
Program overview for intervention coordinators  
Program overview course for interventionists    

Coach sessions

  On-site sessions
6 hr.
On-site or virtual sessions
3 hr.
Coach session
 
Coach session
 

Launch

Propel your teachers into the new school year with sessions that introduce them to their Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.

Program overview for interventionists

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)

Program overview for intervention coordinators

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Intervention coordinators will learn the essentials of coordinating mCLASS Intervention and leave ready to implement the program at their school site.

Audience: Intervention coordinators (maximum 30 participants)

Program overview for interventionists

Online course, self-paced

Prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures through this on-demand course. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 3 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Coach

Support teachers and leaders with learning experiences tailored to meet their specific needs.

Coach session

On-site, 6 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Coach session

On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Enhancement options

Enhancement options are available for assessment programs such as:

  • mCLASS Texas
  • mCLASS Lectura Texas

Enhancements can be purchased for all teachers/leaders or a subset of educators.

Enhancement offerings for assessment programs

Add the following session to any assessment or intervention package.

  On-site
6 hr.
Virtual
6 hr.
On-site or virtual
3 hr.
Coach session for individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders
 

Coach session

On-site or virtual, 6 hours; On-site or virtual, 3 hours

Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Texas. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.

Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)

Online courses

Launch online courses are available for the following assessment programs:

  • mCLASS Texas
  • mCLASS Lectura Texas

Please view the table below for more information.

Online courses for assessment programs

  Self-paced
Online course

Administration and instruction essentials for teachers

Administration and instruction essentials for teachers

Online course, self-paced

Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Texas assessment program through this on-demand course. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.

Course options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Math

Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)

Additional assessment and intervention programs

Additional sessions and online courses are available for other mCLASS programs (mCLASS Express, mCLASS Math, and mCLASS Intervention Universal).

To learn more about enhancing your Amplify experience by purchasing other mCLASS Texas programs and/or accompanying PD sessions, contact your account executive.

Contact us

We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD options. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.

S5-05. Math technology & hacks for math anxiety: research-based tips for caregivers

A blue graphic with text reading "Math Teacher Lounge" in multicolored letters and "Amplify." at the bottom, with abstract geometric shapes and lines as decoration.

We’ve been very lucky to have so many prolific and brilliant researchers on this season of Math Teacher Lounge, and our next guest is no exception.

Listen as we sit down with Dr. Marjorie Schaeffer to discuss what causes math anxiety, math hacks, and how the right math technology can make an incredible impact in children and caregivers coping with math anxiety.

Listen today and don’t forget to grab your MTL study guide to track your learning and make the most of this episode!

Download Transcript

Marjorie Schaeffer (00:00):

I think the most important thing we know from literature right now is that high math-anxious parents, when they interact with their children, their children learn less math over the course of the school year.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:12):

Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. I’m Bethany Lockhart Johnson.

Dan Meyer (00:15):

And I’m Dan Meyer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:16):

We’re onto Episode 5, Dan, of our series on math anxiety. And I wanna say it feels so lovely to imagine all of these people out there doing work to help combat math anxiety. I dunno, it just makes me feel excited about the possibilities. This work is out there; it’s happening! Kids and teachers and caregivers are being impacted by these conversations. Not just — I mean, I don’t just mean the conversations we’re having on Math Teacher Lounge, but I mean, that these researchers are doing. Like, yes, we can change this!

Dan Meyer (00:53):

This is great. Yeah. We have people who are extremely smart, who have dedicated their professional lives to studying math anxiety and resolving it. And each of them that we’ve chatted with — they share lots of ideas in common, but I’ve loved how they each have their own different flavor or take or area of emphasis on a problem that hits everybody everywhere. It’s in your home, with kids and caregivers. It’s in schools. It’s in our places of teacher preparation and professional learning. Every place is a place where we can focus on resolving issues of math anxiety. It’s exciting.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:26):

Yeah, I feel like … if there could be a course in — we all know that our teacher prep programs, in MOST teacher prep programs, there’s not nearly enough math methods or time to cover <laugh> — it’s like ready, set, go! And depending on who your mentor teacher is or what your math methods course … I mean, it can totally shape the way that you are prepared or really not prepared for going out there to teach math! And so I love that we’re having these conversations.

Dan Meyer (01:55):

What I love about today’s conversation is, one, it’s got a little bit of a technology flavor, so there’s that. But I also love, it’s got one of my favorite features about change, which is that it focuses on change to action, change to routine, rather than change to belief. Rather than saying like, “OK, everybody! Everybody stop thinking bad beliefs about math and transmitting them to your kids!” Instead, it says, “What we’ll do is just, hey, we’ll set that aside for a second and we’re gonna do a certain thing every day and watch as those actions make your beliefs change.” That to me is extremely cool. And I think it has a higher likelihood of success than just, like, me telling parents, “Hey, stop thinking these thoughts!”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:37):

“Ready, set, stop being anxious!”

Dan Meyer (02:39):

Exactly. Exactly. So it’s an exciting conversation we’re gonna have here.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:43):

Right. So it’s not a, you know, “wave the wand and all of a sudden, you’re not anxious about math anymore.” But these incremental changes, these incremental conversations, this validation, can really, really impact change. I’m with you on it, Dan. I hear what you’re saying.

Dan Meyer (03:01):

To help us talk through all of these ideas and more, we’re joined by Dr. Marjorie Schaeffer, Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College in Indiana.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:10):

Enjoy. <Jaunty music> So, yes, Dan, we are so excited to welcome Marjorie Schaeffer. She’s Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College. Dr. Schaeffer, we’re so excited you’re here. Hello!

Marjorie Schaeffer (03:28):

Thank you so much for inviting me.

Dan Meyer (03:29):

Yeah. We are super-lucky to have had so many prolific and brilliant researchers about math anxiety on our show. You’ll be no exception. And every time, we love to find out about how you came to study math anxiety, which winds up being a really interesting glimpse into your backstory bio. So tell us, what is the route by which you came toward studying math anxiety?

Marjorie Schaeffer (03:51):

Oh, I love that question. I’m really interested in how the attitudes and beliefs of parents and teachers influence children, especially around math. And I actually became interested in this idea in college, when no Child Left Behind was actually first starting to be implemented in schools with high-stakes standardized testing. So much so that I actually did my thesis on this thinking about, “Do children understand the importance of high-stakes testing? Do they have anxiety around that idea?” And so that was really my first foray into the anxiety literature. And that was kind of the entry point into math anxiety for me.

Dan Meyer (04:28):

So you started by studying a very high-stakes assessment, like our students connecting with this. And the assessment is once per year. And classroom instruction is every day. So how did you move from the assessments to the everyday instruction?

Marjorie Schaeffer (04:44):

That’s a great question. So, after college, I actually taught kindergarten. And so from that, I saw the day-to-day impact of instruction and the day-to-day impact of children’s individual attitudes and beliefs. And so I really became interested in thinking about, “How do we understand why some children are really successful from the instruction happening in classrooms and why other children need a little bit more support?” And so math anxiety was one way for me to really think about the individual differences I saw in my kindergarten classroom.

Dan Meyer (05:18):

It feels like you headed … you went farther upstream, is what it feels like. Where assessment … there’s like some kind of anxiety around assessment, let’s say. And then you ventured farther up the stream to classroom instruction and then still farther into kids’ homes. It seems like your research invokes a lot of curiosity about the sources of a kind of amorphous, flowing phenomenon called math anxiety. And I’d love to hear a bit about what you know about how caregivers transfer, transmit — whatever the word is — math anxiety to their kids.

Marjorie Schaeffer (05:55):

For parents … we think that the attitudes and beliefs of parents matter. And we see that for lots of areas, not just math anxiety. But I think math anxiety, we see that really clearly. And so, we can think about it both in terms of what kind of input parents provide. So, how do families talk about math with their children? What kind of support do they provide around homework? And those are ones that I think are a little obvious. But we can also think about the offhanded comments that parents say to children when they’re talking about math generally. Right? So, we see lots of memes going around, talking about how hard math homework is. And so, I think when parents say offhanded comments like, “I’m not a math person,” or “We’re just bad at math,” that communicates values to children. I think the most important thing we know from literature right now is that high math-anxious parents, when they interact with their children, their children learn less math over the course of the school year. And this specific mechanism by which that happens is still an area for a lot of research. And so some people think it’s about input. So maybe if I’m math anxious, I’m avoiding math. And so, when I have an option to read a picture book that has math content, I focus on the colors instead. And so, my child is actually getting less math than other children. We can also think it’s about these messages that are provided. So, when I talk about math, I send the message to my child, it’s not for them, and therefore the child wants to engage in it less. And some of my work looks at things like expectations and values. So, thinking about, “Do math-anxious families actually value math less than other families unintentionally?” And so, we have some support for this idea that they expect less of their children. And so maybe when they struggle, they respond in different ways than a family who’s lower in math anxiety.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:53):

This is so fascinating to me. I also was a kindergarten teacher. And I remember a mom who just … she had such like palpable math anxiety. And during one of our conversations, she was talking about these homework sessions with her daughter. And I may have mentioned this on the podcast before. But she was talking about how every night they would sit together and they would do all this math. They’d do, like, extra math together. And it always ended in tears. And despite her math anxiety, she didn’t want her daughter to experience the math anxiety that she did. So she was trying to pile it on, so her daughter was more proficient and comfortable. And instead, it was perpetuating this anxiety about it. And so, it’s a phenomenon then, right? Even if a parent is saying, like you said, maybe completely unwilling, this mother was actually trying to do the opposite. She was trying to help, you know, imbue the love and comfort with math. Right?

Marjorie Schaeffer (09:01):

Absolutely. This is why I think in my research, it’s really important that we find low-stakes, low-stress ways for high math-anxious families to do math. They absolutely can support their children in doing math. But they need a little support. We want it to be a fun, low-stakes environment, right? So maybe that’s the connection back to high-stakes testing, that I want children to have fun math experiences.

Dan Meyer (09:28):

Yeah. This is challenging, because it feels like the more caregivers know about math anxiety, and its pernicious effects on students, and how easily transmitted it is, one could become quite anxious about math anxiety. And, you know, no one makes great decisions when they’re anxious. So if I’m recalling our various episodes we’ve done, we’ve heard from people say, “Well, you need to validate students’ math anxiety. This is not something to just ignore or brush past. But also, not validate it in a way that says, you know, ‘This is OK and generational and inevitable.’” Which presents parents with a very thin path to follow, it seems like. So I love what you’re saying about how we gotta just de-stress the whole process.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:11):

You’re avoiding the whole, “I wasn’t a math person either” kind of thing. <laugh>

Dan Meyer (10:15):

Right, right, right. Yeah. So I’d love to know more. We’re excited about the technology that you have studied and helped develop, presumably, called Bedtime Math, anapp for caregivers. And I’d love to know more about what that is and what it offers parents who know enough about math to know that they don’t want to transmit math anxiety to their children, but also want to support. So what does that offer them?

Marjorie Schaeffer (10:39):

So Bedtime Math is an app. It’s freely available on iTunes or the Apple Store or Google Play. And what it’s designed to do is to provide a nightly topical passage. So one of my favorites is the one about Groundhogs Day. And so it talks a little bit about the history of Groundhogs Day, and then it asks math-related follow-up questions. So starting at a preschool level, going through late fifth grade. And it’s really meant for parents to pick the one that meets their children where they are. And so the preschool-level question asks children to pretend to be a groundhog and walk to the left and walk to the right. So a skill that families might not think about as being math, but we actually think that IS part of understanding math. Understanding left and right directionality. And then the next question can ask questions like, “If it took the groundhog three seconds to climb out of the hole, and then two more seconds to see its shadow, how much time did it take all together?” So a simple addition problem, but it’s phrased in a fun way. And so the hope is that for high math-anxious families, these interactions are fun and playful. They don’t look like fights over homework. They’re just conversations that families can have around topics that are naturally interesting to children. And our hope is that when families have lots of these positive low-stakes interactions, they actually can see that we can talk about math in unstressful ways. In lots of ways, right? We can also do this at the grocery store. We can also do this while we’re cooking in the kitchen. It doesn’t just have to be fights over homework.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:14):

And I actually have the Bedtime Math — one of the Bedtime Math books. And I was so excited to find out that there’s an app. And I think one of the things that I loved about the book is that these are invitations, right? They’re exactly that. Low pressure <laugh>, and they’re invitations to have a conversation. And if we were just to tell parents, “Oh, just count!” or, “Hey, just count wherever you go!” You know? No. It’s, in a way, I think, like you said, it’s retraining the parents on what math could look like. Like, “Oh, I didn’t even think we could just kind of have this conversation and we’re actually doing math together.”

Marjorie Schaeffer (12:55):

Yes, absolutely. I absolutely agree. We want it to be fun and playful and not stressful. And we want it to also be things that are meaningful to children’s lives. So these are topics children are interested in. It’s not that we are using flashcards or making children practice math facts over and over again. These are things children should wanna do that can naturally fit into a child’s routine. So almost all families read books before bed, and what we hope is that math can also be a part of the nighttime routine.

Dan Meyer (13:27):

There’s something really subtle here going on that I just wanna name and ask a question about. First of all, it’s cool that you started with studying high-stakes stuff and now you are developing low-stakes stuff. And I’m really curious what makes a thing low-stakes? Like, a few things I’m hearing from you is that there’s, like … I have a small child that I read literature to on a nightly basis. And I feel very anxiety-free doing that. And it’s almost as though, because each of the — tasks is the wrong word for this, but experiences — involve some reading, it puts me, the parent, in a mode that is comfortable and familiar to me. I’m curious: Are there other, as you design, what, one per day for a year? All these different experiences. What are some of the principles that you lean on that help make a thing low-stakes for kids and for parents?

Marjorie Schaeffer (14:17):

Yeah, that’s a great question. So one thing we wanted to be really intentional about is that our app doesn’t look like a lot of traditional apps. There isn’t noises that go off. You don’t enter an answer. And so one of the things that we thought made it low-stakes is that while there is a right or wrong answer — there is a correct answer — we aren’t giving children upsetting feedback. Instead, what we wanna encourage families to do is, if you struggle to remember how many seconds it took the groundhog to come out of the hole, you can work through that with a parent. So it doesn’t feel like you’re getting negative feedback; you’re being told you’re bad at math; you did it wrong. Instead, you’re just getting natural support moving forward. And so that’s one thing we wanted to be really intentional about, was that it wasn’t going to be a negative experience for children. And we are trying to build on all of the positive interactions families are having around nightly book reading. So many ways this can look very similar. You get to read another story that’s topical and hopefully interesting. And then do these little questions together. And so for a lot of families, their children don’t actually really look at the question. It almost feels like the parent is just asking them on their own. Like, they just came up with it. They just wanted to know what would happen to the groundhog. If there were three more groundhogs? How many groundhogs would we have all together? Not like it’s gonna be like homework or other parts.

Dan Meyer (15:38):

So my understanding is that there isn’t a blank into which people type a number in, press “submit” for evaluation, receive the red X, the green check. That’s a key part of the design here.

Marjorie Schaeffer (15:50):

Yes, absolutely. And for research purposes, we would’ve loved to know what families were saying. But we think it’s really important that it’s fun, interactive, that families are working together to get to the right answer, that it’s not a test for children.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:03):

In your research, when you were — maybe you could walk us through the study a little bit. But I’m also curious if you heard from parents that it was carrying over beyond the bedtime routine. Because I would imagine, if I am building these skills and reading these questions and learning that I could talk to my kid like this about math in a fun way, that’s gonna happen then, like you said, when I’m in the grocery store. Or when I’m waiting in line for at the bank. Or whatever, you know? People go into banks now still, right?

Marjorie Schaeffer (16:35):

Yeah, absolutely. So in our study, we recruited almost 600 families and we randomly assigned them. So they had an equal chance of getting both our math app and what we call our control app. And that’s really just a math app without the math. We think of it as a reading control app. And that’s because we wanna make sure that families are having a similar experience, that it’s not just that having high-quality, fun interactions with your child is actually impacting children’s math achievement. And so what we then did is followed those children over the course of early elementary school. And so we worked with them in schools in the fall and spring of first, second, and third grade, really to look at their math learning. And so what we find is that children of high math-anxious adults, when they have the reading app, so what we think of as what’s happening in the real world, we see that really classic gap between children of high math-anxious adults and children of low math-anxious adults. So if you have a high math-anxious parent, you’re learning about three months less math over the course of first grade. But for children who receive this math app, we see this gap as closed. Those children look no different than a low math-anxious parent. And so that’s leading us to think that we’ve helped families talk about math in fundamentally different ways. We did a little bit of just talking to families to see a little bit about what might be going on. And a lot of families do report exactly what you’re describing, where they say this did help them talk about math in different ways they were doing it other times.

Dan Meyer (18:10):

That’s a really extraordinary study design. I don’t know … I love that you folks gave the control group not nothing. Like it’s possible that just parents and kids bonding over a thing regularly would be enough to provoke some kind of academic gain. But you gave the control group a thing that had them interacting socially, bonding, and still this large common gap between high-anxious and low-anxious parents, their kids shrunk together. Is that what I’m gathering here?

Marjorie Schaeffer (18:41):

Yeah, absolutely. So we’re basically seeing we can no longer, when we look at children’s data, say that parents’ math anxiety explains individual differences. So these children look really similar. They’re learning more than children who has a high math-anxious parent and just got our reading control app.

Dan Meyer (19:01):

just diving into the study a little bit more here, what is the time commitment? Or, did you guide parents to say, “All right, we’re gonna do this do this delightful story about a badger for an hour”? Or did people do it for five minutes? And what was the time commitment, roughly, for people?

Marjorie Schaeffer (19:17):

So we tell families to do it however they see fit. Because it is an app, we are able to get some sense of how long, and we are talking about three to six minutes for many families. For a lot of families, they’re reading a paragraph, the paragraph and a half, and then answering one or two questions. They’re not going through every possible question. They’re just doing a little bit, really meeting their kids where they are.

Dan Meyer (19:39):

Roughly how many times per week was that?

Marjorie Schaeffer (19:41):

So we asked families to do it as much as it fit. But we’re seeing about two and a half on average in the first year. And so families are fitting it in a couple of nights a week. It’s not every night.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:52):

So what it sounds like you’re saying is what really was powerful about this app is that it was the space and time and prompts between the caregiver and the child, that chance to really sit down and have some of these meaningful and positive math interactions. How did it shift those relationships?

Marjorie Schaeffer (20:12):

So one of the things I think that makes the app effective is the changing of expectations. After a year, families are really using the app a lot less. And I think that’s OK, that they have found other ways to incorporate math into their lives. And we find that we don’t see an impact on their math anxiety, that they aren’t becoming less math anxious from this experience. Which I think makes sense, because they have had a lifetime of math anxiety. But we do see a change in parents’ expectations and value of math. So they expect their children will be better at math, and they also report that math is more important in their children’s lives. And so I think that’s an important part of it, which is, we can change these values for families, even if we aren’t able to change the math anxiety of the adults in children’s lives.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:01):

I want to for a second before — because I’m loving this idea of the app, and I’m excited to find out more ways to cultivate these conversations in my home and also share this with other folks. Because even folks who don’t even maybe realize they have math anxiety … like you said, so often it’s unconscious. So often we’re putting these little snippets into our everyday conversation, like, “Oh yeah, I’m not a math person.” And we don’t even realize how much is impacting our kiddos and ourselves, right? So I am really curious: What do you think … in your research, what were some other takeaways that you feel like are really strategies that we can think about for combating math anxiety in general?

Marjorie Schaeffer (21:47):

So I’m particularly interested in thinking about how math-anxious adults can help tone down their anxiety so that they can have high-quality interactions with their children, that they interact with. And so one of the big takeaways for my research, I think, is that math-anxious families can help their children with math. They just need support. And so I think there are lots of ways for that support to look like. One, I think it can be an app, but I also think reading a little bit about math can be really helpful. So it’s not new. So the first time you aren’t thinking about some of these ideas is as your child has their homework open in front of you. And so you can process your own feelings separately before you have to do it with a child. I also think reminding parents that math is everywhere and that math is actually lots of things that we all love to do. Math isn’t just calculus. Not that calculus isn’t wonderful. But that math is measuring, math is counting ducks at the park. Math is talking about how many times did I go down this slide. And talking about math in this way, I think reminds families that they are great at that. That even if maybe they’ve had bad math experiences before, they can do math. Especially the way their preschool or early childhood, early elementary school student needs them to. And I think that can then set the foundation for being really successful later.

Dan Meyer (23:13):

So is your research then, your subsequent studies, your line of inquiry, is moving more towards how to support parents, then? Is that what I’m hearing?

Marjorie Schaeffer (23:22):

Yeah. So I’m really interested in both understanding how the math anxiety of parents and teachers influences children. And so math anxiety is really common and we know that it’s particularly common in early elementary school teachers. And so it’s very likely that children are interacting with a highly math-anxious adult. And so I’m really interested in thinking about how we can support those individuals in doing it. And so both, I think, things like Bedtime Math, which provide fun, unscripted ways to do that, but I’m also interested in the teacher equivalent. So, thinking about whether having things like a math coach can help teachers have more positive experiences with math. So if you see someone else play math games with your students, can that help you do it as well?

Dan Meyer (24:09):

It makes me wonder a lot about an app for teachers or an app for parents, one that’s not designed to be co-consumed with kids and their parents. But what that would look like … yeah, that’s really interesting.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:21):

If we have a parent who, let’s say they have a third grader, fourth grader, fifth grader, or a middle schooler, right? Outside of early education. And they say, “OK, but what do I do? I’m with my kiddo; I don’t remember this math.” And they’re realizing that their anxiety may be influencing their kiddos’ disposition of mathematics, Or maybe they’re just in the midst of the battle <laugh>. What would you say to those folks, especially if it’s math that maybe they’re not comfortable with?

Marjorie Schaeffer (24:56):

One, I think we should like tone down the stress, right? Remind ourselves that it’s homework and homework feels really high-stakes, but these other outcomes are really high-stakes too, right? And so I’m really interested in the idea that can we help parents feel more comfortable about math by watching their own children teach it to them. So what’s a concept that the fourth grader actually feels really good about? And can they remind their parent how to do it? Can, together, they problem-solve the math homework? And so it’s not just on the parent to give the child the right answer. We know that’s a recipe for communicating some negative things about math. But instead, help the parent-child pair figure it out together. So what are some resources we can do? Can we look it up on the internet together? Can we write an email to the teacher together? Can we think about what are other problems that maybe we know how to do, and therefore we can use that same model here? So I want parents to feel like they are not solely responsible for it. That they can help figure it out with their child together. And so it’s a fun interaction.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (26:02):

I love that. I love that.

Dan Meyer (26:03):

Yeah. Yeah. That’s wonderful. Yeah. A conviction that I have, and I think it’s true, is that any math that we’re learning at middle school, the attraction can be dialed down to a degree that a very small child, or a parent who has a very small child’s understanding of math, can appreciate. So instead of calculation, estimation. Instead of proof, just make a claim about something. And it makes me wonder about a companion to the work that’s happening in schools that parents feel inadequate to support, that students might not want to teach their parents. But which they could both, on a daily basis, say, “Here’s a way we can engage in this at a level that is comfortable to both of us.” Just dreaming out loud here. No question asked. No response needed. I just love your work. And made me wonder about that. Can you let me know your thoughts about technology? It is very rare that we have someone on the call who is an academic and very well-versed in research, but who also is published not just in in papers and textbooks, but also in digital media. It’s consumed by lots of people. So I am trusting that you have opinions about how math looks in technology. And I wonder if you’d offer some thoughts about how it goes, right? How it goes wrong from your own eyes.

Marjorie Schaeffer (27:14):

OK. That’s a great question. I think that we need more research. I first wanna say that I think that technology has really exploded in the last few years. How children have access to technology and screen times has really changed. And what we need is high-quality research happening. That said, I think that all of the things we know from child-development research still apply to technology. And so we know that children learn best when they are engaging in interactions with their parents. And so when families can use technology together, or at least can talk about what’s happening, it can be really effective. I also think technology, especially math apps, are best at teaching concrete skills with very clear answers. So I think practicing math facts is a great use of technology. So I love that Sushi math app where you solve multiplication problems and then get to quickly pull the sushi off the cart, right? But for higher-level questions, where we’re thinking about word problems or where what we’re helping to teach students is complex thinking, apps have a harder time doing that. Because students can often figure out the answer without engaging in the thinking that we are hoping that they’ll learn. And so I think technology absolutely has a piece. I think technology is helpful for parents. I think the logistics of helping parents live their lives is a good reason to use technology. But I think we need to be conscious of what it’s replacing. And so I think a world in which we think fourth graders can learn math only from apps is not realistic. But absolutely apps can be a great supplement to what’s already happening in the classroom.

Dan Meyer (28:56):

Yeah, that’s super-helpful. We have done a lot of work in digital curriculum here at Amplify, and often face the question on a daily basis, “Should this math be digital or on paper? Should we have the students stand up and talk or type something?” And those decisions are way too crucial and way more sensitive than a lot of the app-based education gives credit to. So appreciate your perspective there.

Marjorie Schaeffer (29:22):

OK. And I don’t think there’s one answer, or one answer for all classrooms. I think it’s like always a balancing act. I do think that one of the reasons our work is successful is because the parent-child interaction. And we want parents to learn from these experiences. And I think the same thing is true for for teachers.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:41):

Dr. Schaeffer, thank you so much for being with us today and for sharing about your research, and again, for inviting us to reconsider ways that we can develop a more positive relationship with math. And that parent or caregiver or teacher relationship with a child, we’re seeing just how incredibly impactful that is. And I really appreciate your work and your voice on this. Thank you so much for your time.

Dan Meyer (30:07):

Thank you.

Marjorie Schaeffer (30:08):

Thank you for having me.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:12):

Thank you again, Dr. Schaeffer, and thank you all for listening to our conversation. You can check out the show notes for more on Dr. Schaeffer’s work and to see a link to the app that we shared about Bedtime Math.

Dan Meyer (30:25):

Please keep in touch with us on Facebook at Math Teacher Lounge Community, and on Twitter at MTLShow.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:32):

We would love to hear … you’ve been listening to this series; we’re dipping our toe into all these aspects of math anxiety. Is there something that you’re still wondering about? Something you wanna share about your own story with math anxiety?

Dan Meyer (30:43):

And if you haven’t already, if this is your first exposure to the Math Teacher Lounge podcast, please subscribe to Math Teacher Lounge, wherever you get your fine podcast products. And if you like what you’re hearing, please rate us! Leave us a review. You’ll help more listeners find the show.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:01):

And let a friend know. But you know, it’s, it’s nice and cozy here in the Lounge, right? There’s no pressure. We’re hanging out. It’s all about learning. We’re learning together. We’re glad you’re here and we want others in your community to join us in the Lounge as well. You can find more information on all of Amplify’s shows at our podcast hub. Go to amplifycom.wpengine.com/hub. Next time on Math Teacher Lounge, we’re gonna be chatting about where we are today that we weren’t a few months ago in this topic.

Dan Meyer (31:31):

We’ll be chatting about this last series about math anxiety, and trading our favorite insights and observations from the run of the season.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:41):

I just love this series, Dan. And thanks, all, for listening. We really appreciate having you in the Lounge.

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What Marjorie Schaeffer says about math

“We want it to be a fun, low-stakes environment, especially in high-stakes scenarios like testing. We want children to have fun math experiences.”

– Marjorie Schaeffer

Assistant Professor of Psychology at Saint Mary’s College

Meet the guest

Marjorie Schaeffer is an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Saint Mary’s College. She received her Ph.D in developmental psychology from the University of Chicago. Marjorie is interested in the role parents and teachers play in the development of children’s math attitudes and performance. She is specifically interested in the impact of expectations and anxiety and on children’s academic performance. Her work has been published in outlets including ScienceJournal of Experimental Psychology: General, and Developmental Science.

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About Math Teacher Lounge

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

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S1-10: Empowering the science educator: Jessica Kesler

Promotional graphic for "science connections podcast" season 1, episode 10, featuring a smiling black woman named Jessica Kesler, with educational icons like a globe and magnifying glass around her.

In the final episode of the season, Eric sits down with his friend and professional development facilitator, Jessica Kesler. Jessica describes her passion for sharing free, high-quality, empathy-centered professional development for K12 educators. Jessica also shares her experience jumping into leadership positions while teaching in Philadelphia. Eric also chats with Jessica about how students often lean on teachers for more than delivering content. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

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Jessica Kesler (00:01):

One student at a time, isn’t gonna bring a million students through the door. But if we focus on their teachers, then they can implement it in their classroom and have this multiplicative effect that can continue on and help us to reach those millions of kids and helping them be prepared for future careers.

Eric Cross (00:19):

Welcome to science connections. I’m your host. Eric Cross. My guest today is Jessica Kessler. Jessica’s director of professional learning at TGR foundation, which is a tiger woods charity. There she creates and leads free stem, professional learning opportunities for educators across the country. Prior to working at TGR, Jessica worked as an elementary, middle and high school science teacher while fulfilling several leadership roles, including science department, chair and principal intern. In this episode, Jessica shares some of her classroom experiences while working in Philadelphia, where she was in classrooms, where her students needed her to be more than just her content. She also addresses how designing professional learning with empathy for teachers in mind creates better experiences for teachers. And now please enjoy my discussion with Jessica Kessler. So let’s, let’s start off with St. Joseph’s chemistry college to the classroom, like your origin story. What led you to ultimately get into the classroom and being successful, even just looking at, at your kinda like your resume or your CV of all of the things that you’ve done. You definitely weren’t idle, but start off with chem. Yeah. Like where did that passion come from?

Jessica Kesler (01:27):

Yeah. So when I was younger, I just had this burning passion to help people. Right. And when you’re young and you think about helping people, you think about doctors, doctors help people. Right. So I had this idea that I wanna be a surgeon. I wanna be a black surgeon. I wanna be a young girl, female Charles drew, and I just wanna go out there and do it. And so my mom is actually an alum of St Joe’s. So I spent a lot of time on campus cuz as she was getting her mini master’s degrees I will visit campus with her often. And so when I applied, I had the scholarships, had everything and I went in ready to be bio ready to be a surgeon. I took my first bio class and I was like, yes, let’s talk about the human body. And let’s get into dissections and sections. And they were like, okay, so a plant so has this. And I was like, Ooh <laugh> I was like, this is not what I was expecting at all. It just felt so detached from the trajectory that I wanted to take. And it just did not feed that passion of helping people in the immediate moment.

Eric Cross (02:31):

Did it, did it feel too abstract?

Jessica Kesler (02:33):

It felt abstract. It felt boring. Okay. And one thing I didn’t want was to be like stuck, bored. Like if I’m not being stimulated in a good way, mm-hmm <affirmative> then it’s not gonna last, but I love science. So I switched over to chemistry cuz I’m like this chemistry is exciting. I’m mixing things together. I’m producing new things. I’m doing extractions. I’m being introduced to machinery that I haven’t seen before. I’m loving it. I’m doing a math. The math is awesome. And so I switched over to chem and I started doing research in the summers and things like that. My research was around water quality in Philadelphia and looking at different natural water sources and comparing them and all those great things. But I was in a lab and the lab had no windows and I was stuck talking to this atomic absorption specter every day.

Jessica Kesler (03:24):

And I hit that, that wall again, where it was like, is this the rest of my life? Like talking to these machines and not having windows and not being able to interact with people. What is this? This can’t be life. And so I was seeking out some new opportunities that said, Hey, I need more money. First of all. So I’m like, I call the financial aid office like every week, like, Hey, what’s out today. What new scholarships do you have? I’m applying for everything. Like it was my goal to not have to pay for much of my education. And so I was talking to them and they’re like, Hey, you’re in science. There’s this awesome opportunity called a noise scholarship where they’ll pay for your last year and your master’s degree. If you go into education mm-hmm <affirmative> and I sat on it and I was like, this makes so much sense to me.

Jessica Kesler (04:12):

I was like, I’ve been literally tutoring my peers and teaching in churches and all this other kind of stuff. My whole life. It makes so much sense. How come nobody ever said this before? <Laugh> and so I applied for the noise scholarship, got in and started, you know, mm-hmm, <affirmative> doing practicums in the classroom as I went through my last year as a chemistry major and my first year for my masters and it just felt so right. And I was like, I can do this. And of course there were a lot of people who told me, no, Josh, you can’t do that. Like these kids will eat you alive. And I’m like I don’t think so. <Laugh> but, but that’s give it a go. And I stepped into the classroom and it, it just felt like, felt like it was always meant to be there.

Eric Cross (04:57):

So you were able to, you were able to make that connection between, I mean, if you’re, if you’re studying chemistry and bio and going into stem, I mean, there’s, there’s an aptitude there, but then you realize that this there’s a road that you could take that leads you into a room with no windows. And you’re just hanging out with machines all day

Jessica Kesler (05:14):

And I’m not helping people. Right. Right. And that was, my passion was like, I’m not helping people sitting in this room. I need to be a person that’s outside telling people about what happens in the room. Right. And how they can get involved and like what’s going on in here. Like that’s, that’s where I can be useful.

Eric Cross (05:28):

When you were, you were in Philly when you were teaching, what were you teaching when you were there?

Jessica Kesler (05:33):

So I started off teaching eighth grade science first job in north Philadelphia, teaching eighth grade science and just a, a funding tangent that first day a student called me a B

Eric Cross (05:44):

Trial by fire

Jessica Kesler (05:45):

Trial by fire called me out in front of like the whole floor. We were outside doing line drills and just was like, I hate you miss Kusa your B. And I was like, oh, this is it. This is it. This is where you stand your ground and you take it or you, you bail out <laugh> and you go back into the lab mm-hmm <affirmative>. And of course at the end of that, that traumatic experience between all the kids, like two months later, she wanted me to adopt her. So like everything comes full circles. Right.

Eric Cross (06:10):

That’s how it is. Right.

Jessica Kesler (06:11):

But I started teaching eighth grade science. There’s not a lot of science teachers at that level who actually have a science background. Most of them have elementary school background. So I’m the only scientist walking into the science classroom and saying, this is how science actually works. And so I ended up taking a lot of onus of science while I was there. Ended up building out the K through eight curriculum for science. I ended up doing like a science strategic plan to submit to the district. I ended up leading out our first couple stem nights and like really leading the stem department and kind of our science department. And this was as like a second, third year teacher <laugh> know, but nobody else had the science mm-hmm, <affirmative> the way that I had the science and the education. So it really opened up a door for me to be able to, to run full steam with all those things.

Eric Cross (07:04):

So MI was it primarily middle school during those, those years that you were there?

Jessica Kesler (07:07):

So there, I started with middle school and I did that purposefully because I was still young and I wanted there to be a good age gap between me and the students. And then I moved up to high school and taught high school chemistry, also taught a couple other different subjects while I was at that school. But primarily high school chemistry. Then I actually took a big leap down and I said, okay. I was going for my second master’s degree in educational leadership. And I was going for my principal cert. And I said, if I’m gonna be a principal of a school, then I need to understand all the levels of education and how they operate, cuz they operate really differently. So I said, I started in middle school, went to high school. I don’t have elementary school experience. In fact, I’d spent a day in a kindergarten classroom and I was like this never again, but I was like, I need to go back down there and I need to figure out how this system works because you know, I never know where I’m gonna land as far as principalship.

Jessica Kesler (08:01):

So I went and taught fourth grade.

Eric Cross (08:03):

How was that experience?

Jessica Kesler (08:05):

So imagine me going from teaching high school, seniors and juniors Uhhuh and like they’re self-sufficient and you know, they’re independent, they’re driving to school and all these things. And then I immediately drop down and go into fourth grade where these kids are crying every five seconds. They still have like a lot of bodily fluids, like there’s noses running and things. And like <laugh>, I was like a fish outta water. I was like, what is this? What’s going on down here. But those kids pour out so much love. And they, you, you become another parent to them. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> your high schoolers know who their parents are. They kind of are finding their place in society, but the little ones, they only know big people as parents, small people as equal. So they see you as another parent. So it taught me a lot about, you know, patience and breaking information down, even smaller. I had to figure out new and inventive ways to teach science and bring it down so far that they would be able to grab onto it and achieve it. And it was a challenge, but at the end it paid off, we were running, we were hitting like great markers for all of our PSSA goals that year. I mean, we were really knocking it out the park

Eric Cross (09:17):

And this backstory leads into how we met and adds to the picture as to why I really want to have you on, because your involvement with TGR, which is where I want to go next for the folks listening. I bet a lot of them have no idea what it’s about, just like I did. And now me learning about TGR foundation and meeting you I would love to make sure that everyone knows about it and what they offer.

Jessica Kesler (09:39):

Absolutely. So TGR foundation, a tiger woods charity was founded by tiger woods and his father with a mission to really introduced them education to students in low income minority populations and prepare them for success in their world and their future careers moving forward. And so was founded in 1996 and went through several changes in iterations since 1996. But eventually opened up its first learning lab, which is in Anaheim, California. And through the learning lab, they opened up these satellite sites. So they basically partner with schools to provide after school education and robotics and wearable electronics and things like that. And they would partner with schools to teach these courses after school, they would pay the teacher, pay for the materials and stuff like that to provide more opportunity for students in different areas. And so that’s how I was introduced to the foundation because while I was teaching high school my good friend and previous manager, Jason Porter shout out to JP Jason Porter used to lead the tiger woods foundation when it was the tiger woods foundation.

Jessica Kesler (10:52):

He used to lead the afterschool program. And when I joined that high school, he said, Jess, you got all this great content, knowledge, all this great enthusiasm, and we wanna get more women into this robotics. We wanna get them engaged in this process of, of stuff. And you will be a great role model to start bringing in more of our female students. And I was like, great, sign me up. And that’s where I started working with the TGR foundation, right after school programs, getting my students into robotics, competitions and clubs, doing different challenges and design challenges. And then after some time, a few years, they actually needed someone to come to the DC area and support the development of professional learning and partnerships here in DC, as they were continuing to expand. And really it came out of the idea that tiger gave this big mission to the organization that he wanted to reach millions of kids.

Jessica Kesler (11:48):

He said millions and everybody said, what millions, what M <laugh>. So the foundation was like, okay, well we can’t reach millions by just tackling one student at a time, right? Not one student at a time, isn’t gonna bring a million people or students through the door. But if we focus on their teachers, mm-hmm <affirmative>, then those teachers not only spend most of their day with these students and learn the basics of their skills with these students. But each one of those teachers has 30 to 150 200 students that they see every day. And that’s how we multiply this effect. So we train the teachers on all the stem competencies and the pedagogical tools and strategies to implement the stem that we’re doing in our learning labs. And then they can implement it in our classroom and have this multiplicative effect that can continue on and help us to reach those millions of kids and helping them be prepared for future careers.

Eric Cross (12:44):

And so D divide the effort, multiply the effects. Exactly. And then when I was exposed to it, this was over zoom. Now, how long has it been going on? Has it always been virtualized or did you do the, were you all doing this before? We all went online

Jessica Kesler (12:57):

Before the pandemic man, the glory days, right before pandemic, it feels like I’m talking about prehistoric times, right? Like back in the dinosaur, like era, like, I don’t know, pre we actually did these workshops in a person. So we would invite people to come to DC, invite teachers in Philadelphia to do a Philly one. We were in New Mexico. We were in Florida. We were, I mean, we were everywhere and this would be a extremely hands on engaging workshops. So not only do we focus on this is the theory and the philosophy behind the pedagogy, but we would also focus on like creating a student experience for the teacher, having the teacher flip into student mode and put on that student hat and actually go through sample lessons, model lessons and activities as the student so that they can feel it. So you can feel if, if you feel confused, your students are gonna feel confused.

Jessica Kesler (13:52):

If you feel like this is challenging, you, your students are gonna feel the challenge. If you are, don’t understand the instructions, your students will understand the instructions. So it gives us a different perspective and it puts us in their shoes. So we can better empathize with them and create more responsive lesson planning. So we flipped them into that student role for that purpose. When COVID hit, we went virtual, but virtual allowed us to reach teachers that we probably would’ve never hit. So it was kind of that blessing and disguise, right? It was like we didn’t keep people as long cuz obviously virtually you’re not, you don’t wanna stare at a screen for eight hours. So we cut it down. We revised it a little bit, but we kept the hands on philosophy and feel of it going by, you know, using materials that they could find at home really modeling what education could look like.

Jessica Kesler (14:41):

Mm-Hmm <affirmative> if you used your Z zoom room to capacity, or if you had these materials and resources or rethought your lesson plans and structures. So we went virtual and not only were we able to hit so many more thirst that first year thirsty educators ready to get, dive into it, ready for some comradery with fellow educators. But we were also able to expand our international network. We were able to get so many international educators through our global work that it was, it was beyond what we had when we were in person. So it really had this skyrocketing effect.

Eric Cross (15:20):

There’s professional learning pathways and then virtual stem studio. Is that right for professional development for like teachers who are listening, are those the two kind of main prongs?

Jessica Kesler (15:30):

Yeah. So a stem studio is basically just one, right? And a pathway is a collection. So we now offer four stem studios, four separate stem studios. The first one is on inquiry mindset. You attended that one area. And it’s really about for teachers who are changing their perspective on what the classroom should look and feel like, especially administrators too. It’s about developing that inquiry mindset. So you understand and you feel, and you practice and you learn the tools that are necessary for inquiry to happen in your classroom. We never promote overhauling your classroom. We’re just saying, add a little bit here and there and see how it impacts your students. The second one is on making inquiry, visible, making inquiry visible is all about making students thinking visible in the moment. What are tools and strategies that you use so that students can illuminate their thinking for themselves, but for you and their peers as well and how we benefit from that.

Jessica Kesler (16:28):

So not only do the students get to see their own thinking as they progress and you get to tell the story of how their minds have evolved, but you, as the teacher get to see, oh, this is where everyone is making the mistake, or this is how this misconception came about. Or this is where I need to target for my next lesson. So it makes you more responsive in the moment. And then the third and fourth one where we’re actually launching for a small group this summer, it won’t be available to the masses until maybe a year or two down the line. We have one small group that we’re just going to test it out with. The third one is about developing your inquiry environment. So thinking not just about your physical space, but thinking about your intellectual space too. So what are the things that you can embed into your physical space and develop in a student’s intellectual space that will help you create a holistic inquiry environment?

Eric Cross (17:22):

So this is this inquiry space, not just physical, but then also the intellectual environment

Jessica Kesler (17:26):

Intellectual. Exactly. And it focuses in on the design process and how we design spaces. Because as a teacher, we take a lot of background in the background onus of de creating these spaces. If you take someone out of an old habit or space and tell them, oh, we are gonna change in your minds and teach inquiry, but put them back in the same environment, they’re gonna be conflicted, right? Their bodies wanna do one thing, their minds wanna do another thing. And they don’t know how to bridge the gap between the two. So this is a really illuminating, like how do you change all the spaces? How do you design a flow in space in your classroom and in your students thinking that allows them to be productive in that inquiry environment. It’s really good stuff

Eric Cross (18:11):

Who creates these experiences for teachers.

Jessica Kesler (18:14):

We do. So me and my teammate, Holly, Dard shout out HD. Holly Dard, we really put our brains together and developed these. So it’s a really a team effort because like Jason Porter, Eric even David Tong when he was with us, really collectively thought about what it is that we wanted educators to experience. And then Holly and I do a lot of the grunt work, but then we really collectively put it all together and make it what it is. So I have a heavy hand and a lot of that. And in fact, inquiry four is all about the entrepreneurial mindset. So oftentimes educators don’t consider themselves entrepreneurs, but if you take a look at what an entrepreneur is and what they do on a regular basis, educators are entrepreneurs, but we are missing an opportunity to use our entrepreneurialship in the classroom to drive for stem competencies in inquiry based practices. And so in, in stem studio, four, we really focus in on how the educator is the entrepreneur of their classroom, but also uses entrepreneurial techniques to tackle issues in their schools, districts, and spheres of influence. So it’s really taking the educator to the next level of their teaching practice through entrepreneurship. This is some deep stuff.

Eric Cross (19:37):

It is, well, this entrepreneurial mindset is, is something that I’ve heard before. And I definitely see the link between even the term teacherpreneur beyond just selling lessons on teachers, pay teachers. <Laugh> it’s way bigger than that,

Jessica Kesler (19:52):

Where entrepreneurs actually in the classroom, not just because we do things on the side to make money. Exactly.

Eric Cross (19:57):

A lot of teachers hear that. They’re like, yeah, I got, you know, I got, got a few jobs going on. Exactly. Yeah. And, and I think one thing we, I should have said this earlier, and I’ll, I’ll say the intro, but these are all free.

Jessica Kesler (20:07):

This is largely sponsored by do OD stem as well. So we have a partnership with D O D stem and they have been driving forth the department of defenses, strategic stem plan for years. And as a part of that, they give us funding in order to provide these opportunities for educators for free. So literally educators don’t have to come with anything. And we are giving you not only the content of our, our lessons and our instruction, but we’re also going give you a chance to earn a free micro credential. So people are spending 12 plus hours with us in a workshop which sounds like a lot of time, but it’s over a series of time and days. But we wanna give you something that means something after that, we wanna give you a micro credential to add to your resume, to show your administrator, to show that you have achieved the next level in your professional learning career.

Jessica Kesler (20:59):

Right? And if you finish the pathway, which is all for, then we give you our TGR foundation certificate that says that you’ve completed so much professional learning in these areas that you are basically a warrior of inquiry that you are ready to go out and really lay inquiry out in new creative ways, not in your CLA just in your classroom, but everywhere you go in your district, in your school. And on top of that, we just offer so many other great free partnership incentives like discovery, education, experience licenses. We’re doing raffles this summer. We’re giving out free a free meal voucher so that you can get some lunch. One of these days we’re offering $50 gift cards so that people can get school supplies. So anything you do with us, and you’re like, man, I really wish I could have this so that I can do that in my classroom. We wanna break down all the barriers that prevent teachers from doing this stuff in their classroom, actively engaging in this stuff. And we give you a free copy of the books that we reference. Again, trying to break down the barriers,

Eric Cross (22:00):

What are some of the things that you’ve noticed kind of being on both sides of science teaching in the classroom, and then in training trends with teachers, things like moments that have been great or, or challenges that you’re noticing teachers experiencing, especially maybe changes in differences from a, from, you know, an outsider’s perspective. Seeing what teachers are experiencing are like, since you’ve been doing PDs for folks.

Jessica Kesler (22:22):

Yeah. So it’s actually really interesting being on both sides of the fence. You know, what I always noticed is that teachers are eager, but they’re tired. They’re wanting to learn, but they can’t take advantage of every opportunity to learn. And especially during COVID time, if you take a look at even all the professional learning that’s happening across the world right now, attendance is going down because teachers are so burnt out this hybrid space, this either we’re in person, but we’re still wearing masks and still social distancing and all this other stuff, or I’m still virtual or I’m virtual some days and I’m in person other days, it’s just wearing our teachers out. And I think we notice that as we see a large numbers of friends and family just start to retire, right? Like people are just like, I don’t know if I can adapt to another change in education.

Jessica Kesler (23:14):

Like education goes through these waves of big changes and it’s hard for everybody to adapt to, but for those who are willing to stick it out and those who are able to stick it out and, and still have that energy and enthusiasm to learn, they come in so hungry for more resources, so hungry to learn more and they still have their why at the top of their minds, as they think about why they do this it’s for the kids it’s to drive this mission is to get more kids excited about this. And they just come in so passionate. So once they come in, once we can get them to come in they stick with us for a really long time. They’re like, what else do you have? What else do you have? What else do you have? But we hear, still hear the common threads of like, do I have time for this?

Jessica Kesler (23:58):

Do I have the funding for this? Do I have the energy for this? Do, will my students understand this? And we are constantly facing that challenge of trying to address those things by, but keeping the excitement going, like we know you don’t have enough time. We’re gonna call it out from the start. I know you don’t have enough time to try to do 29 extra things. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. But my advice is always, but do one thing at a time, start with something small, asking your students a few questions rather than lecturing to them. Doesn’t take a whole lot of extra time, but it gives you so much extra insight. So let’s not work, you know, harder, let’s work smarter. Let’s embed this into our, our work together. And I always say that we’re not asking you to add to your plate. You know, it’s not Thanksgiving where you just pile, keep piling on a plate.

Jessica Kesler (24:47):

It’s it’s a time where you organize the plate. It’s allowing inquiry to restructure your plate so that everything has its place and its time mm-hmm <affirmative> do you wanna leave room so that the educator feels comfortable trying some new initiative? That’s why we encourage admin. We have librarians attend elementary school teachers, administrators, we, and we encourage it because everyone can support the classroom. And if administrators are more in touch with these new practices and tools and strategies, then they can help facilitate the learning. As the teachers are trying new things and coaching them in specific areas. So we really opened the door for some studios, for any and all who are gonna participate in that child’s education, because us all rallying around them as that three-legged stool helps to create that environment and helps support the teacher. The teachers need support, and we’re trying to do our part by providing the resources and the tools, but they need everyone else to.

Eric Cross (25:42):

We don’t always think about it as a way to support, to get support in our classrooms for ourselves. But I agree with you by, by educating vertically up the chain, you know, vice principal, principal, whoever it is, mm-hmm <affirmative> superintendent getting them on boarding and, and educating them to see what’s ex expected. We’ll open up doors and more freedoms for you because now you just have this vertical alignment of folks kind of on the same wave length. Exactly.

Jessica Kesler (26:07):

Yep. And that’s why we love districts. Anaheim union school district is actually one of our partners this year, where they have invited their teachers to participate in the whole pathway because they know how important it is that we practice these tools and strategies. And they want as many educators in the same space going through this at the same time as possible so that we can support each other through it. And so that we don’t feel like islands, oftentimes as educators, we feel like islands we’re in our classroom day in and day out. And we don’t feel like there’s anybody else who’s doing the same things we’re doing and supporting the work that we’re doing. So when we get administrators who support it, it’s magical. It can be magical.

Eric Cross (26:47):

What are some opportunities that are coming up if somebody’s listening and they, they wanna sign up for something, are there things coming up this month or next month or in the summer that they can participate in?

Jessica Kesler (26:55):

Yeah, for sure. So we’ve been doing our monthly workshops. And if you go to our website, so if you actually go to TGR foundation.org and slash stem studio you’ll actually see our summer events already posted, already live for everybody to start engaging in. And again, everything is free. So registration is open and available for everybody to participate. We are offering that first inquiry stem studio inquiry mindset twice the week of June 21st and the week of June 28th, two opportunities for educators to join us for inquiry mindset for the first one. And then also in July, we’re offering the second one making inquiry visible, and that’s the week of July 12th. So again, all free stuff, raffle prizes are available for those who register early and get in there and reserve their seat. It is limited seating. And so, yeah, a bunch of opportunities coming up this summer and guess what all you have to do is sign up and then you get all these free things coming your way. You get to look forward to all this exciting stuff. So TGR foundation.org/studio.

Eric Cross (28:01):

And if folks wanna follow you in your career, your journey.

Jessica Kesler (28:05):

Yeah. I’m on Twitter and LinkedIn, for sure. And it’s Jessica Kessler, K E S L E R one S

Eric Cross (28:12):

I wanna honor your time. And as we close, you’ve been an educator of impact in, in your own classroom. And I know you’re still teaching actively now, and you’ve also made an impact on me and other educators through your professional development. And, and the last question I’d like to end with is who’s the most memorable teacher or learning experience that you had during K eight. When you think about you, your time in school, who was a memorable teacher or a moment that kind of stands out to you and what was it that they did that made them memorable?

Jessica Kesler (28:44):

It was that one teacher who brought me my first T I, 84. You remember when a new calculators came out, I had a teacher give me one amazing, but I think in high school, there was really a turn about where I had miss Caroline and Mr. Canello math and Spanish teacher. So two opposite wings of the, the education spectrum there. But most of all, they listened. They listened to me. I felt seen with those teachers, they supported me. They listened to me, they saw my potential. And they just rallied around me and continued to support me thereafter. Even afterwards, I continued to reach out to those educators. And I think that’s what drives me to be that force for, for my students. And I remember my most memorable heart touching education experience was probably, I had a high school student get interviewed by the newspaper.

Jessica Kesler (29:38):

And they were like, oh, what’s your favorite classes? And what’s your favorite this, and what’s your favorite of that? And he was like, well, I love chemistry, which is what I was teaching. It was like, and I love my after school robotics team. I was leading and I love this and this and this. And he basically listed all the stuff that I was doing that I was teaching and that I was leading in the school. And I was like this one student, literally out of all the classes and experiences he’s experiencing is really just calling out everything that I’m doing. And I feel like it’s because he felt seen, he felt heard. He was like, this person is listening to me. And no matter what space we’re in this teacher is, is there for me. And so I try to be that wherever I go, <laugh>,

Eric Cross (30:16):

It’s amazing how making someone feel seen and, and making them feel important and heard, and, and being present for them. All of a sudden opens up their interests into the subjects that you’re teaching. Thank you for, for making time for serving our kids for serving teachers during a hard time, and for making PD one, being part of an organization that made it free and serve teachers, but also making PD fun and enthusiastic. I think that was one of the things in addition to the empathy that you led with, but also your enthusiasm and passion was something that really resonated with me. And it made our time together. Feel like something that was, was making me a better teacher for my kids. And so, thanks for making time for us tonight. Oh,

Jessica Kesler (30:53):

Bless face.

Eric Cross (30:57):

Thanks so much for joining me and Jessica today. If you have any great lessons or ways that you connect with students, please email us@stemamplifycom.wpengine.com. That’s S TM amplifycom.wpengine.com. And please remember to support the podcast by clicking subscribe, wherever you listen to podcasts, you can also hear more about the podcast in our Facebook group, science connections, the community until next time.

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What Jessica Kesler says about science

“One student at a time isn’t gonna bring a million students through the door. But if we focus on their teachers, then they can reach those millions of kids and help them be prepared for future careers. ”

– Jessica Kesler

Director of Professional Learning, TGR Foundation

Meet the guest

In the final episode of the season, Eric sits down with his friend and professional development facilitator, Jessica Kesler. Jessica describes her passion for sharing free, high-quality, empathy-centered professional development for K12 educators. Jessica also shares her experience jumping into leadership positions while teaching in Philadelphia. Eric also chats with Jessica about how students often lean on teachers for more than delivering content.

Person with glasses smiling, wearing a black headwrap and earrings, outdoors with trees and sunlight in the background.

About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

S4 – 01. Joyful math teaching with Kanchan Kant

Podcast cover for "Math Teacher Lounge," Season 4, Episode 1, titled "Joyful math teaching," featuring Kanchan Kant, described as a math educator and transformative leader.

This season on the Math Teacher Lounge podcast, we follow the theme “joyful math” and uncover its meaning.

In this episode, Kanchan Kant joins Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer to discuss the key, early investment she makes at the start of the school year to ensure her math teaching will be joyful for herself and for her students for the rest of the year.

Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Dan Meyer (00:00):
Okay, we are recording. Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. (laugh)

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:06):
Hardly off to a rocking start.

Dan Meyer (00:06):
Yeah. Yeah. <laugh> Did you like my energy there? Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. It’s a new season with your host Dan Meyer. And…

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:15):
I’m Bethany, Lockhart Johnson. How’s your summer Dan?

Dan Meyer (00:22):
Summer for me feels really hectic as we prepare, here at Amplify, for the new school year, and everyone’s starting these new math programs. So I’ve been feeling quite amped up, like usual in the summer. But also, my kids started big kid school. So I’ve been seeing the educational system from the role of a parent and all the anxieties and I worry, will I be my kids’ teacher’s most annoying parent <laugh> … So what kind of math curriculum you using? Oh, have you heard of core counting? Can I lead a math center? What’s this worksheet about? I’m really worried my kids are just overall gonna hate my vibe when I come around their classes. Uh, <laugh> so lots going on with me.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:06):
It’s already happening for me and I have a toddler.

Dan Meyer (01:10):
<laugh> There we go. Anyway, that’s what I’m up to. That’s how I’m feeling. I’m curious how you’re doing. We haven’t chatted in a while. We’re excited about the podcast, but it’s been a bit, you know? Bethany got a break from me and my antics over the summer. So, how are we finding you here, as we ramp up to the new season?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:24):
Uhhhh. Well, let me just tell you, I have a toddler. That’s kind of all I need to say. Except that’s not all I will say. Of course, I’ll say more. I am exploring, I’m dipping my toe into the extracurricular toddler activities; the music classes of the toddler world, the creative movement of the toddler world. And yeah, I have lots of opinions and lots of things to say about the teachers. And I’m like, Ugh, I can’t wait to be room mom. And just like…<laugh>

Dan Meyer (01:55):
Just let it rip, you know?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:57):
I have opinions on everything and just hope I don’t get kicked out of the class.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:05):
It’s been an eventfully recharging summer and we are ready for this new season. And in fact, we’re so ready that we decided that we were gonna mix up this season. Just a, just a tiny bit. Shall I explain Dan?

Dan Meyer (02:21):
Yeah. Let’s do it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:22):
So we have loved all the different topics that we have explored in the Math Teacher Lounge world, but we kind of feel like we need to do some more deep dives. So for this season and the foreseeable seasons …

Dan Meyer (02:38):
We’ll see how it goes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:38):
Let’s stick with this season. For this season. We’re going to be exploring a singular theme.

Dan Meyer (02:46):
We’re not bouncing around. Yep. We’re not bouncing around from a guest to guest going on whatever shiny thing in the river bed catches our eye. We’re gonna take one theme and see where it goes. What we working with here this season?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:57):
This season, we are going to be exploring the idea of joyful math, joyful math. And Dan, the question I have for you is, is the term joyful math one that you use on the regular?

Dan Meyer (03:10):
No, it definitely is not. I think that joy and math are very rarely, you know, connected in the popular mind. Number one, and number two, you know, I’m kind of an ornery fellow, so that’s not my natural kind of description of math. But we decided that it feels like an important one at the moment, because a lot of math teaching–a lot of teaching in general, math teaching in particular–math teaching is often not a joyful discipline for students, where, you know, I’ve done some research where you look at what people type into Google. And I looked at like, what they…why am I bad at X? And I looked at that for where X is math, where it’s science, where it’s reading, where it’s history. And it was just wild to see how many more hits there are out there on the Internet for “why am I bad at math?” People don’t really associate math with joy, but also we’re looking at joyful math in terms of joyful math teaching. Math teaching, teaching in general, is a tough field at the moment with a lot of teachers leaving teaching. And those who remain are having a lot of soul searching and thinking about, why am I here and how do I sustain this work? And in an environment that seems hostile to my interests or my talents, or work-life balance. And so that’ll be the theme that we’re gonna kind of uncover over the course of our season, talking to various interesting guests, including one today about, yeah, joyful math teaching and joyful math.

Dan Meyer (04:43):
And to help us think about what joyful math teaching looks like, we figured we’d first look at what UN-joyful math teaching looks like. It happens to be the case that we’ve been in a pandemic as you might be aware, and teaching has been challenging. And the NEA, our National Education Association, surveyed its member teachers and asked them the following question … Gave a list of issues that school employees have experienced and asked, for each one indicate how serious of a problem this is for you. This is a survey where more than half of members said they are more likely to leave or retire sooner than planned because of the pandemic. And this is almost double the numbers from July, 2020. It’s really hard to keep track of teacher departures and unfilled vacancies across states. So I don’t wanna like blow this up out of proportion, but it does indicate some real challenges in teaching. So Bethany, I was curious, what do you think like at the top of the list, like what kinds of factors, issues facing educators would you imagine there are?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:48):
So if I’m to understand you correctly, these are reasons someone is not actively experiencing joy in the profession of teaching. Like why would they leave?

Dan Meyer (05:58):
Exactly.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:59):
Well, the number one thing that came to mind for me, well, okay. Wait, wait, one other caveat I need to ask about, you said specifically pandemic-related or just in general, because if it’s pandemic-related, then I think, well, there’s health issues, right? That people are concerned about, but in general, the thing that came to mind was a lack of support from administration districts, lack of funding, and overcrowding in classrooms. Like, you know, I saw somebody had 40 students in their classroom. So those are the two things that I can imagine like top on someone’s list that would make them experience less than a joyful day.

Dan Meyer (06:44):
Yeah. There’s a bunch of you’re kind of identifying here. So number seven on the list is lack of respect from parents and the public, which is like 76% of teachers call that out as serious for them. Others that you kind of circled around in terms of resources go like, not enough planning or unstructured time in the job kind of ties into resources. Yeah. But there’s others that are on the list that I’m curious, you wanna take on the swing at it, given what I’ve said here,

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:15):
I feel like too much being asked of them, like being asked to wear too many hats, like they’re being asked to not only teach their class, but also cover all the vacancies and supervise recess and, you know, make a delicious, nutritious lunch. That’s what came to mind. Am am I close?

Dan Meyer (07:33):
Yeah. Number four on the list, unfilled job openings leading to more work for remaining staff. People covering, you know, not just the kind of external to teaching work like you’re describing, but also just taking on like losing your prep period, to take on a class that has been unfilled for all kinds of reasons. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:54):
Yeah. I’ve only gotten the fourth. Give me one clue, one clue about …

Dan Meyer (07:59):
So, I mean like, so number one is general stress from the coronavirus pandemic, you know, which I feel like …

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:06):
I mentioned that.

Dan Meyer (08:07):
I’ll give you that one. Yep, yep, sure. And then number two, close behind, is feeling burned out, which I think ties into what you’re describing as well. I’m giving Bethany credit on that one. The third one is very different from the ones you’ve been describing. I think I cannot in good faith give you even partial credit for this one. I’ll just say it. Student…

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:28):
Wait! Dan, this is not how you give clues.

Dan Meyer (08:31):
Here’s a clue. It’s student absences due to COVID19. It’s really hard to deal student absences. That’s your clue.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:40):
That wasn’t a clue that you told me.

Dan Meyer (08:43):
Yeah, let’s see. I think that’s largely it. There’s also pay is too low, is on the list; student behavioral issues, on the list. And I think that about covers it. So all of that, that basket of items has led to more than half of teachers in this survey, saying that they’re more likely to leave or retire from education sooner than planned. And I don’t know. I think we all know teachers who have bailed.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:08):
I’ve never played a board game with you, Dan, but if we ever play a board game, we’re gonna work on your clue giving, ’cause I want to keep guessing. And you just told me.

Dan Meyer (09:22):
Yeah. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:22):
In all seriousness, the <laugh>. In all seriousness, I think yes, the stress of the pandemic and students being absent, what some folks are calling unfinished learning, all of those pieces do play into it. But a lot of those things that you’re mentioning on the list are things that are not unique to the pandemic, right? Like those are things that I feel like there is some modicum of control that we could have over shifting the way the culture of the teaching profession is going so that we could create a more joyful experience for educators, administrators, and students.

Dan Meyer (10:03):
Yeah. Good call out. That’s exactly right. We could tax the people who are not in the classrooms more and increase the pay to classroom teachers. You know, there we go.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:11):
Oh. Bingo. Why didn’t we ask you sooner Dan, for your wisdom.

Dan Meyer (10:15):
Yeah. I’m … solved by Dan. Yeah, good point though. So I read that and yeah, I think that there’s been some … people have critiqued the NEA for being very alarmist about teacher departures as the year has ramped up. It has not been quite the flood of departing teachers as was predicted and thank heavens for that, but we should still be very bummed if teachers are unhappy and wanting to leave and feel like they can’t leave. That is definitely not good. So we were really excited to bring to the table, someone who is just a very joyful teacher and one in a very intentional way. Someone who has a lot of discipline in how she approaches the job and the students in it and tries to create a joyful environment for herself, Kanchan Kant. Kanchan is a math and computer science teacher at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts. She’s been sharing her love for math with her students for the past four years, while also being instrumental in setting the culture and ethos of the math department at her school in her role as the assistant department head. We welcome you on the show Kanchan to help us understand joy and math teaching. Thanks for being here.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:29):
Welcome!

Kanchan Kant (11:30):
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:33):
One of my friends, her son was asked as his first math homework assignment to write out his math bio. And I loved that idea because we got to hear a little bit about your bio from like a broader perspective. But if we were to ask about your math bio, I will speak for myself to say like, automatically certain images flash into my mind, right? To think about my relationship, my evolving relationship with math. But I’m so curious if I was to ask you, what’s your math bio? How did you become the person, mathematically speaking, that you are today? Would you mind sharing a bit about that?

Kanchan Kant (12:10):
Of course I would love to. So I was born and raised in India and I belong to a family which considers mathematics to be extremely important to succeed in life. My father used to have me add and subtract license plates since I was four years old, when we were out and about. I loved math in school, it just made like complete sense to me. It was logical and you know, it was my favorite subject. I loved it all through high school. I had a confidence speed breaker in undergrad. When in my second semester I almost failed the engineering math course that I took. That was the first time math felt like too much and not like my best friend, which it was supposed to be. So it was a while before I could summon the courage to take on another math course in college.

Kanchan Kant (12:56):
But once I did that, it was like old times. I realized I had to persevere through the challenging bits. And once I did that, it started to make sense again. And through my journey, as an educator speaking to people from various backgrounds and like coming to the United States, I realized that math is challenging for everyone at one time or another. For some people that is elementary school. And for some others, it is college or even later. Either way does not mean that you are not a math person. When I was in college, I felt I was not a math person. Whereas my sister, my very own sister said the same thing about math in middle school. Both of us use math every day. And we are definitely, definitely math people. So for me to be a math person is to persevere, to approach problem-solving in a logical manner, and to find the joy in the process ,as well as the answer.

Dan Meyer (13:47):
That’s wonderful. Yeah. A lot of people, have a moment where they feel like almost betrayed by what they thought was a close friend of theirs, with math, where it’s like, wait, I thought we were tight. You know, I thought we were cool. You and me. And there’s that moment. And I wonder if that’s been a useful moment for you to, you know, bring back now and then as a teacher with students who might feel that even, you know, in high school or in a secondary school as a kid.

Kanchan Kant (14:15):
Absolutely. Like when I talk to students and tell them, yes, I had difficulty in math too. It has not always been easy for men and there are still things I struggle with sometimes, then it’s like more modeling for them that you have to persevere, you should persevere. And once you do that, it makes sense and you can feel successful. So, almost every year I end up sharing the story with my students.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (14:38):
There’s so much value in that, right? That you are sharing that vulnerability with students. And to say your relationship with mathematics has not been, you know, smooth sailing the whole way through. There were times when you had to work harder than others.

Dan Meyer (14:55):
Yeah. Really fun to hear about you and your father as well. I tried to ask my five-year-old to do some skip counting the other day, like, okay, cool, you’re hot stuff. You can count, you know, up by ones, but what about by twos? And the moment really fell flat. And I watched myself becoming the kind of parent who is whose enthusiasm for math is one day resented by his children. I feel a lot of, yeah, I felt your anxiety Kanchan, with math itself. And now I feel anxiety as like someone who loves math and loves to teach math and may one day alienate the people closest to him. <laugh>

Kanchan Kant (15:31):
I don’t like that future. I have a three-month-old. I do not like this future of mine. If I have to go through what you’re going through. Uh, oh, <laugh>

Dan Meyer (15:38):
You got this. So Kanchan, you’re going back to the classroom coming up here at the time of this recording. It’s a few weeks out. And we’re thinking about like the kind of ways that math teachers sustain a disposition that is joyful. How are you feeling right now, as far as going back to class after this summer? Are you feeling excited, anxious, some combo, tell us about it.

Kanchan Kant (16:01):
I would say combo, but more excited than anxious. I was on maternity leave, as I mentioned, before the school year ended, and I missed the students dearly. Like, my students are what gives me hope in the darkest times. They are thoughtful. They’re empathetic. They’re so eager to learn. And very soon into my teaching career, I realized that if I take the time to get to know my students and make them feel safe and seen in my class, teaching them math would be so much easier and so much more fun. So I’m a little worried about this being like fourth year into the pandemic, but let’s see. Last year I felt the students were finding it difficult to interact with and work with their classmates because they had not been doing it for so long. So I’m hoping this year would go a little better and I’m really looking forward to working with them and building community and see how it goes.

Dan Meyer (16:53):
So if I’m understanding you correctly, you are feeling very well recharged here. You had basically an extended summer with this maternity leave, basically just like a lot of rest and relaxation over the last, like several months. Um, if I get you here. So anyway, I’m glad for that for you. And, yeah. I also hear you on the difficulties of teaching post pandemic or mid pandemic. Anyway, thanks for sharing that.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:19):
What I love is I hear you being so intentional, like thinking about those relationships and thinking about that community that you want to build, you know? How do you hope that you’re gonna cultivate joy in your teaching this year? I mean like, are there certain routines or disciplines that you specifically call forth or that you think other teachers should think about?

Kanchan Kant (17:41):
So at the start of every school year, I dedicate like about three to four weeks to set up the classroom culture, both social and academic. I call my classroom a learning community. We start with community circles, we do icebreaker activities, group building and all those kinds of things. But most importantly, we do a lot of collective problem solving. So I try to present students with problems, which can be solved using multiple strategies and have multiple entry points, basically they are low floor, high ceiling problems. These could be stretch problems that they have seen before, like concepts that they already know or logical puzzles, or just wrapping their heads around different problems. Then I have students share their strategies. The more strategies they have on the board, the more successful I think the problem was. Every year, inevitably, students come up with strategies that I’ve never ever seen before for the same problems that I do.

Kanchan Kant (18:35):
And so I have students come up to the board, they would share their strategies. If they’re not ready for that, they would walk me through their strategies. And I would write their name on the board with different colored markers and everything. Basically to give them choice and agency. It also shows them that the process of doing the problem is so much more important than just getting the right answer and that it is okay to make mistakes in our learning community. I use a lot of vertical whiteboards, some concepts and problems align so well with the vertical surfaces, especially when students can explore together, learn from each other. So I do a lot of that. As for routines, I would say consistency is the key. I consistently reinforce that I want to hear multiple strategies, that it is okay to make mistakes. I am willing to learn from you as much as you’re willing to learn from me. So all like that consistency in culture more than the routines, is I feel important to bring that joy.

Dan Meyer (19:29):
That’s super interesting. Thanks for that. So I’ve heard, I hear two common objections or two common concerns to using rich tasks or doing problem solving. And I think I heard like answers to those two common reservations within what you described there, but I wonder if we can kind of bring it to the surface. And so one of the reservations is around the time that those problems take and another is that teachers often feel like, well, I might be surprised, you know, I might not know what to do with what a student does. And I thought I was hearing like some very interesting answers to both of those kinds of reservations from you, but would you just surface those up if you have some.

Kanchan Kant (20:09):
So in terms of time, I feel if I spend the time at the beginning of the year, setting up that community and doing those problems, it makes learning the math and learning the concepts much more faster throughout the rest of the year. And even when I am trying, like, even throughout the year, if we are doing a warm up problem, as I call it, which has multiple strategies, that’s gonna clarify so many more concepts when we talk about those five, 10 strategies of doing the same problem, then going through multiple problems to clarify those concepts. So for me, it actually saves time instead of taking more time.

Dan Meyer (20:43):
Hmm. That’s super interesting. It’s an investment I’m hearing from you that, yeah, you might not be hitting the curriculum quite as hard early on, but that all of a sudden you’re in the spring and it’s like, oh wow, we’ve been moving so much faster through territory that has been more challenging. What would you say to you know, comfort concerned educators or to address the concern that I don’t know what I’ll do with these five, 10 different strategies. You say, I always see strategies that I’ve never anticipated. Like, it’s a good thing, you know, like you’re happy about that. I think that’s a very intimidating thing for lots of educators. What would you say to that?

Kanchan Kant (21:19):
I think like, for me, it’s a good kind of discomfort. That means like a student is teaching me something, which is actually doing two things. One modeling for them that I’m willing to learn and that I don’t know everything. And two, also telling them that they’re mathematicians. They know what they’re doing. They’re not just receivers of math, they’re actually creating it. So for me, that is very, very important.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:43):
I love that so much. When you think about your students and you’re about to start this new school year, how do you hope your students will experience math in your classroom?

Kanchan Kant (21:53):
So I hope my students can see the beauty and joy of math. They can see that math is a way to see the world and not as something we have to do to get through school. So my hope for my classroom is that we can learn to problem-solve and persevere through problems and learn from each other and not just get through the curriculum. Because like, I think math is a wonderful way to learn these skills, which are so important when you get out of high school. Most importantly, I just wanna make sure that my students see themselves as mathematicians. And like one of the things that like I have to share with you that, because one of my highlights for the year has to be the Desmos art project. I do it every year for the past three years, I think since I’ve started teaching sophomores. And I do it as a unit assessment for functions and my students design something that is meaningful to them, using all the different kinds of functions and colors and shading and everything that you can think of in Desmos.

Kanchan Kant (22:49):
Thank you so much for that though. It is such a cool way for me to see them do that. Like I have seen such amazing creations. One of my students once made a scaled working model of a solar system wherein the planets were rotating at relative speed. The Saturn had rings and they were like asteroids and everything. And then it was beautifully done. Then there was another one who did a very, very detailed whale scenery, her reasoning. I wanna be a Marine biologist and I wanna study whales. So this is what is meaningful to me. So like that one project is just a culmination of everything that I want students to see in math and in my classroom. And like I do more of those kinds of things, but that is one thing that it’s one of the highlights of my year.

Dan Meyer (23:32):
That’s awesome. I love hearing that. Yeah. Shout out to the team at Desmos Studio for building and continuing to develop a tool list that so good for art and animation, even, in addition to some mathematics with a more computational kind. Yeah, that’s really exciting. What’s interesting to me is that you teach high school, and I think that like students at that age have a very well-defined sense of what math is and who they are as mathematicians. And then along you come, you know, and like offer this really interesting disruption, you know, in their sophomore year of high school that like, oh, this can be totally different, this relationship who I am. And that’s just really exciting. I imagine it’s a very surprising year. I would imagine that first month, I would imagine is a very surprising month for a lot of your sophomores.

Kanchan Kant (24:20):
Yeah, it is. I mean, that’s why I take that time to build that community because then that sets the tone and the relationship that we’re gonna have for the rest of the year. Students get to know how to work with each other. They get to know each other, that whole piece is like super important because of that.

Dan Meyer (24:35):
Yeah. That’s awesome. So here’s the thing, like we’re exploring these ideas about joyful math teaching and what it will take to cultivate restore, reclaim joy in math, teaching this next year. And you’ve offered us these really interesting ideas some, some very, you know, philosophical and some technical about how you spend time in ways that lead to joy in the spring for you and your students. Love that. We don’t want to as hosts, as researchers, investigators of this joyful math teaching idea, we don’t wanna say it’s all up to teachers to change their mindset, to do different technical practices, and that will lead to joy. We also wanna be really attentive to the environment that surrounds you, the people who are around to support you, the policy makers, the social structures that influence your joy in very significant ways. So what we would love to know from you is, how are you supported by the greater educational community in keeping your joy in your work? I’m thinking, especially about administrators, you know, front office, staff, parents, even, can you name a few ways for those sorts of people who listen to this podcast, how they can cultivate a math teacher’s joy this coming year?

Kanchan Kant (25:54):
I would say trust. I think more than anything, educators want administrators, parents, the greater educational community, to trust them to be professionals and experts in what they do. That does not mean that we don’t want to learn, that we don’t want feedback, that we don’t wanna get better. It just means that we keep the wellbeing of our students as our top priority. And we would like to be trusted to do just that. Also just keeping in mind that whether we like it or not, we are still adjusting to the new normal while recovering from the worst of the pandemic times. A lot of us are recovering from trauma, a lot of our students are recovering from trauma, and we need time and space for our social and emotional wellbeing.

Dan Meyer (26:35):
Yeah. I’m really curious, Kanchan, you’ve done a lot of work in your area with your grading team and in thinking about equitable and biased resistant instruction. I’m curious how you see those efforts lining up with creating joyful math learning conditions for all students, not just students from a dominant culture of math doing, let’s say.

Kanchan Kant (26:55):
For me, creating an equitable environment in a classroom is most important because once you have that, that’s when you have the relationships, that’s when you have the culture, that’s when all students actually thrive. So to that end, our school and our department has been doing a lot of work around grading practices. We actually assess how we grade students, where the bias is, what we can do to make them more bias resistant. Should we move to mastery based grading? Like that’s something I’ve been experimenting with for the past two years. Through the pandemic, I started doing mastery based grading so that my students can get more opportunities to show that they have learned the content. And so like just little things which help bridge the opportunity gap. I would say another project that our school undertakes is called the calculus project wherein we have students in Black, Latinx, and low income families sign up for that and are recommended for that. And then we do summer classes and yearlong support to preview the material for next year, not as a remedial class, but to actually set students up for success in AP classes for the coming year. So we have the community buildup. We have the courses we have like math support. It’s a very beautiful thing actually. And I’ve been working with that program for four years now. So yeah, so those are my ways of creating more equity in our school.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:19):
That’s so beautiful and I deeply, deeply wish you had been my high school math teacher. And I have to say that the theme that I kind of keep hearing is this intentionality. How you are so intentional about your work, not just with what your students are learning, but how they’re learning it, how they are engaging with this subject and how they are building their own relationship. You talked a little bit about your relationship over the years with mathematics, but how are your students building that relationship? And so I’m just very appreciative of you sharing that with us and with our listeners. And we are so excited to have learned a little bit about, like, I feel like I got a little mini peek into your classroom.

Kanchan Kant (29:03):
Thank you.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:04):
And can I say that if you are listening to this prior to October at NCTM Los Angeles, you will get to hear Kanchan Kant speak at Shadow Con. Can I give that away, Dan? Is that, is that …

Dan Meyer (29:23):
You can drop that. Yeah, It’s pretty top secret.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:26):
Can I drop it?

Dan Meyer (29:27):
Yeah. Do it. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:28):
Dan and I will be in the audience cheering you on. It’s been a joy to learn with and from you, and we are so excited to just, you know, kind of keep marinating on some of these ideas about how we can continue to be intentional about creating joyful math spaces for our students. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Kanchan Kant (29:49):
Thank you so much. It was a real pleasure.

Dan Meyer (29:57):
So Bethany, I loved hearing Kanchan talk about both her, just her joyful personality, but how she cultivates joy through craft and technique through, you know, through the various ways she interacts with students in intentional ways, that those make the job more joyful for her. And I thought it was really interesting to hear her talk about how autonomy is the thing that she needs most in her job environment to feel like she can be joyful in her work. In that context, I saw … something on Twitter popped up for me in my, you know, my many Twitter wanderings. This is a segment we might call, Dan finds something on Twitter and shares it with Bethany. Which we’ll tighten that up a little bit, but I’m sending this over to you right now, and I’d love to know as you check this out, what you’re seeing and what you’re thinking and we’ll chat about how it relates to our interview here in a moment.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:47):
All right. I’m ready, send it over. It’s opening. So this appears to be a document by the way, outlining, maybe it’s a district, maybe it’s administration, they’re outlining expectation type and expectation guidelines. Hmm. Okay. And these are lesson plan expectations. Expectation type. Timeliness. Plans are due no later than 6 p.m.. Friday prior to the week of instruction. Comprehensive, all activities for the week for all subjects taught should be included and complete by due date and time. Plans should have at minimum, the following, see template for detail. Okay. So then it goes through the things that the plans need to have, the topic title, target, the objective, the activities, the sequence, the display agendas to be displayed backward design. Okay. So basically <laugh>, we were just talking about, overwhelm. And when I see this document, listeners, have you ever received something from your administrator or anyone, let’s take it more broadly, that is requesting something of you that would take so much time to complete and be so out of touch with your lived reality that it really genuinely sucks the joy out of the experience.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (32:25):
So the first thing that I see that this document, and again, the goal of whichever district’s plan this is, is that these expectations will lead–now, mind you, I am a fan of like, you know, looking ahead, I’m not a like, oh, hey, what am I gonna teach in five minutes? No, but the idea that then it lays out all of the things in such detail that you’re gonna be teaching feels like one of those pacing guides where, oh, move on to the next page, whether or not your students have any sort of sense making whatsoever. So my first thought is, oh, sad. I have to stay here. I’ll be there past 6 p.m. But I’m gonna be there trying to make the plans for the next week based on what I think my students have learned. Hmm it’s sounds like a little bit of a bummer. Dan, what did you think when you saw this and did I do a fair description of what it is?

Dan Meyer (33:25):
No, it’s, it’s a tough one to describe, ’cause it’s basically a wall of text and commands from an administrator who like, I just have to imagine has just like acres and acres of teachers trying to beat down their door to teach at this school, if this is how you’re gonna treat your teachers. I mean just, yeah. The idea of having a week… I’m with you, you don’t wanna just like, just jump in by the seat of your pants, but the idea of having a full week of lessons for every section you teach, every prep you teach, planned and submitted with every minute, basically morseled out to different goals. It says down here, you gotta like, for all of these, download a CSV of grades and whatnot and attach those. It’s the sort of thing, like you said, there are some edicts that you get from administration where you just have to laugh or just like, you have definitely missed like what I am willing to do here. It’s so far beyond. Yeah. I can’t imagine it. And it just felt like, yeah, it was a great way to get teachers like Kanchan to feel like a real lack of autonomy. Like it’s this would not work. I don’t think.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (34:33):
And it’s not even like willing to do. Like, let’s say you’re even willing to produce it. Let’s say that me, the rule follower is like, okay. I’m gonna attempt to meet these demands. One, most teachers were just, you know, they probably would put baloney down there anyway. Not saying that I would, but I’m saying like, it’s clearly just a hoop that they’re having to jump through and two…

Dan Meyer (35:04):
Yeah. Compliance, right?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (35:05):
Yeah. Compliance, compliance. There you go. And two, yeah, it feels like it’s about control and not trusting the teacher. And I love that. Kanchan said that trust is what she needs. Right? You’re hiring me. Yes. I still have lots to learn, but you’re trusting me and you’re creating an environment where I can continue to learn from and with my students. And if I was being asked to submit this tome every Friday before six, that is predicting, what does it say, anticipating the steps necessary for student mastery? You know, I kind of feel like maybe it’s like that one or two teachers where maybe they feel like, oh, I don’t trust that teacher or that teacher isn’t doing a good job, whatever. We better do this for all of the teachers, but then it’s not gonna change the practices of that one teacher and all the other teachers are gonna be resentful.

Dan Meyer (36:00):
Like if there was like feedback that came back to you on, you know, on lesson plans or there was some like something that was very constructive or productive, like maybe that would be different, but it really just feels like these are gonna go into a digital drawer somewhere and not be looked at, at all.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (36:15):
Yes. The digital drawer. Like I’m gonna send you this report and then nothing is going to happen with it. Except that four hours of my time. Well, you wouldn’t do it, but <laugh>…

Dan Meyer (36:29):
You’ve worn me down. You’ve worn me down. I’m now putty in your hands and more compliant for the next thing. And I also just wanna shout out the administrator today, who I emailed asking about like a teacher participating in a project and this administrator said, I have a standing policy not to email teachers over summer break, which you know, as administrators out there doing just the good work, you know, trusting teachers, watching out for them, trying to be a force multiplier for teachers, making the road wider, the way easier for teachers. So shout out to y’all doing the out there. Really appreciate that.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:04):
Okay. Wait, wait. About that email thing, quick question. Did you ever check your email over the summer?

Dan Meyer (37:11):
Uh, yeah. That’s one way in which I was the, you know, I just love email, you know? Oh. Someone wanted to reach out. Oh, oh, Banana Republic wants to tell me about new clothes that are on offer. <laugh> I mean like, it’s just, I love those personal emails. So yeah, I did check my email over the summer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:26):
Somebody emailed me recently and they emailed me at like two in the morning. And because I currently have a toddler, I received the email at four in the morning because you know, the best thing to help myself fall back asleep is to hop on my phone, right? Like I’m already up trying to get my toddler back to sleep. I might as well start scrolling. Anyway, so the person had this little thing at the bottom of their email and it said, I have, something to the effect of, I have really like wonky work hours. I may be sending this outside of the like more standard nine to five. But please don’t feel pressure in any way to respond outside of your time. Would you appreciate that, seeing that or does it make you feel like you should respond? ‘Cause I almost responded at four in the morning, and maybe that says something about …

Dan Meyer (38:15):
They’re telling you not to respond.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:16):
I know it was helpful.

Dan Meyer (38:18):
It says don’t, but you’re like, what if they’re saying that because they really expect me to respond and this is one of many ways that you and I are different. I’m always happy to see that.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:29):
Do you respond? I’ve texted you in the evening because you know I have some wonky hours. Do you respond to things, like where’s your boundary there? Or when you were in the classroom, where was your boundary there? Did parents have your phone number?

Dan Meyer (38:43):
No. I gave kids my cell phone number for a couple years and it was a wobbly experiment. But parents will email, you know, back and forth with you. And I think the best thing to like … I love just like adding some friction, some latency into the kind of the chain, you know, like I hate going like back and forth, like da, da, da, da, and then like respond and then da, da da respond. And it just like goes back and forth. So just like just sitting back for an hour or two hours, you know, not responding, just let someone cool down, calm down. Email just gets you more email. That’s like if you send an email, you are just making it more likely to get more email. It’s a, you know, it’s a problem.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:20):
Are you one of the zero people?

Dan Meyer (39:23):
My inbox is at zero. Most days before work.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:26):
You’re joking!

Dan Meyer (39:28):
I end work every day with inbox, at zero.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:31):
You’re joking!

Dan Meyer (39:32):
That’s just, you know.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:33):
Who are you?

Dan Meyer (39:34):
You know, you should take my life coaching, Bethany. I’ll give you a discount since we’re math teacher, lunch pals. But, um yeah. I can help.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:44):
Thank you for qualifying where our pal-dom lives. I wouldn’t even tell you how many are in my inbox. Point is, if you are actively starting the school year, we celebrate you and we are here and over the next few months, we’re gonna be diving into joyful math and that definition’s gonna keep evolving. But I wanna say something that is making me feel a little joyful, Dan. You ready?

Dan Meyer (40:15):
Tell me.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:16):
You and I, in person, at NCTM, the National Council for Teachers and Mathematics. It’s coming up and we are going to be recording Math Teacher Lounge, live. Live, in person! And I hear there’s gonna be like a t-shirt cannon and there’s gonna be, you know, like musicians marching through the aisles or something.

Dan Meyer (40:46):
A marching band?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:46):
A marching band!

Dan Meyer (40:46):
Trained animals. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:48):
But the point is, I’m so excited, Dan. And you know, when I see you, I might just, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Dan. I’d love to give you a big old embrace.

Dan Meyer (41:04):
You might just, you might just cry. Yeah. Yeah. It’ll be great. Yeah. It’s gonna be awesome for you folks to see me and Bethany have a real awkward first hug since the pandemic. And, uh, but it’s gonna be a blast to hang with us in person. We’ll have some special guests, probably, some interesting segments. You folks should stop on by at NCTM, if you’re gonna be there. Highly recommended.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (41:29):
Now, we will be broadcasting that episode. You’re gonna get to hear … we’re gonna record it live. It’s gonna happen. In the meantime, you can find us at MTLshow on Twitter, or you can find us in our Facebook group, Math Teacher Lounge. We can’t wait to hear from you. And we’d love to hear what makes math joyful for you? Where can we add a little bit more joy to you this, this season? So thrilled to be back. Thanks for listening.

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What Kanchan Kant says about math

“Creating an equitable environment in the classroom is most important because once you have that, that’s when you have the relationships, and that’s when all students actually thrive.”

– Kanchan Kant

Meet the guest

As a math and computer science teacher at Newton North High School, Newton, MA, Kanchan has been sharing her love for math with her students for the past four years. Kanchan is instrumental in setting the culture and ethos of the mathematics department at her school in her role as the Assistant Department Head. Kanchan also leads the Math Department Grading Team and has been instrumental in making grading policies which are more equitable and bias resistant. In her new role as a Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts Fellow in collaboration with Springpoint and Barr Foundation, Kanchan looks forward to making equity and joy of learning the foundation of many more classrooms.

Businesswoman with long dark hair, wearing a dark blazer and blue blouse, poses in a professional portrait against a light background, representing math programs.
A graphic with the text "Math Teacher Lounge with Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer" on colored overlapping circles.

About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!

What my wedding taught me about choosing curriculum

The right curriculum choice isn’t only about the product—it’s about who’s by your side from start to finish. Here’s how one district found that with Amplify CKLA.

By Kelly Pruitt, Instructional Facilitator, Peninsula School District | May 28, 2026

A teacher leans over a group of elementary students who are working together at a classroom table under a "CKLA Skills" sign, guiding them through successful CKLA implementation.

S5-03. Cultivating a joy of learning with Sesame Workshop

A blue graphic with text reading "Math Teacher Lounge" in multicolored letters and "Amplify." at the bottom, with abstract geometric shapes and lines as decoration.

Listen as we chat with Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, senior vice president of curriculum and content for Sesame Workshop! Continuing our theme of math anxiety this season, we sat down with Dr. Truglio to chat about Sesame Street and her thoughts on how to spread a growth mindset to young children and put them on course to academic achievement and long-term success.
 
Listen today and don’t forget to grab your MTL study guide to track your learning and make the most of this episode!

Download Transcript

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (00:00):
Children don’t come with this math anxiety. Math anxiety is learned.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:07):
Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. I’m Bethany Lockhart Johnson.

Dan Meyer (00:11):
And I’m Dan Meyer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:12):
Hello, Dan Meyer.

Dan Meyer (00:14):
Great to see you, Bethany. We are on episode three. Can you believe it?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:18):
So, I feel like we’ve just started scratching the surface about math anxiety. We’ve talked to two amazing researchers. We’ve talked about what math anxiety is, how it’s often screened for some of the causes, some of the consequences … I mean, we’ve had some good conversations. Dan, what do you think?

Dan Meyer (00:38):
Definitely, I think that the consequences have only grown more dire in my head. I’m not sure how you feel about the consequences. But, you know, it is enough for me that we ask students to take mathematics for much of their childhoods, to worry about their anxiety, taking that. But to hear about from these researchers about all the different things that correlate with math achievement and math anxiety—talking about future careers, certainly, but even some other, more serious lifelong concerns? That gives me a lot of motivation to continue this study of math anxiety here with you on the show.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:14):
It is really widespread. It has a big impact, not only on students, but on parents, on educators. You know, it’s—

Dan Meyer (01:23):
Multi-generational.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:25):
Yes. And you know, so often when folks think of math anxiety, what I hear them say is, “Oh, yeah, in high school is when math really ramps up. That’s when anxiety starts.” But we know that it starts in our youngest learners. And our research has already backed that up. We know it. I’ve seen it in my classroom. You may have seen it with some students you work with. And let me tell you, it starts young.

Dan Meyer (01:52):
It does start early. Right now, I have a son that’s just started kindergarten, and he seems relatively math-positive, but we’ve known from our interviews on this show and other kinds of experiences that oftentimes, that feeling —that math is for me, and I am for math, and we are all friends — can turn on a single moment. It seems like one teacher says a thing that changes a student’s perception of themselves as a mathematician or of math itself. So I keep waiting with bated breath, hoping not to find that one moment that changes our current open posture towards mathematics. So now it’s time to really dive into some strategies for combating math anxiety.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:34):
To help us out, we’ve called on a pretty exciting guest. I am so excited, Dan Meyer! We are being joined by Dr. Rosemarie Truglio. She is Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop. Sesame Workshop! As in, “Tell me how to get to Sesame Street.” Dan, I have to tell you, I spent many, many hours of my childhood watching Sesame Street. I have to ask, do you have happy Sesame Street memories? Is this part of your formation, Dan Meyer?

Dan Meyer (03:08):
At this point? In my advancing years, and the brain cells that I have left, Sesame Street is really kind of just a vibe in my head. But that vibe is such a pleasant one. One in which like nothing bad could happen. One in which learning is common and normalized and fun. And you just kind of feel at home, constantly.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:33):
I don’t know about the “just the vibe” part, because for me, it is visceral. I’m there. I am actually … I mean, I might still be there.

Dan Meyer (03:42):
You could reenact some of the skits?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:44):
. You didn’t watch Sesame Street with your kiddos when they were younger?

Dan Meyer (03:49):
We watched a lot of Elmo. A lot of Elmo. Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:52):
Next-generation Sesame Street. Well, I think it’s so perfect that we’re gonna be talking about what Sesame Workshop does to help combat math anxiety and create a positive connection and relationship with mathematics. So I’m really excited to hear what Dr. Truglio and her team have been working on. And here’s our conversation with Dr. Truglio.

Dan Meyer (04:15):
Welcome to the show, Dr. Truglio. It is an honor.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (04:18):
Great to be here. Thank you for inviting me.

Dan Meyer (04:20):
You are Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop, which definitely sounds like the coolest job in the world to both four-year-old me and also Now me. Would you just help us help us with some backstory of how you ended up here, and what you do at Sesame Workshop?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (04:38):
Sure. It is a pretty cool job. And I am very fortunate that I’ve been in this position for the past 26 years. So, I am a developmental psychologist, and my job is to help Sesame Workshop identify curriculum needs, so that we could address them in the content that we create on the show and across our various platforms. So, Sesame Street is currently in its 53rd season. And we just, wrapped production for the 54th season, which we’ll debut next fall. And Sesame Street began with an experiment: Can television actually teach children school readiness skills, to have them better prepared for school? Especially those children who did not have access to formal education during the preschool years? And it is what we call a whole-child curriculum, because we’re dealing with all of the school readiness needs. So that that includes the academic needs, their social-emotional needs, and their health needs, as well as what we call these cognitive processing skills—how children learn content. Right? So it’s not just content skills, but how you approach learning and how you actually learn content. So as a grad student, I was fortunate to work at the Center for Research on the Influences of Television on Children. Very special center. It was at the University of Kansas. And my advisors, developmental psychologists, they studied the effects of television on children, both the positive effects and the negative effects. And so part of their research was to actually look at the longterm educational effects of Sesame Street. So I was working with Sesame Street content as a grad student, and then came to New York City. My first job was Assistant Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. And when this position became available, Director of Research at the time, it was called, I took that job. And so my job was to oversee both the curriculum and the implementation of the curriculum, as well as the research. Because what we know, our co-founder, Joan Ganz Cooney has always said, for Sesame Street to be a successful educational program, production has to work closely with early childhood educators. They are the ones who know the curriculum and, and develop the curriculum goals, as well as the developmental psychologists who actually study how children are paying attention to the content. But more importantly, what are they comprehending from the content? And we all have to work together. Because even though we are the experts, the real experts are the children themselves. So nothing is deemed final until we actually show the children and see what they are learning from the content that we are producing.

Dan Meyer (07:54):
Are you referring to like, test audiences of kids then?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (07:57):
Yeah, I guess you could call it test audiences. I mean, I don’t. I don’t like to call it that because I see them as co-collaborators. I don’t see them as a test audience. Because, as I said, they’re the experts. It’s a collaboration. I mean, they’re the experts. And so I wanna know—

Dan Meyer (08:12):
As collaborators. I got it now. Yeah.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (08:14):
They help us. So that’s exactly what we tell the children too. So it’s called formative research. You know, we, we do what we call, um, storybook testing, an animated version of a storybook to have some little movement and see are they finding the story engaging, but more importantly, are they picking up on the intended educational lesson that we’re trying to teach in the story. So they are co-collaborators. they’re the ones who are helping us get the story just right for them.

Dan Meyer (08:46):
That’s really exciting, and makes me think about what classes might be like if students were regarded in that kind of lens as well. I just wanna say that my four-year-old self is on this interview as well, and is re-contextualizing all the stuff I saw as a kid. And it just felt like, at the time, you folks turned the camera on and went down to the street and we just had this real natural time. And it’s great to hear about all the intense preparation and co-construction at work and work that went into that time. Yeah,

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (09:12):
It’s about a year preparation from start to finish. From the start of identifying, “What is the educational need? Is it an academic need? Is it a social-emotional need? Is it a health need? Is it a cognitive-processing need?” And then once we have the need identified, we have what we call a curriculum seminar. We bring in the experts who are studying this topic with preschoolers, because we wanna get it, we wanna get it right.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:41):
Which, by the way, little behind the scenes: How often do you get to go to set?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (09:46):
So we’re in a production probably about six weeks out of the year. Covid really messed things up. ‘Cause we have to be really—we have very strict Covid protocols, but there is someone on my team—and sometimes we have to, you know, rotate for availability—but there’s always an educator on set.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:06):
Awesome.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (10:07):
Because even though you stick to the script, questions arise; they wanna make changes; sometimes they have to cut; things are running too long and they have to cut and we gotta figure out where to cut. So there’s always an educator on set.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:19):
But sometimes you go and have lunch, like—.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (10:21):
Oh, I go, yes. Sometimes I go—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:23):
And just hang out with Big Bird, right?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (10:24):
Sometimes I go hang out with Big Bird. No, those are my friends!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:27):
They are!

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (10:28):
No, no, I go hang out with them. They’re my friends. Yes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:32):
When I think about Sesame Street and I think about … like, I can’t help but smile. Because I think I have such fond memories of the characters. I mean, we invited them, my mom invited them, into our home, right? And, you know, now I have a two-year-old and there’s no doubt that I’m gonna introduce him to Sesame Street. And I see how it really does feel like the folks who are doing this work, you and your team, you have a deep respect for children. So it makes sense that you call your test collaborators “collaborators,” right? They’re a part of it. And you know, I love that. And Sesame Street makes me smile. However, I’m like, we’re talking about math anxiety. And it’s so interesting, because as Dan and I were talking about our memories of Sesame Street … you know, it’s like Sesame Street feels like there’s not much anxiety. I mean, there are problems, and there’s problem solving, and it’s not like everything is perfect. But we figure it out. And it’s OK to make mistakes and it’s OK to try again. And a lot of times, we don’t see that in the math classroom—or at least, how folks talk about math. So, how do you all think about anxiety, about how to prevent it? Like, when you’re doing your work, you know that math anxiety is a real thing. But then that’s not translated in these experiences and the relationships with math that you’re building with your viewers.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (12:07):
Yeah, that’s a really good question, because it’s really easy, because our core audience are two- to four-year-olds and they love math. And what’s not to love, right? Because they are figuring the world out as they’re exploring the world. So you said something really interesting, that when you turn on the TV—when you turned on the TV when you were a child, and now you’re a mom of a two-year-old, we wanna make sure that the show represents content that is relevant and meaningful to our target audience. And that comes through with the characters. So all of our characters have very specific personalities, as all children do. And our characters represent all children, in terms of not only personality, but interest and learning styles, ’cause we wanna see—we wanna make sure that children see themselves in these characters. And we have a character who actually loves math. And he’s The Count.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (13:12):
I’m like, “I know! I know who it is!” I will save you my impression. Although I have done it for my child. But I’ll save our listeners .

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (13:20):
And you know, he’s an adult character. Some of our characters are preschoolers, like Elmo and Abby—they’re preschoolers—and Zoe. But The Count is an adult. He lives in the castle and he just loves numbers. But what’s really important is while we have The Count to explain—not explain to, but to portray to children, cause we don’t explain anything; we show children that math is more than number, right? Math is a pretty wide concept. Which is what I love about math. And the other thing about math is math language. The language of math. ‘Cause when we’re teaching children vocabulary words, we’re also teaching children the concept. Be it a math concept or a science concept or a social-emotional concept. So children don’t come with this math anxiety. Math anxiety is learned and it’s unfortunate. It’s picked up by their observations of the adults in their lives, who sometimes say out loud, “I don’t like math,” or “Math is hard,” or even worse, “I’m not good at math.” Or may even label it as math anxiety. That word won’t mean anything to a young child. But it then provides a, whaddya call it, like a negative valence for something that they never felt negative about. Because as they’re growing and interacting with the world, math is all around them. And there’s that sense of awe and wonder and joy, especially as they’re learning and they’re figuring it out. So I think we have to reframe math. Instead of saying “math anxiety,” we have to talk about the joy of math and all the wonderful joys that come with the exploration of these math concepts. Number is great. We know kids love numbers. We know that they love to count and use a big word here: enumerate . Because so many parents don’t make this distinction. They’ll say, “Oh, my child is counting!” Well, there’s rote counting, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, which is important. But then it’s like there’s an item for each number. So it’s one Cheerio, two Cheerios. And then as you point to each number, you are then figuring out what the set is, of the number of objects that you have. And then you get at what I love to call the meaningfulness of math. Right? Number has meaning. And as I said, it’s all part of your everyday activities. It’s part of—it’s in your kitchen; you’re following recipes; you’re measuring; you’re weighing. It’s at bath time, right? You could have the sorting of nested cups and you could, you know, and once again, the math language: big, bigger, biggest. These are relational concepts. You could then count what sinks and what floats, if you’re doing science. And then you could put them in two different buckets, and count. These are the items that sunk and these are the items that float. So math and bath time could be a lot of fun. And then there’s math and music. Music is so rich with math, as you talk about rhythm and tempo and dynamics and pitch and duration. That’s all math.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:57):
The way that you talk about it, it is so rich, right? It is so multi-layered. And you know, I’ve shared on the podcast before: I’ve actually had parents in parent-teacher conferences say that, “Well, I wasn’t good at math either,” or “Math’s really not my thing.” And it’s really—it is, it’s rooted in that fear. And so I do see the way that you’re talking about it; I see that come through in Sesame Street. That, in a lot of ways, it’s reeducating parents, right? Because we hope that our caregivers are sitting next to their kiddo and enjoying it together and having conversations about it later. And there’s a way that parents then are also getting their own sense of what math can be, expanded. And I think there’s such a beauty in that. And I love the way that you talk about that, that you really are looking at, “Well, we wanna celebrate counting and the joyfulness of that. And let’s use math talk, you know, and let’s use these words and try out these ideas.” And it’s not because you’re trying to check some list. But you’re really exploring it and having fun together.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (18:03):
And you’re embracing it. And you mentioned the word “mistake.” So often when it comes to math, if you make a mistake—you make a mistake in counting or, you know, we’re not doing a lot of math equations on Sesame Street, but that’s when people feel like they can’t do math. ‘Cause they made a mistake. And that’s something that we are trying to address on Sesame Street, that it’s OK to make mistakes and you learn through mistakes. But you have to have—and I’m gonna come up with this other phrase now—you have to have what we call a growth mindset. What that means is that I may not be able to do this yet. Like, it’s called “the power of yet.” So we know that learning any concept, it takes time and practice. And how do we have children embrace the process, right? So often we focus on right and wrong. Now, there is right and wrong with math, of course. You know, there’s a right answer and there’s a wrong answer. But how do we focus, not on the end product, but the process through which you are engaging in? So let’s talk about measurement. Let’s talk about measuring the length and the width or the height of something. You might make some mistakes along the way, but you’re processing it. My son used to make all of these little structures for all his little play animals. Well, you know, he would measure and think he got it right. And then when he put the animals in, of course, you know, either the animal was too wide or it was too tall. And he would have to redo it. But you’re not redoing it from scratch, you’re redoing it now from experience. “I realize that if I’m gonna put the giraffe in with the elephant, I’m gonna need something wide as well as high.” Right? For the length, tall. And that’s process. And then, for children, when they figure it out, that “oops” and “aha”—the “aha” was like, “I did it!” And it’s so empowering, you know, giving them agency—not swooping in and saying, “All right, I’ll fix it for you. You know, we got the wide elephant and the tall giraffe and I’ll you know…”. NO! Having them do it. And another fun activity is in what we call informal measurement. And that’s like getting something of an equal size. It could be paper clips or it could be same-size blocks, and then measuring how long something is. So if it’s measured by blocks versus paperclips, you’re gonna have a lot more paperclips than you are blocks. And that kind of comparison is so fascinating for children. And so that’s measurement. And now we have counting. Like, how many paperclips long is something versus how many blocks long is something.

Dan Meyer (21:02):
So checking my understanding here, you’ve talked about how caregivers and other adults can transmit math anxiety by naming it and claiming it for themselves. And you’ve talked about, some really exciting ways that adults can involve students and kids in different kinds of math. I’d love to go upstream with you a little bit and wonder out loud, where does this anxiety come from initially? It’s gotta be more than adult one to kid two talking about anxiety, and transmitting it from human to human. What is the original spring from which all this anxiety flows?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (21:36):
Yeah. I do think it does—a lot of it does come from the adults in their lives. It’s unfortunate, because there is a lot of math talk about it, right? I can’t do math; I’m not good at math. Even when you’re at a restaurant and you get the bill and someone’s figuring out the tip, I can’t tell you how often it’s like, “Pass the bill, because I can’t do math.” Or if you actually then bring gender into it, you know, “Oh, girls aren’t good at math,” and that’s not true. There’s no evidence of that whatsoever, right? So in the younger grades, there’s no gender difference in terms of math ability. What’s also interesting about even socioeconomic status differences, you don’t see a lot of differences between low-income and middle-income children when it comes to math skills. Where you see differences is children’s ability to talk about their mathematical thinking. So if a child doing a math problem is asked, “How did you solve the problem?”, low-income children don’t often have the language to explain their thinking. So that’s something that we did on Sesame Street, where we focused a lot on what we call math talk. So, not just show number and show doing math, but actually narrate and giving the language. Because math literacy is one of the predictors of overall school achievement. So there’s that. They’re getting it from the adults in their lives. They’re getting it, unfortunately, sometimes from their teachers. But I think the anxiety comes from the fear of making mistakes. Because math, there is right and wrong, and always wanting to get the right answer. So that’s why this whole idea of reframing, and saying, “But really, it’s in the process.” So, you know, my son, math is not his strong suit. And I’ve been doing a lot of growth mindset with him as well. And there was a teacher that he had—I think in like 10th or 11th grade—who said, “In a test, I don’t wanna—I’m not even gonna look at the answer. I wanna see the process through which you GOT to this answer. And I’m going to grade the process. So the process could yield a right answer; it could yield a wrong answer. But you’re gonna get graded on the process. Because I wanna see how you are approaching the problem and how you’re thinking it through.” And I think that is a great example of, maybe, to try to reduce math anxiety. Because if you can get people excited about the process through which you’re learning—and that applies to all subjects, it’s not just math!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:36):
I’m like, that applies to life! Right?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (24:38):
That applies to life!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:39):
That’s so spot on. Wow. Yeah.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (24:41):
But I think that there’s so much focus on right and wrong, and not really understanding the value of the process. So on Sesame, we’ve been doing a lot of “oops” and “ahas.” You know, we’re gonna make mistakes, but what’s important is what do you DO when you make a mistake? So there’s a great episode with The Count. A couple of years ago. The Count was counting. Something he does every day. A lot of time, every day, ’cause he’s obsessed with counting and numbers. And he was counting an array of items.

Gladys the Cow (25:17):
I need 10 sandwiches all together.

The Count (25:22):
Well, of course.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (25:23):
And he made a mistake.

Elmo (25:25):
The Count?

The Count (25:25):
Hmm?

The Count (25:25):
Elmo thinks The Count made a little mistake.

The Count (25:31):
No mistake.

The Count (25:32):
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (25:33):
And first time ever, did he make a mistake. And he fell apart.

The Count (25:38):
I must make sure that that never happens again. So I shall never count again.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (25:46):
And that’s an example of showing that, you know, you could get upset when you make a mistake, but what’s important is you gotta come back and you gotta come back to doing what you love. In his case, is counting and letting him know that it was an “oops.” But you learn that mistakes are OK. It’s OK to make a mistake and continue to do what you love.

The Count (26:13):
I must keep trying and you should, too.

Elmo (26:17):
Yeah!

The Count (26:17):
So come, let’s count the carrots together!

Elmo (26:18):
Oh, cool!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (26:19):
And what a beautiful gift to show kiddos. Show that to kiddos, right? And to the adults. I wanna, you know, really acknowledge it, and say, “Hey look this, it’s OK.” And again, you’re giving them that language. That’s such a gift.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (26:34):
Thank you.

Dan Meyer (26:34):
We spend a lot of time wondering why other subjects don’t seem to suffer from this negative perception. And I think you’ve unlocked a lot of that. You’ve mentioned that there are issues that cut across different subject areas, but I think from my own experience and research and interviews, it seems that in ELA and the social sciences, there’s this aspect where you need to come up with a claim and “how are you seeing this?” And there are multiple defensible claims. And I love how you imported that generous pedagogy over into math with this example of a teacher who says, “You know what? It’s about the process here.” Disassociating answer and process.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (27:09):
And I think the other thing is like, when children are engaged in a project, for parents to point out: “You’re doing math!” Because they don’t realize that they’re doing math. Once again, math is so often equated solely with numbers and mathematical computations. So it was really interesting—the same is true for science. You know, when we’re talking to parents about the use of everyday—like, going to the supermarket or making dinner or bath time, there’s so much math and science in the everyday. And then when you point it out to them—”you’re doing math”—it’s like, “I’m doing math!” Like, you’re setting the table for a family of six: you’re doing math. That’s called one one-to-one correspondence. “I’m doing math: I’m setting the table.” Yeah, but you’re doing math. You can’t set the table because you have to know how many people are gonna be sitting at the table for dinner. You can’t follow a recipe without doing math. You can’t go shopping without doing math. There’s quantity; you gotta figure out how many peppers you gotta buy, or pounds. “I gotta get a bunch of potatoes and I gotta put ’em in the scale. And I have to get two pounds of potatoes.”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:29):
So your book Ready for School: A Parent’s Guide to Playful Learning for Children Ages Two to Five. First, as a parent of a young toddler, I gotta say it’s such a tool; it’s such a resource. It’s very conversational. And I think about these ideas a lot, both in my work and, you know, just for fun. And yet, even if this wasn’t my chosen field, I still feel like it’s just so accessible. And I wanna flag something.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (29:01):
Thank you.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:01):
Yeah, no. Thank YOU. . I wanna flag something that you said in the math chapter You were talking about the joy of math, and you said when it comes to our children, caregivers: “take pleasure in reading stories together, especially at bedtime, which in many households is a regular part of a child’s routine. But somehow the notion of introducing math concepts to our children seems daunting. In fact, some studies have shown that parents harbor a strong belief that while it’s important and pleasurable to support their child’s reading skills, it’s the responsibility of the schools to take care of teaching math.” And that quote, I highlighted it, I starred it! And I would love for you to say a little more about that, because you have given us already, like, a bounty of ideas that as caregivers we can do with our kiddos or the kiddos in our lives. And we’ve seen that even what they’re learning in school, it may not be the freeing, joyful math language that we hope our kiddos have access to.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (30:05):
Yeah, I’m glad you brought that up. Because a lot of our focus is on how children learn through playful experiences, and how they learn through play in particular. And there are so many playing, either a game or even playing ideas—like we talked about building, you know, a house for animals or building a fort. It’s just so filled with math. And I wish I could narrate for every young parent how I would hope that they would talk as they are co-engaged in this activity. And I think … we asked about, with the anxiety, the adults have to find the joy in math first. They have to see the math. That’s the problem. That’s why I hope that my book provides that. I want you to know that you are doing math and I want you to know that your child is what we call a mathematician—or in the science chapter, is a STEMist. Your child is already doing science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM is so integrated. So to acknowledge them—because babies are doing math! Babies know, they can distinguish between a small quantity and something that is a of a larger quantity and want the larger. Right? So, it’s natural for them. And they are taking it all in. I mean, the joy of watching a child just early counting: you know, one, two. And trying to then figure out the meaningfulness of two. It’s not three objects. There are actually two. And for a parent to see the joy in that I think is step one. And then to see the richness and how expansive math is, and that power of, oops, “I made a mistake, don’t freak out,” and then [not] say, “See, I’m not good at math,” but say, “Let me try again. I know I could figure this out.” Right? It’s all of that supportive language and supportive experiences that builds this mindset, a positive mindset. So that you hope that when you get into the higher grades, they’re not walking in and saying, “I can’t, I can’t do math.”

Dan Meyer (32:26):
Yeah. Super helpful. I think you point at one of the grownups—great powers in the world of kids, which is to label. To name things. And you know, you’ve talked about how grownups should ideally downplay some of their negative experiences with mathematics for the sake of the kid, but also to play up the positive stuff that they’re doing as mathematics. Like that right there, that’s math. I would love to know … you have an extremely loud megaphone to communicate messages about math and the world and everything through Sesame Street. One of the biggest that there is—and I just wonder if you could step out and imagine you had a magic wand to wave over the world in which students grow up, play and learn—what would you do like to help students have better associations or less math anxiety? And, you know, learn more about math itself?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (33:19):
If I had a magic wand, I would give everyone what we call a growth mindset that nothing is fixed and everything can be changed if you put the time and effort into the process, and enjoy the process. The joy of learning. I think, you know, it’s really sad. I don’t wanna be sad on your show. But when we were getting ready for the 50th anniversary, I was wondering, “What is gonna be the curriculum focus?” You know, we just came off of literacy and math literacy and social-emotional development. And we talked about the power of play. Playful learning. And building careers. Give children sophisticated play scenarios so that they could explore what they may wanna be when they grow up. Because there’s a concept: If I can see it, I can play it, I can be it. Right? So where are those portrayals? And it’s like, “What are we gonna do for the 50th?” And I had a convening of experts across all disciplines, and brought them into a room. And I said, you know, “What keeps you up at night? Like, what are you worried about?” Sort of like the State of the Union of Child Development. And this is where the sad part is. They talked about how that sense of joy, that sense of wonder, that sense of curiosity, that sense of flexible thinking and creative thinking, was disappearing in early childhood. Wow. If it’s disappearing in early childhood, we are in big, big trouble . ‘Cause I could see it disappearing later on, you know, as you advance in grade. But what do you mean, it’s disappearing in childhood? And then they talked about the fear of making mistakes. And that goes against—it’s the opposite of a growth mindset. And so we have to bring back that sense of joy, wonder, asking those why questions and embracing them. So it’s another problem parents have. They’re fine with the “why” questions until the “whys” become so difficult they don’t have the answers. And then they don’t want the “why” questions, because now they feel like they’re not smart enough to answer their child’s “why” questions. How do I flip that around to be much more positive and say, “You know, I don’t know! But let’s find out together. Let’s explore together; let’s experiment together.” That’s what I mean about the shift in the mindset, that growth mindset. We should not know all of the answers, but where’s the joy of, “Wow, I don’t know, let’s go find out together”? And that applies to math too. But you have to have that open mindset. You have to—you, as yourself, have to have that growth mindset.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (36:20):
I love that magic wand. I want that magic wand! And I think what—like Dan said about this megaphone, this opportunity to reach so many young people, so many caregivers—what a gift! And I’m so grateful that you took time to be in the lounge with us, and that you have shared these ideas. Because truly, I think, like you said, it’s really our youngest learners, right? How can we create and cultivate these opportunities for our youngest learners to find the joy in mathematics and just in learning, right?

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (36:54):
Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (36:55):
So thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Truglio. We are deeply grateful for your insight and for all the work you do. And we continue to invite the world of Sesame Street into our homes.

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio (37:08):
Thank you. Thank you for allowing us to come into your home, and for you to re-learn with your child as you’re watching Sesame Street. Because it’s very much a parenting show, as it is for a child-directed show, because we are blessed to have these wonderful human cast members who are the stand-ins for parents. And so we are often giving you the language for how to talk about and how to problem-solve together. So thank you.

Dan Meyer (37:43):
Thanks so much for listening to our conversation with Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:51):
Dr. Truglio is also the author of Sesame Street Ready for School, A Parents Guide to Playful Learning for Children Ages Two to Five, and we’re gonna make sure we put a link to that in the show notes because it is really, really a rich resource. I’m diving in. I have so many ideas bookmarked that I wanna try out with my kiddo.

Dan Meyer (38:09):
Yeah, it’s really exciting to see—like, for a classroom educator, I just kinda assumed that a lot of math learning happens in the classroom context. That’s my lens. So yeah, I loved reading the book and seeing all the different opportunities for parents for just out there in the world, in front of your house, at the supermarket. All the different opportunities there are for mathematical thinking, and then to think about how to bring that into some of those routines and ideas into the classroom, into formal schooling.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:35):
Exactly. Exactly. Like Dr. Truglio said, the caregivers’s disposition about mathematics matters so deeply. Your teachers’ dispositions about mathematics, their beliefs, the way that you hear people talking about math, that impacts our learners. That impacts—like, as a student, that impacts what you think is possible for yourself. So I love this, re-educating ourselves about what math can look like out in the world, in everyday conversations. I don’t know. I really, really appreciated this conversation with Dr. Truglio.

Dan Meyer (39:12):
Same. Yeah. We’d love to hear what you folks think about the work. the book, her ideas. Definitely get in touch with us. Subscribe to Math Teacher Lounge, wherever you get podcasts. And keep in touch with us on Facebook at Math Teacher Lounge Community, and on Twitter at MTL show.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:27):
Also, if you haven’t already, please subscribe to Math Teacher Lounge wherever you get your podcast. And if you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a rating and a review. It’ll help more listeners find the show. And while you’re at it, let a friend know about this episode, because you enjoyed it; they might enjoy it. On our next episode, we’re gonna be chatting with Dr. Heidi Sabnani and taking a closer look at best practices for coaching teachers to reduce their own math anxiety.

Dr. Heidi Sabnani (39:56):
One of the teachers that I worked with had done her student teaching with a teacher who had math anxiety and who never taught math. And so she entered her teaching career never having taught math before or seeing it taught.

Dan Meyer (40:10):
Thanks again for listening, folks.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:12):
Bye.

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What Dr. Rosemarie Truglio says about math

“We all have to work together, because even though we are the experts [on curriculum and education], the real experts are the children themselves.”

– Dr. Rosemarie Truglio

Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content, Sesame Workshop

Meet the guest

Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D. is the Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop. Dr. Truglio is responsible for the development of the interdisciplinary curriculum on which Sesame Street is based and oversees content development across platforms (e.g., television, publishing, toys, home video, and theme park activities).  She also oversees the curriculum development for all new show production, including  Bea’s Block, Mecha BuildersEsme & RoyHelpsters, and Ghostwriter. Dr. Truglio has written numerous articles in child and developmental psychology journals and presented her work at national and international conferences. Her current book is Ready for School! A Parent’s Guide to Playful Learning for Children Ages 2 to 5, published by Running Press (2019).

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About Math Teacher Lounge

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

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S3-05: Thinking is power

A graphic with the text "Science Connections" and "Amplify" features colorful circles and curved lines on a dark gray background.

Join us as we sit down with Melanie Trecek-King, college professor and creator of Thinking is Power, to explore how much of an asset science can truly be in developing the skills students need to navigate the real world. You’ll learn about “fooling” students and the importance of developing critical thinking, information literacy, and science literacy in the classroom. We’ll also share real strategies and lesson examples that help build these essential skills and engage students in learning.

And don’t forget to grab your Science Connections study guide to track your learning and find additional resources!

We hope you enjoy this episode and explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page!

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

Melanie Trecek-King (00:00):

We say knowledge is power, but it’s not enough to know things. And there’s too much to know. So being able to think and not fall for someone’s bunk is my goal for my students.

Eric Cross (00:12):

Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. On this third season, we’ve been talking about science’s underdog status. And just this past March at the NSTA conference in Atlanta, I had the chance to speak with science educators from around the country about this very topic.

Hermia Simanu (00:28):

Right now, there’s only two teachers in our high school teaching science.

Shane Dongilli (00:32):

I have 45 minutes once a week with each class. The focus is reading and math.

Alexis Tharpe (00:38):

Oftentimes science gets put by the wayside. And you know, I love math and I love my language arts, but I also think science needs to place be placed on that high pedestal as well.

Askia Little (00:46):

In fifth grade, oh, they teach science, because that’s the only grade that it’s tested.

Eric Cross (00:50):

That was Hermia Simanu from American Samoa. Her team flew for three days to make it to the conference. You also heard from Shane Dongilli from North Carolina, Alexis Tharpe from Virginia, and Askia Little from Texas. All of these teachers were excited to be at the conference and had a lot to say about the state of science education in their local schools. Throughout this season, we’ve been trying to make the case for science, showing how science can be utilized more effectively in the classroom. We’ve explored the evidence showing that science supports literacy instruction. We’ve talked about science and the responsible use of technology like AI. My hope is that all of you listeners out there can use some of this evidence to feel empowered to make the case for science in your own communities. And on this episode, we’re going to examine how science can help develop what might be the most important skill that we try to develop in our students: Good thinking. On this episode, I’m joined by a biologist who actually advocated for eliminating the Intro to Bio course at her college. Instead, Professor Trecek-King created a new course focused on critical thinking, information literacy, and science literacy skills. In this conversation, we discuss why the science classroom is such a good environment for helping students become better thinkers. Now, I don’t think that you can make a much stronger argument for science than using it to develop the skills that Melanie describes in this conversation. So, without further ado, I’m thrilled to bring you this conversation with Melanie Trecek-King, Associate Professor of Biology at Massasoit Community College, and creator of Thinking Is Power. Here’s Melanie.

Eric Cross (02:29):

Well, Melanie, thank you for joining us on the show. It’s so good to have you.

Melanie Trecek-King (02:34):

I am so happy to be here.

Eric Cross (02:35):

Now, I went to your session at NSTA in Chicago … I think it was two years ago. A couple years ago. And I was listening to your session, and as I was listening to you, I started Reverse Engineering in my mind what you were doing with your college students. I started reverse engineering the K–8. I was like, “This is amazing.” Where has what you’ve been doing been hiding? We need this not just in the college, higher ed. We need this all the way up and down. Because I hadn’t seen it before. So I think a good place for us to start is gonna be like the story of how and why you as a biologist wound up making the case to actually eliminate the Intro to Biology course at your college. So can you start off and tell us a little bit about that story?

Melanie Trecek-King (03:20):

Sure. So I started teaching at a community college in Massachusetts. And I absolutely love teaching at a community college. And I was teaching the courses that people who don’t wanna be scientists when they grow up have to take to fulfill their science requirement. And that course was Intro Bio. And I tried every way I could figure out to make that class be useful,] relevant to students. I mean, the thing is, our world is based on science and you have to understand science to be a good consumer of information, to make good decisions. And I’m a biologist, so it pains me to say this, but you know, somewhere in the middle of teaching students about the stages of mitosis and protein synthesis, I thought, “Is this really — like, if I have one semester that’s gonna be the last chance that someone’s gonna get a science education, is this really what they need?” And I just decided, “No.” So, to my college’s credit, they were very supportive. I went to them and said, “You know, I think we should assess the non-majors courses. Like, why do we teach non-majors science?” And we all agreed, well, it was for science literacy. OK, great. Do our existing non-majors courses do that? And so we evaluated each of the courses. I made a case that Intro Bio was not doing it. And so we actually replaced it with a course that I call Science for Life. And the whole course is designed to teach science literacy, critical thinking, and information literacy skills.

Eric Cross (04:48):

And so you did this while you were looking at mitosis. And you’re looking at students who may or may not be science majors. And then kind of asking that question. I know every educator asks this, and whether or not it’s welcomed or supported is a different question: “Is what I’m teaching actually gonna be relevant and useful later on down the road for this group of students?” And you actually got to run with it and then create this course, this new course. So, what were the skills that you were hoping to achieve with the new course you developed, and and why were those skills so important?

Melanie Trecek-King (05:21):

Well, if I just go back for a second to what you said, ’cause it, really hit me: I remember the actual moment — it had been building up to that point, but the actual moment that it hit me — I was teaching students the stages of mitosis. And I was applying it to cancer, because the thought is that if we use issues that are relevant to students to teach concepts, that it will be more meaningful to them. They’ll learn it better; they’ll be able to apply it. And they just looked absolutely deflated. They didn’t wanna be there. And I had this moment where I thought, “You know, if, if these students ever have cancer somewhere in their lives, is what I taught them going to be something that they remember? Is it going to be useful to them?” And quite frankly, like, no. <Laugh> They’re not gonna remember proto-oncogenes. And quite frankly, is that really what they need to know at that moment? What they need to know is, “What does this mean? Who is a reliable source of information here? If these treatments are recommended, what is the evidence for them? What are the cost-benefit analyses? Where do I go to find reliable information?” And in that space, cancer in particular, we have this whole field of — I wanna say charlatans, ’cause they may not actually be lying, but they’re pedaling false cures, false hopes. And people need that kind of hope, and so in their time of need, they’re more likely to fall for that kind of thing. Which leads me to the skills that I teach students. I call them this tree of skills. And the order is important. I start — and there’s a lot of overlap to be fair — but critical thinking, and then information literacy, and science literacy. The idea is that students carry in their pockets access to basically all of human’s knowledge at this moment in time. And if they needed to access it, they could. The question is, do they know what they’re looking for? Are they aware of their own biases that are leading them to certain sources, or certain false hopes? Are there certain things that are making them more vulnerable to the people that might prey on them? Are they able to use that information to make good decisions? There’s a great Carl Sagan quote, and it’s something like, “If we teach people only the findings of science, no matter how useful or even inspiring they may be, without communicating the method, then how is anyone to be able to tell the difference between science and pseudoscience?” So yes, the process of science is a process of critical thinking. However, we do tend to present science most of the time. Like, here’s what science has learned. And to be fair, those things that we’ve learned from science are really useful and inspiring. But if we don’t teach the process, so you’ve got somebody now who let’s say has been diagnosed with cancer and is on their phone and they’re scrolling through social media and everything looks the same. And of course the algorithms learn who you are. Next thing you know, there’s all of these like pseudo-treatments popping up. It all looks the same. Somebody who says that acupuncture can be used to cure cancer can feel the same, from someone who doesn’t understand the process of science, as a medical fact. And so the process is the process of critical thinking. My class everything is open note. The quizzes are open note. The exams — and I say open note, they’re also open online, because I know for the rest of their life they’re gonna have resources available to them; I want them to be good consumers with that information, which to me requires metacognition and critical thinking and information literacy and all those skills that I’m trying to teach them.

Eric Cross (08:58):

You’re basically taking what … we’ve taught science for so long. And more recently, it’s changed to more focusing on skills. At least in K through 12. But a lot of it was just memorization of a ton of different things that now we can pull up our phone, go on the internet. You can pull up a lot of those facts. But those facts don’t necessarily translate to actual real-world skills. When I listen to… I kind of make this analogy sometimes: students say … it’s funny, I have 12-year-olds that say this. They go, “How come they don’t teach us how to do our taxes?” And you know they’re regurgitating what they hear from adults, right? “Teach us real-world skills!” And I was like, really, if we taught you right now how to do your taxes, how many of you would really be like, “Oh, this is an awesome lesson! We’re really engaged!” But their point is that “I wanna learn something that I could actually use later on, that’s that I’m gonna carry on.” And in your course, you’re talking about these skills that actually can apply. Like you said, if I had cancer and I’m looking at different types of medical procedures, do I have the skills to really be able to evaluate and make informed decisions on that? And that’s, that’s not something that I’ve seen explicitly taught really anywhere. And I hadn’t heard anybody talk about it, really, until I heard your session, where you’ve kind of unpacked this, and over the last couple of years, have created some programs or resources for educators, where they can take this into their classroom. So what were some of those skills, again? What were were some of the skills that you thought, “I wanna make sure that my students can walk out and they know how to do this and apply it to maybe several different fields”?

Melanie Trecek-King (10:35):

Oh, that’s a really good question. Because the whole thing was a process for me. Like, when I finally let go of Intro Bio, I was so glad to see that class go, by the way. ‘Cause I just felt like I was beating a dead horse. So when I let go of it, I thought, “What do they need instead?” And for me, what I realized was I was trying to make the class I would’ve wanted to take. I realized the things that I personally didn’t know, that my own education maybe let me down a bit. But things that I thought were important. So then I took all of those, synthesized them, tried to figure out the best order. The class is currently in its third iteration. And I hope every iteration is an improvement. But I’m thinking about the students that I taught before the pandemic. It was Intro Bio. Up to just maybe the couple years before the pandemic, and during the pandemic, we had a new virus and we had a new vaccine and we had new treatments. There was hydroxychloroquine and there was ivermectin and then there’s masks. Are masks effective? Well, you know, in what circumstances? What kind of mask? There are all of these questions. And that whole thing was we saw science playing out in real time.

Eric Cross (11:50):

Absolutely.

Melanie Trecek-King (11:51):

And so were my students able to follow that? And then what happened in that process is that science became politicized. And in a time where things are uncertain and we need answers, ’cause it’s scary, people want certainty and science doesn’t tend to provide that. Especially when it’s just starting out. And then when it becomes politicized, people decide that they’re going to — it’s not necessarily a conscious decision — but they retreat into what people in their camps are saying or their groups are saying. Which actually leads me to one of the more important parts of information literacy skills in there, which is most of our knowledge is shared. We tend to have overinflated senses of what we individually know. And studies actually show that with Google, if you have access to Google, you think you’re smarter than if you don’t have access to Google. But we all have access to knowledge in our communities, and that’s one of the reasons humans are so successful, is that we can each specialize in different things and share our expertise and become greater than the sum of our parts. The problem with that, of course, is that we forget what we don’t know, and we assume that we know what the community knows. And so recognizing the limits of your own knowledge and how different communities produce knowledge, like the different epistemic processes that communities use to come to knowledge. When it comes down to it, an important part of knowing is knowing who to trust, right? Knowing where the source of knowledge lives. And in order to do that, you have to understand the processes that they’re using to come to that knowledge and the limits of your own knowledge. And then how to find who has that knowledge so that you can use that to make better decisions.

Eric Cross (13:38):

So, when I hear what you’re doing with your college students, and I think about what I’m doing in the classroom, in the middle school, we are really focusing on literacy as skills. Reading, writing, speaking, listening. And then when I think of the next step of the journey, your information literacy and the literacy you’re teaching is really the application of those things in the real world. And the examples that you gave are very critical examples. Evaluating claims about Covid. Making informed decisions about a medical procedure that you might need. And we all get that applied to us. We’re scrolling through social media and somehow social media is listening. It’s figuring out exactly what I’m doing, because all of a sudden the ads are telling me … how did you know I was alking about KitchenAid mixers now? I just said KitchenAid mixers and it’s gonna show up in my feed! But <laugh> I take that in the same way from the same place that I take in maybe an oncologist. So it’s it’s coming through the same channels. So now I kind of wanna pivot. So we’ve talked about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, the connection between “am I really teaching the skills that my students need in the science class? Is it really critical thinking explicitly or is it just kind of implied?” Now I wanna ask you how you do it. What’s the annotated, abbreviated kind of syllabus of your course?

Melanie Trecek-King (15:03):

So the course is called Science for Life. And the premise behind it is the kinds of skills and understanding of the process of science that they would need to make good decisions to be empowered in a world based on science. And so the very first lecture, I say, “OK, I’m gonna tell you a story and I just want you to listen to the story. And at the end I’m gonna ask you why I told the story.” And the story that I tell them is some of the history of the witchcraft trials in Europe. And I start with the Malleus Maleficarum, or the Hammer of Witches, from the Pope, and about how people would accuse witches of causing birth defects or storms or crops dying. And, the best evidence that they had to absolutely know somebody was a witch was if somebody accused them, and then if they were accused, if they confessed. OK? But the problem is, to get them to confess, they would torture them. Roasting over coals, or splitting until somebody broke. And so I tell my students, “OK, this was absolute proof that someone was guilty of witchcraft. I don’t know about you; I would confess to anything, right? Make it stop!” So this is where I get to ask students, “Why would I ask you this? Why would I tell you this story? And traumatize you on the very first day of lecture?” And they see the reasoning, right? They thought they had evidence. The question was, is that good evidence? And so, you know, I’m getting students to have a basic understanding of epistemology, right? Without calling it that, or without going into all of the philosophical background of epistemology. Apply this to your own reasoning. What are you wrong about? Well, you probably wouldn’t know. OK, how would you know if you were wrong? Like what kinds of things do you feel that you’re so right about? How good is your evidence for that? So what I want them to do is internalize the thinking about thinking, and analyzing how they come to conclusions, and proportioning how strongly they believe. Their confidence in how right they are. So I think starting with that kind of misinformation, and getting students to internalize that process is important. But I think the example is really useful, because most of my students don’t believe in witchcraft. Right? So it’s not an issue that would immediately threaten them in some way. So when, when a belief is tied to identity or how we see ourselves or is really important to us, then it’s very difficult to be objective about that belief. And so by starting with witchcraft, it’s not triggering. I get them to think about thinking and practice that muscle so that when we get to those more important issues, they have the skills they need to evaluate them.

Eric Cross (17:55):

So would it be fair to say that your Science for Life class is really applied scientific thinking for the real world?

Melanie Trecek-King (18:01):

Absolutely. That’s the idea. I mean, science is too good to keep to ourselves, right? And it’s everywhere. So how can you understand the world through a scientific lens?

Eric Cross (18:10):

What are the nuts and bolts of how you teach your students these strategies? What do you do? What are some strategies and techniques that we can maybe share with listeners? And then where I want to go after that is I wanna ask you, how early do you think this can be started? So lemme start off first with, what do you do?

Melanie Trecek-King (18:28):

So I use three different strategies. One is, I provide students with a toolkit. And the toolkit is one that I created and it is like my one toolkit to rule them all. It is trying to apply critical thinking and science reasoning all together in one place. So that if students are met with a claim, they’ve got the toolkit with an acronym. They can now start and have somewhere to go. In that if I gave you a claim and said, “Just critically think through this claim,” I mean, that’s a mighty task. But if you have a structured toolkit, then it’s hopefully a systemic way that’s helpful. The toolkit is summarized by FLOATER. I have published it on Skeptical Inquirer. It’s free. So it’s Falsifiability, Logical, Objectivity, Alternative Explanations, Tentative Conclusions, Evidence, and Reproducibility. So I provide students with a toolkit. The next thing I do is I use a lot of misinformation in class. Back to what Carl Sagan says: What I heard was we should use pseudoscience to teach students the difference between a pseudo-scientific process and a scientific process. So, I use science denial, conspiracy theories, and give my students a lot of opportunities to practice evaluating claims with the toolkit. And the other thing I do is, I use inoculation activities. So inoculation theory is based on William McGuire’s original research in the ’60s, which is basically like a vaccine analogy. Where you can inject a small amount of a virus or bacterium into the body, so that it creates an immune response, so that it can learn the real thing. And so in the real world, it can fight it off. Inoculation theory does the same thing, but with misinformation. So, what we can do is, in controlled environments, expose students to little bits of misinformation so that they can recognize it in the real world. There’s different kinds of inoculation, but I’m a big fan of what’s called active and technique-based inoculation. So technique-based means that students are learning not the facts of misinformation, not factually why this thing is wrong, but about the technique used to deceive. So maybe the use of fake experts. Or maybe the use of anecdotes. Or the use of logical fallacies. The other part of that is active, which is where students create the misinformation. So for example, my students, just now, we finished covering pseudoscience. And I teach students the characteristics of pseudoscience. And basically we have fun with it. Where they pretend to be grifters and they sell a pseudoscience product. And so they have to make an ad like they’d see on social media, using the different techniques. And the point there is that it’s supposed to be funny, right? And lighthearted. But in a real way, by using the techniques used to sell something like pseudoscience, it’s opening their eyes. You can’t unsee how every alternative product has, “it’s an all-natural and used for centuries and millions use it and look at this person who says, ‘Wow, it worked for me!’ And it’s certified by some society that doesn’t exist, but this doctor behind it says that it’s really great!” I mean, it’s all the same stuff. So they create the misinformation using their own techniques.

Eric Cross (22:02):

That’s one of my favorite things that you’ve talked about, and I want to dive in that a little bit more. But when you’re teaching the toolkit, FLOATER, what does that look like in the classroom, when you’re actually breaking all of those things down? What does it look like as you’re walking your students through this, and you’re kind of coaching them on all of those different things? ‘Cause I feel like some things might be like, “Oh yeah, I got that.” And then some of them might be, “Oh, what is that?”

Melanie Trecek-King (22:24):

Yeah, it takes me probably a good solid lecture to get through the basis of the toolkit. But then over the rest of the semester, I’ll spend more time going into different parts, different rules, a bit more in-depth. So, for example, logical fallacies and objectivity. So the rule of objectivity basically states that you need to be honest with yourself. I’m gonna quote Feynman here, so: “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.” We don’t tend to think that we can be fooled. But of course we can. So actually, if you wanna talk about it, I start class by fooling my students.

Eric Cross (23:03):

Wait, what do you do? What do you do for that?

Melanie Trecek-King (23:05):

Oh, so this is really fun. Day 1 of class, after the syllabus, I tell my … so you’re in my class now, Eric. “So I have a friend, and she’s a psychic. She’s an astrologer and she’s pretty good at what she does. I mean, she’s got books and she’s been on TV and stuff. She knows I teach this course about skepticism. And so she’s agreed to test how effective she is by providing personality assessments to students in class. So if you wanna participate, what I need from you is your birthday, your full name, answer a few questions. Like, if your house was on fire and you could take one thing, what would it be? Or if you could get paid for anything to do anything for a living, what would it be? Um, there’s a third one. Oh! If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” So the next class, it’s usually over a weekend. The next class I say, “OK, I’ve got your personality assessments back, but remember, we wanna test how effective she is. So in order to do that, I need you to read your profile as quietly as possible. And then I’m gonna have you rate her accuracy on a scale of 1 to 5. OK? So close your eyes; rate her.” Over the years doing this, it’s about a 4.3 to 4.5 out of 5. They think she’s pretty accurate. OK? “So now, if you feel comfortable, get with a person next to you. And I want you to talk about what parts of the personality assessment really spoke to you and, and why, and why you thought she was accurate or not.” And it takes them 5, 10 minutes before they realize they all got the same one. So, this is not my original experiment. It was first done by Bertram Forer in … I think it was the ’50s. And it’s done in psychology classrooms. James Randi made it famous. But the personality assessment itself is full of what are called Barnum statements. So, named after P.T. Barnum. These are statements that are very generic. So, “You have a need to be liked and admired by people. You are often quiet and reserved, but there are times where you can be the life of the party.”

Eric Cross (25:13):

How do you know this about me, by the way? This is a — I feel like you know me right now.

Melanie Trecek-King (25:17):

“There are times where you’ve wondered whether you’ve done the right thing.”

Eric Cross (25:19):

This is getting weird.

Melanie Trecek-King (25:21):

I’m just on fire, right? So these are Barnum statements. They’re the basis of personality assessment.

Eric Cross (25:29):

Mel, can I pause you right there? You said Barnum. Is that the same Barnum, like Barnum & Bailey Circus?

Melanie Trecek-King (25:34):

Yeah. P.T. Barnum, who didn’t actually say “There’s a sucker born every minute,” but we attribute him with that kind of ethos. These statements though, if you read a horoscope or even like personality indicators, like the MBTI, it is basically pseudo-scientific. And it ends up with lots of these Barnum statements. They produce what’s called the Barnum Effect, which is, “Wow, that’s so me! How did you know me?” I could even do more. Like, you have a box of photos in your house that need to be sorted. Or unused prescriptions. And these can apply to nearly everyone, but they produce this effect where we go, “Wow, that is so me!” Right? So by fooling them this way, I get to … well, so the next thing is, “Yes, I lied to you. And I’d like to tell you I won’t do that again. But I’m not going to, ’cause I might. So be on your guard.” But I did it for free. And why did I do it? “I did it because I could tell you ‘I could fool you,’ but you wouldn’t necessarily believe me. So I fooled you, so that you would learn what it feels like to be fooled.” It’s not fun. But we’re gonna make a joke outta this. And students are almost never upset about this ’cause it’s a fun process and they’re all fooled. And again, the point is, I didn’t disprove psychic powers. I didn’t just disprove psychics with this exercise. But I did show you how easy it was to fake. So if somebody is gonna tell you that they can know these things about you through some way, hopefully the evidence they provide should be stronger than something that’s easily faked. Right? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If you claim to be able to read my personality based on my birthdate, then I need more than something that you can be taught to do in 15 minutes. So, I fool them to convince them that they could be fooled.

Eric Cross (27:27):

You’re giving them a practice scenario for thinking. And I was thinking about basketball. I grew up playing basketball. And my coach would have our own team be the defenders of the next team we were gonna play, so that we can be prepared for the defense. We were gonna see. Now, when I’m thinking about education, and what you just said reminded me of this, it’s like we’re often just teaching offense. We’re always teaching the plays. We’re always teaching what to do. But we rarely teach defense. What happens when someone comes towards you and, and they challenge you or they come at you with claims? How do we evaluate this? And I think in pockets we do it. We do claim-evidence-reasoning. We present claims and evidence and reasoning. But we don’t always have practice defending them. And I think there’s great resources. There’s Argumentation Toolkit and there’s all these awesome resources that do this. But does that fit? You’re kind of having them practice defense?

Melanie Trecek-King (28:26):

Yeah. You know, that’s brilliant. I never considered that analogy. But, yeah, in the real world, you don’t just get to always try to score all the time. Someone’s gonna challenge you and give you a claim that maybe you haven’t heard before. So how do you think through it?

Eric Cross (28:41):

Yeah. And you become better. So now I’m thinking about how early could we start doing this? For one, I love the idea of lying to your students, because I do that. And it’s just such a fun scenario. How early could we start implementing these strategies or these ideas or these toolkits? In your mind, what do you imagine? How early could we start this with young people?

Melanie Trecek-King (29:07):

Yeah. I’m so glad you asked that question, ’cause honestly, by the time they get to me, it’s almost too late. And I don’t wanna say it’s too late, ’cause it’s never too late. But, oh, we need to start so much earlier! That example that I gave about the selling pseudoscience argument? I have a wonderful colleague, Bertha Vasquez, who’s a middle school teacher in Miami and the director of TIES at CFI. She did this with her middle school students. And quite frankly, their examples were just as good, or in some cases better, than my college students. And they had so much fun with it, too. And she just said that, you know, <laugh>, they actually are more savvy with the kinds of things that they see online than we — I don’t wanna say give them credit for. But almost that we want to believe. My students give me examples of things that are from corners of the internet that I didn’t know existed. And quite frankly, that’s probably a good thing for my own mental health. But students are on there too, like middle school students, and we need to prepare them for the kinds of things that they see in the wild.

Eric Cross (30:13):

So in middle school, definitely. Now, you’ve also done some work in high school as well, right? In Oklahoma? Did you do some. …?

Melanie Trecek-King (30:17):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (30:18):

…some work with high schoolers? What was that like? Did you see any impact there?

Melanie Trecek-King (30:21):

So I didn’t actually do it in Oklahoma. I have taught the course … actually, you were talking about younger kids. I’ve taught the course to high schoolers in my area that are parts of dual enrollment. And they absolutely ate up the curriculum. And they were wonderful, wonderful students. And it was completely appropriate for … they were juniors, actually. But the course has also been taught in Oklahoma, through a dual enrollment program as well. And it was a small sample size. But we have pre-post testing that showed that it improved their critical thinking, their acceptance of science. But anecdotally the head of the program there said that in his years doing this, he’d never seen a course that helped them improve in their other courses so well. So, I felt very rewarded by hearing this. But apparently their critical thinking skills and information literacy skills helped them succeed in their other courses that they were taking. And I love that the students were transferring those skills to other classes. That’s the whole point.

Eric Cross (31:23):

And that’s a big … I think that what you just said is really the core, especially of what we’ve been talking about this season: What you’re talking about and what you’re teaching can transfer and supports literacy. And this is an example of science doing that across all other content areas. So I think that that’s huge, that that was said. What do people say about this course? I know I went on your website, and I looked at some of the comments that some folks were saying, and I know it’s just a snippet, but what do you hear from the education world about this? Because I don’t see it in many places. I see it kind of embedded, sprinkled into different content areas. But you’re actually teaching it explicitly. Do you tend to find positive feedback, overwhelmingly? Or do you get pushback on on some of this? What’s it been like for you?

Melanie Trecek-King (32:16):

I think the biggest pushback — and it’s good pushback, and I would agree entirely — is with inoculation activities, you do need to be careful to, when you debrief students, you wanna tell them why you did what you did and to use their powers for good and not for fooling other people. And I think importantly, for not putting misinformation out into the wild without having context around it. So if you do these kinds of inoculation activities, like if you have your students create pseudoscience ads, don’t just let them put them on social media. Obviously, you can’t control everything that they’re doing. But explain to them why you wouldn’t wanna do that. As far as everything else, I’ve heard really great feedback. You’re referencing my website. So, when I put together the course, I was trying to find resources for students to read. Textbooks are ridiculously expensive and I couldn’t find anything that I really wanted students to buy. So I just started writing, and I put it on my site. I have a site that’s basically the core of the curriculum. More in progress. And then I’ve got some of the topics that we explore and those are all assigned readings. My students are captive, in that I know they want a grade, and for four months they have to sit with me for the entire semester, in that I’ve specifically ordered the content in a way that would be most conducive to them learning these things. On the internet, though, and on social media, ’cause I post on there as well, people come in from all kinds of entry points, and so the goal would be to have them start at the beginning and go to the end. But people … I’m pleasantly surprised that there is an audience for critical thinking and science literacy content out there. And so that really warms my heart. But I am doing more and more for educators. And so I have a section for educators. I put content on there. I put assignments, the assignments that we’ve talked about and more, are on there. And the educators that I’ve had use it have just been really wonderful. Like, I hear great things. If I might, the biggest issue that I’m having is actually reaching educators. I’ve gone to — I met you at NSCA, actually, that was only last summer.

Eric Cross (34:30):

Oh, wow. Wow.

Melanie Trecek-King (34:32):

Right?

Eric Cross (34:32):

Yeah, you’re right. It wasn’t even a year.

Melanie Trecek-King (34:35):

Yeah, I think it was like July last year. So, um, you’ve been to the conferences. And I just went to the last one as well. But I have yet to figure out a way to really get in front of enough educators to share the content. So if anybody’s listening and is interested in learning more, please let me know! <Laugh>

Eric Cross (34:52):

Yes. And we talked about your website, but I didn’t say what the website was. So it’s ThinkingIsPower.com.

Melanie Trecek-King (34:57):

Yes.

Eric Cross (34:58):

And on there, there’s tons of resources. There is the toolkit. And it’s all free.

Melanie Trecek-King (35:06):

Yes.

Eric Cross (35:07):

And there’s a dope t-shirt on there that I just bought today, that Melanie’s actually wearing right now. It says, “Be curious, be skeptical, and be humble.” And I love that. Because I think one of the things that we can’t forget about teaching people how to think and critically evaluating information, sometimes those conversations can become very dehumanizing. And what I mean by that is it sometimes can become, like, intellectual sport, where we forget that there’s a human being on the other other side. And we lose that empathy and compassion. We can kind of see that. It just becomes this intellectual jousting and arguing. And one of the things I know about you, and when you talk about this or you talk about the work that you do, and even the shirt that you’re wearing, there’s this, “be humble.” There’s this human that is never lost in this. And you said it, too: When you’re teaching your students and you’re equipping them with all of these intellectual skills and all of these tools, to use it for good. So to maintain your humanity, to maintain your character, and then to use it to edify and lift people up, not to go out and do harm. That balance, I think, is so, so important. So it’s something that I really appreciate about you and how you teach.

Melanie Trecek-King (36:19):

I appreciate those kind words. Actually—

Eric Cross (36:21):

Oh, of course!

Melanie Trecek-King (36:22):

—and if I might, I sometimes see people using critical thinking like a weapon. It’s like, “I have learned fallacies and I’m just gonna use the tools of critical thinking to tell you why you’re stupid, or why you’re wrong, and why my position is right!” But real critical thinking involves applying those same standards to your own thought processes. And even something like argumentation: the goal of our argumentation is not to BE right; it’s to GET it right. And so we’re on the same team. If we’re arguing about something, if the idea is in scientific argumentation we’re trying to find the truth, which one of us is making a better argument based on the evidence? Can your perspective help me see my own blind spots and vice versa? And the more different perspectives that we have, the more able we are to find whatever reality is. But we are in this together. And so, yeah, I think … I’m glad to hear that that’s coming through. But if you don’t have the kind of humility that says, “You know, I could be wrong,” then you’re never gonna change your mind anyway. So having the humility to say, I’m wrong. <Laugh>

Eric Cross (37:33):

Yeah. You end up just seeing people just defend turf, as opposed to support “look for truth.” And I know for me, my own education journey, I end up with more questions than answers anyways. So I go in trying to find an answer for something and I end up with 10 more questions. And I go, “OK, this is kind of how it is.” You go down this rabbit hole and you just end up with all these different questions. And it forces the humility, because you’re like, “I don’t know! I think this is what it could be, but it could also be these other answers or explanations. So this is just where I’m at, based on what we know right now, at this present time, which might shift.”

Melanie Trecek-King (38:07):

And that sounds reasonable. Yes. Which might shift. Yes.

Eric Cross (38:11):

And especially for us as life-science biology teachers, our content is something that definitely shifts. I know some of the things I teach now are not things that I learned when I was even in middle school. Just because things evolve. They change. We learn, we get new data. That’s just the way it is.

Melanie Trecek-King (38:24):

<Sighs> And Pluto is no longer a planet.

Eric Cross (38:26):

I know. Rest in — well, no, Pluto’s still there. Yeah. It’s no longer a planet. But that was one part of my kindergarten memorizations <laugh> is Pluto being in there.

Melanie Trecek-King (38:36):

Gotta change your mind.

Eric Cross (38:38):

I know. Any words of advice for science educators out there who want to focus more on honing these critical thinking skills and strategies with their own students, but they don’t know where to start? Where would you point them? Or what advice would you give them?

Melanie Trecek-King (38:52):

I think start with what you want the students to know. And not necessarily the FACTS that you want students to know, but start with the skills that you want them to know. And then really be honest with your process. When I designed Science for Life, I started with, “these are the skills that I want students to know.” And everything was in service of that. So this sort of backwards design, I think, helped me follow a path that was more likely to be useful, if that makes any sense. But it really required doing it all over again. So don’t be afraid to question the things that you’re currently doing, even if that’s all you’ve been taught or all you know.

Eric Cross (39:41):

What I’m hearing is, don’t be afraid to question your own assumptions about what you’re doing. And don’t be afraid to adapt or change or modify. Kinda, pivot. Be flexible.

Melanie Trecek-King (39:51):

Yes, be flexible and pivot. And this is where I’m in a different position than middle school and high school educators. Because I have complete freedom over what I teach in my class.

Eric Cross (40:01):

Sure.

Melanie Trecek-King (40:01):

At the end of the semester, I always joke with non-majors that there’s nothing they have to know, which actually gives me a lot of flexibility, because I could teach ’em a lot of different things. So if there are things that you have to teach students, obviously that’s one thing. But I personally think that the way that we’ve been teaching science needs a refresher. A rethinking. And so I would say, “If you want your students to learn science literacy, honestly ask, what does that mean to you? And what would that look like to get to that point?” For me, though, it was also keeping in mind that maybe I didn’t already know the best way to do that.

Eric Cross (40:43):

One of the things you mentioned earlier is trying to reach out to educators. And I know that when we work together, it’s a force multiplier. And what you’re doing is developing skills. And there’s these skills that are happening right now in academia that you’re doing. And then how do we transfer that into middle and high school. Or, I’m sorry, middle and elementary school, high school. We need to get more people into this conversation to kind of brainstorm and figure that out. We have a Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community, where we have educators that gather. That can be one place we start the conversation. And again, I know on your website you’ve been super active on social media; you’ve grown your presence on Twitter and all these different places, engaging with folks. Which is awesome. ‘Cause I know I see your posts and I’m saving the things that you’re posting and I’m thinking of ways that I can do it in my classroom. I’m gonna take that product. By the way, is that on your website, the lesson that you do with the product?

Melanie Trecek-King (41:43):

No, actually. So the article, “How to Sell Pseudoscience” is … I know Bertha Vasquez wrote up a version of it.

Eric Cross (41:50):

Maybe we can grab that. ‘Cause we might be able to put that into the show notes for folks, because she’s a middle school educator. If there’s already something that’s been done for teachers like us, we’re like, “Yeah, let me get that and let me remix it and make it my own!” if there’s already a exemplar out there.

Melanie Trecek-King (42:04):

Yeah, she’s done it. And so I will absolutely share that with you.

Eric Cross (42:08):

So, all season long, we’ve been talking about science as the underdog. We kind of framed it, you know, science oftentimes takes a back seat to math and English. It’s kinda the first thing to go. Or the first area where time can get cut. Because of what gets tested gets focused on, oftentimes. And then in addition to that, when you’re a multi-subject teacher, elementary science isn’t just one thing — it’s every field. You know, you’re a biologist, which is different than a geologist. And when you’re teaching every subject, that’s a lot. And you might not have had a science class for years. And the realities that we’re seeing over and over with different researchers and practitioners is that science could actually enhance literacy, and building those skills. And I think you really talked about it with the critical thinking skills. Those can transfer. Or the administrator that said, “This is one of the only courses I’ve seen where it transfers to other areas.” Could you share maybe with our listeners, just any advice for advocating for science in their own world?

Melanie Trecek-King (43:13):

Wow, I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that question! One of the things that comes to mind though — because I was listening to your last episode and educators … I honestly didn’t realize how little time they had for science. And how often science was then the first to go, to allow room for other subjects. But science overlaps with a lot of other issues. And so I feel like there could be a way to bring in science when teaching these other subjects. So, for example, argumentation and logical fallacies are easy to apply to reading and writing. Information literacy, and being able to find good information online, teaching students how to laterally read, to be able to check a source, or how to use Google effectively, to put in neutral search terms to find sources, or teaching students how to recognize the characteristics of conspiratorial thinking: All of these things can overlap with so many other subjects. So the scientist in me is a little biased towards science being important enough to do this. But try to bring it into the other subjects. It doesn’t have to be completely separate.

Eric Cross (44:43):

So integrating science into other things. And I … big believer. And a hundred percent agree with you. Now I’m gonna ask a question that kinda like takes us backwards. You shared an app with me when we first met that I thought was really cool. And I know it’s a friend or colleague of yours. But as a middle school teacher, I thought it was great, because it was something that my students could download and practice some of the skills that you’re talking about. Would you talk a little bit about the cranky uncle? Is it the Cranky Uncle app?

Melanie Trecek-King (45:17):

Cranky Uncle.

Eric Cross (45:18):

Could you share a little bit about that?

Melanie Trecek-King (45:20):

Yeah. Cranky Uncle is awesome. So, Cranky Uncle is the brainchild of John Cook, who is the founder of Skeptical Science and the author of the 97% Consensus study on climate change. Cranky Uncle … so he’s also a cartoonist. And Cranky Uncle is a cartoon game where … I don’t even have to explain who Cranky Uncle is to my students. Everybody inherently gets the, the character, right? So he’s like the guy at Thanksgiving that you don’t wanna talk to because he denies climate change and he’s just really cranky. But Cranky Uncle uses the techniques of science denial, which are summarized by the acronym FLICC: So it’s Fake experts, Logical fallacies, Impossible expectations, Cherry-picking, and Conspiratorial thinking. So he uses those techniques. Again, this is technique-based inoculation. So they recognize the techniques in the game, and you earn cranky points. And as you make Cranky crankier and crankier because you’re recognizing his techniques, you learn the techniques of science denial, and level up and open up other techniques. This is another one of those examples where climate change has a lot of science behind it, right? And if you wanted to get to the science behind climate change for any particular issue … so let’s say it’s cold today, so I’m gonna say there’s no climate change. OK? If I’m gonna unpack that at a factual level, and with science, we could be here for a while. But if I told you, “That’s like saying, ‘I just ate a sandwich so there’s no global hunger.’” OK? So that’s a parallel argument. Humorous. Love to use this kind of argumentation, ’cause it makes for some … I mean, it’s funny, but you get the point. It’s an anecdote. And anecdotes aren’t good evidence. So just like that, you could teach the technique of using an anecdotal fallacy for climate-change denial. So, I have my students play this game. You could do it when you’re studying argumentation. You could do it for science denial. I use an inoculation extension with that, where I have my students pretend that … um, actually, back up for a second. So I teach a class on critical thinking. And at the end of semesters I would get emails from students on, well, they’re failing the class, but they really shouldn’t, for all of these reasons. And reading these emails, I’m like, “If you think that’s a good argument, you clearly didn’t learn what I was hoping you would learn.” So I now have my students, early in the semester, after they play Cranky, pretend that it is the end of the semester and you’re failing the class and you’re failing because you didn’t do the work. Use at least four of the fallacies from class to argue for why you should pass. So they have to put it on a discussion forum, and they’ll say things like, “Well, if you fail me, then I won’t get into graduate school and then people will die and it will all be your fault.” Or, “My dog died, and so I was really sad.” Or, um, “You’re just a terrible teacher. And you’re short. So I don’t like you.” Or that kind of thing. So, oh, they love to attack my character. It’s really funny. But it’s supposed to be funny. And the point is, the students are using those arguments, they’re using the fallacies, to argue for something. And so by creating that misinformation themselves, they learn how those fallacies work. But taken together, I mean, everything that we just talked about there, Cranky Uncle, and the fallacy assignment, or whatever iteration you want that to be in, that doesn’t have to be in a purely science unit. Right? That could be sociology. It could be argumentation. It could be English.

Eric Cross (49:01):

Absolutely. That could be totally a prompt in an English class. And practiced in there. And then this could be an interdisciplinary thing, going back and forth between English and and science. Just having these discussions and looking at it from different angles. And you’re practicing the skills in two different contexts. So you get into argumentation. And then that app, I know I had fun with it. And the questions on there definitely resonate with people in my own family. I’m like, “I feel like I’m talking to exactly somebody that I’m related to right now.” <Laugh> Melanie, anything else that you wanna share, or discuss or highlight, before we wrap up?

Melanie Trecek-King (49:39):

So we could talk about lateral reading, if you like. ‘Cause I know a lot of educators use the crap test.

Eric Cross (49:45):

Please, please, please talk about that.

Melanie Trecek-King (49:47):

So, when evaluating sources, a lot of educators teach what’s called the CRAP test. And I wish I remembered what it stood for. But basically what you do, a lot of us have been taught when you go to a website, to figure out if it’s reliable, you wanna go to the about page. Read the mission; see who they are; maybe read some of the content; evaluate the language. So is it inflammatory? Are they making logical arguments? Are the links to reputable sources as well? And the problem is that if a site wants to mislead you, they’re not going to tell you that it’s a bunk site, right? They’re just gonna do a good job of misleading you. And so, what you wanna do instead … the CRAP test basically is an evaluation of a site. And that’s what’s called vertical reading. So you’re looking through a site to determine if it’s reliable. Uh, I think his name’s Sam Wineberg at Stanford, proposed something called lateral reading. Where, instead of on the site, what you wanna do is literally open a new tab and into the search engine type the source. You could do the claim, too. And then something like Reliability or FactCheck or whatever it’s that you’re checking, and then see what other reputable sites have to say about it. So, in their study, actually, they did a really interesting study where they compared professional fact checkers to PhD historians to Stanford undergrads. And they evaluated — I wish you could … um, there’s two pediatrician organizations. One’s like the American Association of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatricians, something like that. They’re very similar sounding. So you give them to students. I do this with my students as well, the same study. So I give my students those two websites. And I say, “Which one of these is more reliable?” And they do exactly what most of us do, which is spend time on the site looking around. And most of the time, if not nearly all the time, they come to the wrong conclusion. And so then I tell them what lateral reading is: “OK, instead of looking through the site, open a new tab, search the organization and reliability.” Something like that. And it takes probably 30 seconds before they realize one of them has been dubbed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. As opposed to the other one, which is like a hundred year old huge pediatrician organization that produces their own journals and so on. But nearly all my students are fooled. And in the study, none of the fact checkers were fooled. I’m gonna get the number right. It’s something like 50% of the historians and 20% of the Stanford undergraduates got the correct answer. And they spent a lot more time on it. So it’s a great way to teach students how to use the power of the internet to evaluate sources much more quickly and, effectively. And yes, use Wikipedia, right? Wikipedia is not a final answer, but Wikipedia is actually pretty accurate. So if Wikipedia is the first place you stop, then yes, go there, see what Wikipedia says, and then follow some of their sources.

Eric Cross (52:47):

What popped in my head was like, Yelp reviews for websites. That almost sounds like what it was. It’s like when I search for a product, I don’t go and read the product description marketing. ‘Cause that’s all designed to sell me on something. But I’ll go and look in Reliability, if it’s like a car, or just other sites to cross-reference. And that sounds like what you were talking about is like cross-referencing. Seeing what FactChecker [sic] said about this site, versus seeing what a site says about itself.

Melanie Trecek-King (53:14):

Well, that’s a great analogy. Because if I wanted to know if a product was effective, what the manufacturer says about the product, clearly there’s a strong chance of bias. Right? They’re going to be on their best, um, put their best foot forward. Versus, what do independent reviewers say about this product?

Eric Cross (53:35):

Yep. And I am known to research something to death. And I get something called “paralysis by analysis.”

Melanie Trecek-King (53:42):

Ohhhh, yeah.

Eric Cross (53:44):

And it’s so bad that even if I’m trying to buy, like, towels, I need to find the best-bang-for-the-buck towel. I have to defer some of these decisions out, because I’m on the internet for three hours now. I’ll be a pseudo-expert in towels, and thread count, and all of that stuff. But yeah, that maybe that’s just the science person.

Melanie Trecek-King (54:03):

I mean, I feel your pain. I do the same thing. <Laugh> It’s annoying. Like, it’s just towels. What does it really matter? But yeah.

Eric Cross (54:10):

Coffee! It doesn’t matter what it is. I just need to go, “OK, I have to use these powers for good. Otherwise I’m gonna be researching forever.”

Melanie Trecek-King (54:16):

I wanna say one other thing. So, again, this is a college class and I have a lot of freedom. But one of the driving philosophies behind the class is a wonderful quote in a book, Schick and Vaughn, How to Think about Weird Things. And they said, “The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your decisions, and the quality of your decisions is determined by the quality of your thinking.” And I know my students want a grade. But I’m really trying to teach them how to be empowered through better thinking. That’s where the name “Thinking is Power” came from. I mean, we say “Knowledge is Power,” but it’s not enough to know things. And there’s too much to know. So being able to think and be empowered to have your own agency and not fall for someone’s bunk is my goal for my students.

Eric Cross (55:07):

And doing that is gonna help them through the rest of their lives. Not be swindled, not be taken advantage of, be able to make better decisions. There’s so many benefits to building that skill. And I know your students have definitely grown and benefited. I’m sure you’ve heard, long after you’ve taught them, heard back from them and how they’ve applied that course to their lives. Melanie, thank you so much for being here. For a few things. One, for providing and filling this space where there’s such a need. Again, the critical thinking resources, the tools that you used, are so, so important. If we ever lived in a time where they were critical, it was really what we experienced during the pandemic in the last few years. We watched people’s information literacy and science literacy play out in real time. And we literally saw life-and-death decisions being made based off those skills. That highlighted, I think how important this is. And then, taking the time to generate resources for educators like myself, that we can take and adapt and put into our classroom and start teaching our students. ‘Cause like you said, by the time they get to you, they’re, they’re so far downstream or so far in a system that, depending on the teachers that they’ve had and the education system they’ve been in, may or may not have even touched on these things. They might have learned a lot of facts, but they may not have built their muscle to be able to critically analyze and interpret the world around them. And you’ve just — even the last year, it hasn’t even been a year since we talked the first time — I’ve watched your resources continue to grow, and you share them. And so I, on behalf of those of us in K–12, thank you. And thank you for being here.

Melanie Trecek-King (56:49):

Oh, well, thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you for everything that you do, reaching out to other educators and for giving me a platform to hopefully reach other educators.

Eric Cross (57:00):

Thanks so much for listening to my conversation with Melanie Trecek-King, Associate Professor of Biology at Massasoit Community College and creator of Thinking Is Power. Make sure you don’t miss any new episodes of Science Connections by subscribing to the show, wherever you get podcasts. And while you’re there, we’d really appreciate it if you can leave us a review. It’ll help more listeners to find the show. You can find more information on all of Amplify shows at our podcast hub, Amplify.com/Hub. Thanks again for listening.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Wednesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month!

What Melanie Trecek-King says about science

“Students carry in their pocket access to basically all of humanity’s knowledge at this moment in time. The question is: do they know what they’re looking for?”

– Melanie Trecek-King

Associate Professor of Biology at Massasoit Community College and creator of Thinking is Power

Meet the guest

Melanie Trecek-King is the creator of Thinking is Power, an online resource that provides critical thinking education to the general public. She is currently an associate professor of biology at Massasoit Community College, where she teaches a general-education science course designed to equip students with empowering critical thinking, information literacy, and science literacy skills. An active speaker and consultant, Trecek-King loves to share her “teach skills, not facts” approach with other science educators, and help schools and organizations meet their goals through better thinking. Trecek-King is also the education director for the Mental Immunity Project and CIRCE (Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative), which aim to advance and apply the science of mental immunity to inoculate minds against misinformation.

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A laptop screen displays the “Science Connections: The Community” private group page, with science-themed icons decorating the background and edges.

About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. 

Amplify professional development: coaching and tutoring

Amplify provides consistent, job-embedded coaching services to deepen teacher capacity in planning data-driven instruction. Amplify’s high-impact tutoring extends teachers’ reach to all students through data-driven small group instruction.

We have a wide suite of tutoring and coaching services that will help meet your unique needs this school year. Find out more below!

Coaching Overview

Grade(s) Coaching Program Audience Modality
K–2 Start Strong Virtual Coaching Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade teacher teams and school leaders using DIBELS Next OR DIBELS 8th Edition Remote
K–12 Data Coaching Teacher teams and school leaders Remote or Onsite

Download the overview as a PDF.

Coaching Sessions

Start Strong Virtual Coaching, K–2

Amplify provides virtual coaching to schools and districts using DIBELS to ensure that all K–2 students receive high-quality early literacy instruction that will put them on the pathway for future success.

Start Strong is a consistent, year-long, and job-embedded program where coaches meet virtually with school leaders and K–2 teacher teams in order to build their capacity in planning whole group and small group data-driven instruction based on DIBELS error patterns. School leaders will also receive support on how to lead data and planning meetings and optimize their school schedules.

Through an increased understanding of early literacy development and data-driven instruction, teachers and school leaders in the Start Strong program will be better positioned to increase K–2 student reading achievement as measured by DIBELS.

Audience: K–2 teacher teams and school leaders
Modality: Remote, maximum 8 participants per grade level team

To learn more about launching Start Strong in your school or district, please click here: Start Strong Overview

Data Coaching

Amplify’s data coaching program provides educators throughout a school, district and/or state with ongoing support to take action with their data, make changes to their teaching practices and realize significant gains in student achievement.

The data coaching program is offered in remote and/or onsite sessions and tailored to a school, district or state’s specific needs around intensity and frequency.

Teachers and school leaders work closely with their Amplify data coach to understand, analyze, and develop instructional plans using current student data sources in a collaborative learning environment. Through their participation in the data coaching program, teachers and leaders will be able to create a stronger data-driven culture and increase investment in realizing both short and long term goals in student achievement.

Audience: Teachers and school leaders
Modality: Remote or Onsite

To learn more about launching data coaching in your school or district, please click here: Data Coaching Overview

Tutoring Overview

Title Audience Modality
Comprehensive Virtual Reading Tutoring Program Kindergarten through Fifth Grade students Remote
Training for District Tutors Tutors hired at the district/school level Remote

Tutoring Sessions

Comprehensive Virtual Reading Tutoring Program

Amplify will support schools, districts, and states in ensuring all K–5 students have a strong foundation in early literacy skills by providing tutors who develop trusting relationships with students and meet their data-based needs.

In this program, tutors meet with students for 30 minutes, three days each week and use research-based, high-quality instructional materials to close literacy gaps and develop stronger social-emotional learning. While Amplify collaborates with school leaders to determine scheduling and identify participating students, Amplify will manage all other aspects of the program, thus reducing the burden for school leaders to launch this program independently. Amplify services will include, but not be limited to: creating homogeneous student groups, progress monitoring students on a consistent schedule, and hiring, training and managing tutors.

Through targeted, data-driven virtual reading tutoring, participating schools increase their capacity to provide high-quality instruction with caring adults in a small group setting to the students most in need.

Audience: K–5 students
Modality: Remote

To learn more about launching Comprehensive Virtual Tutoring in your school or district, please click the link below: Virtual Tutoring Overview

Training for District Tutors

Amplify will provide guidance and support to schools, districts, and states that are interested in developing systems and structures for launching a tutoring program focused on increasing early literacy skills for K–5 students.

At the start of the planning process, Amplify will support program managers in understanding the necessary systems, structures, and action steps required to implement the program (e.g., hiring and managing tutors). Amplify will help create a tailored training plan for tutors using the Amplify products of either mCLASS Intervention and/or Amplify Reading. The training plan for tutors will include initial product training and best practices for tutoring. Ongoing training will focus on topics such as, but not limited to: data analysis needed for flexible small groups, underlying theories for early literacy development, and strategies for engaging all students. Amplify will also provide ongoing individual support through observation/ feedback cycles for tutors.

Through their participation in the training for district tutors, districts and schools will be able to strategically launch high-quality tutoring programs and support tutors through initial and ongoing training.

Audience: District tutors
Modality: Remote

Contact

We are happy to discuss how to scale any of our coaching and tutoring services to meet the needs of a school or district’s budget or scheduling realities.

If you would like to discuss any of our coaching or tutoring services, please call Dr. Lindsay Sullivan, Ed.D. at (800) 823-1969 or email lsullivan@amplify.com.

The power of high-quality instructional materials for K–8 science

A teacher helps two young students with a classroom activity involving small craft sticks at a table, demonstrating how to teach reading comprehension using engaging hands-on methods ideal for k-5 reading comprehension.

Simply put, quality teaching means quality learning. But there is another key part of the equation: quality curriculum.

Research confirms that the instructional materials used in classrooms play a powerful role in shaping how teachers teach, and how students learn.

Shifting from low-quality or pieced-together materials to well-designed, high-quality instructional materials can significantly improve student achievement. This growing evidence—sometimes described as “the curriculum effect”—is one reason that states and districts across the country are paying closer attention to the quality of the materials they adopt.

So what does high-quality instructional materials actually mean? And what does it look like in a real science classroom?

What does HQIM mean in science education?

High-quality instructional materials (often called HQIM) are curriculum materials intentionally designed to support student learning: aligned to rigorous standards, grounded in research, and built to support teachers.

High-quality instructional materials work alongside teachers, shaping instructional practices in ways that reduce guesswork, support consistency, and free up time and energy. This lets teachers do what they do best: interact with students. HQIM provide a coherent system that supports both teaching and learning over time.

And high-quality science curriculum materials go the extra mile, clearly articulating learning goals, providing guidance for facilitation and discussion, and including embedded opportunities to check for understanding. They also support a range of learners by offering scaffolds, differentiation strategies, and multiple ways for students to engage with content.

How HQIM align with NGSS science standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) define what students should know and be able to do in science. At their core, these academic standards emphasize three-dimensional learning, integrating science practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts.

In science, HQIM are designed for three-dimensional learning: where students don’t just learn about science, but actively figure out how the natural world works. Three-dimensional learning integrates:

  • Science and engineering practices (what scientists do).
  • Disciplinary core ideas (what scientists know).
  • Crosscutting concepts (how scientific ideas connect).

HQIM are designed from the ground up to weave these dimensions together, rather than adding them on as an afterthought. That coherence helps students build understanding over time, and helps teachers see how each lesson fits into a larger learning story.

What do HQIM look like in a science classroom?

One of the best ways to recognize high-quality instructional content is to look not only at the materials, but also at the students using them.

Instead of memorizing disconnected facts, students taught with HQIM are engaged in the kinds of practices scientists use every day.

In classrooms using HQIM for science, you’ll often see students:

  • Investigating real-world phenomena that spark curiosity.
  • Asking questions, analyzing data, and building explanations.
  • Using evidence from multiple sources—texts, simulations, discussions, and investigations.
  • Revisiting ideas over time to deepen understanding.

“It is so encouraging to hear students engaged in conversation and building their ideas off of one another,” says classroom teacher Sarah Loessl of Big Hollow School District 38 in Illinois. “Students finding the confidence to challenge one another and use evidence to support their thinking is so much fun to watch.”

How HQIM support teachers

A key feature of high-quality instructional materials is that they’re designed by teachers, with teachers in mind.

This means materials that:

  • Clearly articulate learning goals.
  • Provide guidance for facilitation and discussion.
  • Include embedded formative assessment opportunities.
  • Support a range of learners, including multilingual/English learners and students who need additional scaffolds or challenges.

When materials shoulder this heavy lifting, teachers can spend less time creating from scratch and more time engaging with students.

How can teachers start engaging with HQIM?

Even if curriculum adoption decisions happen at the district level, teachers play a critical role in bringing HQIM to life.

Getting familiar with high-quality instructional materials can start with questions like:

  • What are students expected to figure out in this lesson?
  • How does this activity connect to a larger phenomenon or question?
  • Where are students using evidence to explain their thinking?
  • How does the curriculum support discussion, sense-making, and revision of ideas?

Developing a shared understanding of what high-quality science instruction looks like helps everyone—teachers, coaches, and leaders—move in the same direction.

Where does Amplify Science fit in?

Amplify Science is an example of high-quality instructional materials designed specifically for K–8 science and aligned to NGSS science standards.

It’s built around phenomena-based, three-dimensional learning and developed with educators, researchers, and scientists to support both student learning and teacher practice. The goal is coherence, engagement, and understanding that grows over time.

Ready to learn more?

To support educators and leaders in building a shared understanding of HQIM, we’ve created a free science HQIM resource bundle, including:

  • A classroom look-fors checklist.
  • A three-dimensional learning explainer.
  • An NGSS alignment overview.
  • A closer look at the HQIM student experience.
  • Registration for two upcoming webinars focused on HQIM in science.

Whether you’re new to the concept or ready to deepen your practice, these resources are designed to make high-quality instructional materials highly understandable and accessible to all.

Explore the HQIM bundle and upcoming webinars to learn more.

Amplify Caminos

Built on a systematic scope and sequence, Amplify Caminos offers the explicit instruction needed in today’s classrooms.

We’ve created a wide suite of professional development offerings that will help you meet your unique needs this school year. Find out more below!

Amplify CKLA, ELA, and Science professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

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Plan your professional development

We’re excited to partner with you on your Amplify journey. Flexible professional development pathways have been designed to meet your needs.

Illustration of three educational phases: a teacher launches a rocket, another reads a book, and four individuals discuss in a meeting setting.

Recommended Professional Development Plan

Our team has curated a recommended professional learning path from initial launch to continuous support. Use the Professional Development Planning Guide below to discuss the plan that best meets your school or district needs with your Account Executive.

Sessions overview

Recommended sessions are highlighted below.
Audience Title Duration Modality Available
Launch
K–2 teachers Initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
K–2 teachers Program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Skills Strand (Lectoescritura) initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Skills Strand (Lectoescritura) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Knowledge Strand (Conocimiento) initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Knowledge Strand (Conocimiento) program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
3–5 teachers Initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
3–5 teachers Program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Strengthen
K–2 teachers Enhancing planning & practice Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Writing Half day Onsite/Remote 12/1/22
3–5 teachers Enhancing planning & practice Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Writing Half day Onsite/Remote 12/1/22
K–5 teachers Strengthening consultation session 1 hour or 3 1-hour sessions Remote Yes
Coach
K–5 educators (leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers) Coaching session 2 days consecutive Onsite Yes
K–5 educators (leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers) Coaching session 1 day onsite
or 2 half days
remote
Onsite/Remote Yes
Coaching session Half day Remote Yes

Launch

K–2 teachers

Initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Caminos K–2 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Caminos, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Caminos, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Skills Strand initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Participants will learn the foundational elements of Amplify Caminos Skills Strand, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Skills Strand program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Learn the foundational elements of the Amplify Caminos Skills Strand, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Knowledge Strand initial training for K–2 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Participants will learn the foundational elements of the Amplify Caminos Knowledge Strand, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Knowledge Strand program overview for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Learn the foundational elements of Amplify Caminos, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

3–5 teachers

Initial training for 3–5 teachers

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half-days remote (6 hours)

Prepare to implement the Amplify Caminos 3–5 program in your classroom! Learn the foundational elements of the program, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully. Participants will begin planning for the first unit and lessons.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Program overview for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)

Learn the foundational elements of the Amplify Caminos curriculum, including the structure of materials, key lesson elements, and how to deliver specific lesson types successfully.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Strengthen

K–2 teachers

Enhancing planning & practice for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers

Elevate program knowledge to strengthen your Amplify Caminos K–2 implementation! Understand the progression of foundational skills and focus on high-quality questioning and discussion techniques through lesson study and practice. Participants will practice implementing key instructional elements and leave with annotated lessons.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Writing for K–2 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for K–2 teachers and 2–3 months of Amplify Caminos instruction

Dig into Amplify Caminos writing instruction and student work in Grades K–2! Identify writing opportunities in the curriculum through analysis of a unit and daily lessons and analyze student writing using a program-aligned rubric. Participants will leave with an annotated unit highlighting the writing opportunities and student grouping suggestions.

Audience: K–2 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

3–5 teachers

Enhancing planning & practice for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training for 3–5 teachers

Elevate program knowledge to strengthen your Amplify Caminos 3–5 implementation! Deepen ability to scaffold complex texts by sequencing reading types, prioritizing questions, and using discussion techniques. Participants will practice implementing key instructional elements and leave with scaffolds for complex texts.

Audience: Teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Writing for 3–5 teachers

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial Training for 3–5 teachers and 2–3 months of Amplify Caminos instruction

Dig into Amplify Caminos writing instruction and student work in grades 3–5! Identify writing opportunities in the program through analysis of a unit and daily lessons and analyze student writing using a program-aligned rubric. Participants will leave with an annotated unit highlighting the writing opportunities and student grouping suggestions.

Audience: 3–5 teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

K–5 teachers

Strengthening consultation session

1 hour or 3 1-hour sessions
Prerequisite training: Initial training

These 60-minute sessions will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of Amplify Caminos and equip them with the support they need to drive toward stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district leadership team in advance of the session on the topic (chosen from a menu of options) that will best meet educators’ unique needs. The menu includes sessions on engagement, pacing, and supporting all learners.

Audience: K–5 classroom teachers (instructional leaders welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Coach

K–5 educators (leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers)

Coaching for K–5 educators

2 days consecutive (6 hours per day, 12 total)
Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Caminos with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–4 school sites for two days. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation. The flexible onsite coaching design allows for a collaborative approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite

Coaching for K–5 educators

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Caminos with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–2 school sites for one day. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation. The flexible onsite coaching design allows for a collaborative approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Coaching for K–5 educators

Half day (3 hours)
Prerequisite training: Initial training

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Caminos with a Coaching onsite visit for your teachers and/or leaders! An Amplify facilitator will virtually visit for a half day. Participants can choose from a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: lesson modeling (conducted by an Amplify facilitator) and debriefing, grade-level planning, classroom observations, and leadership consultation.

Audience: Teachers and/or instructional leaders (principals and coaches)
Modality: Remote

Pricing

We offer the following pricing for training sessions and packages:

Session typePricing
2-day onsite session$4800
1-day onsite session$3200
1-day remote session (2 half days remote)$1500
Half-day onsite session$2500
Half-day remote session$750
1-hour strengthening consultation session$350
3 1-hour strengthening consultation sessions$1000
Customized Amplify Caminos onsite or remote sessionPrice will vary

Please note that the prices are general ranges and may be subject to change.

Contact

Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with schools and districts to design professional development plans and answer your questions.

If you would like to order any of our professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.

S1-06: Supporting students with a creative twist: A conversation with Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year, Shad Lacefield

In this episode, Eric sits down with the Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year, Shad Lacefield. Shad shares his experience teaching during the first year of the pandemic, where Shad dressed up in over 100 costumes to create a unique and engaging online learning experience for his students. Shad also explains ways he connects with his students to celebrate student success, as well as large-scale efforts he leads within his school to cultivate the love of learning science content. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Shad Lacefield (00:00):
When you stay relevant, it’s being engaged with your students and figuring out, or what are, what are they liking? And every year it’s gonna be different. And that helps you stay relevant. When you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids,Eric Cross (00:13):
Welcome to science connections. I’m your host. Eric Cross. My guest today is Shad Layfield. Shad is a teacher at garden Springs elementary and a part-time professor at Asbury University in Kentucky during the first year of the pandemic, Mr. Layfield dressed up in over a hundred costumes to create a unique and engaging online learning experience for his students. He also created Vader visits, where he visited students at their homes, dressed as Darth Vader to celebrate their online successes and keep them encouraged. During a challenging time. In this episode, we discuss how creativity impacts engagement, transferring lessons learned from distance teaching back to in-person instruction, and how upper grades can apply the same principles to improve student learning. I hope you enjoy this discussion with shad lays field. So you’ve been in fourth grade for four years, and then you were in second grade and fifth grade. And so like how long have you been teaching for like total?

Shad Lacefield (01:09):
So this is my 15th year teaching.

Eric Cross (01:12):
Really? Yeah. You’ve been in the game for a while.

Shad Lacefield (01:15):
Yeah. Yep. It, it doesn’t, and it’s always surprising to parents too during that, that first like, come in and meet your teacher. And I walk in, I’m like, yeah, I’ve been teaching for 15 years and every time it gets ’em, they’re like no way. And I’m like, yeah,

Eric Cross (01:28):
That’s, that’s a good thing though. That’s a good thing. Right?

Eric Cross (01:31):
You know? So like, well the energy and then, and you’re just how you’re perceived. Like you’re, they’re just, I don’t know. It’s something about work with young people. Like it keeps you young.

Shad Lacefield (01:39):
That’s what it is. Absolutely.

Eric Cross (01:41):
So how did, how, like, what’s your origin story? Like, how did you become a teacher? Like what, what was it? Was it something like you knew second career, like right outta school? Like how did you end up in the classroom?

Shad Lacefield (01:53):
Yeah. No, and I love this question cause I’m a big Marvel and, and superhero. So origin stories are all, I love a good origin story. So I grew up on a 13 acre farm in a little bitty town called Gustin, Kentucky, and very early on, like we were instilled my parents, amazing, amazing parents. But they really instilled like a, a super important work ethic in our lives of like, it’s, it’s all about hard work and it’s important that you’re working hard in whatever it is that you do. And I’m one of six kids as well in my family.

Eric Cross (02:24):
Where are you in the–

Shad Lacefield (02:25):
I’m second to last.

Eric Cross (02:26):
Second to last. Okay. So you’re the second youngest.

Shad Lacefield (02:29):
Yes. Okay. And and so, and so growing up, like with that, like, you know, I worked in tobacco, I worked in hay, you know, we did things being on the farm and stuff like that. And within my family as well, there’s four boys. And so when I decided to go to college I was the first guy in my family to go to college. And the first and only boy that ended up going to college. And so it was like this big deal, like, oh, you know, we got one of our boys gonna go to college. So what is he gonna be? And I was like, well, if I’m gonna put forth the, the time and effort and then the financial strain that it would cause cuz we were not poor at all. My dad worked two jobs to make sure, but I really felt the responsibility of like, if I’m gonna go, I’m gonna work in a profession.

Shad Lacefield (03:09):
That’s gonna make a lot of money. And here I am as a teacher now. So I didn’t go to college to be a teacher. I actually was pre dentistry. I thought, now here’s a profession. You can, a lot of money. You don’t work weekends or holidays, you know, I can still be the doctor thing. And so I’m gonna be pre dentistry. But like all good origin stories. There was a, there was a flip. So in my first year I started working at the most majestic place that you will ever go. It’s called Squire, boon, caverns. It’s a cave in Southern Indiana. And it’s an amazingly beautiful little place. You have to like one lane highway, like road to go back there up and down. Like you, you think you’re never gonna make it. And if it rains too much, the bridge will flood and you actually can’t even get back there.

Shad Lacefield (03:52):
So that’s how we’re talking like way back in the sticks. But once you get back, back there totally worth it. And as part of the job you were a tour I also did grist mill demonstrations and gym mining adventures, or, you know, as they’re gym mining and stuff like that. And within that, I started working with school aged kids and on very large tours and stuff. And my manager at the time, Claudia, I’m still great friends with and we still take our kids back there. Every summer she, to me, you’re really good with kids. Like you’re really good with kids. We have this scout program that’s on the weekends. And then during the summers and you would be teaching kindergarten through eighth grade kids, geology and forestry. What do you think about doing that? And I said, well, right, let’s try that out. And then I got the teaching bug and it hit and I was like, oh my gosh, like I don’t wanna spend my life doing something that is all about money or, or that is like, this is where it’s at. Like, I love this, I enjoy this. I enjoy the response that I get when I’m talking. And kids are excited about learning and getting new information and learning new stuff. And so then I change my major and here I am now, all these years later teaching instead of being a dentist,

Eric Cross (05:04):
Are there, are there days, do you ever have days where you’re like, you know, dentistry, it’s still an option. Like I can, I can go back.

Shad Lacefield (05:12):
Oh, rare, rare occasions. Rarely. Yeah.

Eric Cross (05:16):
Okay. Yeah. All right. All right. Fair enough. I, I, I always joke and say that like we have, you know, sometimes I have my, my alternate job on the hard days, which is for me, it’s working at the gap where I just want to fold clothes and go home at the end of the day, you know, on those really rough days. And you know, it’s never the kids, right. It’s always other things. The kids are like the great part. And then there’s all these other things. And I just wanna work at the gap. I just wanna work at the gap. Fold some clothes. Yes, sir. Yes. Ma’am absolutely. I can find that size for you. And then I just go home cause about their job when they go home at the end of the day, when you work at the gap, at least sorry, gap workers. I’m sure hard of that, but my perception in my mind is that you close up shop and then you’re done. Yeah,

Shad Lacefield (05:52):
Absolutely. Like you said, they can turn it, like it’s a turnoff at the end. Exactly. As teachers we know, like you don’t ever turn it off, it’s always there.

Eric Cross (06:00):
Yeah. So one of the things that I was super excited about when I, when I first heard about you is I went on your website and there’s so many things I feel like I can just talk about your website and just the, the content that you’ve produced. I, I, there’s so many directions I can go. But one, one of the things I want to ask you is, is about that. Now, one of the things that’s on there, and this is coming from a fellow star wars, Fisha who finished Bobba FET and the Mandalorian recently and is Jones in four OB one to come out.

Shad Lacefield (06:33):
Oh, so yes,

Eric Cross (06:35):
I live in Southern California next to Disneyland visited Galaxy’s edge star wars. You have these things called VA Vader visits. And so what do you do in those? And like, where did you get the idea for these Vader visits?

Shad Lacefield (06:50):
So the costumes were bringing the kids into the classroom. But when they left my room because you would, we only had them for a certain amount of time. There was still a lot of extra work that they needed to get done. And what I was seeing was I could get them to come in and they were really engaged during my lesson. But then afterwards, when it came to work completion or getting things done, there was, it was starting to fall off. As you know, we were experiencing, you know, more and more craziness of what’s going on. So then as an incentive, I decided if you have everything turned in, by the end of the day, I’m gonna dress up in my Darth Vader outfit, full costume, the, you know, the, the full helmet, like everything. And I’m gonna show up to your house and we’re gonna hang out and play any game at all that you wanna play.

Shad Lacefield (07:34):
So then it was a way of rewarding. My kids for getting everything turned in. But same time I felt like it would also help me build a relationship with them. That was a very challenging part of online learning. Like, again, I want you to feel like you’re a part of my classroom. I wanna feel like I’m invested in you and wanna learn about you. And it was a commitment because some of those kids put me through the ringer, whether it was we’re gonna do gymnastics on a trampoline. And again, I’m in full costume doing gymnast on the trampoline, or we’re doing soccer drills with their soccer coach at their house playing football games. I mean, all kinds of stuff. I made a Yachty game for a kid that loves Harry Potter. And it was really a big part of getting work turned in because, and it’s the crazy thought they wanted to spend time with me. Like that’s what it was. And so it was like, yeah, absolutely. I’ll keep dressing up. I did over 50 plus Vater visits. It wasn’t just for my homeroom. It was for all of fourth grade. So I went over 50 visits and it was cool to see kids in their home and talk to them and meet their parents. It was a great opportunity for me to engage with parents as well. How is online learning, going, what can I do to support you? Do you guys have any questions and stuff like that? So

Eric Cross (08:39):
This thing of relationships is like leading to work completion, which isn’t, which isn’t always the, the thing that we think to as educators of like how, you know, work completion. A lot of times we think of like structures or you know, certain protocols that you do in class get work completion, but here you are addressing as Darth Vader. And, and you said students were turning in more work because they’re connected to, you saw an increase in, in yeah. Engagement.

Shad Lacefield (09:07):
And absolutely. And, and I remember even saying that to myself, like this is, this is what’s getting them. But it, it was, and as part of the Vader visit as well with the videos we recorded all of them and I said, I’m gonna make you a YouTube star. And so I would, I, I recorded them. I put ’em on my YouTube channel. And so a lot of the videos that are on my website, all those Vader visits are like the kids showing off and playing against the teacher. And I promise you, I didn’t take it easy on any one of those kids. Like when it was like a verse match, I went all out and I told ’em. I was like, if you beat me, you know, it’s gonna be like, you earned it.

Eric Cross (09:38):
What a great way to leverage, just what, what is relevant to our students? Like you used your platform and then now you’re showcasing them on your, you know, your platform or what you were using. And then they’re seeing each other. And I could just see, regardless of the grade level, like just students, like beam from, from getting that kind of positive praise through, through, you know a medium that doesn’t, that tends to be more of a, just content consumption, but you’re kind of watching other folks do stuff, but now it’s about them. Like, and they’re, they’re getting that attention directly. Now I have to ask about the Vader costume. Did you, did you buy it for this event or did you already have that Darth Vader costume in your closet?

Shad Lacefield (10:19):
I had parts of the costume, but not the complete costume. And honestly, the very first Vader visit I had, I had the Vader mask that makes sounds, and like you could talk and it makes you sound like Vader.

Eric Cross (10:29):
My dark saber is on order. Yes. And it keeps getting delayed from best buy. It’s supposed to arrive in April, but I do have dark staple and order that I ordered back in November. So the best to your point, I don’t know who doesn’t have one, I’m waiting for mine though.

Shad Lacefield (10:42):
There you go, come on. Best buy come through for us. So

Eric Cross (10:44):
You, you did all this investment in time and, and you created all this content, but then we went back in person. Were, were you able to bring this back into the classroom or any of the things that you had generated during distance learning back in the classroom? Or are you, are you using some of the things that you learned? Like what, or is it just completely separate and you’re just doing something completely different. Now

Shad Lacefield (11:04):
That’s a great question. So I still try to dress up at least once every week, if not once every other week just to make whatever we’re doing fun, cuz I already have costumes that were connected to the content that I was doing. So had I had made a character called captain Soundwave that will use when I’m teaching my amplify lessons over sound. And so then I, you know, I have that or I would have, you know, specific characters that were designed for certain lessons that I would do. And so I still

Eric Cross (11:32):
Lemme interrupt you real quick. Where did you get these character ideas from? Cause they are super creative. I clicked on one random one. And you have had like a, a knitted like skull cap and like some blue shiny like cloak and I like who is this guy? I think, is that him? Is that captain sound wave? That’s

Shad Lacefield (11:48):
That’s hilarious. That was, that was my attempted Elsa. Oh, that was yeah. Started buying more and more costumes and and making characters and putting costumes together. And so yeah, it just ends up being this thing where you never know when I’m gonna show up in a completely random costume and be like today, we’re getting ready to learn about how sedimentary rocks form. And I dressed in my rock outfit, which is the old school rock with the turtleneck and the gold chain with,

Eric Cross (12:16):
Wait, do you have a Fanny pack too?

Shad Lacefield (12:17):
I have a Fanny pack. Yes you have. Yep. You nailed it. And they’re like, what does this guy

Eric Cross (12:22):
Do? He raise the one eyebrow. Can you do the, the rock eyebrow? Oh yeah, you got this. Oh, people on the podcast. Can’t see. Chad’s got it down. He’s got it down. He’s got the, he’s got the eyebrow going. Okay, so you, so I feel like I can go on a tangent and talk about all your costumes that you have, but the thinking about this. So tons of engagement, younger people now taking like some of the principles that you’ve learned from this, how can, how can upper grades like bring this joy to their classroom? Like middle school students, you know, older kids sometimes, you know, they can, they’re still kids, but you know, they might not be the same thing as fourth graders. Like would you, do you have any ideas of like how teachers and upper grades can kind of take these elements that you’ve done and, and apply them?

Shad Lacefield (13:04):
Absolutely. So some of the things that you had talked about, like with YouTube can also be applied to like TikTok videos and things like that, that kids are, are willing to watch and, and be engaged in. And so those things, I feel like I’ve seen other middle and high school teachers really utilize in their classroom. But honestly, and this is a new initiative that we’ve started in our district. Minecraft has been something that a lot of kids play and are really engaged in and has shown an amazing engagement for all of our kids when it comes to science engagement, particularly. And so with that, so there’s 126 million active Minecraft players right now in the world. And Minecraft is one of the largest selling video games. The average age, cuz they’re always like, oh, Minecraft is for kids who actually the average age is like 24.

Shad Lacefield (13:51):
So a lot of the older kids are playing Minecraft as well with the younger kids. And with that in mind, it was a way when I looked at Minecraft and specifically like Minecraft educational edition came out and it was during COVID and it was free. So if you had a school email or it’s like the, what the go 365 account, you could get it for free and all of our kids got it for free. And so then, then we went from playing Minecraft on the computer as like a fun game to me looking at it and saying like, wait a minute. I feel like when I’m doing energy conversions, we can take Redstone and Minecraft and kids can now show how a simple system using different parts and devices can work and understand even more con creates how energy is converted from one form to another.

Shad Lacefield (14:39):
And so let’s make this a, a, a, an actual activity. Let’s take what I’m teaching in the classroom. And if they get done early as an enrichment piece, because there’s not a ton of science and enrichment activities at times for kids to be able to do, like, what do I do when I’m done, Minecraft ended up being that. And so I could have these elaborate worlds that I would build for them that they could then go and play and be super engaged in and show me way more on this Minecraft world, what they knew than what they were writing on paper sometimes, cuz I, you know, you’d get like a sentences out of them on paper, but then all of a sudden when they would build this elaborate system and you just had them record and talk, it was like, oh my gosh, you understand way more than I was thinking that you did with that last exit slip, an assessment that we did.

Shad Lacefield (15:25):
And so like, this is awesome. So then I went to my district and I actually proposed an idea what if we did tire Minecraft build challenges for the whole district? So our district has 37 elementary schools and I was like, I think this could be something that, you know, as we’re looking for science, curriculum engagement and making kids excited about learning science and stuff again, cuz that was always the hard part. I feel like sometimes with COVID everything kids lost this love of, of being in the classroom and, and, and learning and that it was like, you know, getting them to come back into the classroom and, and finding, learning fun again. It was like this, this started to get ’em excited and like, yeah, I get to play in Minecraft and I’m learning at the same time. And it was working for all kinds of content areas.

Shad Lacefield (16:07):
We’re doing a blast off to, to Mars. We it’s called blast off to us. We’re partnering with CLO of the future. They’re working with SpaceX. Our kids will actually get to send postcards to space and yes, it’s, it’s a super cool thing. And I love my district and all of the office of technology, individuals, Ashley Josh and Kelly for putting this together. And so it asks this question if you could a community in space, what would it be like? And the goal is that kids will write on the back what they want. And then we send this postcard off to space, they stamp it saying it’s been in space and the kids get to have it back and, and be able to use it. But what, what we decided, what we could do with Minecraft is what if they actually built the colony on Mars, like really research put time and effort into reading scientific articles about plants and how plants would grow and, and water and, and structures and apply all of that in a massive build challenge. And then that be, you know what we’re doing? That can be the answer to the question. And so it’s not just a couple sentences on a postcard, but it’s like a week or two week unit that pulls all this scientific content and standards that we’re working with and really allows kids to show so much creativity like on my Twitter I’ve been posting like pictures and stuff like that of some of the students builds. And I’m gonna continue to do that throughout the build challenge.

Eric Cross (17:26):
Now, are you using Minecraft EDU?

Shad Lacefield (17:28):
Yes. That is correct.

Eric Cross (17:29):
I love Minecraft EDU. Like it, it, you talking about it inspires me to, to try to dive back into it. One of the things sometimes I feel limited by is the time that I have and the things that we’re trying to cover. And it’s almost, it almost feels like we’re doing something wrong using a video game to teach, but it’s such a great educational tool. Like you said, you just said that students are able to show what they know in, in a way by creating something that’s different than if they would’ve just written it, but they’re actually creating, and this is one of the things, I guess you kind of hit on this, but I wanted to probe it a little more. Is do you have your students creating content like you do? Cause I kind of heard that they, you were, did you say that they were explaining or doing a video recording or describing it? How are they, how are they, how are they doing that work?

Shad Lacefield (18:17):
Yeah. So what they actually do is they’ll write a script and they will use Screencastify to record and then upload to Flipgrid. And then that way they can actually show their build to all of fourth grade. Since we weren’t allowed to be in the same class, like we were all departmentalized, so then we will have voting challenges. So after you record, you get to see everyone’s videos, you get to like and comment and leave feedback on their builds. So you can see what the other kids created. And then then from those initial videos and voting, we selected a certain of kids that then go on to the district level for our Minecraft build challenge. And then those videos are viewed by administration and other teachers to vote again. And then you end up having grade level winners and then an overall winner, which shout out to my boy in fourth grade, who was our overall winner, Eli, super proud of him.

Shad Lacefield (19:07):
He, he made this really, really space saving system, which was hidden stairs that ran off of Redstone and used motion, energy. And again, in his video, he talks about like how motion energy has changed to electrical energy and then back into motion through the process of how this hidden staircase would be in the wall. And then you’d be able to use this lever to then release that staircase. So you could go up and down but it was just, and again, when you, when you let kids talk about energy conversions and you let them build all of a sudden, you have kids making security systems for banks. Another kid that made a feeding system for kids for animals at the zoo, and it was just like, oh my gosh, I had no idea that this was what you guys could run out and do. When I, when I taught you how energy conversions work, that this is what you could produce and come over, like this is mind blowing. I love it,

Eric Cross (19:56):
What our kids can do and what they can create always kind of blows us away when we give them an opportunity to kind of have that freedom to, to create and take their knowledge and actually do something with it versus channel it into what, show me what, you know, but only do it like this. This is, this is the lane that you have to stay in. How do you get these ideas and, and stay, stay relevant? Like so many of the things like you’re touching, like pop culture, you, you have this hand in education technology, you have you’re, you’re doing video editing. Like where are you drawing from? Cause I’m just thinking like, as a teacher listening to this, that might be newer. And they go to the side like, oh my gosh, this, this guy is doing these so many things like where are you drawing from for inspiration or ideas?

Shad Lacefield (20:39):
I think a lot of it is like you say, when, when you stay relevant, it’s being engaged with your students and figuring out, or what are, what are they liking? And every year it’s gonna be different. And that helps you stay relevant. When you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids to figure out, you know, what’s going on. Because I was not a big Minecraft person. It was the group that came in that really challenged me to do Minecraft because it, it showed up on their Chromebooks one day and all of a sudden it’s like, oh, we can play Minecraft all the time. And I said, no, you can’t play Minecraft until that I’ve had training. And I know what’s going on because I’m super nervous about this new thing. And I wanna make sure you guys aren’t doing something that you’re not supposed to.

Shad Lacefield (21:13):
And like, they hounded me hardcore about you better do you need to do that training, Mr. Lacefield, you need to, we wanna play Minecraft. You better be doing this. Right. And so I was like, all right, man, I’ll, I’ll invest. I’ll, I’ll put some time into this training. And I’m so glad that I did yeah, again, that’s it just like building relationships and having those conversations help you realize like, what’s, what’s what are they interested in? What what’s going on and what would be really funny, even connecting that back to the costumes. What would it be really funny if I showed up in you know, today, princess Jasmine.

Eric Cross (21:42):
Yeah.

Shad Lacefield (21:43):
Been yes. Done that. That’s a great one. I,

Eric Cross (21:45):
I, I just went to the social studies page. I, and I stop laughing while you were talking. Cause I saw the princess Jasmine.

Shad Lacefield (21:52):
Oh yeah. Folks.

Eric Cross (21:53):
I’m telling you, you have to go, you have to go to his videos and see what he’s done. I mean, they’re just, they’re just amazing with my middle school students. They, I, I find myself having to be into things that I’m not normally into. And we have these intergenerational relationships, right? Like I think teachers are unique in this I aspect where I can connect with a 12 year old with what 12 year olds are in no matter where this 12 year old’s from. Cuz I get 12 year old culture. But sometimes when I go back into my adult world, like I forget that like, Hey yeah, haven’t watched a new anime you know, or, or whatever, you know, up

Shad Lacefield (22:26):
That. Yeah. No said too. And a kid will show up wearing a, a shirt to school and I’m like, I wasn’t the world’s that like, I’ve never even seen that before. And you’re like, okay, I’m gonna have to learn what that is cuz that yeah.

Eric Cross (22:38):
And then the next student asks you about, Hey, do you like, do you like these this game? I’m like, yeah, yeah, let me go Google that game real quick. Yeah, I’m totally into it. I’m downloading on my phone real quick. And, and now I’m connected to all kinds of obscure random interests, but to your, to what you said, it like, it helps keep us fresh, right? With I, with ideas, there, there is something that is super practical that you’ve done that you’ve created that I’ve encouraged teachers to do. And I think you really nailed it. On your site, you have these video tutorials. When I look at those, I, I think about how much time you must have saved yourself of not having to explain the same exact thing multiple times. Because you’ve created this virtual help section that allows students to log in amplify earth, check, Flipgrid, whatever. Like do you, when you’re, when you’re teaching students, do you, do you use those in direct students there so they can kind of support themselves? Or is that, what, how did that come to be when you, when you made these, these virtual tools? Because I could just imagine these are time savers for you.

Shad Lacefield (23:49):
Absolutely. Cuz again, like you said, it’s it saves on time. So a lot of when you have kids that are already visual learners as well, and they love watching YouTube and they learn stuff from YouTube, why not? I mean, make the video and then attach it to my Google classroom, keeping everything online. Everyone always has access. And by still having those videos, it allows kids to hear the directions multiple time, but on their time and at their pace. So then it’s posted on the assignment. So even though I probably still will give those directions verbally out loud if a kid forgets and maybe they feel a little nervous about asking in front of their peers, like, oh, how do I do this again? Or, oh, I don’t remember how to do that. That video is linked on there. So that way they can go back and watch it.

Eric Cross (24:28):
It’s almost like a little co-teacher that you have like a little aide that’s like, but it’s you, but it’s like a mini you who’s helping you out. I found that putting sometimes those tutorial videos on ed puzzle, where at different points in time, you can set it up so that at a certain timestamp, it asks a question and you can control it. So they can’t move faster past it until they respond to the question and you have the question be about whatever you just said. And then it, it syncs with Google classroom. So you can import all the grades and you can see how far through the video they got. But that was one other layer that I was able to do. So I can have some accountability and make sure that okay, everybody watched it and they answered all five questions of like, how do you do this?

Shad Lacefield (25:07):
Oh, see, now you’re sharing stuff with me, Eric, because I, I’m not as familiar with ed puzzle. I’ve used like near pod and per deck, but I mean just you saying that I’m like, okay, I need to check out ed puzzle and, and see what, what this is all about. Cause that sounds awesome.

Eric Cross (25:20):
Hey, I shared something with Chad and it it’s useful. I’m I’m feeling good right now. I’m feel I’m feeling good. So as we, as we kind of wind down one, couple questions I wanna ask. One of ’em is you’ve been in teaching for, for 15 years and I, I talk to you like right now and I get this energy and this vibe that’s just so upbeat, so positive. How do you stay fresh, fresh. And how did you stay fresh during a time when things have been so hard, you know, and it, and still is for so many educators, how do you stay encouraged? Like what, what have you done and, and to stay in, in education for, for this long,

Shad Lacefield (26:00):
I think it, it even goes back to like when I made my initial decision to switch my major to education, like I, I really felt like I found so thing that I thoroughly loved and enjoyed, and I always feel like you go through seasons. Like, and I definitely, when, when COVID hit, like you went through a season of where you start to feel again, that pressure like do I really like doing this as much as I thought that I like doing this and am I ready for this next thing? And then I just go back to just the, well, why did I do this to begin with? And, and it gets me, you know, excited to be like, I did it for the kids, like, and it’s about the kids. And I get joy when they’re laughing and smiling. So again, with the videos, it’s like, how can I make ’em laugh and smile because if they’re laughing and smiling and having a good time, I’m gonna get, you know, jacked and ready to start teaching again.

Eric Cross (26:48):
And I just hear that so much in what you’re saying is you’re serving your kids is, is being more than that building the relationship, that connection. And then through all that, the learning happens. The last question I wanna ask you is who’s one teacher that created a memorable experience for you or inspired you. Is it someone that you remember when you were in school or learn experience that just, that stands out to you to this day? Cuz as teachers, we remember thi like our kids remember us and it’s weird to be in that position to think that we’re gonna be that person. So is there anybody or anything that stands out to you that you remember from a, a teacher and experience?

Shad Lacefield (27:27):
Gosh, I have, I have a lot that you know, from my fifth grade science teacher, Mr. Goodman, who we did the ecology meet and the ecology team, and we went to OT Creek park and we competed against other schools about science, connected materials to my physics teacher in high school that let us build boats out of cardboard and take it to the only hotel in our town and the pool. And we had like boat races with the cardboard boats that we did. But really I, I go back to Squire boon and Claudia my manager and I remember not only was, she’s such a, a pivotal like getting me into teaching. But I remember the, the curriculum that we were using at the time that I was. And again, it goes back to what if I was to teach that curriculum, I would not still be a teacher because again, as sometimes you experience with curriculum, it can be boring and not engaging. And I was already putting my own flare on it at SQUI boon during the scout lessons. And I said, what if I just completely rewrote this curriculum? What if I made it really fun and put my own, spin on it? And, and she was like, absolutely, absolutely do that. And I feel like that encouragement as teachers, when we encourage kids to be creative when we encourage kids to, to take risk and to try new things we end up getting such amazing results that we didn’t even expect

Eric Cross (28:45):
Thought I out to Mr. Goodman for the ecology meet the physics teacher for the, the boat races, which are hilarious, by the way, if you’ve ever been able to watch students, did you make ’em at a cardboard?

Shad Lacefield (28:53):
We did. Yep.

Eric Cross (28:54):
Yeah. Those are hilarious to watch. And Claudia for giving the freedom to let you be a educational DJ and remix things to make it fun. Thanks for being on the podcast. Thanks for your inspiration and for sharing your stuff like publicly and letting other people see it and, and get ideas. It’s, I’m sure there’s more people than, you know, and more teachers than, you know, that are looking at that and getting their own ideas and coming up with their own. It might not be star wars, but coming up with their own inspiration, maybe it’s like Harry Potter or Lord of the rings or some like that.

Shad Lacefield (29:26):
Yeah. Whatever. You’re passionate about. Pull that in.

Eric Cross (29:31):
Thanks so much for joining me and Shad today. We want to hear more about you. If you have any great lessons or ways to keep student engagement high, please email us at stem@amplify.com. That’s STEM@amplify.com and make sure to click, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts until next time.

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Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

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What Shad Lacefield says about science

“It’s about being engaged with your students and figuring out what are they liking. Every year it’s going to be different…when you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids.”

– Shad Lacefield

4th Grade Science Teacher, District Elementary Science

Meet the guest

Shad Lacefield is a teacher at Garden Springs Elementary and part-time professor at Asbury University in Kentucky. Mr. Lacefield leads professional development in his district, and has been a guest speaker for Eastern Kentucky University, Campbellsville University, and Amplify Education. His topics include classroom managment, integrating techology, and student engagement. He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Campbellsville University in 2007, and his master’s in science from Southwest Baptist University in 2011. Shad has either taught or coached every grade K-12, and in his 14 years in education he has served as a lead teacher in literacy, math, science, and social studies. He currently coordiantes with the FCPS Office of Instructional Technology to plan Minecraft build challenges for elementary students, and is working on setting up a science field trip that turns a golf course into a STEM lab. During the first year of the pandemic, Shad dressed up in over 100 costumes to create a unique and engaging online learning experience for his students. He also created Vader Visits where he visited students at their homes dressed as Darth Vader to celebrate their online successes, and keep them encouraged during a challenging time. His creative teaching style, and over 50 “Vader Visits” with students, have been featured on WKYT-TV, LEX-18, Spectrum 1 News, and several local and college news publications. Shad lives in Lexington Kentucky with his wife Whitney Lacefield and their three children.

Check out his websiteYouTube channel, and Facebook account!

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About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

S2-01: How teachers are really feeling this school year

science connections S02-01 Episode Cover

In this special solo episode, Eric Cross starts the season by sharing his personal journey as an educator, and how the difficulties of the last few years have shaped his mindset going into the upcoming school year. Eric also addresses teacher burnout and what inspires him to continue working as a classroom educator. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Eric Cross (00:02):

Welcome to Science Connection, Season Two. As we begin the next season, I thought it would be a good time to share my story. As the host, I get to ask people questions about their journey, but I’ve actually never shared much about my own. So I’ve taken some of my most frequently asked questions to guests and asked them to myself. I hope you enjoy.

Eric Cross (00:23):

So the origin story question, I think really gets to the heart of why a person does what they do, because so much of who we are, especially as adults and teachers, is a result of experiences that we had in our lives when we were kids or in school with other teachers. And my life’s no different. I was born to a 19-year-old single mom. And when you’re a young boy growing up, especially with a young single mom, you often look to older men in different positions as kinda like a surrogate or like a mentor. And you may not even tell them that they are that to you. You kind of keep it close to the chest. And that’s what I did growing up. One of the ones that really stood out to me is, in seventh grade, I went to a middle school here in San Diego that was called Keiller Middle School. And we were a magnet program that specialized in science. And they had this program that brought professors from the local universities and they did this high-level enrichment. They would even take us to the college campus and we would work in these labs as seventh graders. It was amazing. And one of the people there, his name was Dr. Tress, and he was a professor. And Dr. Tress took a liking to me. I reminded him of his son. We were doing this great embryology experiment. We would take purple sea urchins. And we would inject them with potassium chloride, which would cause them to spawn. And we would fertilize these eggs, and then we would run different experiments using them. And these were things that I had never done before. I had always loved science. I’d always loved tinkering and building things. But this was my introduction, really, to high-level biology and to higher levels of education. I didn’t—I didn’t have many figures like that in my life growing up. I mean, I’m a first-generation, you know, high school, college graduate. Many of these are first generations for me. So, this was a new experience. And so Dr. Tress really unlocked a core memory and was one of my first mentors, as far as academics are concerned. And during my seventh-grade year, I entered the science fair and won first place, which was a huge deal. They took us out to Balboa Park. We got to miss school for a week. We got to go to all the museums for free. It was the best. And I think at that point in time, it really solidified something in me that would lay dormant until later on in my adult life. High school, I was really fortunate: the high school I went to was Morse High School, not too far from Keiller, and they had an aeronautics program. So I was able to enroll in that aeronautics program. And I learned how to fly before I learned how to drive. And I had this great instructor named Mr. Klon, who was this like 6′ 4″, 250-pound hippie guy. And he—we would get in the plane and we would have these like philosophical conversations. And through that, especially looking back now as a teacher, I realized that he was making connections with me and investing into who I was as a person. And it was something that I so needed at the time. Because at home I didn’t have that. You know, my safe place, a lot of time, was school. It was my only structure. It was where I knew I would get encouragement. It was where I knew things were reliable and consistent. For a lot of people, and a lot of kids, their home life isn’t like that. School was that for me. So Mr. Klon, I mean, he was this authentic, you know, consistent person in my life and made a huge difference at this time.

Eric Cross (03:23):

After I graduated high school, I left home just to get away from a difficult environment. And I was homeless for a little while and that was a huge moment in my life. And around that time, an aunt found out and she said, “You’re gonna come stay with us.” And this was like this three-year process of me living with them in this, like, functional family that ate dinner together. And they went to the zoo. They had family passes. And they took family photos at Christmastime. This was all weird stuff. Like, I didn’t know—I didn’t know who did these things. It was—I felt like a puppy that like lived in a home that was like…it was a home that was just always kind of like violent or like just really toxic. And then it gets put into a healthy home and doesn’t know how to act. That’s how it felt. And this was around like 19, 20 years old. During that time I started putting myself through school. So I went to community college and I was broke as a joke. And so I couldn’t afford the textbooks while I was going. So I would just go to the bookstore, the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Mira Mesa here in San Diego. And I would stay there all night using the textbooks or using the books there for doing my work. And then I would just put the books back on the shelves. Because let’s just face it. Textbooks are expensive, brother wasn’t trying to pay for all that. So I really had to earn that time. So I was working full-time. I was going to school. And, eventually I got a job in working in finance with a really great friend who mentored me during my younger twenties. And I didn’t wanna be broke and finance made sense.

Eric Cross (04:44):

And so I did that for a little while, until I got to a point in my career where I was watching an episode of The Office, the UK version, the Ricky Gervais version, and a character said, “I’d rather be at the bottom of a ladder I want to climb than halfway up one I don’t.” And I realized, working in finance, that I was halfway up a ladder I never wanted to climb. So I wanted to move into something that, if I was gonna spend eight hours a day or 10 hours a day doing something, I wanted it to be something that actually filled me up inside. And this is how I got into teaching. So I had always been working with young people, specifically 12- to 18-year-olds, like a non-profit or volunteering, mentoring, after-school programs. And I’ve always managed to rationalize my job in the finance world as meaningful because it let me do the real work that fulfilled me. So the real work was working with the kids. But my day job, my, like, Clark Kent-type job, was just, you know, doing the finance thing of like helping people that have a lot of money make more money. Which at the end of my life, I look back and I said, “That’s not what I want my legacy to be.”

Eric Cross (05:43):

And when the finance crash happened in 2008, that’s when I think I started looking back on it and said, “If I’m gonna spend all my time doing something and spending 40 or 60 or 80 hours of my day of my week doing things, I want it to matter. And that’s when I decided to pivot and leave that field and go and get my master’s in education and get my teaching credential, teaching science specifically. Now, one of the questions we get asked a lot and I’ve been asked is, is “How has teaching changed as a result of the pandemic?” And I feel like this could be several podcasts in and of itself, and it’s also regional, because everybody’s experienced it differently, And we’re still experiencing it! That’s the crazy thing! It’s like, it’s not over, we’re still in it. And some places have innovated and pivoted and some places just did what they needed to and they are trying to go back to business as usual. But if anything has happened, the pandemic revealed how much more, how much schools are more than places of just content learning. For many students it’s where they have their only community, their structure, their emotional wellness. They get regular meals, access to tech, and adults that care about them that are outside of their family. The schools are so much more than that. I mean, my school, they were a place, like a hub, that was giving out food every single day during the pandemic to families that would kind of drive by. So for a lot of schools, they became places like that. It also…the pandemic revealed the intensity of the educator workload. I mean, being able to manage your family, having the capacity, to be a content expert, you need to be a counselor, a trauma-care specialist, a coach, an encourager, a tech expert.

Eric Cross (07:23):

I mean, the term mental health is now more common and starting to become prioritized. Now we’re focusing so much more on the whole child. And we know from research that how a child feels about themselves and their safety and their security impacts their ability to learn. So the more comfortable and safe a student feels in the classroom with teachers and with friends, the better they’re gonna be able to learn. And ultimately the higher they’re gonna be able to achieve. You can’t, you can’t have one without the other. In addition, I think less teachers, see themselves teaching into retirement. I think that’s a big thing. I read these articles about teacher shortages and I think the reality is it’s actually teacher exodus. It’s teachers leaving. And that’s been really difficult. I’ve had many friends who’ve left for the private sector. And I get it, especially if you’re one that has—if you’re the first in your family to graduate from college, with a STEM degree, to them taking a teaching position can mean walking away from a salary in the private sector that pays two or three times more.

Eric Cross (08:23):

And in many places around the country, in order to be a teacher and maintain a median standard of living, you need either dual income, multiple jobs, or a multi-generational household. For a lot of people it just doesn’t make sense. And even right now, today, as I’m recording this, I’m reading articles and getting text messages…and I received a text message three days ago from a teacher that said, “My goal this year is to just not resign.” And that’s where a lot of teachers are feeling right now: isolated, challenged, and under-appreciated. And Plato said, “What’s honored in a country is cultivated there.” And I’ve been looking at how teachers are honored and one of the ways is just, like, practical. Like, look, I gotta pay my bills. You know, love the Starbucks gift card. Love the CPK, the gift card. The cards, all those other things…but brother got a car payment. And at the end of the day, if we care about our kids, we need to take care of the people that take care of them. And there’s very practical ways for that to happen. And everybody in different sectors around the country is dealing with that in different ways. I think the pandemic also revealed, now the public can see how our kids don’t receive the same quality of education. And once you’re aware of that, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. So once you see on Zoom or once you see in a meeting, or once you see on the news, that students in different areas, whether it’s the rural South or a suburb in Seattle, are not getting equitable educations, well, ultimately that impacts all of us. Now. It’s not all doom and gloom. Good things have come from, as a result of, the pandemic. Many schools have made progress towards narrowing the technology gap, ’cause they had to! ‘Cause you can’t do Zoom and you can’t do Google Meet and all that stuff with a packet! You gotta get those Chromebooks. And Chromebooks and the internet and access to tech is not a new thing. It’s been out for a long time. The technology gap is not a new thing. It’s been written about extensively, but all of a sudden districts and schools started figuring out how to close that gap. And that’s awesome. We didn’t want a pandemic to be the catalyst for that to happen. But at the end of the day, we started closing it. A lot of schools did an amazing job and districts did an amazing job with deploying the hardware, sending out buses with wifi, putting lessons and videos on USB sticks and dropping them off to parents who live in sparsely populated areas. I mean, there were so many stories that I’ve heard about schools and teachers just doing amazing things, going above and beyond what they needed to on behalf of kids.

Eric Cross (10:51):

I think in addition to that, there’s also been students and families are now having more options to personalize their learning. So we have this in-person model, we have this Zoom or kind of online model, and this hybrid model, and it hasn’t all been perfect, you know, at all. But some families have come out and said, you know what actually doing this hybrid model is better for my son or better for my daughter or better for my student, because they’re able to get the socialization, but also able to focus better at home than they are in a classroom of 36. And that’s legitimate. You know, we talk about personalized learning, but it’s not exactly personalized when everybody has to wake up at the same time, same schedule, go to the same, the same classroom of, you know, up to 40 kids, and do the same lesson. I mean, we have to be honest about our limitations with personalizing learning for students. And when we can provide more options and we give teachers the infrastructure to be able to use different platforms, then we’re able to personalize learning a lot more.

Eric Cross (11:51):

There’s also been an emphasis on the whole-child wellness. I think the spotlight on mental well-being heavily impacts their academic success, but counseling teams, social workers, school psychologists—I think more than ever we’ve realized the value that they bring to the schools. And unfortunately many of them have caseloads of 200 students or more. And they’re seeing students most often that are in crisis. And especially after the pandemic, we’re realizing how valuable they are and how much we need to, one, honor them and give them the support that they need, and also recruit more. Because as we start recognizing how our brains are impacted by the things that we’re dealing with, we’re also gonna see how that’s gonna impact our students’ performance. And we need the specialists in those positions to be able to support our kids. I think, last, I think more innovation and lesson design and how we assess students. And so we’ve been talking about in education just kind of critiquing: how do we assess what a student knows? How do we make what a student actually does at school relevant to real life? I mean, so many times I have students who’ve graduated that are like, “I feel like the things I learned in school, like, they’re not always transferable to real life. It helped me on a test, but like, I don’t know how to do my taxes.” Or “I memorized these facts, but I don’t really apply it in my job.” Or “The facts that I learned I could have actually learned on the fly in my job. I wish I would’ve actually focused on the skills or had an earlier opportunity to get some experience because when I’m trying to apply for a job, <laugh> they ask for experience and I’m 22 years old.”

Eric Cross (13:28):

And so all these things kind of come up. And so I think there’s been some great conversations around “how do we rethink what education looks like?” And there’s different pockets around the country that have been doing that, I think, really well. And I think it’s important for us as teachers to stay connected to those people who are kind of pushing the boundaries and thinking outside the box, because when we get siloed, it’s really easy to get calcified and cynical. I get it. And it impacts me too. But when we’re around those people who have those fresh ideas, who are really pushing the limits, it inspires us. And that’s something I think during the pandemic that I’m grateful that I was intentional about, is staying connected with other teachers. There’s a big question; Why do you continue your work in the classroom and what keeps you motivated? And I was thinking really hard about this question, because depending on <laugh>, depending on my day, I feel like my answer’s gonna be a little bit different. So I’ve had to step back from this 30-foot, thousand-foot perspective and answer the question. And my answer is this: I think because I still feel like I can be effective to influence positive change in my classroom with my students and within the larger education system as a whole. I think if I lost either of those two, then I’d rethink my profession. Look, I’m an innovator. I like asking “why” questions and things like that. And I’m not always the most popular person when you do that. But education is like just a huge ship. It doesn’t pivot on a dime. And asking why questions and pushing for change on behalf of kids isn’t easy, fun, or glamorous, but it’s it’s necessary. And I feel like over the last few years, I’ve been able to see these kind of glimmers of a trajectory change, at least where I am locally. And that’s something that has given me a lot of hope. I’m very fortunate to be connected to educators and people in leadership that are really about making a difference beyond just kind of the cliched platitudes. They actually wanna make systemic change, in a way that’s positive. And that’s been really helpful for me. So as long as I feel like I’m useful in the classroom for students, and as long as I feel like I’m bringing, I think change, on behalf of teachers and students and administrators and our community in a way that moves the ball down the field, that’s what keeps me motivated. And what I like to ask teachers when I close in the podcast is. “What teacher or teachers have inspired you?”

Eric Cross (15:54):

And for me, I think it would start off with the teachers who cared about me when they didn’t have to, in elementary school all the way through college. And there are numerous teachers. My science-teacher community of practice. For the last two years, I’ve been fortunate to spend every month, once a month, meeting with just a core group of science teachers that really care about some of the things that we are impacted by in the classroom. And when the pandemic was going on, we still met regularly. And because we’re not all teaching in the same place, we kind of were able to bring different perspectives to the table. I think the current classroom teachers and former classroom teachers that I have in my community really inspire me. The ones who are dedicated to opening doors for students. The graduate students that I teach at the University of San Diego, they keep me fresh. I love leaving teaching my 12- and 13-year-olds, and then driving down the street to the university and teaching 20somethings who are all about to be in the classroom. They come with new ideas, they’re asking questions, and I get to actually share things that I just did three hours ago. I think that’s one thing that continues to inspire me. And it’s one of the reasons why I love teaching at the University of San Diego. Their energy and enthusiasm is super-refreshing. And then all the teachers that are willing to take risks and fail forward, to try things different, to ask hard questions, to push the envelope. Teaching’s hard. It’s easy to point out the problems in education as a whole. But after we do that, it’s important to figure out the practical ways we can make the changes that we wanna see.

Eric Cross (17:23):

Now, that’s to say that if you have the capacity for it and the resources and the support. Some of us, we don’t. Some of us, we are on an island, and that’s a really, really difficult place to be, especially when you have family and kids to take care of. And you have to make decisions on what’s best for you and for your own students. We do this work on behalf of kids. And it’s one of the most honorable services a person can provide to our community. But one area for growth that I think we have kind of as a society, is teachers spend their lives, daily, on behalf of the future of our country. For other people’s children. They fall asleep at night worrying about other people’s kids. They spend their own money to create opportunities and experiences that students might not otherwise have. And it’s important that we collectively, and I know I’m preaching the choir when I say this, but this is one of my messages, is that we honor them in turn. We create programs that allow them to be able to afford housing. We create opportunities for them to be able to generate wealth. We create ways for them to be able to find rest, to get connection. And then internally we create systems where they can just work on themselves, fill themselves, get trained, and be whole, so they can bring their best self to the kids in front of them. That’s one of my personal platforms. It’s something that I think is vital. We gotta take care of the people that take care of our kids. So there’s a saying that says, “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” And it takes one person to blow out a candle, but one candle can light thousands of other candles, without diminishing its own light. And that’s what we have to be. So my encouragement, teachers, as you’re going into this new school year, and you’re thinking about what’s going on, you’re thinking about all the challenges—and they’re there, and they’re real, and trust me, it’s not like some Pollyanna, like, “Hey, just be positive!” mindset and everything’s gonna be great—no, no, no, no, no. It’s not that. But my encouragement…if I can tell you one thing that’s helped me more than anything else, it’s being connected to other people who are candle-lighters. Because there are a lot of places that are gonna blow out the candle. It could be the staff lounge. It could be Twitter, it could be Reddit. It could be Instagram. It could be TikTok. It could be, you know, anybody. Someone next door to you. There’s a lot of folks that are gonna be willing to point out and say, “Look, this is what’s wrong.” But find the helpers. Find the people that are candle-lighters. And stay connected with them. Find that community. I can tell you for me, that’s been the thing that’s been able to help me sojourn through all of this—I couldn’t do this by myself—is being able to share my story with other teachers and knowing that I’m doing this work alongside of other folks who are doing this work, and I can share my story with them and listen to their stories, is something that’s been able to fill my cup. And so I hope I can do the same for you and for other people listening to other people I come in contact with.

Eric Cross (20:08):

Teachers, I wish you a great school year. Hang in there. Be those candle-lighters and bring your best self on behalf of the students. Thanks so much for listening. Now, we wanna hear more about you. If you have any stories you wanna share about the classroom, please email stem@amplify.com. That’s STEM at amplifycom.wpengine.com. And make sure to click subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And join our Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community. Until next time.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month.

What Eric Cross says about science

“We do this work on behalf of kids, and it’s one of the most honorable services a person can provide to our community.”

– Eric Cross

K–8 Science teacher, Host of Science Connections: The Podcast

Meet the guest

Eric Cross is a 7th grade science/technology teacher, grade level lead, and digital learning innovator for Albert Einstein Academies, International Baccalaureate schools. He is also an adjunct professor of learning and technology at the University of San Diego and a Google certified innovator. Eric earned a bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University and a Master of Education from the University of San Diego. He had 17 years of experience working with at-risk youth and underserved populations before becoming a middle school teacher. By building relationships with students, colleagues, and the community, he has become an empowered leader in and out of the classroom. Through meaningful learning experiences centered around student agency, STEM has become accessible to students through highly engaging lesson design, thoughtful integration of digital tools, and culturally relevant pedagogy.

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About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

High-impact, evidence-based programs that help students make gap-closing gains in reading and math

Amplify Tutoring engages students and drives measurable academic gains. We partner with districts to ensure that children become confident, proficient readers and mathematical thinkers.

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What district leaders and teachers are saying

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What district leaders and teachers are saying

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S3 – 04. Ideas to build math fluency with Valerie Henry, Graham Fletcher, and Tracy Zager

Promotional image for "Math Teacher Lounge" Season 3, Episode 4 titled "Ideas to Build Math Fluency," featuring Valerie Henry, Tracy J. Zager, and Graham Fletcher.

Fluency in math can oftentimes be associated with negative experiences with its development— timed worksheets, for example. Bethany and Dan are joined by three guests to better understand fluency and how to make its approach fun. Dr. Val Henry shares her three-part definition of fluency and her five principles for developing it. Additionally, Tracy Zager and Graham Fletcher join Bethany and Dan to better understand fluency through a lens of equity and using multimedia as a tool.

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Dan Meyer (00:03)

Hey folks. Welcome back. This is Math Teacher Lounge, and I am one of your hosts, Dan Meyer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:07):

And I’m your other host, Bethany Lockhart Johnson. Hi, Dan.

Dan Meyer (00:11):

Hey, great to see you. We have a big one this week to chat about and some fantastic guests. We are chatting about fluency, which is the sort of word and concept that I feel like people have very, very non-neutral associations with it. A lot of them are very negative, for a lot of people.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:26):

I saw you frown a little. What’s up with that, Dan? You kind of, like, shrank.

Dan Meyer (00:30):

I have strong feelings about it. You know, there’s lots of ways that people go about helping people become fluent in mathematics. And a lot of them are harmful for students, and ineffective. And it got me thinking about fluency as it exists outside of the world of mathematics, where we have a lot of very clear images of it. We’re getting fluent in things all the time. Like, as humans. Human development is the story of fluency. And I just was wondering….Bethany, would you describe yourself as fluent at something outside of the world of mathematics? What is that? How’d you get fluent at it? What was the process?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:05):

Hmm, I think I’m a pretty fluent reader. I read all the time. I’m a happier person if I’ve read that day. I once saw this poster in a classroom; it said “10 Ways to Become a Better Reader: Read, Read, Read, Read, Read…you know, 10 times. Get it? Reading? You get better at reading by reading! So I would say reading. And it’s been kind of cool—I have a one-year-old who, it’s been really exciting slash overwhelmingly anxiety-producing to see him get very fluent with walking slash running, ’cause he’s getting faster every day. And it’s kind of fun. When I think of what’s something somebody’s trying to get fluent with…walking! He’s trying to be more fluid. He’s practicing transitions. He doesn’t wanna hold my hand while he traverses rocky terrain. He’s getting better at it. He’s practicing. What about you? What’s something…?

Dan Meyer (02:08):

I think about driving a lot. I’m a very fluent driver and I think a lot about when I was first a driver, you know? And how l have my hands on 10 and 2, vice grip, and do not talk to me; do not ask me anything; don’t ask me my NAME. I need to focus so hard. And then a year later, you know, I’m driving with one hand, smash the turn signal, take a sip off of whatever, change the CD. And then it’s no big deal.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:38):

Wait, did you pass the first time? Your test?

Dan Meyer (02:40):

Yeah, I don’t like to brag about it. <laugh> But I do all the time. <laugh> But I got a hundred on my driving test. I don’t care who knows it. And I hope it’s everybody. But I guess all of this is just to say there are areas of life where fluency feels natural, with the case of walking. There’s areas of life where fluency feels motivating, with like driving—I wanna be able to switch the CD out or whatever. And there’s areas where fluency feels terrifying and hard to come by, like mathematics, sometimes. So we have a set of guests here. Our first guest will help us figure out what do we mean by fluency? And what’s the research say about what fluency is and how students develop it in mathematics? And then our other guests will help us think about what it looks like in practice in the classroom. What are some novel, new ways to work on fluency? So first up we have Val Henry, Dr. Val Henry.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:32):

So we knew we needed help with the fluency definition, because when we think about it, it’s kind of big, right? And we wanted to look at what research about fluency really says. So we called on Valerie Henry. Val is a nationally board-certified teacher, taught middle school for 17 years, and since 2002 has worked with undergraduates graduates, credential candidates as a lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, one of my alma maters. So after doing her dissertation on addition and subtraction fluency in first grade, Val created a project to study ways to build addition and subtraction and multiplication and division fluency while also developing number sense in algebraic thinking. And the pilot grew and grew over the last 18 years into a powerful daily mini-lesson approach to facts fluency called FactsWise. And when we thought of fluency, the first person I thought of was Val. Welcome, Val Henry, to the Lounge! I’m so excited to have you here. Welcome.

Valerie Henry (04:36):

Thanks, Bethany. And thanks to you, Dan. It’s great to be here today.

Dan Meyer (04:41):

Great to have you; help yourself to whatever you find in the fridge. The names that people write down on those things in the bags are just recommendations. It’s potluck-style here. I’m curious, Val, if you’re, like, on an airplane, someone asks you what you do, and you say you study fluency…what is the layperson’s definition of what does it mean to be fluent in mathematics? And if you can give a brief tour through what the research says about what works and what doesn’t that would really help us orient our conversation here.

Valerie Henry (05:12):

The first thing I have to do when I talk to somebody on a plane is define the idea of fluency. And I often use an example of tying your shoelaces. Because that works with first graders as well as adults. This idea that when we first start trying to put our shoes on and get those shoelaces tied, somebody tries to, first of all, just do it for us. But then of course maybe tries to teach us the bunny-ears approach. And we struggle and struggle as little kids and eventually either the bunny-ears approach or something else starts to work for us. But we still have to pay attention to it. We have to think hard and it’s not easy. And then over time we get to the point where we basically don’t even think about it. When I tie my shoes in the morning. I’m not thinking about right-over-left and left-over-right and all of those things. I just do it. And so that’s a good, easy example of becoming fluent with something. I think what we’re talking about today though, is the basics, the adding and subtracting that we hope kids are going to have mastered maybe by second grade, and the multiplication and division facts that we wanna maybe have mastered by third, maybe fourth grade. So now what does that mean to become fluent with those basics? I have a three-part definition that seems to match up really nicely with the common core approach to fluency. Which is, first of all, we want the answers to be correct. And then second, we want the answers to be easy to know. And so what does that mean? Well, to me, it means without needing to count,

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:12):

You mean without having to kind of muscle through it? Or say more about you mean.

Valerie Henry (07:16):

Well, I guess what I mean is that when you watch a young child try and solve something even as simple as two plus three, they might put up two fingers and then go 3, 4, 5 with three more fingers winding up on their hand, one or the other of their hands. While they’re doing that, they don’t really have a sense of whether even their answer is right or not, quite often. Especially when you get to the larger adding and subtracting problems, you can see a lot of errors happening as they’re trying to count. And it’s taking up cognitive energy to do that counting process, especially as you get to the larger quantities. So my definition of fluency now is “getting it right without needing to do that hard work like counting.” Now, some people might say, well, we just want them to have ’em memorized. But in my research, I’ve learned that a lot of very fluid adults don’t always have every fact memorized. In fact, if you ask a room full of adults, what’s seven plus nine, you might learn that they can all get it correct quickly, quickly…but they don’t all have it memorized. And so when you ask them, “How did you get that?” Many of them will say, “Well, I just gave one from the 7 to the 9 and I know that 10 plus 6 is 16.”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:53):

That’s such an important distinction. My brain literally just did that actually!

Valerie Henry (08:58):

<laugh> Right? <laugh> But you’re fluid with it, because it doesn’t take you much cognitive energy at all.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:05):

Right.

Valerie Henry (09:07):

So now we have “correct without needing to put that cognitive energy,” which usually means that you’re counting. And then the third thing is “relatively quickly,” so that you’re not spending 15 seconds trying to figure it out. Even that part-whole strategy approach can be done really quickly, almost instantaneously. Or it can take a long time. So if a student can get the answer correct within, you know, three or four seconds— is I’m pretty generous—I figure that they’re pretty darn fluent with that fact. So that’s my three-part definition of these basics, fluency.

Dan Meyer (09:55):

I love the distinction between getting it correct and getting it quick. It’s possible to be quick with wrong answers. It’s possible to be like, “Those are separate components there.” And I echo Bethany’s appreciation for this third option in between knowing it instantaneously through memorization and muscling through it. But there’s like a continuum there of how much energy it took you to come up with it that all feels extremely helpful.

Valerie Henry (10:21):

And you know, one of the things that I’ve noticed is that when kids are pressured to come up with those instantaneous answers, they often default to guessing and get it wrong.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:30):

Mm, yeah.

Valerie Henry (10:30):

So that’s one of the things that I’ve learned is that as we’re trying to help students develop fluency, it’s important to start with building their conceptual understanding of what it means to do, you know, 3 times 9 and what the correct answer is, maybe using manipulatives or representations of some sort. Not skip-counting! I really have found that skip-counting just perpetuates itself in many students’ minds and that they never stop skip-counting, which means they’re putting in not very much mental energy if it’s 2 times 3 but a ton of mental energy if it’s 7 times 8. Because frankly, it’s really hard to skip count by sevens. And by eights.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:18):

I can get to 14 and then I’m like, wait, wait, what was next? Right? No, no, no…21! What do you feel are some misconceptions that maybe teachers, maybe parents have about fluency in math?

Valerie Henry (11:30):

I think maybe one of the first ones is that if students count or skip-count, their answers repetitively over and over and over and over, that they’re bound to memorize them. And the study that I did back in 2004, I actually had a school that had decided that they were going to do time tests with their students every day, all year. And that undoubtedly by the end of the year, those students would be fluent.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:06):

And to clarify by time test, you mean like, sit down, pencil, paper, ready, go, worksheet kind of thing.

Valerie Henry (12:15):

Yes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:16):

Some of us might remember quite vividly.

Valerie Henry (12:18):

<laugh> Very vividly. And you know, you have to get it done within a certain amount of time. So they made it fun for the students. Apparently the students enjoyed it. I was a little leery about that, but in the end, when I went and checked on the students and I did one-on-one assessments with half of the students in every class that were randomly selected so that I could get a sense of where they were with their fluency—and these were first graders—they basically had nothing memorized. They were simply counting as fast as they possibly could. And, you know, mostly getting the right answers. But they had not memorized. So that’s one of the myths, I think, is that repetitive practice of counting gets you to memorization.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (13:10):

If I put it in front of you enough times, you’ll become fluent.

Valerie Henry (13:14):

Right, right. Now these students didn’t really get any instruction, any help learning these. They just simply tested over and over and over. So that’s another thing that I think is a misconception. It’s that if we test students, but don’t really teach them fluency, then they’re going to become fluent. If we just test them every Friday or that kind of thing. And that they’ll learn them at home. But really what that means is a few lucky kids who have parents who have the time and the energy and the background to know how to help will take that job on at home. Not that many students are really that fortunate.

Dan Meyer (14:01):

It’s almost like the traditional approach, or the approach you’re describing, confuses process and product. It says, “Well, the product is that eventually fluent students will be able to do something like this, see these problems and answer them, answer them quickly,” and says, “Well, that must be the process then as well; let’s give them that products a whole lot.” But as I hear you describe fluency with bunny ears on shoelaces, there’s these images and approaches and techniques that require a very active teacher presence to support the development of it. That’s just kind of interesting to me.

Valerie Henry (14:35):

My initial project, the pilot project that I tried, was to simply ask teachers to follow five key principles. And the first one was to do something in the classroom every day for—I told them, even if you’ve only got five or 10 minutes, work on fluency for five or 10 minutes a day, and let’s see what happens. So that was one key element was just to teach it and to give students opportunities to get what the research calls for when you’re trying to memorize, which is actually immediate feedback. When I talk about immediate feedback with my student teachers, I say, “I’m talking about within one or two seconds of trying a problem, and then sort of immediately knowing, getting feedback of whether you got the answer right or not so that your brain can kind of gain that confidence. ‘Oh, not only did I come up with an answer, but somebody’s telling me it’s the correct answer.’”

Dan Meyer (15:38):

There’s a lot of apps now in the digital world that offer students questions about arithmetic or other kinds of mathematical concepts and give immediate feedback of a sort: the feedback of “You’re right; you’re wrong” sort. Is that effective fluency development, in your view?

Valerie Henry (15:57):

I haven’t heard and I haven’t seen them being super-effective. The ways I think about this are “Immediate feedback isn’t the only thing we need.” Probably one of the biggest things that we need is for students to develop strategies. And this is one of the other things I’ve learned from international research, from countries that do have students who become very fluent very early, is that they don’t shoot straight for memorization, but they go through this process of taking students from doing some counting and then quickly moving them to trying to use logic. So, “Hey, you really are confident that 2 + 2 is 4; so now let’s use that to think about 2 + 3.” Actually, as an algebra teacher, I would much rather have students that have a combination of memorization and these strategies, than students who’ve only memorized. Isn’t that interesting that my most successful algebra students were good strategy thinkers. Not just good memorizers.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:09):

So you mentioned there were five that kind of helped root this idea in like, “What can teachers do? What is the best thing that teachers can do to support with fact fluency?” So, everyday was key.

Valerie Henry (17:22):

Then the next principle that I really focus on is switching immediately to the connected subtractions so that students—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:33):

Not waiting until you’ve gotten all the way through addition. But making “Ooh!”

Valerie Henry (17:38):

Totally. And I didn’t do that the first year. And when we looked at the results of the assessments at the end of the year, we realized that our students were so much weaker in subtraction than addition. So the following pilot year, we tried this other approach of doing subtraction right after the students had developed some fluency with that small chunk of addition. And we got such better subtraction results.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (18:11):

What are the other principles?

Valerie Henry (18:13):

The biggest one is to use these strategies. So the strategies makes the third. And then the fourth I would say is to go from concrete to representational to abstract.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (18:27):

Don’t put away those manipulatives. Don’t put away those tools.

Valerie Henry (18:31):

Oh, so important to come back to them for multiplication and division. And my fifth principle is to wait on assessment. To use it as true assessment, but not race to start testing before students have had a chance to go through this three-phase process. Which is conceptual understanding with manipulatives; building strategies, usually with representations; and then working on building some speed until it’s just that natural fluency.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:07):

I wanna say thank you so much for offering your really learned perspective, because you have not only done the research, but seen it in action and seen how shifting our notions of fluency and what fluency can be and what a powerful foundation it can be for all mathematicians. Really, that shift is so powerful. And I appreciate you sharing it with our listeners and with us. So we’re so excited that we got to talk with you today, Val—

Dan Meyer (19:35):

Thank you, Dr. Henry.

Valerie Henry (19:37):

You’re welcome!

Dan Meyer (19:41):

With us now we have Graham Fletcher and Tracy Zager, a couple of people who understand fluency at a very deep and classroom level. I wanna introduce them and get their perspective on what we’re trying to solve here with fluency. So Graham Fletcher has served in education in a lot of different roles: as a classroom teacher, math coach, math specialist, and he’s continually seeking new and innovative ways to support students and teachers in their development of conceptual understanding in elementary math. He’s the author, along with Tracy, of Building Fact Fluency, a fluency kit we’ll talk about, and openly shares so much of his wisdom and resources at gfletchy.com. Tracy Johnson Zager is a district math coach who loves to get teachers hooked on listening to kids’ mathematical ideas. She is a co-author of this toolkit, Building Fact Fluency, and the author of Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms. Tracy also edits professional books for teachers at Stenhouse Publishers, including, yours truly. Thank you for all that insight, Tracy, and support on the book.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (20:49):

Dan and I were talking at the beginning of the episode about things we feel like, “Hey, I’m fluent in that. I’m fluent in that.”

Dan Meyer (20:55):

Just very curious: What’s something you would like to get fluent in outside of the world of mathematics, let’s say?

Tracy Zager (21:00):

I’ll say understanding the teenage brain, as the parent of a 13-year-old and 15-year-old. That’s the main thing I’m working on becoming fluent in!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:10):

Ooh!

Dan Meyer (21:13):

A language fluency, perhaps. All right, Graham. How about you?

Graham Fletcher (21:16):

For me typing, it’s always been an Achilles heel of mine. So voice-to-text has been my friend. But it’s also been my nemesis in much of my texting here and working virtually over the last couple years. So yeah, typing.

Dan Meyer (21:33):

Do you folks have some way of helping us understand the difference in how fluency is handled by instructors and by learners?

Tracy Zager (21:40):

I would say that the lay meaning of fluency is definitely a little different than what we mean in the math education realm. When we’re talking about math fact fluency, which is just one type of fluency. So you gotta think about procedural fluency and computational fluency; there are lots of types of fluency in math. And Graham and I had the luxury of really focusing in specifically on math fact fluency. We’re looking at kind of a subset of the procedural fluency. So the words you hear in all the citations are accurate, efficient, and flexible. There’s this combination of kids get the right answer in a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable amount of work and they can match their strategy or their approach to the situation. That’s where that flexibility comes in. And there’s like lots more I wanna say about that about sort of…I think one issue that comes up around fluency is that people are in a little bit of a rush. So they tend to think of the fluency as this automaticity or recall of known facts without having to think about it. And that is part of the end goal, but that’s not the journey to fluency. So this is one of the things that Graham and I thought about a lot was the path to fluency. The goal here it’s that student in middle school who’s learning something new doesn’t have to expend any effort to gather that fact. And they might do it because they’ve done it so many different ways that they’ve got it, and now they just know it, or they might be like my friend who’s a mathematician who still, if you say, “Six times 8,” she thinks in her head, “Twelve, 24, 48…” and she does this double-double-double associative property strategy. And it’s so efficient, you would never know. And that’s totally great. That’s fine. That’s not slowing her down. That’s not providing a drag in the middle of a more complex problem or new learning. So we’re really focused on having elementary school students be able to enter the middle and high school standards without having that pull out of the new thinking.

Graham Fletcher (23:53):

And as I think about that, I think about how so many students will memorize their facts, but then they haven’t memorized them with understanding. So that when they move into middle school and they move into high school, it’s almost like new knowledge and new understanding that’s applied from a stand-alone skill.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:10):

So something that felt really unique to me, Graham, as I was diving into the toolkit, is your use of images, Tracy, Graham, is the way that you use images to help students notice and wonder to start making sense of these quantities and the decomposition of numbers using images. Can you talk a little bit about how images played a part in the way that you think about this building a fact fluency?

Graham Fletcher (24:41):

What I realized is so many times when we approach math with just naked numbers with so many of our elementary students, the numbers aren’t visible. The quantities. They can’t see them; they can’t move them. They’re just those squiggly figures that we were talking about earlier on. So how is it that we make the quantities visible, to where students feel as if they can grab an apple and move it around? Because a lot of times we start with the naked numbers and then if kids don’t get the naked numbers, then we kind of backfill it. But what would happen if we start with the images? And then from there, these rich, flourishing mathematical conversations develop from the images. And I think that was the premise and the goal of the toolkit.

Tracy Zager (25:22):

When you look at how fact fluency has traditionally been taught, it’s all naked numbers. And sometimes we wrote ’em sideways. Like, that’s it. That was our variety of task type. Right? Sometimes it’s vertical; sometimes it’s horizontal. And that was it. And I’ve just known way too many kids who couldn’t find a hook to hang their hat on with that. It didn’t connect to anything. And so part of why I knew Graham was the perfect person for this project was his strength in multimedia photography, art, video. And so we started from this idea of contexts that for each lesson string in the toolkit, there’s some kind of context. An everyday object, arranged in some kind of a way that reveals mathematical structure and invites students to notice the properties. So we start with images of everyday objects: tennis balls, paint pots…um, help me out; here are a million of them. Crayons—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (26:18):

Crayons, markers.

Tracy Zager (26:18):

Shoes, right? Sushi, origami paper, all kinds of things in the different toolkits. So there’s a series of images or a three-act task or both around those everyday objects, and then story problems grounded in that context. And then there are images with mathematical tools that bring out different ideas, but relate in some way to the image talks. And we do all of that before we get to the naked number talk. Which we do, and by the time you get to the number talk, it’s pretty quick, ’cause they’ve been reasoning about cups of lemonade. And now when you give them the actual numerals, they’re all over it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:03):

I have to say too, as somebody who—particularly in middle school—navigated math anxiety, we recently talked with Allison Hintz and Anthony Smith about their amazing book Mathematizing Children’s Literature.

Tracy Zager (27:14):

Yay!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:14):

And I was explaining, like, if I sat down at the beginning of a math class and my teacher opened a picture book and said, “We’re gonna start here,” I felt my whole body relax. And if we start with this image, if we start with just looking at an image and making sense of an image, I feel like that could be such a powerful touchstone for all the work you do from there.

Tracy Zager (27:41):

That’s core. That’s a core design principle, is that invitational access. There are no barriers to entry. There’s nothing to decode. There’s nothing formal. We’ve been learning from Dan for years about this, right? Of starting with the informal and then eventually layering in the formal. I was in a class in Maine where they were doing an image talk and it’s these boxes of pencils. It’s a stack of boxes of pencils and they’re open and you can see there are 10 pencils in each box. And so there are five boxes of pencils each with 10 pencils in it. And then the next image is 10 boxes of pencils and each box is half full. So now it’s 10 boxes each with five. And the kids are talking and talking and then the third image, I think there are seven boxes each with 10 pencils in it. And she said, “What do you think the next picture’s gonna be?” And this girl said, “You just never know with these people!” <laugh> I dunno!”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:37):

That’s kinda true. Knowing you both, it’s kinda true.

Tracy Zager (28:42):

Like if it’s seven boxes with 10 in it, one kid said, I think it’s gonna be 14 boxes of five. And other kids are like, I think it’s gonna be 10 boxes with seven. And they start talking about which of those there are and the relationships between—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:58):

But they’re making sense of numbers!

Tracy Zager (28:59):

Totally. So all the kids felt invited. They can offer something up. They’re noticing and wondering about that image. They’re talking about it in whatever informal language or home language that they speak. And that was core to us. That was a huge priority, because honestly, one of the motivations to talk about fluency is that it’s always been this gatekeeper. It has served to keep kids out of meaningful math. Particularly kids from marginalized or historically excluded communities. So they’re back at the round table, doing Mad Minutes, while the more advantaged kids are getting to do rich problem solving. And so, we thought, what if we could teach fact fluency through rich problem solving that everybody could access? That was like square one for us.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:45):

That’s huge.

Dan Meyer (29:46):

That’s great to hear. What’s been helpful for me is to understand that students who are automatic, that’s just kind of what’s on the surface of things. And that below that might be some really robust kind of foundation or scaffolding that bleeds to a larger building being built, or it might be just really rickety and not offer a sturdy place to build farther up. It’s been really exciting to hear that. I wonder if you’d comment for a moment about, in the digital age and—I’m at Desmos and our sponsors are Amplify and we all work in the digital world quite a bit. There are a lot of what report to be solutions to the fluency issue, to developing fluency in the digital world. Just lots and lots of them. Some that are quite well used, others that are just like X, Y, or Z app on the market. You can find something. Do you have perspectives on these kinds of digital fluency building apps? Like, what about them works or doesn’t work? Let us know. Graham, how about you? And then Tracy, I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

Graham Fletcher (30:47):

Yeah, I think that’s a great question, ’cause there’s a lot of shiny bells and whistles out there right now that can really excite a lot of teachers. But I always come back to what works for me as a classroom teacher is probably gonna work in a digital world as well. So what are the things that I love and honor most about being in front of students, and how can I capture that in that virtual world? I think one of the things that really helps students make connections is coherence. I think coherence, especially when you leave students for—you don’t get to talk with them after the lesson is done—so I think about how we can purposefully sequence things through a day-to-day basis. I think coherence is something that gets really lost when we talk about fluency, especially with whether it be digital or whether it be print, because what ends up happening is we say, “OK, we have all these strategies we need to teach,” and it becomes a checklist. So how is it that we can just provide students the opportunity to play around in a space, whether it be digital or in person, but in a meaningful way that allows them the time and the space and that area to breathe and think, but be coherent. And connecting those lessons along the way. And I think coherence is one thing that a lot of the times it’s harder to—when we’re in the weeds, it’s so hard and difficult to zoom back out and say, “Do all these lessons connect? How do they intentionally connect? And how do they purposefully connect?” And without coherence, everything’s kind of broken down into that granular level. So when looking at—I think about Desmos and I think about the Toolkit and I think about how Tracy and I talked a lot about, “Well, this, does it connect with the context problem, does it connect with the image talk, or the lessons? Like, how does it all connect and how are we providing students an opportunity to make connections between the day-to-day instruction and lessons that we tackle?”

Tracy Zager (32:44):

I’m reminded of a conversation that Dan, you and I had a long time ago, in Portland, Maine, in a bar. I’ll just be honest. <laugh> And we were talking about how, in the earlier days of Desmos, you were stressed out by what you saw, which was kids one-on-one, on a device, in a silent room. And you were like, no, this is not it. This is not what technology is here to serve. We can do so many things better using technology appropriately, but we can’t lose talk and we can’t lose relationships and we can’t lose formative assessment and teachers listening to kids and kids listening to each other and helping each other understand their thinking. Right? So when I think about the tech that’s out there for fact fluency, most of it is gonna violate all rules I have around time testing. So that a whole bunch of it, I would just toss on that premise. They’re really no different than flashcards. It’s just flashcards set in junkyard heaps. Or, you know, underground caverns. Or with a volcano or whatever. It’s the same thing. There are some lovely visuals—I’m thinking of Berkeley Everett’s Math Flips. Those are really pretty. Mathigon has some really nice stuff that’s digital. And I think that those resources invite you to kind of ponder and notice things and talk about them. All the tools that we design in the toolkit are designed to get people talking to each other, and give teachers opportunities to pull alongside kids and listen in and understand where they are. For example, our games, we didn’t design the games to be played digitally, even though you could, and people did during COVID, because we want kids on the rug, next to each other, on their knees; I’ve seen kids like across tables. I was in a school recently where a kid was like, “I hope you believe in God, ’cause you’re going…!” You know what I mean? <laugh>. Like they’re all pumped up.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (34:41):

They’re invested!

Tracy Zager (34:45):

They’re psyching each other up and down and they’re interacting and it’s social and the teacher’s walking around and she’s listening to the games. And they don’t actually need any bells and whistles. They need dice and they need counters and they need this game that is actually a game. In all of our conversations, games have to actually be games. Games cannot be “roll and record.” Games have to involve strategy. They have to be fun. So in designing those games, we didn’t feel like it brought any advantage to make that a digital platform. But things that did bring advantages digitally, like the ability to project these beautiful images or to use short video in the classroom, that really was a value-add that enabled us to do something different in math class than we had done before, and to get kids talking in a different way than they ever had before. When I think about fluency, historically, if you say like, “OK, it’s time to practice our math facts,” you hear a lot of groans. And when I see a Building Fact Fluency classroom and I say, “OK, it’s BFF time!” There’s like a “YEAAAAHHH!” You know? And so that’s what we’re after.

Graham Fletcher (35:47):

It’s all about kids, really, for us. And I think at the heart of it, we made all the decisions with teachers and kids at the forefront of it.

Tracy Zager (35:55):

I know of high schoolers who are newcomers, who have experienced very little formal education, and speak in other languages, are using it as high schoolers, because it involves language and math and all the deep work in the properties and it’s accessible, but it’s also not at all condescending or patronizing. Like we designed it to be appropriate for older kids. So that’s just something that I think we’re both really proud of. One thing we thought a lot about, especially in the multiplication-division kit is how a classroom teacher could use it and a coordinating educator in EL, Title, special education, intervention could also use it because there’s so much in it, that students could get to be experts, if they got extra time in it, using something that’s related and would give them additional practice. So they could play a game a little bit earlier than the rest of the classes. And they could come in already knowing about that game, or they could do a related task. We have all these optional tasks that no classroom teacher would ever have time to teach it all. So the special educator could use it and have kids doing a Same and Different or a True/False, or some of the optional games. And then the work in both special education and general education could connect.

Dan Meyer (37:20):

I just wanna say that this is an area that for so many students, as you’ve said, Tracy, it presents a barrier for their inclusion in mathematics. It’s a very emotionally fraught area of mathematics. And we really appreciate the wisdom you brought here. And just the care you’ve brought to the product itself. Your knowledge of teaching, knowledge of math, and yeah, especially a love for students feels like it’s really infused throughout Building Fact Fluency. If our listeners want to know more outside of this podcast, outside of the product itself, where can they find your words, your voice? Where you folks at these days? Tell ’em, Graham would you?

Graham Fletcher (37:57):

You can find us at Stenhouse, Building Fact Fluency. And then Tracy and I, currently playing around, sharing ideas a lot on Twitter, under the hashtag #BuildingFactFluency. That’s kind of where we can all come together and share ideas. And then also on the Facebook community, where there’s lots of teachers sharing ideas.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:19):

If you were to ask our listeners like, “Hey, if you wanna keep thinking about this, here’s something you could try or here’s something you could go do,” what could be a challenge that we could share that could help us continue this conversation?

Graham Fletcher (38:35):

Online you can actually download a full lesson string. And a lesson string is a series of activities and resources that are purposefully connected. You can pick one or two of those from the Stenhouse web site, Building Fact Fluency. You can try the game. You can try one of those strategy-based games. You can try an image talk and just see how it goes. And just share and reflect back, whether on Twitter or on Facebook. But it’s kind of there, if you wanna give it a whirl. And as Tracy was sharing, even if you’re a middle-school teacher or a high-school teacher, we really tried to think about those middle-school and high-school students keeping it grade level-agnostic. Just so every student has those opportunities for those mathematical conversations. So download a lesson string and give it a whirl, and we’d love to hear how it goes.

Dan Meyer (39:25):

Bethany and I will be working the same challenge with people in our life.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:29):

Yes.

Dan Meyer (39:29):

Enjoying some fact fluency with people in our homes, perhaps. We’ll see. And we’ll be sharing the results in the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group. Graham and Tracy, thanks so much for being here. It was such a treat to chat with you both.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:42):

I love learning with you and just helping to shift this idea of fluency into something that can be accessible and powerful and positive.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month.

What Valerie Henry says about math

“A lot of very fluent adults don’t always have every fact memorized. ”

– Val Henry

Meet the guests

Valerie Henry has been a math educator since 1986. She taught middle school math for 17 years and has worked as a lecturer at University of California Irvine since 2002. After doing her 2004 dissertation research on addition/subtraction fluency in first grade, Valerie created FactsWise, a daily mini-lesson approach that simultaneously develops  fluency,  number sense, and algebraic thinking. Additionally, she has provided curriculum and math professional development for K-12 teachers throughout her career, working with individual schools, districts, county offices of education, Illustrative Mathematics, the SBAC Digital Library, and the UCI Math Project.

Graham Fletcher has served in education as a classroom teacher, a math coach, and currently as a math specialist. He is continually seeking new and innovative ways to support students and teachers in their development of conceptual understanding in elementary mathematics. He is the author of Building Fact Fluency and openly shares many of his resources at gfletchy.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Tracy Johnston Zager is a district math coach who loves to get teachers hooked on listening to kids’ mathematical ideas. She is a co-author of the Building Fact Fluency toolkits and the author of Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms. Tracy also edits professional books by teachers, for teachers at Stenhouse Publishers. Follow her on Facebook.

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About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!

Achieve life-changing results with the
Science of Reading—we’ll show you how.

Watching students learn to read is magic. But knowing how they get there? That’s science.

Making the shift to the Science of Reading is commendable, but it is no small feat. Our extensive experience, field-tested resources, and stories of literacy success will help you deliver the true transformation you need in your district—and see the results your students deserve.

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Exploring the Science of Writing

Discover the captivating journey of writing with our new guide, Science of Writing: A Primer. This resource delves into the history of writing, highlights the crucial link between combining reading and writing instruction, and reveals why handwriting still matters in today’s digital world. Designed to complement CKLA 3rd Edition and our other literacy tools, this primer is set to become a trusted companion, just like those before it.

MTSS Playbook

Explore our new ebook designed to help you build an evidence-based Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) tailored to diverse literacy goals. This resource provides actionable steps and essential questions to fortify your MTSS with the Science of Reading, enhancing its effectiveness and achieving better outcomes for your students.

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Cover of a "Change Management Playbook" guide, featuring two women reviewing a tablet and a teacher in an orange sweater instructing a classroom—highlighting K–5 literacy instruction and effective science of reading resources.

The science of teaching reading, coupled with the art of change management

Shifting to the Science of Reading isn’t just an overnight curriculum swap—it’s a profound culture change with multiple stages and stakeholders. We’ve helped educators succeed in that shift for years, and now we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Through each stage of implementation, our Change Management Playbook will help you mobilize your practice, process, and people to make the shift that matters most.

What is the Science of Reading?

Learning to read is not innate, but it can be taught—and science tells us how. The Science of Reading refers to the vast body of growing research that deconstructs how children learn to read, and the instructional practices that can get them there.

Reading fluency requires a complex combination of skills, taught explicitly and systematically. There are two main frameworks that can help us break it all down: The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Rope.

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Science of Reading starter kit for new teachers

New to the classroom? We’ve compiled a collection of resources and insights about the Science of Reading to help you acquire more knowledge and build confidence. You’ll find the tools, information, and support you need to foster successful readers and writers in your classroom this school year—and beyond.

The Simple View of Reading

The Simple View of Reading, formulated by Philip Gough and William Tunmer in 1986, is the theory that proficient reading requires two main components:

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A diagram with intertwining orange, yellow, and blue lines converging and diverging, illustrating interconnected pathways on a black background—reflecting the dynamic flow of ideas found in Core Knowledge or Amplify CKLA curricula.

The Reading Rope

The Reading Rope, developed by Dr. Hollis Scarborough in 2001, helps us visualize the strands of specific skills and instruction that support students in decoding and comprehension.

Professional development to support your shift to the Science of Reading

Ignite literacy transformation with Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Learning Lab—an inspiring three-course series.

  • Dive into a comprehensive overview with course one, Foundations to the Science of Reading.
  • Examine assessments and their roles in course two, Advanced Topics in the Science of Reading: Assessment and Reading Difficulties.
  • Apply effective literacy instruction to your classroom in course three, Applied Structured Literacy.

Crafted to the standards of the International Dyslexia Association, this self-paced online series provides unparalleled, research-backed instruction. Explore enriching activities, curated resources, and learn from Susan Lambert, chief academic officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast.

The best investment you can make is in knowledge, and the returns are priceless.

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Learn more about the online courses or request a quote!

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Tap into individual online course seats.

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Science of Reading: The Podcast

Tune in to hear the latest insights and trends in early reading, right from leading literacy experts and practitioners.

Listen now

Build your background knowledge of the Science of Reading.

Our Science of Reading principles and primers explain the essentials: what the Science of Reading is, how it works, and why it matters for every student.

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New Science of Reading principles placemat!

Decades of research inform the updated Science of Reading principles placemat. Use these insights as a guide for evidence-based literacy instruction—perfect for committed educators aiming to achieve real improvements in student reading outcomes.

Download principles

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Science of Reading
A Primer: Part 1

In part 1 of our definitive Science of Reading primer, we discuss literacy as a societal goal, walk you through how the brain learns to decode and comprehend text, and present the patterns that top-performing schools and districts follow to achieve early reading success.

Download primer 1

Illustration of two people atop a yellow pyramid, with text reading "Science of Reading: A Primer | Part Two"—an engaging look at K–5 literacy instruction. "Amplify" appears in the top left corner.

Science of Reading
A Primer: Part 2

In part 2 of our Science of Reading primer, we establish the importance of prior knowledge for comprehension, lay out the process of micro-comprehension, and demonstrate how literacy skills build on and accelerate themselves.

Download primer 2

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“If you’re looking for a Science of Reading training, the [Science of Reading: Foundations to the Science of Reading] online course is great. It helps you build background knowledge on learning how students learn how to read, and then it goes deeper and it gives you strategies that correlate with those findings that you can implement right into your classroom.”

—Allie Appel, Instructional Coach

School District of Arcadia, WI

Why undertake this crucial change?

When we bring proven methods based on the Science of Reading into schools, we make sure kids are learning to read and help teachers and caregivers support a culture of reading. Together, we can solve the reading crisis and make literacy a reality everywhere.

You’ll change lives with literacy.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 35% of fourth graders in the United States are proficient in reading. But schools using a Science of Reading approach have seen significant improvements in literacy rates. Using research-based methods, educators can help give all children the chance to become successful readers.

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You’ll build a foundation with explicit, systematic skills instruction.

Reading skills don’t come naturally. We actually need to rewire our brains with intentional, structured literacy instruction—starting with sounds.

You’ll improve outcomes with knowledge building.

Longitudinal research shows that knowledge building doesn’t just happen as a result of reading, but is also a vital prerequisite for and component of it. And when delivered intentionally and systematically, knowledge delivers literacy results.

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“It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s about the science behind how people, how children, and how we as humans learn to read… It’s working. I wish I had this years ago. ”

—Javonna Mack, Lead Content Teacher

Caddo Parish Schools, Louisiana

Science of Reading & Early Literacy Resources FAQ

Amplify understands that making the shift to the Science of Reading is no small feat. Get some early literacy resources and guidance with our Science of Reading FAQ.

Learning to read is not innate. It needs to be taught intentionally and systematically—and science tells us how. The vast and growing body of research on early literacy is referred to as the Science of Reading. It draws on extensive research in cognitive science, linguistics, and neuroscience. It emphasizes the systematic teaching of foundational skills—such as phonics, phonological awareness, and decoding—in building vocabulary and comprehension. In other words, it deconstructs the processes behind how children learn to read, and provides evidence for the instructional practices and early literacy resources that can get them there.

Read more 

The Science of Reading refers to the pedagogy and practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read. It places a strong emphasis on both components of the Simple View of Reading, demonstrating that systematic and explicit instruction in phonics and and intentionally sequenced knowledge building are critical to reading success.

In a balanced literacy environment, learning happens through reading and writing immersion, where the need for explicit instruction in phonics is recognized but is not the primary focus.

The key difference between the approaches lies in their emphasis on foundational reading skills and a coherent approach to building language comprehension.

A balanced literacy approach typically includes a combination of whole language approaches (emphasizing meaning and context) and phonics instruction. Balanced literacy instruction is designed to be flexible and open to interpretation by the instructor. It may include the three-cueing system, which encourages students to rely on syntactic and semantic clues in a text to read an unfamiliar word, rather than decoding (Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?). Balanced literacy practitioners may also use leveled reading to differentiate instruction, which can can limit vocabulary exposure, hinder in-depth comprehension skills, and further widen achievement gaps.

Balanced literacy has long been a popular approach to reading instruction, with educators appreciating its openness to variation. But advocates for the Science of Reading argue that an evidence-based approach aligned with known cognitive processes and a focus on foundational skills and language comprehension provides the most solid foundation for reading instruction—for confident and struggling readers alike.

Read more

According to our friends at The Reading League, the Science of Reading is important not because it gives us an effective way to teach reading, but because it gives us the most effective way to teach reading.

“The Science of Reading is critical because it emphasizes evidence-based instruction. Decades of scientific research on reading have consistently shown the most effective ways to teach reading. The Science of Reading incorporates this research, which includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.”

The Reading League also takes it to the next level: What happens when all children have access to the most effective early literacy and reading education? “We believe in a future where a collective focus on applying the Science of Reading through teacher and leader preparation, classroom application, and community engagement will elevate and transform every community, every nation, through the power of literacy.”

The Science of Reading has identified five foundational reading skills that are considered crucial for early reading development. One of those skills is phonics. In other words, the Science of Reading has established that phonics are crucial, but the Science of Reading is not the same as phonics.

Phonics instruction helps students learn how to sound out and blend letters to read words accurately. As we know from the Simple View of Reading, two fundamental skills are required for reading with comprehension:

  1. Decoding—the ability to recognize written words (via phonics)
  2. Language comprehension—understanding what words mean

And the Science of Reading also reminds us that students do not have to learn phonics or decoding before knowledge comes into the equation. “The background knowledge that children bring to a text is also a contributor to language comprehension,” says Sonia Cabell, Ph.D., associate professor at Florida State University’s School of Teacher Education, on Science of Reading: The Podcast.

The Science of Reading is an evolving field built on decades of high-quality, evidence-based research that continually integrates new insights gathered from cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and linguistics. These ongoing studies constantly refine our understanding of how the human brain processes language and learning, enabling more personalized and effective teaching strategies that can adapt to the wide-ranging learning needs of students.

Like other sciences such as medicine, astronomy, or engineering – new advancements in reading technology allow us to understand how the brain works and refine our practices. Every scientific advancement in this field of reading science deepens our comprehension of reading-related challenges like dyslexia and informs the development of evidence-based interventions. We don’t believe that the Science of Reading can be reduced to a fad or trend. Rather, it is a continually evolving, enduringly effective discipline, grounded in rigorous research and driven by the quest for better comprehension of how we read and learn.

Assessment grounded in the Science of Reading can help identify children at risk of dyslexia at the earliest possible moments, creating the widest opportunity for intervention.

People with dyslexia often experience challenges in phonological awareness. They may struggle to break down words into their component sounds and to recognize the relationships between letters and sounds. Systematic and explicit instruction in phonics and phonological awareness can help individuals with dyslexia develop necessary phonological skills. This evidence-based instruction can also help students who have difficulty with decoding.

Further, evidence-based comprehension instruction, including explicit instruction in vocabulary and comprehension strategies, can support students with dyslexia in understanding and making meaning from text.

Download our free dyslexia toolkit

The Science of Reading can be integrated with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to provide comprehensive and targeted reading instruction for all students. The Science of Reading aligns with a tiered model by providing evidence-based practices for instruction at each tier. An MTSS includes universal screening to identify students at risk of reading difficulties; the Science of Reading can also guide the selection of screening measures to assess specific foundational skills. Aligning the Science of Reading with an MTSS framework can also enhance instructional practices and interventions, ensure data-driven decision making, and help meet the needs of all students.

Read more

Integrating the Science of Reading and the Science of Writing strengthens our approach to teaching literacy. Reading and writing are interdependent. Understanding how sentences are built not only contributes to better reading comprehension, it also helps writers develop clear, logical text. As students grow as readers, they also grow as writers, leading to a comprehensive literacy education. Clear thinking and effective writing are crucial for expressing ideas. By fostering both skills, teachers better support students in becoming confident readers and writers, prepared for academic challenges and beyond.

One of the research-based frameworks used in the Science of Reading is the Simple View of Reading. According to the Simple View, two cognitive capacities are needed for proficient reading: (1) understanding the language (comprehension) and (2) recognizing words in print (decoding). A true Science of Reading program is designed from the start for students to build these skills, in a developmentally appropriate way.

It will also emphasize the importance of knowledge building by exposing students to a diverse array of new topics spanning history, science, and literature, organized intentionally and coherently within and across grades. Deep and intentionally sequenced knowledge domains will help build a student’s vocabulary and understanding of complex texts. And it will include instruction in  all five foundational skills: phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Download our free ebookScience of Reading: Making the Shift, which includes a checklist of what to look for in a curriculum based on the Science of Reading. Learn more from our friends at The Reading League.

Actually, we have a full literacy suite built on the Science of Reading! It includes:

  • mCLASS® assessment, powered by DIBELS® 8th Edition, a gold-standard universal and dyslexia screener, plus a progress monitoring tool, all in one.
  • Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), which provides explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction combined with intentional knowledge building.
  • Boost Reading, a highly adaptive personalized reading program that reinforces the core curriculum and supports enrichment, remediation, and intervention for each student in your classroom.
  • mCLASS Intervention, a staff-led intervention program targeted to Tiers 2 and 3, made easy with automatic data-driven grouping and sequenced explicit, systematic skills lesson plans to support at-risk students.

Reading requires deliberate, systematic attention—and so does shifting to the Science of Reading in your school or district. It requires not only the right curriculum, but also all-new mindsets, metrics, and more. Reflecting years of experience supporting real educators, our resources will walk you through the process of change management in your community—and show you why the shift is worth it. View our Science of Reading change management playbook.

High-impact literacy tutoring for K–6 built on the Science of Reading-NEW | Amplify

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NYC Solves Regents Prep A1

Hello NYC high school math educators!

Welcome to Amplify Desmos Math NYC Solves Regents Prep A1. This sequence of lessons is specifically designed for students who passed Algebra 1 in eighth grade but did not pass the NYS Regents exam in June. The instructional resources are accessed through the Amplify Desmos Math platform, affording students a highly engaging experience to prepare them for the January administration of the Regents by reinforcing conceptual understanding.

On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources to guide you in learning more about the course and how to get started.

Ready to jump in? This quick start guide will help you take the first steps to get started. Remember to use your NYCDOE email for access. 

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amplify math middle schoolers in classroom

About Amplify Desmos Math

Amplify Desmos Math 6–A1 is based on the highly rated IM K–12™ curricula from Illustrative Mathematics, with extensive enhancements that include teacher supports, interactivity, assessments, and reporting.

The program is aligned with the expectations outlined in the New York City Department of Education Definition of Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education and the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework.

Download the CR-SE alignment.

Your NYC Solves Regents Prep A1 course uses key lessons and activities from Amplify Desmos Math to prepare students for the A1 Regents.

NYC webinar series

Figuring out how to implement a problem-based learning approach to mathematics can be fun—and challenging. Rest assured that you will not be alone on this journey. Amplify will be by your side every step of the way. Our back-to-school math webinar series for K–8 administrators and teachers:

  • Introduces the new NYC Solves initiative.
  • Establishes the foundation for all educators to effectively understand and implement the NYCPS Shifts in Mathematics in their classrooms.
  • Provides an overview of Amplify Desmos Math, the pre-approved NYCPS curriculum chosen to ensure every school can successfully implement these math shifts and is supported with high-level, tailored professional development and coaching throughout the process.

Please see the specific webinars and the recordings below to learn more!

On-demand webinar 1
[Aug. 29 and Sept. 3, 2024]

Would you like to learn more about the NYCPS Shifts in Mathematics and enhance your understanding of each of the five shifts?

Explore how the NYCPS math shifts are transforming mathematics education from a procedural approach to a more engaging, discoverable, and connected learning experience.

Listen to the Understanding the NYCPS Shifts in Mathematics session recording.

On-demand webinar 2
[Sept. 10 and Sept. 12, 2024]

Let’s unpack the why, what, and how to unlock every student’s mathematical mind and build math proficiency for life! In this webinar, we discuss the power of teaching our children to be skilled mathematicians through a structured approach to problem solving

Listen to the Unlocking Mathematical Minds: A Structured Approach to Problem-Based Learning session recording.

On-demand webinar 3
[Sept. 17 and Sept. 19, 2024]

For some educators, transitioning to problem-based learning might seem daunting. There is often concern that its open-ended nature could derail students from achieving mathematical goals. However, by finding the right balance between open-ended opportunities and structured classroom activities, students can be encouraged to share their thinking while meeting key learning targets. Uncover simple shifts that educators can implement to foster open-ended student thinking while maintaining focus on mathematical instructional goals.

Listen to the Making the Shift to Problem-Based Learning session recording.

Live webinar 4
[Oct. 1 and Oct. 3, 2024]

Learn More and Experience Amplify Desmos Math LIVE, an NYCPS Approved Math Curricula.

This is the final session of the series. Amplify Desmos Math New York K–A1 is math that motivates! During this session, you’ll experience a Grade 6 lesson that captures the essence of NYC Solves.

Choose from two convenient times and register below:

Program features to know

Screenshot of an educational module titled "Balloon Float" on Desmos Classroom. It focuses on proportional relationships with tables and lists goals related to quantities, patterns, and numerical relationships.

Desmos Classroom digital lessons

Digital lessons should be powerful in their ability to surface student thinking and spark interesting and productive discussions. We’ve joined forces with Desmos Classroom to bring this vision to life with a complete library of interactive, collaborative lessons.

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Engaging student experience

Relevant content and interactive math tools create an intuitive and engaging student experience. Plus, working together in real-time allows students to see that communicating their ideas and learning from each other are important parts of math class.

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Visibility into student thinking

Imagine having more visibility into your students’ mathematical thinking. Now imagine students have access to this same information. With our collaborative lesson interface and teacher dashboard, students stay engaged. What’s more, they have visibility into the thinking of their peers—exposing them to a wider variety of approaches to solving the same problem.

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Ready-to-teach lessons

The two tracks for scope and sequence include ready-to-teach lessons to prepare students for the A1 Regents. Lessons come complete with slides, step-by-step teaching notes, suggested student and teacher responses, tips for incorporating instructional routines, support for developing mathematical language, and links to useful resources. Teachers can also control what slides students see, giving teachers the ability to control the pace of the lesson to suit the needs of the class.

Planning for instruction

To start using the program quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos, guide, and planning resources. They cover what you need to know to get going fast.

Amplify Desmos Math Regents Prep Course Session I

NYC Solves Regents Prep A1 is customized specifically to meet the needs of students in ninth grade preparing for the Algebra 1 Regents exam. Within each document below, you’ll find the scope and sequence with course structure and lessons.

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Logging in to access the program

Login instructions:

Questions? Check out this Tech FAQ for more information.

Additional support:

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Lesson Sampler

Amplify Desmos Math delivers the instructional power of student-centered learning in a lesson format that’s teacher-friendly and manageable.

With easy-to-follow instructional support, implementing a problem-based program is effective and enjoyable for both you and your students. Paired with the Desmos Classroom digital experience, math class becomes fun and dynamic, with plenty of opportunities for students to talk through their reasoning, work with their peers, and gain new understanding.

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Algebra 1 [A1] Teacher Edition Sampler

LEARN MORE 

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Algebra 1 [A1] Student Edition Sampler

LEARN MORE 

Additional features

Universal design

Every student is brilliant, and every student has brilliant mathematical ideas worth sharing and cultivating. Incorporating principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into lessons brings students’ brilliance to the forefront. UDL is a research-based framework designed to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

A feedback form with two questions, "How well did you understand the math in this lesson?" and "How did you feel about learning math in this lesson?" with corresponding emoji options for responses, perfectly complements the New York Math curriculum.

Diversity and representation

Helping students develop strong, healthy, and flexible math identities is a cornerstone of our program. Throughout the curriculum, students are taught that they themselves are mathematicians, that today’s math has been shaped by a diverse range of mathematicians who deserve to be celebrated, and that learning is never finished.

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Assessments

Less exciting, but essential for learning: assessments. Amplify Desmos Math features a robust variety of formative and summative assessments, including readiness checks, exit tickets, quizzes, end-of-unit tests, and benchmarks aligned with New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

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Reporting

Not only do our reports reveal progress toward standard mastery, they also include details on how students performed against the standard in the past and how many encounters are yet to come. This feature alone helps teachers prioritize instruction and intervene with additional resources when necessary.

A computer screen displays a New York math skills tracking interface, highlighting standard 6.EE.C.9, with progress indicators and a class average score of 74% shown in a yellow pie chart.

Looking for help?

Throughout your implementation, you can reach our support team by live chat, phone, or email Monday through Friday,
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

  • Chat: Click the orange icon while logged in to get immediate help.
  • Phone: Call our dedicated support line for NYCPS (888) 960-0380.
  • Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com. In the message body, please include your name and question. Provide as much detail as possible, so we can help you find a solution.
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Create transformation that lasts.

Embarking on educational change takes heart, intention, and determination. It also requires proven strategies and practical tools. With data, resources, and countless stories of successful implementations to guide us, we can take the first step toward true transformation together.

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Principles for Educational Change Management

Whether you’re looking for transformative change in math, literacy, or science instruction, some essential principles apply across the board. As a teacher, administrator, or community leader, you’ll find these guiding principles can help you manage your new curriculum implementation and help each student reach their potential.

Corey Beil, Instructional Interventionist
“This goes out to the interventionists, coaches, and administrators … support your staff. Lead staff trainings, provide push-in support, model and co-teach so that the staff will see that this is not ‘just another initiative.’ Remember, this is the start of a long, powerful journey. Take small steps, do them well, then use data to move on to the next small step.”

— Corey Beil, Instructional Interventionist

Quakertown Community School District, PA

Leading instructional shifts across all disciplines

Two women review material on a tablet next to a document titled "Literacy Change Management Playbook," featuring a flowchart illustrating k-12 education concepts and the implementation of high-quality instruction materials.

Make the shift to the Science of Reading.

Learn the key steps that will drive the success you need.

learn more

Two pages of a math change management playbook for grades K–12, featuring a cover with teachers and a sample interior page with illustrations of children and math concepts for effective curriculum implementation.

Change in math is different.

Managing change in math doesn’t have to mean starting over. It starts with a few simple shifts.

learn more

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Be a science inspiration.

Intentional shifts help transform students into concerned global citizens ready to take on the world. Find out how.

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Let data guide your transformation.

The right data at the right time is crucial in planning lasting instructional change. With specific metrics to guide your implementation, you’ll know exactly how to monitor your progress. Download our literacy assessment infographic as a model for the key data questions to ask at critical points in the school year.

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Achieve implementation success.

Ready to navigate educational implementation with confidence? The following resources will help you discover practical strategies for decision-making, managing change, and engaging stakeholders.

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Discover five steps to successful implementation.

Balancing decision-making, data collection, and transparent communication doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Discover the five essential steps to making implementation manageable.

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Think like a leader.

Strategic leadership requires more than sharp management skills. Find out how the leadership brain model can help you, as a district leader, connect initiatives with your broader vision.

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Turn plans into results.

Educational change requires intentional effort. Key leadership imperatives can provide the framework you need for effective implementation.

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What district leaders are saying

“In the past we’ve adopted a resource and we’ve left it to the teachers and the buildings to use and to put into practice. I was determined that we needed to do more than just that for both our teachers and our students. That is really where…the leadership brain concept has come into play. [It] provided the framework and key questions that I needed so that I could reflect, process, and determine what was next throughout the first year of implementation.”

—Lori Riehle, Assistant Director of Curriculum, Northwest Local School District, OH

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What district leaders are saying

“Through the guidance and collaboration of the Amplify Team, our stakeholders participated in thoughtful conversations, relevant hands-on learning, and the development of clear guidelines for moving forward [with Amplify CKLA]. This process led to the creation of our district commitments, which, together with the six leadership imperatives, remain central to the progress we continue to make today.”

—Kristina Tucker, Coordinator of English Language Arts and Social Studies, Richland School District, WA

Woman with wavy brown hair wearing a brightly patterned blouse, large round earrings, and a necklace, smiling at the camera against a white background—perfect for illustrating curriculum implementation in schools.

What district leaders are saying

“[My advice to other leaders is to] stop trying to fix everything at once. Dig deep with systematic analysis to find your one high leverage problem; then build your entire system around solving it. You can have all the coaching and support in the world, but if you’re not focused on the right problem, those systems won’t translate to classroom impact.”

—Susan Rawlings, Assistant Principal, Charleston County School District, SC

Educational leaders share their success.

Find out how educational leaders have transformed their districts through successful implementation, revealing the commitment and strategic approach that led to real academic improvements.

A document titled "Building sustainable implementation" by Amplify, detailing Richland School District's approach to collaborative commitments for k-12 education, with an orange "PDF" label on the top right.

Change needs commitment.

Change is achievable when everyone commits to the process. See how one district turned collaboration into a successful implementation of Amplify CKLA.

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Existing strengths need focused direction.

Strong district foundations require intentional focus. Learn how systematic analysis helped one district turn comprehensive resources into meaningful impact for teachers.

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Shared responsibility transforms implementation.

Managing implementation alone limits success. Discover how one district leader used stakeholder mapping to create shared leadership and building-level ownership.

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See implementation in action.

Learn how one district achieved positive test results across grades 1–5 within their first year of adopting Amplify CKLA.

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Strategic change delivers results.

Results happen when change is managed strategically. Check out how one district turned thoughtful planning into successful Amplify CKLA adoption.

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Curriculum evaluation leads to confident decisions.

Explore how one district implemented Amplify CKLA (after piloting seven different programs!) and achieved powerful kindergarten reading gains.

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Regular communication fosters growth.

Structured coaching support transforms implementation outcomes. Find out how regular communication helped one district achieve consistency and sustained student growth with Amplify CKLA.

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Preparation creates lasting results.

Comprehensive training creates the foundation for sustained success. Read about how strategic summer preparation and ongoing professional learning helped one county achieve significant academic improvements.

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S2-03: Building meaningful student connections in the science classroom

Promotional image for a podcast episode titled "Sharita Ware: Building meaningful student connections," featuring Sharita Ware and "Science Connections" branding.

In this episode, Eric Cross sits down with Indiana State Teacher of the Year, Sharita Ware, to talk about how to successfully build meaningful student connections in the science classroom. Sharita shares her journey from a corporate career to becoming Indiana’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, and her passion for creating project-based lessons for her students. Together, Eric and Sharita discuss how educators can teach students to love science content by building strong relationships, adding in other content areas, and supporting students’ imagination. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Sharita Ware (00:00):
I try to create that equal playing field where there’s nobody’s voice, that’s more important than anyone else’s and try to make them all feel that what they have to say is important.

Eric Cross (00:14):
Welcome to science connections. I’m your host Eric. My guest today is Sheta where Sheta is the 2022 Indiana state teacher of the year. And in her 10 year career, as an engineering and technology teacher, she has dedicated herself to helping students build knowledge and skills for high school and life. Beyond. In this episode, we discuss how she inspires her seventh and eighth grade students to build problem solving and critical thinking skills through hands on real world and collaborative projects. She is as humble as she is knowledgeable and through our conversation, it was easy for me to see why her students feel successful under her guidance. And now please enjoy my conversation with Sharita Ware.

Eric Cross (00:59):
Can I start off by saying congratulations on teacher of the year. Thank you for the state of Indiana. Um, that’s amazing. So I, I, I did watch, uh, your videos, uh, short interviews, and then you spoke, was it Purdue? Yes. You were there. And so, uh, to see if fellow seventh grade, eighth grade science teacher out there being celebrated, like I was so excited, so yeah, I wanted to congratulate you on that and, and just kind of talk to you about like your teaching journey and ask you, uh, maybe just kind of start off with your story about what brought you into, into the classroom, especially the middle school.

Sharita Ware (01:29):
Classroom. So what happened is when I was working in industry as an engineer and when my husband and I got married, we decided that I was gonna, um, stay home with the kids because, you know, we wanted, um, our influence to be greater on our kids than, you know, the people that would be watching them, you know, because they would ultimately spend more time with them than they would with us. And, and so, um, I stayed home and when my youngest was going to be going to kindergarten the next year, I was like, okay, what am I going to do? Cuz I really don’t necessarily feel like I need to stay at home. Mm-hmm <affirmative> but um, I knew going back to industry would be a challenge just because in my field, I, I was traveling a lot before I got married and had kids.

Sharita Ware (02:14):
And so I knew that that wouldn’t really be conducive to again, raising children. So I, I get this email, my inbox for Woodrow Wilson, teaching fellowship at Purdue. And they were just looking for people in stem fields to go into teaching. And I was like, okay. And it was a national search, you know, I filled out the application, we had to go in and do some sample teaching mm-hmm <affirmative>. And I was picked as, as one of the, the teachers to go through the program. And I started off thinking I wanted high school. And the really cool thing about this, uh, program is that we had long observation periods at high school and at middle schools. And so we would go to a school and we’d stay there two or three weeks. And so it, it kind of gave you right. A little bit more insight to what happened on a daily basis. And after those observations, I was like, I like middle school better than I, uh, like high school. And so I just kind of went that direction and you know, the rest is history. So

Eric Cross (03:19):
I feel like our stories are similar because I went into teaching thinking I wanted to do high school because I like the maturity and you a little bit more sophistication, advanced things, but yes, middle school, I felt like I can, I could get them more upstream before and kind of help shape mm-hmm <affirmative> that experience for them? Because I feel like at middle school is really where they kind of decide like what they can do based on their experiences.

Sharita Ware (03:39):
I found in the middle school that the kids, I mean, they just, they clamor around you and they’re like, what are we doing today? You know? And they get so excited and, um, they’re, they’re just, I don’t know, I guess in some ways, just more hungry in the sense of like they’re willingness to, um, now sometimes they’re a little reluctant, but you know, their willingness just to try new things. And I think, um, my students really what I have found over the years that they have found a safe space and I hear the kids, you know, say to me so many times that, you know, it it’s safe. I feel, I feel safe in here. And, and it’s not something that in my mind I’m thinking about, oh, I need to make this a safe place. It’s just, I guess part of just who I am as a person has created this environment of, of safety and, and the kids recognize that, you know, I don’t play favorites. You know, everybody starts out mm-hmm, <affirmative> on equal footing. I, I don’t care what your backstory is. I don’t care how many times I see you in the hallway when I’m walking during my prep. You know, when you hit my room, I’m, I’m gonna treat you the same way on day one, that I treat everybody else.

Eric Cross (04:54):
You really understand how to build culture with, in, with your classroom, with your students. And, and you said they feel safe, but is there anything that you do that someone could like apply? And like you found that you’ve gotten a lot of just relational capital through doing these things, or is it just your personality? Like how, how do you build those connections?

Sharita Ware (05:12):
You know, growing up being a, a very quiet person. I, I think a lot of times my voice was ignored because I was the quiet kid in the back of the room. And oftentimes I became seen or heard because of my work, you know, in the beginning it was kind of like, oh, she’s just this quiet girl in the back of the room. And then, you know, the first essay was due or the first project was due. And then it was like, oh, you know, then you’re the person to be on, you know, people’s teams. And, and that, I don’t know, that always kind of bothered me because, you know, I’m thinking just because you’re not the loudest person in the room doesn’t mean that you don’t have something to say, mm-hmm <affirmative>, you just might not be talking all the time. You know? And, and so for my students, I just, I try to create that equal playing field where there’s, nobody’s voice, that’s more important than anyone else’s and try to make them all feel like that what they have to say, or what they have to contribute is, is enough, is good.

Sharita Ware (06:14):
Enough is important as…

Eric Cross (06:16):
It is, as it is. And there’s probably a lot of things that you do. But in addition to building these relationships, what do you do? Like how do you make your learning fun for students?

Sharita Ware (06:25):
I think, um, I’m also a little bit on the silly side. Um, we do a, a Barbie prosthetic leg project, and this was after trial and error of having the kids make full size prosthetic legs. And I try to make it as real world as possible, but with none of the children being amputee or, you know, having access to someone, it was really hard for them to really visualize what needed to happen. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And so, um, I found this Barbie that had a prosthetic leg and I was like, well, LA, so I just started collecting Barbies and chopping their legs off <laugh>. And so I have this jar of Barbie legs. And so, and I said, you’re gonna make prosthetic legs. And I lay this jar of legs on the counter and the kids are like, like they gasp and then they crack up and then they’re like, okay, this lady’s crazy. So…

Eric Cross (07:22):
That’s when you take off your scarf and there’s this necklace of just Barbie legs that are just around and you’re like, I’m a middle school teacher and they go, oh, okay. I understand. Yeah. Yeah. It’s totally fine. Is this a lesson that someone that you made up or is it something that you’ve re remixed? Is it something that someone could do if they looked it up anywhere?

Sharita Ware (07:38):
Um, so I think teach engineering has the, the full size leg that the kids make. And that’s where I initially got it from.

Eric Cross (07:47):
Is that the website teach engineering?

Sharita Ware (07:49):
Yes. And, um, I, in fact, I get lots of ideals from there. Um, and I, I always usually tweak them, but it’s, it’s one of those things that kind of gets your brain going. And so it was kind of a mixture of, uh, project lead the way gateway to technology and the teach engineering. And I think the project lead the way had us making like braces, uh, for, um, kids with, um, like cerebral palsy or, or something like that. And the kids did okay with that project. Uh, but I wanted to go just a little bit, uh, deeper with it because part of what I was wanting them to do is that context and that connection, that human connection, because for me, it’s not just enough for them to make a project. Uh, before we start this prosthetic leg, I read them a story out of a Scholastic magazine, and it’s a, a teenage girl that lost her leg in a boating accident.

Sharita Ware (08:42):
And she was super active, um, playing sports and running. And, and so I was, you know, trying to get the kids to, you know, make that connection, someone close to their age. Um, and then how it’s not, it’s, it’s more than about her physical healing. It’s also about her mental healing and how she had to, you know, talk to herself to say that she could, you know, recover and, and come back from this and still go on to do all of the things that she was doing before. Um, and in some ways it’s kind of cool because, um, you know, she has a running prosthetic, she has a, a swimming prosthetic, and she has her every day with the pain and toils prosthetic. So just trying to, you know, help them to see that it’s more than just the, you know, the biomedical mechanical engineering aspect of the project.

Sharita Ware (09:30):
And so they have to design for comfort. They have to design for, um, swelling. And then, um, they also can, if they, if they want to, they don’t have to, if they want to, they can create their own backstory. So when they get there, um, we have a day where they are introduced to their client, so they get to meet their Barbie and, and then they get to decide if they want a backstory and, and then do their research based off of that. So if it’s someone that was a runner, then they can design a prosthetic running blade. So just, they have lots of, uh, flexibility.

Eric Cross (10:04):
The, that aspect of adding the narrative. It does so much for like listening to it on the outside. It one, it adds this humanity to, you know, what can sometimes just feel like it may be cold, logical stem. We’re just, we’re just doing things. We’re fixing things. We’re, you know, we’re discovering things, but really the stem has value when we’re actually applying it to, to, to serve humanity or our ecosystem or whatever it is. There was a, a coding, uh, class I was doing with my students and I showed them this app called be my eyes. And it’s for people who are visually impaired and it pairs them with a volunteer. And when they call, and there’s a whole huge pool of volunteers and I’m one of them. And when my, when it happens in class, I answer and it uses the FaceTime. So the person who’s visually impaired is holding up their phone and you see what they see and you tell them and real time what’s happening.

Sharita Ware (10:54):
Oh, wow. That’s so cool.

Eric Cross (10:56):
These are, these were the things I think for students that the story, the, the human part of it, mm-hmm, <affirmative>, it must bring in so many more students into engagement.

Sharita Ware (11:05):
Yeah. I, I feel like it does because I, I think, um, and, you know, along the journey, they kind of lose, um, they lose sight a little bit because, you know, they get out in the lab and they have access to all of these different materials. And I think, you know, truly making it, you know, project based for me is I try not to control the materials too much. Um, I try not to make it so wide that they just get lost, but I try to throw a few curve balls in there, you know, of, of materials that really don’t make sense to use, but they kind of think they make sense to use. Um, because the, the, the meat of it is that the prosthetic leg is a similar size of the original leg and that the, the knee functions. And so I don’t limit, and I grade them off of efficient use of materials.

Sharita Ware (11:59):
So, and that just throws them off because I think, well, how many Popsicle sticks can I use? And I’m like, you can use as many as you like, but remember, this is a prosthetic leg that, um, your Barbie, which is one six scale, um, is going to be wearing all day. So you could think that a Popsicle stick, if you chose to use a Popsicle stick is kind of like dragging around a two by four <laugh>, you know? So do, is that what you really want to use as your material? And some of the kids really think about it and saying, okay, I’m, I’ve got this aluminum rod, okay. This is probably what I would use for my bone structure, because it’s lightweight, but yet it is supportive. And then sometimes they come up with their own ideas in terms of materials, like one student brought in his, um, 3d doodle pin mm-hmm <affirmative> and he made joints and everything with this pin.

Sharita Ware (12:54):
And I’m, and I had delayed buying one, cause I’m like, I, how do you have control over that thing? Mm-hmm <affirmative> he brought that in and he did probably two or three iterations of it and, and got it to work where even the knee where it bit back 90 degrees, but it stopped. He made like, so that it didn’t bend forward. It blows my mind. I’m like so many UN unexpected things have, have happened just from my, um, teaching style. Now I did have, my first few years, I had a, a teaching coach, um, come in and, um, I asked her to come into my room because I just wanted to make sure because I was not a traditional teacher. She said, this classroom is amazing. And, and I think the one thing that she helped me with was, was purpose and consistency and the sense of making sure that with the standards that all of these cool things and ways of being, um, that I was doing in my classroom, that, that I kept it purposeful and intentional. So many times as educators, I know in having student teachers again, ask yourself the question, what is the big picture I want the kids to take away. And once you ask that question, then everything that you have them do will lead to that big picture. Well, it should lead to that big picture.

Eric Cross (14:22):
So it sounds like they’re, you’re starting with this end goal in mind and then kind of backwards planning to get there. Yeah. Do you think you would’ve been the same type of teacher if you would’ve gone straight from college into the classroom? No. And if, if, no, as you’re shaking your head, what do you think it is about? Cause I’ve been asking myself these questions, like just over the years, what is it about coming from industry and going into the classroom? Do you feel like, is how has that impacted you in how you teach?

Sharita Ware (14:45):
Well, I think it’s twofold cuz I was older. I already had three children. I think the combination for me, I think is I was already a mom and I had worked in industry. So the behavior aspect of kids and, and then having that real world experience. And I, I just feel like whether it’s in the classroom, um, marriage, kids, to me, it’s 90% relationship, you know, and the rest will work itself out. That’s, that’s just my, my take on it. But I, I feel like having kids, so some of the behavioral things I kind of was aware of, you know, and just learned many times just not to react to some of the things that they did.

Eric Cross (15:31):
Which is huge. Right. Especially in middle school is controlling your reactions.

Sharita Ware (15:35):
Yes. Cuz that’s what they want. You know? And, and I had this student last year as well. She’s brilliant. And so if she cannot wrap her mind around the purpose of what you’re doing and, and you’re pushing her to do something that she doesn’t think is necessary, mm-hmm <affirmative>, she kind of has these meltdowns. And, and so we just had this, you know, I don’t know, we just came to this understanding and it, and it works to control the meltdowns. I tried to make sure. And, and I used her as a gauge because I knew she wasn’t, she wasn’t getting upset because she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand the why mm-hmm <affirmative>. And so I felt like if she got the why then so would everyone else. So when she, if she was okay with it, then I was like, okay, then I must have explained it well enough.

Sharita Ware (16:25):
And so in my mind that I really need to make sure they understand the, again, going back to that purpose <laugh> and intention, making sure that that is clear. And then I think that’s what gets lost. Sometimes mm-hmm <affirmative> uh, with us as teachers, we, we know where we want the kids to go and we want us to trust the process, you know, just do it because I said so, but sometimes, you know, empowering your children to under to understand the why, because that again is what allows them to be able to do bigger and greater things on their own. So on that next project comes along. They’re starting to tell you, well, first we need to make sure we understand what, um, we’re being asked to do to do. So we have to define the question. We have to make our driving question that will help us stay focused. And, and you’re just standing up there going, okay, now you don’t need me. I’ll go here and sit down. <laugh> so it’s, uh, it is really cool.

Eric Cross (17:28):
Now I’m thinking about my own kids. Like, do my students know the why behind the lesson we did today? It’s one area of growth that I wanna make sure I do this year with my students. And so I really appreciate that. So the, and you just hit on something that is, has been in the forefront of my mind lately and math and English as you know, tend to be prioritized in schools everywhere because it’s what state tested. And it’s what, you know, this is a whole other conversation, but I’ve been talking to math teachers frequently about one of the challenges that they experience or they’ve been telling me is that math is kind of taught. Like it’s just computational, you’re solving these problems, but it’s really separated from any real life application. A lot of times, you know, it’s pizza or gumballs or, or just fictional scenarios and students don’t perform well many times. And some of the reasons why is cuz just no connection. I don’t want to solve puzzles. Like it’s not my jam. Do you have any just inside or, or perspective on how math is, is taught in maybe a way that you think it would students would benefit more?

Sharita Ware (18:32):
You know how kids learn in elementary school, you’ve got this, the same teacher teaching all of the subjects. And so wouldn’t that be an awesome opportunity for you to have like these, these projects where I feel like you could, a class could legit work on the same project for a whole entire year. And so couldn’t the English be writing your persuasive letter to the mayor, asking him to do this or do that. And the process of doing that they’re, they’re, they’re writing with a purpose with a true purpose. Um, and then when they’re doing math, you know, they want, they want a new neighborhood park. So, you know, well how much is this gonna cost? Well, math, what size is it gonna be math? Let’s see what it looks like, art, you know, you just, you have all of this things. And then of course then science.

Sharita Ware (19:32):
So if it’s on a heel, how can we, you know, deal with erosion? And you know, you can just pull so many different things into that. And so not only are they learning, but they’re narrowed in and focused on a project, they’re, they’re able to dive deep into, you know, learning more of learning, how to express themselves and communicate with real people. So it’s more of taking these compartmentalized learning that we do in middle school and high school. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> where you’re almost learning apprenticeship style. Mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, you have these master educators and it’s not about them being the best at math or being the best at this or that. Cuz there’s so many tools now that could help you through that. But you’re, you’re giving, you’re teaching them so many life skills and so many ways to think and problem solve that, that we’re just that the kids just don’t have.

Eric Cross (20:27):

I think that that is amazing. And I think that in that situation, what I’m hearing is we’re going deeper, not wider because there are a lot of different concepts that kids are expected to learn. Or I should say there are several concepts that teachers are expected to teach doesn’t necessarily mean that our kids are learning, but we’re teaching them. And this way you’re embedded it into an authentic context. Students are able to go through this cycle just like real life. And then they’re also able to build these kind of really transdisciplinary skills. Not only am I learning the math, the English, the the, but I’m also learning the interpersonal skills of being able to sell myself and present myself in a way that’s winsome. And it’s especially powerful coming from someone from industry. Last question, even just listening to you, I know you, you are this for a lot of people, but I wanted to ask you who inspires you?

Sharita Ware (21:14):
I think there have been lots of people over the years. Like I’m thinking of my shop teacher who has since, uh, the last few years passed away. Um, he was one of those people, I think similar personality to me, super quiet person, but he was always in the background on my journey and his name was Joe Mo and we called her Madam Carol was my 10th grade English lit teacher. And she was the one that started reading my work out in front of the class. And you know, and that just gave me courage, not so much to be seen. Uh, but that the work I was doing was, was good. And, and I think I needed that kind of encouragement. Lastly, my students inspire me because when I look at their faces and see the excitement, I think of those students for the first time and, and, and think about this seventh and eighth graders for the first time feeling like they really have something to say, they really have something to contribute of value. And, and I do it for them. You know, the reason why I am here in this moment is because of them. Um, without them, you wouldn’t be talking to me <laugh>

Eric Cross (22:37):
This is, this is true. This is, this is true. You would probably never say this about yourself, but you just exude a humility and a service in how you talk about your students and yourself. And I just wanna thank you for using your gifts, but I don’t wanna just call them gifts because it makes it sound like you didn’t earn ’em and your skills that you’ve earned and worked very hard to acquire over the years to go back into the classroom and leave industry, cuz you, you could have gone back to industry too, but you decided not to. And you could have worked in the industry and your hours were a little different pay is a little different, but you came back to serve the kids of Indiana and because of you and because of that choice, those students have a brighter future and believe in themselves and they’re finding their voice. And I want to thank you for that and for representing all of us stem teachers who are in middle school and being that leader. So thank you for that and thank you for being on the podcast.

Sharita Ware (23:24):
You’re welcome. Thank you for having me.

Eric Cross (23:28):
Thank so much for listening. Now we wanna hear more about you in the amazing work you’re doing for students. Do you have any educators who inspire you? You can nominate them as a future guest on science connections by emailing stem, amplifycom.wpengine.com. That’s ST E M amplifycom.wpengine.com. Make sure to click, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and join our Facebook group science connections, the community until next time.

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What Sharita Ware says about science

“Sometimes, empowering your students to understand the why is what allows them to be able to do bigger and greater things on their own.”

– Sharita Ware

Engineer and Technology Teacher, 2020 Indiana Teacher of the Year

Meet the guest

Sharita Ware, a Purdue University graduate, is in her 10th year of teaching engineering and technology education to middle school students in the Tippecanoe School Corporation. Ware challenges her students with real-world, problem-based design scenarios that will help them contribute to global technology and integrated STEM. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

A woman with curly black hair, glasses, and a white turtleneck smiles at the camera.

About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

Introducing our 2023 Science of Reading Star Award finalists!

Roll out the red carpet and shine those spotlights—it’s time to meet the 25 finalists for our 2023 Science of Reading Star Awards!

These educators and leaders help light the way for the next generation. They’ve implemented Science of Reading principles and guided their students toward lifelong literacy. They’ve demonstrated expert change management and professional development. Get ready to meet some of the brightest minds in education as we celebrate their achievements and see what makes them truly stellar!

Join our virtual event and awards program on May 23.

But first…meet our 2023 finalists! Below, you’ll hear from the nominees themselves, as well as the colleagues who nominated them, about what makes them stars.

The Changemaker Award

For exemplary leadership in guiding a district through a shift to the Science of Reading.

And the finalists are…

Heather Campbell
Learning Coach, Sunset Elementary, Washington County District, UT
Why she’s a star: “Heather’s philosophy that all students can learn to read if given proper instruction has changed the data. Our school made the change and the data is showing our students are thriving.” —Shelli Campbell, Learning Coach

Javonna Mack
Lead Content Teacher, Caddo Parish School, LA
Why she’s a star: “Whether working with students or teachers, Mrs. Mack keeps best practices grounded in the Science of Reading at the forefront. She constantly strives to build teachers’ expertise in teaching students to read through content-rich professional learning communities, often on Saturdays or after the workday has ended.” —Shannon Southwell, Lead Content Teacher

Aaron Jura
Reading Interventionist, Bloomingdale, IL School District
Why he’s a star: “Aaron has been the catalyst for our entire district embracing this shift to the Science of Reading, and we are just at the beginning of this amazing journey.” —Nicole Gabany, Reading Interventionist

Nicole Peterson
Director of PreK–8 Education, Sampson County Schools, NC
Why she’s a star: “She has created, initiated, implemented, monitored, evaluated, and adjusted processes and systems to ensure that teachers have access to resources, training, materials, and professional development to ensure that all students gain equitable access to high-quality, evidence-based instruction.” —Matthew McLean, Director, PreK–8th Grade Education

Virginia Quinn-Mooney
Teacher, Northville Elementary School, CT
Why she’s a star: “Virginia has gone from one person with a personal commitment to advancing her literacy knowledge. She has now impacted countless educators, parents, etc., with her tenacity and learning journey.” —Nicole Gregory, Teacher

The Data Dynamo Award

For commendable use of data to align a literacy system and maximize student achievement

Shennoy Barnett
Kindergarten Teacher, South Smithfield Elementary, NC
Why she’s a star: “My objective is to help as many children as I can become fluent readers and critical thinkers. As a literacy specialist here for just four months, I made great strides with literacy with my students.” —Shennoy Barnett, Kindergarten Teacher

Anne Elizabeth Carter
Kindergarten Teacher, Wake County District, NC
Why she’s a star: “Through systematic and explicit phonics instruction as well as targeted language comprehension instruction—using texts that incorporate science and social studies content as well as build knowledge systematically—my kiddos were TRULY learning how to read accurately and fluently.” —David Gaudet, Principal

Bethani Ploegstra
Kindergarten Teacher, Union Colony Elementary, CO
Why she’s a star: “She takes data from mCLASS® DIBELS®, Lexia, and SchoolPace (part of our reading curriculum), as well as formative feedback from what she hears and sees students doing daily in the classroom, to immediately adjust what she presents next to students, whether individually, in small groups, or whole class.” —Mandy Bailey, Assistant Principal

The Knowledge Builder Award

For showing the world that the Science of Reading is more than just phonics, and empowers students with knowledge from elementary to middle school

Corey Beil
Instructional Interventionist, Quakertown Community School District, PA
Why he’s a star: “He incorporated literacy into his daily math instruction by providing our students with opportunities to understand and connect with the content more deeply. Our students were exposed to practicing literacy concepts while expanding their mathematical knowledge and foundational understanding.” —Julianne Pennabaker, Teacher

Kim Smaw
Principal, Rosalyn Yalow Charter School, NY
Why she’s a star: “She was able to persuade the learning community to adopt the Science of Reading, firmly convincing them that this curriculum could empower students to gain rich learning experiences.” —Deirdre Frost, Reading Intervention Specialist

Angie Dutton
Instructional Coach, Onslow County Schools, NC
Why she’s a star: “Her positive attitude about the Science of Reading is contagious and is most likely why other educators feel comfortable reaching out to her for questions and guidance.” —Stacey Horne, Instructional Coach

Nicole Brodie
ELA Grade 7 Teacher, Long Middle School, GA
Why she’s a star: “She encourages her students to use their [voices] for change and impact and supports them in their learning process academically, [socially, and emotionally].”
—Renee Dawson, Grade 7 English Language Arts Teacher

The Intervention Innovator Award

For admirable use of intervention strategies to get at-risk readers back on track

Suzanne Maddox
RTI Teacher, Robertson County Schools, TN
Why she’s a star: “Mrs. Maddox reviewed individual student data, worked with teachers, and began using CKLA Skills and the intervention materials provided with this curriculum to continue a sounds-first approach to meeting the individual needs of students.” —Brooke Callis, RTI Teacher

Sara Thornton
Reading Interventionist, Senior Team Lead, Schmitt Elementary, CO
Why she’s a star: “Sara’s enthusiasm for and dedication to her work has been an inspiration to all involved and has resulted in a successful transition to the Science of Reading—as evidenced by our students’ amazing academic growth!” —Hayley Gunter, Reading Interventionist, Senior Team Lead

Markaya Aga
Reading Interventionist, Merit Academy, CO
Why she’s a star: “Since she has come on board at our school, the mindset around literacy and the growth of our programming [has improved] ten-fold. We need more educators like Markaya!” —Allison Hanson, Reading Interventionist

The Language Luminary Award

For outstanding success in developing the skills and strengths of emergent bilingual students

Wanda Ramirez
Grade 2 Teacher, El Sol Science and Arts Academy, CA
Why she’s a star: “We used to emphasize to students that what they know in one language cannot be used in the other language. Now, as a dual-immersion educator, I have the opportunity to change that mindset, teach my students to embrace their native [language], and empower them to use their entire linguistic ability. It’s a very powerful thing to be able to do.” —Wanda Ramirez, Grade 2 Teacher

Esmeralda Martinez
Kindergarten Teacher, Compass Community Schools, TN
Why she’s a star: “She has consistently worked on improving her teaching methods, tried new ways to engage the class, and worked diligently to support all of our students.” —Rachel, Marinari, Teacher

Christine Black
ESL Teacher, North Dover Elementary School, NJ
Why she’s a star: “We have a rapidly expanding ESL population, and Mrs. Black works tirelessly to ensure that her students are expanding their ELA skills in accordance with the major tenets of the Science of Reading.” —Dawn Gawalis, ESL Teacher

Rookie of the Year Award

For showing the world that the Science of Reading is more than just phonics, and empowers students with knowledge from elementary to middle school

Caitlyn Cockram
Teacher, Patrick County Schools, VA
Why she’s a star: “We have offered professional development in vocabulary and implementing SOR strategies, and Caitlyn is always one of the first teachers to sign up. She is dedicated to improving student achievement through research and evidence-based practices.” —Callie Wheeler, Teacher

Andrea Mason
Academic Interventionist, County Line Elementary School, GA
Why she’s a star: “Making the shift from balanced literacy to the Science of Reading hasn’t always been easy. But I continue to research and implement these best practices with my students because I can see that they are now on a path to becoming strong readers.” —Jennifer Ezell, Academic Interventionist

Mallory Pendergast
Phonics Teacher, Literacy Interventionist, Circle City Prep, IN
Why she’s a star: “As a kindergarten teacher, she led 100% of her scholars to be reading on grade level in the first quarter and maintained that momentum through the first semester.” —Sami Hyde, Senior Instructional Coach

ESSER Ace Award

For notable and innovative use of stimulus funds to help kids rediscover the joy of reading

Stephanie Hurst
District Literacy Specialist, Maple Avenue Elementary, NH
Why she’s a star: “She is also a voice on the utilization of [the] ESSER Fund—using the distribution of funds per federal protocol to ensure that the district’s lowest-performing schools have access to quality instructional materials and professional development all grounded in the Science of Reading.” —Mark Blount, K–12 Literacy Specialist

Callie Wheeler and Sara Vernon
Instructional Coaches, Patrick County Schools, VA
Why Callie’s a star: “Mrs. Wheeler played a key role in creating a culture of literacy within our schools, where the Science of Reading is central to the education of our students.” —Sara Vernon, Instructional Coach
Why Sara’s a star: “Sara has worked tirelessly to make the shift from the vision that was grounded in balanced literacy to one that is now making waves in Southwest Virginia with its Know Better, Do Better, Be Better approach to reading instruction.” —Callie Wheeler, Instructional Coach

Edie Bostic
Literacy Coach, Gallia Local, OH
“As a teacher, district Title I coordinator, elementary principal, and now district literacy coach, she continually champions the students under her care and is passionate about those students receiving the highest levels of instruction.” —Leslie Henry, Principal

Inspired? We are! Register to join our May 23 Science of Reading Star Awards virtual ceremony!

More to explore

Learn with and from other top-notch educators like you through our family of podcasts.

S2-02: Developing your own teaching style: Tips from a veteran teacher.

Poster for "Science Connections" podcast with an image of Marilyn Dieppa, featuring a logo of an atom and text promoting season 2, episode 2 about veteran teaching styles.

In this episode, Eric Cross sits down with veteran educator and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Middle School Science Teacher of the Year, Marilyn Dieppa. During the show, Marilyn shares tips for new teachers, ways to inspire students, and how she utilizes her journalism background to develop literacy skills within her science classroom. She also shares her experiences developing a robotics academy, and the VEX IQ World’s Competition. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Marilyn Dieppa (00:01):
I think my favorite thing is their success. Whether it’s robotics, whether it’s in the classroom, that they pass a test for the first time, those are my moments of success. And that’s what makes me happy.

Eric Cross (00:15):
Marilyn Dieppa is a veteran middle-school science educator at Miami-Dade County public schools. Dieppa launched her school’s STEM Academy in 2016 and developed professional development through the STEM Transformation Institute of Florida International University. Dieppa’s coached numerous new teachers and was the 2018 Miami-Dade County public schools’ middle-school Science Teacher of the Year. In this episode, we discussed her transition from a career in journalism to the science classroom and the value of personal and professional support systems for teacher longevity. And now, please enjoy my conversation with Marilyn Dieppa.

Marilyn Dieppa (00:52):
Nice to meet you, Eric.

Eric Cross (00:53):
Nice to meet you too. Thank you for being willing to come on the podcast.

Marilyn Dieppa (00:58):
Not a problem.

Eric Cross (00:59):
So you’re out in, you’re out in Florida. In Dade County. I’m out here in San Diego. So I’m like literally on the other side of the country. Have you—were you born and raised in Florida?

Marilyn Dieppa (01:09):
I’ve been here for 40 years, so I’ve been here most of my life. Yeah. I’m Puerto Rican, but I was, you know, my young childhood, I was in New Jersey. And then when I was 15, I came down.

Eric Cross (01:23):
I looked at like your—some of your accolades, which are really impressive. The things that you’ve done for students with robotics, and all the education, or, kind of like teacher enrichment, a lot of mentoring and coaching that you do now.

Marilyn Dieppa (01:35):
I am part of leadership team for the district. I do a lot of training. I work on curriculum. I help with pacing guides to make sure that everything is based on what the state wants, what the district wants. I have done a lot for the district in the last, probably 20 years.

Eric Cross (01:52):
What got you into teaching initially? What was your…like, why middle school science? We’re like a unique group.

Marilyn Dieppa (01:57):
This is the second career choice for me. So I’ve only been doing this for 24 years. I was a journalism major and then I got married and then I had my child and I wanted to do something. My thing was that I wanted to go to Iraq. I wanted to cover the news. I have a minor in Middle Eastern culture. so there was a lot of things that were in my mind when I was young, pre-married. and after, you know, you have children, priorities kind of change. So I totally changed, pretty much had to start from scratch, with my degree, because nothing kind of transferred over from journalism to teaching. So before I actually did that, I started subbing just to see if I liked it. And I fell in love with teaching right away. And that’s how I got into it. So my degree is really in elementary.

Eric Cross (02:45):
Now, when you were subbing, you were doing elementary school.

Marilyn Dieppa (02:47):
Yes. Pretty much elementary.

Eric Cross (02:48):
How did you go from there to like, middle-school science?

Marilyn Dieppa (02:50):
My thing was writing, not necessarily math and science. But I ended up with my cooperating teacher, my CT, she was a math and science teacher. So I was put with her, and who knew that I liked science and I liked math? So I ended up with that and I infused a lot of labs. So in elementary you tend to—I think teachers are a little bit afraid of the labs, so I infused a lot of literature with my labs. I infused all my—I did it like a whole-group type thing, everything I did with my labs, I incorporated the math. I incorporated the science. I incorporated, you know, the reading with it. And from there, I just—you know, they ended up putting me in a lot of leadership roles with science. And then my principal was opening up the school where I’m at now, my former principal. And she, you know, she took me with her. And so her dissertation was in looping, on how following your students, did that really make a difference in test scores? So I was part of her like test study, and I had students that I followed for two years in a row. And she would look at data and that was part of her dissertation. So that really made a difference. So I ended up moving with my students and my first group of middle-school students, I had them for four years.

Eric Cross (04:10):
Oh, wow.

Marilyn Dieppa (04:10):
And that was—those were my children. I, like, boohooed when they left. And I ended up, you know, literally following them from fourth grade all the way to more than four years. Because it was all the way until they left eighth grade.

Eric Cross (04:21):
What did you think of that model of looping with students?

Marilyn Dieppa (04:24):
I think it’s a great model, depending on the kids that you have. I love, you know, the school that I’m at. I’m very blessed, because it’s a great school. It’s really a wonderful school. I’ve had really good relationships with students. They always come back, and they always come back when they wanna tell me that they’re in something in science, right? They’re an engineer or they’re a nurse, or they’re, you know, doctors at this point. So I’ve seen a little bit of everything with my students. And it’s very rewarding.

Eric Cross (04:52):
That’s super-exciting, right? When they come back and they’re either telling you about their college major or what career they’re in. And I like to recruit them at that point and ask them to come talk to my students. Because Google photos gives you unlimited storage, if you have a teacher account, I actually have photos of students from like 10 years ago.

Marilyn Dieppa (05:09):
Oh, wow.

Eric Cross (05:10):
And I’ll put their middle school picture next to their—and then their current picture.

Marilyn Dieppa (05:14):
Oh, that’s awesome. I’ve never done that.

Eric Cross (05:17):
Yeah. You could see, like, they could see the younger version of them.

Marilyn Dieppa (05:19):
And it’s funny because even with the STEM Academy, which I have now, I have the same group of kids for three years. So I’ve had already few groups that have gone by, and those kids come back to me, they come back to our competitions, they help out, you know, they’re very integrated with the robotics. So I’m getting those students back as well. So I’ve maintained that relationship with them as well.

Eric Cross (05:46):
How do you develop your own classroom management style? How did you figure out where your—where you fit and what works for you? What was your process like for that?

Marilyn Dieppa (05:55):
You know what I think, just by teaching, teaching them to respect. And one thing that I’ve developed that—I don’t scream in my classroom; I just talk to the kids. I have very good one-on-one communication with them. I show them respect. I treat them as an equal.

Eric Cross (06:12):
And what grade are you teaching currently?

Marilyn Dieppa (06:14):
Eighth grade. So I do science. I teach high school science. I teach comprehensive, which is like our regular students. I have kids who are inclusion. I have kids that are ESL. So I teach all, you know, dynamics of students. And then I have the academy, which is something separate. But I infuse a lot of physics and of course that they need in order for them to be competitive.

Eric Cross (06:38):
So tell me about that. What is the STEM Academy?

Marilyn Dieppa (06:40):
It is an enrichment program. So it is an advanced enrichment program, because they do follow like the math enrichment. so they have to be really good at math in order for them to be accepted into the program. So, one day we got like a grant, and we got a little robot, the VEX. I don’t know if you’re familiar with VEX. I know it’s big in California. So I was told, “Here, this is for you. See what you can do with it.” So I started with an after-school club, the following year. It kind of hit off. We went to our first little competition. The kids did really well. And then the following year, they told me, “Hey, we need an academy, make it happen.” So it’s not like I had a curriculum. I kind of do my own thing. But we do a lot of different types of things. Our big portion is the VEX, but I also do sec me, we do Future City. We do a whole bunch of competitions within the district. You know, Math Bowl. So I get my kids prepared for anything that really has to do competitive-based. I do that with those students.

Eric Cross (07:38):
What age range or which grade range?

Marilyn Dieppa (07:40):
Sixth to eighth. We have kids who stay the three years and then we have kids that after, you know, sometimes it’s more the parents that want them to be part of the engineering. but sometimes we lose kids after the first year and you know, that’s fine because we wanna really have kids who really wanna be there and are, you know, committed to it. Because there’s a lot of commitments to that program.

Eric Cross (08:01):
Those types of programs, there’s so many like outside-of-the-classroom things that you need to take care of. If you’re going to competitions, and weekends, and all those types of things. Is there a team of teachers that are doing this or is it just you?

Marilyn Dieppa (08:10):
Team of one! .

Eric Cross (08:11):
A team of one! Right? Like, yeah. And how long have you been running this yourself?

Marilyn Dieppa (08:16):
This is probably like my sixth year.

Eric Cross (08:19):
OK.

Marilyn Dieppa (08:20):
So we’ve been very successful. That program is totally inquiry. It’s totally on them. I don’t know how to use a little, you know, remote control. I don’t know how to do anything. I’m there for troubleshoot and to make sure that they’re on task, but they have been very successful because I do put everything on them. And I go, “It’s not my robot. This is your robot.” So they build everything

Eric Cross (08:40):
And that seems to be the theme, especially with, a lot of times, with science teachers. And encouraging them to say, “You don’t have to be the expert in everything.” Teachers tend to be more like risk-taking and innovative when they’re willing to like, not have to be—I don’t have to know everything in order to do something.

Marilyn Dieppa (08:54):
Exactly. So we’ve been very successful. Very proud of my students because you know, we’ve, gone to Worlds twice. We’ve qualified three times in the six years. Actually, I had two teams that went last year.

Eric Cross (09:07):
What is, what is Worlds? That sounds like a big deal.

Marilyn Dieppa (09:10):
It’s a huge thing. And it’s teams from all over the world. You can actually look it up online. It’s—from this year, there were teams, although they said China was not gonna be in there, there were actually some teams from China. There were teams from New Zealand. There were teams from South Africa, the UK, a lot of teams from, from Europe. And then there are teams from here. We are the host country. We’ve been the host country for a while. But it’s amazing. The first time we went, the first team that we were paired up with was a Russian team. So, you know, there was Google Translate and the kids—and it’s, they didn’t need to know the same language because they communicated with the robots. So it was really amazing. They work collaboratively. So it’s not like a battle box. So they work two teams together and whatever, they both get together, they both earn the same points. So it teaches leadership, and there’s so much more to it than just a robot. They have to know how to communicate, because they do get interviewed. They do online challenges. It’s so many things. It’s just—I think it’s one of the best things that our district has really invested in, because these kids are so into it, and they love it so much. For the last year and this year I have the same kids that are in the robotics. I’m also gonna be teaching them physical science. So I have to teach them that separation between what we’re doing in our science classes versus what they’re doing in the class. So there has to be a separation. So they see one side of me in this class where it’s very laid back. It’s very chill. No, no, you, you guys do it. There’s no sitting down. It’s like organized chaos, I call it all the time. But then in the classroom, it has to be a little bit more organized.

Eric Cross (10:53):
Is that something that, as far as getting the parts—like people do, like, GoFundMes and donations and Donors Choose. Can you—

Marilyn Dieppa (11:00):
We get grant money, grant money from the town of Miami Lakes, the town that I work in. So the town actually sponsors us. Without them, we could not do that. It is a very expensive activity to do. If you go online and you look up the prices, you’ll be, “Oh my gosh, goodness, it’s very expensive.” You know? But the smiles on their faces when they come back and they have those little certificates, it means nothing, you know, it’s a little piece of paper. But that, to me, to them, it means the world.

Eric Cross (11:27):
Well, teachers, if you’re looking for ways to get that stuff funded, be fearless on behalf of asking for free things for your kids. Find a local business that somewhat connects to even robotics and say, “Hey, look, I’ve got 50 kids that really want to get after it. And we need X amount of dollars so we can buy those robotics kits. We’ll put your banner up somewhere. We’ll do all these other things. But come support our students. Come to the competition. Donate whatever you can for our students.” And many organizations will say, will say yes. Many just aren’t asked.

Marilyn Dieppa (11:57):
Right. And a lot of towns do have, like, education advisory boards. You wanna reach out to those people. ‘Cause those are the communities where they have money set aside in order to assist things like this.

Eric Cross (12:09):
Do you notice any carryover between the students that do get involved with these extracurriculars into the regular science classroom?

Marilyn Dieppa (12:16):
For sure. They’re more, they’re more disciplined. They tend to care more about the sciences because they see that link in the science. I mean, my kids are talking about gear ratios. They’re talking about, you know, mass accelerations. They had—they infuse all these things. And when they see it in the science class, they’re making that connection, which is really wonderful.

Eric Cross (12:41):
It seems like there’s a high level of engagement because this is an authentic thing. It’s almost, this should be science.

Marilyn Dieppa (12:46):
Yes. And not only that, the writing skills that have to be interpreted because part of the program is that they, they don’t necessarily have to have it, but in order for them to go far and make it to Worlds, they have to have an engineering notebook. So our strength sometimes is not the robot, but the engineering notebook.

Eric Cross (13:02):
his is where the journalism major shines.

Marilyn Dieppa (13:05):
Yes. And I go, “Guys, this is your Ikea manual. You have to explain what you’re doing, what pieces you’re using, what’s going right.” You know, and then they have to interpret and see what didn’t work. How can they fix it? So there’s so much problem-solving. It’s real life, it’s what they’re doing there. More so than sitting and learning rote, you know, vocabulary or whatever the case might be, ’cause they’re actually applying what they’re learning.

Eric Cross (13:31):
Yeah. And that’s, that’s so critical, the communication piece. Because seems like now in society, more than ever, even just being able to communicate something with bad science is convincing to people. Versus if you have great science, but you can’t communicate it, you’re not gonna be able to get it out into the public. It’s so great to see a program that exactly brings together this literacy aspect, in addition to kind of this content and skills aspect of doing the science.

Marilyn Dieppa (13:57):
And that’s what really, you know, since I started, that’s pretty much what I’ve done. My strength, believe it or not, when I was growing up, was not the science. I think I didn’t really have a really good science background. But I remember reflecting and saying, “I don’t want my students to feel like I felt when I was a child.” I wanna make sure that I give them everything, you know, give them the hands-on experience. I think I had one teacher when I was growing up and I still remember him. He was my second-grade teacher and he was just so amazing with the science. And it was just like the only really good experience I had. And I think that always stayed in the back of my mind. And when I started teaching and I go, “I wanna give these kids these experiences.” You know, sometimes I see kids in eighth grade and I go, how sad! They see water boiling and they’re just, like, in a lab room. And they’re just like, in awe, because there’s water boiling. And I go, “You guys haven’t seen water boil before?” And he goes, “No, no, no, not like this!” And I go, oh wow.

Eric Cross (14:58):
Even if it’s simple, everyday phenomena, everyday things that people deal with in a science classroom, or when you’re a teacher in that setting, it’s just—it just hits different, right? Like you, you know, you drop dye into water and watch it diffuse. And it’s like, whoa! Because they’re looking at it through that different lens. And that’s why one of the reasons why—I’m super-biased, but as science teachers, we get to do the coolest stuff.

Marilyn Dieppa (15:21):
Yeah, we do.

Eric Cross (15:22):
We just do. It’s so much fun. And basically anything that happens, that’s cool, like in, innovation and things like that, we can figure out ways to incorporate into our classroom. Now, as a coach and as a mentor, you’ve had multiple student teachers in your classroom. And we have, you know, huge need for new teachers. I teach teachers who are getting their CR, getting their credential. And the landscape of education is, is constantly shifting. You’ve watched it shift over the years. What are your biggest tips that you give to new teachers?

Marilyn Dieppa (15:49):
Well, I just had an intern last semester. I’ve had a few interns where, you know, not only are they doing this, but they’re also learning robotics too. So they’re really getting aspect in how to incorporate that. You don’t have to have everything separate. You can include everything together. But I think, I think it just comes from the foundation where they’re not exposed. Even me, when I went to college, I don’t remember doing so many labs as I should have. And I think it’s just a fear of them trying new things and failing. And I go, you know what? I, sometimes my first class is my guinea pig class, because I always change my labs. I don’t like to do the same thing over and over again. If I see something online, I go, “Oh wow. You know what, I’m gonna try it.” And I go, “Hey guys, this is the first time; we’re gonna do this together.” And it’s really—it’s just for them not to be fearful. And I think especially for science teachers or like even elementary, to give the kids the foundation that they need, they’re afraid. They’re afraid of failing and not trying something new, and say, “Hey, it’s OK. There’s other ways of doing this.” You know? So I always say, “My first class is always my guinea pig class, ’cause that’s the class I’m gonna try this on.” And then, you know, when you have to tweak, reflect, then we do that.

Eric Cross (17:06):
What are some of the things that you’ve seen or encouragements that you give to teachers who are teaching, kind of, in this kind of newer landscape, where as teachers, you become more than just a science teacher. I mean, you’re a mentor. You’re an encourager. Sometimes you’re a counselor for students. And then there, there are things that happen externally that impact teachers as well. It’s a tough job.

Marilyn Dieppa (17:24):
So I always say, you know, when you have a child, we have to be very aware of what’s happening with our children. Especially after these two years of the pandemic. That was kind of crazy. Last year was a really tough year, I think, for most educators that were back in the classroom. But I always tell ’em, you have to be really aware of what’s going on with these kids outside. When you see somebody who’s not doing anything and then you have the parents are there supporting. There’s something going—I mean, there has to be something going on. Kids are not just going to be so, so defiant. You’re gonna have very few that will be like that. But most of them it’s just gotta see and read those kids and see what’s going on, and don’t be afraid to—and I always say, I’m not there to really be your friend, but I’m there to help you. And you gotta tell ’em, you know, if you need to talk, come talk to me. Have an open-door policy with those kids.

Eric Cross (18:16):
What’s been your favorite part of the job? Something you really enjoy about the job? Especially having been teaching for as long as you have.

Marilyn Dieppa (18:23):
I think my favorite thing is their success. Whether they have struggled all the year and they’ve had that one piece of success or they don’t realize what they got out of middle school until they get to high school and they come back to you and they tell you it’s, you know, seeing my kids, whether it’s robotics, whether it’s in the classroom, that they pass a test for the first time, those are my moments of success. And that’s what makes me happy.

Eric Cross (18:52):
So you get those ahas, you get those wins, those turnarounds. And it’s like, “Ah, this keeps me going. This is so good!” But there’s something that I say to myself when I do get challenges in the classroom is teaching seventh grade, I say, “They’re 12. They’re 13. They’ve been on earth for 13 years. And for the first five or six, like, you know, they’re just kind of coming online at that point. And they’re going through all these changes.” And it grounds me in the fact that ’cause sometimes the things that you experience can be really, really challenging kind of interpersonally. And I remind myself, “Well, it’s like—you’re not 28 years old. Like, you’re, 12 and 13, and you need me to not be Mr. Cross, the science teacher. You need me to be, you know, Mr. Cross, the mentor, or Mr. Cross, the coach.” Like you were saying, open door. Keeping that open door, keeping that relationship. Because so much of what we’re doing is like life coaching in addition—and that connects to their success in the classroom. There’s a direct relationship.

Marilyn Dieppa (19:45):
Yes, yes, yes, absolutely.

Eric Cross (19:46):
Now what gets you back each fall? Because at the end, you know, every school year it’s like, “That was a tough one!” Especially with the last couple years. Right? So what’s been something, what gets you back in the classroom every fall, so that you’re ready for your students?

Marilyn Dieppa (20:02):
I think the support I get at home. I have a husband who is the most supportive person ever. He always tells me, “Your kids are grown up.” You know, my kids are adults now. “Enjoy these kids, what they’re doing. You don’t know how much they need you.” So he does tell me that. He goes, “And don’t complain! You love it!” And also my administration, they back me up. And that’s what I think what keeps you coming back. I love my administration. Whatever I ask for, they don’t tell me no. They tell me I’m crazy, but they don’t tell me no. You know, we have these huge competitions once a year at our school, administration has to be involved ’cause they have to be there, and they go, “We do this because we love you! But you know, you’re crazy!”

Eric Cross (20:48):
It’s interesting, ’cause both of these things, they involve human connection. And one is your support system at home, which is incredibly valuable. Shout out to your husband; I don’t know if he’s around. And then the culture, like, feeling supported. Teachers, you know—and it’s not just in education, but people, I’ve experienced—will work harder, longer, be more committed, when they have that intangible. When they feel like they’re connected to something bigger than them. Or on a team, not in a silo. And one person can really create or break whether that happens. And just like us in the classroom as a teacher, right? Like, “What makes you like this teacher’s class?” “Well, I feel connected. I feel safe. I feel it’s fun. It’s the culture!” I like to end with asking this question and you kind of alluded to an answer earlier, but who is one, or it could be multiple teachers, that you’ve had in your own life as a kid growing up or young person in kindergarten through 12th grade, could even be college, that has inspired you? Or made a difference in your life one way or another? Like, who pops out? I feel like we all have somebody.

Marilyn Dieppa (21:58):
One was my second grade teacher, as I mentioned before. Mr. Fernandez, never forget him. And my other teacher was my high school teacher, Mr. Velazquez. It was in New Jersey as well. And he was the one that really got me into the love of writing. He was my Spanish teacher, actually. He wasn’t even, you know—he was like an elective teacher. But he just made me believe like, “Wow, you’re like a really good writer!” To me, those two gentlemen really stood out. Very fond memories of being in school and really enjoying what I was doing.

Eric Cross (22:33):
There are so many teachers that we all have been impacted by. And many of us now who are teachers, we sit in that same seat. We fill those same shoes. And going back to what you had said earlier, one of the most rewarding things is when those kids come back to you. And I’m thinking about all the work that you’ve done, all the students you’ve poured into, all the competitions you’ve done. The ones that have come back to you are a small fragment of the ones that you’ve impacted.

Marilyn Dieppa (22:59):
Mm-hmm, yeah.

Eric Cross (23:00):
‘Cause we think about our own story, right? Like you’ve gone on and paid dividends for that one teacher in second grade. You know, Mr. Fernandez or Mr. Velasquez like, they went and they just gave you exposure to something or helped you fall in love with something. And you went on this trajectory. And if we could see the timeline of, like, this teacher created Marilyn, and Marilyn went and did this, and then what do all those students do? And that, I don’t know, there’s so many jobs that are gonna be hard work and that are gonna be challenging and stressful. But that is the thing that I think fills me when I listen to your story. I just think about like all the students throughout Florida that you have—you probably will never hear from, but have gone on to do amazing things or become great people who would go back and talk about you and say you were an inspiration for them. Marilyn, thank you for taking the time out to be on the podcast and for not only teaching students, but inspiring and coaching younger teachers and new teachers. It’s so critical. And for being willing to spend so much of your time beyond the classroom to create these opportunities for students to do this awesome, fun, engaging science, and go to Worlds. I wish you a great school year.

Marilyn Dieppa (24:11):
Thank you. You too.

Eric Cross (24:12):
We hope you make it to Worlds again and crush, in a competitive, collaborative type of environment. We’ll be checking out—I’m sure other teachers will check out Vex Robotics. Thanks for being on the podcast.

Marilyn Dieppa (24:23):
Thank you. You too, Eric.

Eric Cross (24:26):
Thanks so much for listening. Now we want to hear more about you. Do you have any educators who inspire you? You can nominate them as a future guest on Science Connections by emailing STEM@amplify.com. That’s S T E M at amplifycom.wpengine.com. Make sure to click subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And join our Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community. Until next time.

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What Marilyn Dieppa says about science

“I think as science teachers, we’re afraid of failing and not trying something new, and I say, ‘Hey, it’s okay!’ You have to tweak, reflect.”

– Marilyn Dieppa

STEM Academy Coach/Teacher, 2018 Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Middle School Science Teacher of the Year

Meet the guest

Marilyn Dieppa is a long-time educator and STEM Academy coach at Miami Dade County Public Schools. Currently in her 24th year, Marilyn teaches 8th grade science and coaches the STEM Academy at Bob Graham Education Center. She launched the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academy during the 2016-2017 school year, and the teams compete in VEX IQ World’s Competition representing both the district and the state. She has been the middle school department chairperson since 2003, attends the district department meetings and Instructional Capacity-building Academy (ICAD), and trains her science department.

Dieppa holds a bachelor of science in Elementary Education and a master of science in reading education. She is also a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher in Science.

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About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

Amplify Desmos Math for San Diego

Hello San Diego math educators,

Welcome to Amplify Desmos Math! We’re confident you’ll find this to be a powerful and effective program for getting all your students talking and thinking about math concepts together.

On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources to guide you in learning more about what Amplify Desmos Math has to offer. 

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Figuring out Problem-Based Learning

Figuring out how to implement a problem-based learning approach to mathematics can be fun and challenging. Rest assured that you will not be alone on this journey. Amplify will be by your side every step of the way.

In the short videos below, Fawn Nguyen (Amplify Math Specialist, Former Math Coach and Teacher) and John Hoogestraat (Desmos Product Specialist, Former Math Coach and Teacher) share their thoughts about the power of Amplify Desmos Math.

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Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting Math Practices

Amplify Desmos Math: Teacher Time-Saving Tools

Amplify Desmos Math: Capturing Student Thinking

Amplify Desmos Math: What a Classroom Looks and Sounds Like

About Amplify Desmos Math

Amplify Desmos Math, based on the highly-rated Illustrative Mathematics curriculum IM K–12 Math™, is designed around the idea that a core math curriculum needs to serve 100 percent of students in accessing grade-level math every day.

By joining forces with Desmos Classroom, Amplify is changing the conversation around math instruction—for both students and teachers.

  • Engaging, discourse-rich math lessons that are easier to teach.
  • Flexible, collaborative problem-solving experiences both online and off.
  • Real-time insights that make student thinking more transparent.
amplify math middle schoolers in classroom

Program highlights

Taking the IM content further

Planning for instruction

To start using Amplify Desmos Math quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos, guide, and planning resources. They cover what you need to know to get started fast.

Onboarding videos and guides

Standards Correlation

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Lesson Sampler

Amplify Desmos Math delivers the instructional power of student-centered learning packaged in a lesson format that is teacher-friendly and manageable.

With easy-to-follow instructional support, implementing a problem-based program becomes more effective and enjoyable for both you and your students. Paired with the Desmos Classroom digital experience, math class becomes fun and dynamic, with plenty of opportunities for students to talk through their reasoning, work with their peers, and gain new understandings.

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Additional features

Universal design

Every student is brilliant, and every student has brilliant mathematical ideas worth sharing and cultivating. Incorporating principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into lessons brings their brilliance to the forefront. UDL is a research-based framework designed to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

A feedback form with two questions, "How well did you understand the math in this lesson?" and "How did you feel about learning math in this lesson?" with corresponding emoji options for responses, perfectly complements the New York Math curriculum.

Diversity and representation

Helping students develop strong, healthy, and flexible math identities is a cornerstone of our program. Throughout the curriculum, students will be taught that they themselves are mathematicians, that today’s math was largely shaped by a diverse range of mathematicians who deserve to be learned about, and that learning is never finished.

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Assessments

Less exciting, but essential for learning—assessments. Amplify Desmos Math will feature a robust variety of formative and summative assessments, including: readiness checks, exit tickets, quizzes, end-of-unit tests, benchmarks, and CAASPP practice.

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Reporting

Not only will our reports show progress toward standards mastery, they will include detail on how students performed against the standard in the past and how many more encounters are yet to come. This feature alone helps teachers prioritize instruction and intervene with additional resources when necessary.

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Featuring Desmos Math 6–A1

Desmos Math 6–8 is based on the highly rated IM K–12™ curricula from Illustrative Mathematics. It has also earned a perfect all-green rating by EdReports.

Read the review on EdReports.

Unlike other IM-based lessons, ours require less prep and are easier to teach. Plus, our more visually rich activities and engaging on-ramps to learning make our lessons accessible to all students.

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Desmos Classroom digital lessons

Digital lessons should be powerful in their ability to surface student thinking and spark interesting and productive discussions. We’ve joined forces with Desmos Classroom to bring this vision to life with a complete library of interactive, collaborative lessons.

Screenshot of an educational module titled "Balloon Float" on Desmos Classroom. It focuses on proportional relationships with tables and lists goals related to quantities, patterns, and numerical relationships.

Engaging student experience

Relevant content and interactive math tools create an intuitive and engaging student experience. Plus, working together in real-time allows students to see that communicating their ideas and learning from each other are important parts of math class.

A screenshot of an educational software showing a turtle race. Users write equations for four turtles to determine their speed. Lane 4 is empty, waiting for an equation to be written. Graph and table included.


Visibility into student thinking

Imagine having more visibility into your students’ mathematical thinking. Now imagine students have access to this same information. With our collaborative lesson interface and teacher dashboard, students can’t hide. What’s more, they have visibility into the thinking of their peers—exposing them to a wider variety of approaches to solving the same problem.

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Ready-to-teach lessons

Each grade-level includes 150 ready-to-teach lessons complete with slides, step-by-step teaching notes, suggested student and teacher responses, tips for incorporating instructional routines, support for developing mathematical language, and links to useful resources. Teachers can also control what slides students see, giving teachers the ability to control the pace of the lesson to suite the needs of the class.

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Looking for help?

Our chat agents are standing by to assist you!
Simply log in at learning.amplify.com and click the orange button in the bottom right corner to chat live with our support team.

Important to Note
Our support hours are Monday through Friday, 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.

Don’t have a login yet?
Email us: help@amplify.com
Call us: +1 (800) 823-1969

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Invest in high-quality professional development

Amplify’s professional development provides a variety of learning experiences over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Gain insights into effective instructional techniques, and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in professional development.

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The foundation for long-lasting and sustainable change

Partner with members of our professional learning team to plan long-lasting and sustainable change for your school or district. Change is more likely to stick and get results with deliberate planning. We can support your through this journey to drive your professional improvement, enrich your instructional practice, and increase student impact.

Professional learning journey

Every school and district is unique. That’s why we offer flexible delivery options to best meet your specific needs and objectives.

Our professional development programs come in packages or individual sessions, available both on-site and virtually, to help you get the most out of your Amplify program(s).

You can also customize your learning experience by adding extra sessions, such as Science of Reading, supporting multiliterate learners, and a problem-based approach to math, to build on your base package.

Screenshot of Amplify’s PD Library interface with a search bar, colorful resource cards, and highlighted sections: Amplify Caminos, Boost Biliteracy, and Amplify ELA.
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Prepare

Begin

Practice

Advance
Prepare learning experiences will help shift literacy and math instruction and deepen understanding of research-based practices to support new program implementation. Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs. You’ll build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s).

Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs. You’ll refine instructional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced instructional strategies.

Program-aligned offerings will support advanced implementation to deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation.

Multi-program, suite packages

Core program packages

Literacy

  • Amplify CKLA
  • Amplify Caminos
  • Amplify ELA

STEM

  • Amplify Math
  • Amplify Desmos Math (K–12)
  • Amplify Science

 

 

 

Intervention program sessions

  • Boost Reading
  • Boost Lectura
  • Boost Close Reading
  • Boost Math

Assessment program packages

  • mCLASS with DIBELS® 8th Edition
  • mCLASS Lectura
  • mCLASS Math

mCLASS Intervention K–6 program sessions

 

 

Empower teachers to continuously improve

Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.

You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.

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Launch

On-site and virtual Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation. Self-paced, online courses are also available for select Amplify programs and include an on-demand subscription for 12-months.

After learning about the program’s foundational principles and key features, you’ll practice administering it within a collaborative environment.

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Strengthen

On-site and virtual Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of the program. Session offerings are targeted and meant to take your practice—and your students’ learning—to the next level.

Offered as part of core packages, as well as enhancements, Strengthen sessions are intended to effectively address your students’ needs. Examples include:

  • A focus on data analysis.
  • Examining student writing.
  • Targeted intervention instruction.
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Coach

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Winter Wrap-Up 03: Ideas to build math fluency

Promotional graphic for "Math Teacher Lounge" episode featuring Valerie Henry, Ed.D., on ideas to build math fluency, with a photo of Valerie Henry in the bottom right corner.

Join us for the third episode in our Winter Wrap-Up! In this episode from season 3 of Math Teacher Lounge: The Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Valerie Henry to talk about math fluency and what that means for students. Listen as we dig into the research, hear Val’s three-part definition of fluency, and explore her five principles for developing it.

Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page

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Dan Meyer (00:03)

Hey folks. Welcome back. This is Math Teacher Lounge, and I am one of your hosts, Dan Meyer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:07):

And I’m your other host, Bethany Lockhart Johnson. Hi, Dan.

Dan Meyer (00:11):

Hey, great to see you. We have a big one this week to chat about and some fantastic guests. We are chatting about fluency, which is the sort of word and concept that I feel like people have very, very non-neutral associations with it. A lot of them are very negative, for a lot of people.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:26):

I saw you frown a little. What’s up with that, Dan? You kind of, like, shrank.

Dan Meyer (00:30):

I have strong feelings about it. You know, there’s lots of ways that people go about helping people become fluent in mathematics. And a lot of them are harmful for students, and ineffective. And it got me thinking about fluency as it exists outside of the world of mathematics, where we have a lot of very clear images of it. We’re getting fluent in things all the time. Like, as humans. Human development is the story of fluency. And I just was wondering….Bethany, would you describe yourself as fluent at something outside of the world of mathematics? What is that? How’d you get fluent at it? What was the process?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:05):

Hmm, I think I’m a pretty fluent reader. I read all the time. I’m a happier person if I’ve read that day. I once saw this poster in a classroom; it said “10 Ways to Become a Better Reader: Read, Read, Read, Read, Read…you know, 10 times. Get it? Reading? You get better at reading by reading! So I would say reading. And it’s been kind of cool—I have a one-year-old who, it’s been really exciting slash overwhelmingly anxiety-producing to see him get very fluent with walking slash running, ’cause he’s getting faster every day. And it’s kind of fun. When I think of what’s something somebody’s trying to get fluent with…walking! He’s trying to be more fluid. He’s practicing transitions. He doesn’t wanna hold my hand while he traverses rocky terrain. He’s getting better at it. He’s practicing. What about you? What’s something…?

Dan Meyer (02:08):

I think about driving a lot. I’m a very fluent driver and I think a lot about when I was first a driver, you know? And how l have my hands on 10 and 2, vice grip, and do not talk to me; do not ask me anything; don’t ask me my NAME. I need to focus so hard. And then a year later, you know, I’m driving with one hand, smash the turn signal, take a sip off of whatever, change the CD. And then it’s no big deal.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:38):

Wait, did you pass the first time? Your test?

Dan Meyer (02:40):

Yeah, I don’t like to brag about it. <laugh> But I do all the time. <laugh> But I got a hundred on my driving test. I don’t care who knows it. And I hope it’s everybody. But I guess all of this is just to say there are areas of life where fluency feels natural, with the case of walking. There’s areas of life where fluency feels motivating, with like driving—I wanna be able to switch the CD out or whatever. And there’s areas where fluency feels terrifying and hard to come by, like mathematics, sometimes. So we have a set of guests here. Our first guest will help us figure out what do we mean by fluency? And what’s the research say about what fluency is and how students develop it in mathematics? And then our other guests will help us think about what it looks like in practice in the classroom. What are some novel, new ways to work on fluency? So first up we have Val Henry, Dr. Val Henry.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:32):

So we knew we needed help with the fluency definition, because when we think about it, it’s kind of big, right? And we wanted to look at what research about fluency really says. So we called on Valerie Henry. Val is a nationally board-certified teacher, taught middle school for 17 years, and since 2002 has worked with undergraduates graduates, credential candidates as a lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, one of my alma maters. So after doing her dissertation on addition and subtraction fluency in first grade, Val created a project to study ways to build addition and subtraction and multiplication and division fluency while also developing number sense in algebraic thinking. And the pilot grew and grew over the last 18 years into a powerful daily mini-lesson approach to facts fluency called FactsWise. And when we thought of fluency, the first person I thought of was Val. Welcome, Val Henry, to the Lounge! I’m so excited to have you here. Welcome.

Valerie Henry (04:36):

Thanks, Bethany. And thanks to you, Dan. It’s great to be here today.

Dan Meyer (04:41):

Great to have you; help yourself to whatever you find in the fridge. The names that people write down on those things in the bags are just recommendations. It’s potluck-style here. I’m curious, Val, if you’re, like, on an airplane, someone asks you what you do, and you say you study fluency…what is the layperson’s definition of what does it mean to be fluent in mathematics? And if you can give a brief tour through what the research says about what works and what doesn’t that would really help us orient our conversation here.

Valerie Henry (05:12):

The first thing I have to do when I talk to somebody on a plane is define the idea of fluency. And I often use an example of tying your shoelaces. Because that works with first graders as well as adults. This idea that when we first start trying to put our shoes on and get those shoelaces tied, somebody tries to, first of all, just do it for us. But then of course maybe tries to teach us the bunny-ears approach. And we struggle and struggle as little kids and eventually either the bunny-ears approach or something else starts to work for us. But we still have to pay attention to it. We have to think hard and it’s not easy. And then over time we get to the point where we basically don’t even think about it. When I tie my shoes in the morning. I’m not thinking about right-over-left and left-over-right and all of those things. I just do it. And so that’s a good, easy example of becoming fluent with something. I think what we’re talking about today though, is the basics, the adding and subtracting that we hope kids are going to have mastered maybe by second grade, and the multiplication and division facts that we wanna maybe have mastered by third, maybe fourth grade. So now what does that mean to become fluent with those basics? I have a three-part definition that seems to match up really nicely with the common core approach to fluency. Which is, first of all, we want the answers to be correct. And then second, we want the answers to be easy to know. And so what does that mean? Well, to me, it means without needing to count,

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:12):

You mean without having to kind of muscle through it? Or say more about you mean.

Valerie Henry (07:16):

Well, I guess what I mean is that when you watch a young child try and solve something even as simple as two plus three, they might put up two fingers and then go 3, 4, 5 with three more fingers winding up on their hand, one or the other of their hands. While they’re doing that, they don’t really have a sense of whether even their answer is right or not, quite often. Especially when you get to the larger adding and subtracting problems, you can see a lot of errors happening as they’re trying to count. And it’s taking up cognitive energy to do that counting process, especially as you get to the larger quantities. So my definition of fluency now is “getting it right without needing to do that hard work like counting.” Now, some people might say, well, we just want them to have ’em memorized. But in my research, I’ve learned that a lot of very fluid adults don’t always have every fact memorized. In fact, if you ask a room full of adults, what’s seven plus nine, you might learn that they can all get it correct quickly, quickly…but they don’t all have it memorized. And so when you ask them, “How did you get that?” Many of them will say, “Well, I just gave one from the 7 to the 9 and I know that 10 plus 6 is 16.”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:53):

That’s such an important distinction. My brain literally just did that actually!

Valerie Henry (08:58):

<laugh> Right? <laugh> But you’re fluid with it, because it doesn’t take you much cognitive energy at all.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:05):

Right.

Valerie Henry (09:07):

So now we have “correct without needing to put that cognitive energy,” which usually means that you’re counting. And then the third thing is “relatively quickly,” so that you’re not spending 15 seconds trying to figure it out. Even that part-whole strategy approach can be done really quickly, almost instantaneously. Or it can take a long time. So if a student can get the answer correct within, you know, three or four seconds— is I’m pretty generous—I figure that they’re pretty darn fluent with that fact. So that’s my three-part definition of these basics, fluency.

Dan Meyer (09:55):

I love the distinction between getting it correct and getting it quick. It’s possible to be quick with wrong answers. It’s possible to be like, “Those are separate components there.” And I echo Bethany’s appreciation for this third option in between knowing it instantaneously through memorization and muscling through it. But there’s like a continuum there of how much energy it took you to come up with it that all feels extremely helpful.

Valerie Henry (10:21):

And you know, one of the things that I’ve noticed is that when kids are pressured to come up with those instantaneous answers, they often default to guessing and get it wrong.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:30):

Mm, yeah.

Valerie Henry (10:30):

So that’s one of the things that I’ve learned is that as we’re trying to help students develop fluency, it’s important to start with building their conceptual understanding of what it means to do, you know, 3 times 9 and what the correct answer is, maybe using manipulatives or representations of some sort. Not skip-counting! I really have found that skip-counting just perpetuates itself in many students’ minds and that they never stop skip-counting, which means they’re putting in not very much mental energy if it’s 2 times 3 but a ton of mental energy if it’s 7 times 8. Because frankly, it’s really hard to skip count by sevens. And by eights.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:18):

I can get to 14 and then I’m like, wait, wait, what was next? Right? No, no, no…21! What do you feel are some misconceptions that maybe teachers, maybe parents have about fluency in math?

Valerie Henry (11:30):

I think maybe one of the first ones is that if students count or skip-count, their answers repetitively over and over and over and over, that they’re bound to memorize them. And the study that I did back in 2004, I actually had a school that had decided that they were going to do time tests with their students every day, all year. And that undoubtedly by the end of the year, those students would be fluent.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:06):

And to clarify by time test, you mean like, sit down, pencil, paper, ready, go, worksheet kind of thing.

Valerie Henry (12:15):

Yes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:16):

Some of us might remember quite vividly.

Valerie Henry (12:18):

<laugh> Very vividly. And you know, you have to get it done within a certain amount of time. So they made it fun for the students. Apparently the students enjoyed it. I was a little leery about that, but in the end, when I went and checked on the students and I did one-on-one assessments with half of the students in every class that were randomly selected so that I could get a sense of where they were with their fluency—and these were first graders—they basically had nothing memorized. They were simply counting as fast as they possibly could. And, you know, mostly getting the right answers. But they had not memorized. So that’s one of the myths, I think, is that repetitive practice of counting gets you to memorization.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (13:10):

If I put it in front of you enough times, you’ll become fluent.

Valerie Henry (13:14):

Right, right. Now these students didn’t really get any instruction, any help learning these. They just simply tested over and over and over. So that’s another thing that I think is a misconception. It’s that if we test students, but don’t really teach them fluency, then they’re going to become fluent. If we just test them every Friday or that kind of thing. And that they’ll learn them at home. But really what that means is a few lucky kids who have parents who have the time and the energy and the background to know how to help will take that job on at home. Not that many students are really that fortunate.

Dan Meyer (14:01):

It’s almost like the traditional approach, or the approach you’re describing, confuses process and product. It says, “Well, the product is that eventually fluent students will be able to do something like this, see these problems and answer them, answer them quickly,” and says, “Well, that must be the process then as well; let’s give them that products a whole lot.” But as I hear you describe fluency with bunny ears on shoelaces, there’s these images and approaches and techniques that require a very active teacher presence to support the development of it. That’s just kind of interesting to me.

Valerie Henry (14:35):

My initial project, the pilot project that I tried, was to simply ask teachers to follow five key principles. And the first one was to do something in the classroom every day for—I told them, even if you’ve only got five or 10 minutes, work on fluency for five or 10 minutes a day, and let’s see what happens. So that was one key element was just to teach it and to give students opportunities to get what the research calls for when you’re trying to memorize, which is actually immediate feedback. When I talk about immediate feedback with my student teachers, I say, “I’m talking about within one or two seconds of trying a problem, and then sort of immediately knowing, getting feedback of whether you got the answer right or not so that your brain can kind of gain that confidence. ‘Oh, not only did I come up with an answer, but somebody’s telling me it’s the correct answer.’”

Dan Meyer (15:38):

There’s a lot of apps now in the digital world that offer students questions about arithmetic or other kinds of mathematical concepts and give immediate feedback of a sort: the feedback of “You’re right; you’re wrong” sort. Is that effective fluency development, in your view?

Valerie Henry (15:57):

I haven’t heard and I haven’t seen them being super-effective. The ways I think about this are “Immediate feedback isn’t the only thing we need.” Probably one of the biggest things that we need is for students to develop strategies. And this is one of the other things I’ve learned from international research, from countries that do have students who become very fluent very early, is that they don’t shoot straight for memorization, but they go through this process of taking students from doing some counting and then quickly moving them to trying to use logic. So, “Hey, you really are confident that 2 + 2 is 4; so now let’s use that to think about 2 + 3.” Actually, as an algebra teacher, I would much rather have students that have a combination of memorization and these strategies, than students who’ve only memorized. Isn’t that interesting that my most successful algebra students were good strategy thinkers. Not just good memorizers.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:09):

So you mentioned there were five that kind of helped root this idea in like, “What can teachers do? What is the best thing that teachers can do to support with fact fluency?” So, everyday was key.

Valerie Henry (17:22):

Then the next principle that I really focus on is switching immediately to the connected subtractions so that students—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:33):

Not waiting until you’ve gotten all the way through addition. But making “Ooh!”

Valerie Henry (17:38):

Totally. And I didn’t do that the first year. And when we looked at the results of the assessments at the end of the year, we realized that our students were so much weaker in subtraction than addition. So the following pilot year, we tried this other approach of doing subtraction right after the students had developed some fluency with that small chunk of addition. And we got such better subtraction results.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (18:11):

What are the other principles?

Valerie Henry (18:13):

The biggest one is to use these strategies. So the strategies makes the third. And then the fourth I would say is to go from concrete to representational to abstract.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (18:27):

Don’t put away those manipulatives. Don’t put away those tools.

Valerie Henry (18:31):

Oh, so important to come back to them for multiplication and division. And my fifth principle is to wait on assessment. To use it as true assessment, but not race to start testing before students have had a chance to go through this three-phase process. Which is conceptual understanding with manipulatives; building strategies, usually with representations; and then working on building some speed until it’s just that natural fluency.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:07):

I wanna say thank you so much for offering your really learned perspective, because you have not only done the research, but seen it in action and seen how shifting our notions of fluency and what fluency can be and what a powerful foundation it can be for all mathematicians. Really, that shift is so powerful. And I appreciate you sharing it with our listeners and with us. So we’re so excited that we got to talk with you today, Val—

Dan Meyer (19:35):

Thank you, Dr. Henry.

Valerie Henry (19:37):

You’re welcome!

Dan Meyer (19:41):

With us now we have Graham Fletcher and Tracy Zager, a couple of people who understand fluency at a very deep and classroom level. I wanna introduce them and get their perspective on what we’re trying to solve here with fluency. So Graham Fletcher has served in education in a lot of different roles: as a classroom teacher, math coach, math specialist, and he’s continually seeking new and innovative ways to support students and teachers in their development of conceptual understanding in elementary math. He’s the author, along with Tracy, of Building Fact Fluency, a fluency kit we’ll talk about, and openly shares so much of his wisdom and resources at gfletchy.com. Tracy Johnson Zager is a district math coach who loves to get teachers hooked on listening to kids’ mathematical ideas. She is a co-author of this toolkit, Building Fact Fluency, and the author of Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms. Tracy also edits professional books for teachers at Stenhouse Publishers, including, yours truly. Thank you for all that insight, Tracy, and support on the book.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (20:49):

Dan and I were talking at the beginning of the episode about things we feel like, “Hey, I’m fluent in that. I’m fluent in that.”

Dan Meyer (20:55):

Just very curious: What’s something you would like to get fluent in outside of the world of mathematics, let’s say?

Tracy Zager (21:00):

I’ll say understanding the teenage brain, as the parent of a 13-year-old and 15-year-old. That’s the main thing I’m working on becoming fluent in!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:10):

Ooh!

Dan Meyer (21:13):

A language fluency, perhaps. All right, Graham. How about you?

Graham Fletcher (21:16):

For me typing, it’s always been an Achilles heel of mine. So voice-to-text has been my friend. But it’s also been my nemesis in much of my texting here and working virtually over the last couple years. So yeah, typing.

Dan Meyer (21:33):

Do you folks have some way of helping us understand the difference in how fluency is handled by instructors and by learners?

Tracy Zager (21:40):

I would say that the lay meaning of fluency is definitely a little different than what we mean in the math education realm. When we’re talking about math fact fluency, which is just one type of fluency. So you gotta think about procedural fluency and computational fluency; there are lots of types of fluency in math. And Graham and I had the luxury of really focusing in specifically on math fact fluency. We’re looking at kind of a subset of the procedural fluency. So the words you hear in all the citations are accurate, efficient, and flexible. There’s this combination of kids get the right answer in a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable amount of work and they can match their strategy or their approach to the situation. That’s where that flexibility comes in. And there’s like lots more I wanna say about that about sort of…I think one issue that comes up around fluency is that people are in a little bit of a rush. So they tend to think of the fluency as this automaticity or recall of known facts without having to think about it. And that is part of the end goal, but that’s not the journey to fluency. So this is one of the things that Graham and I thought about a lot was the path to fluency. The goal here it’s that student in middle school who’s learning something new doesn’t have to expend any effort to gather that fact. And they might do it because they’ve done it so many different ways that they’ve got it, and now they just know it, or they might be like my friend who’s a mathematician who still, if you say, “Six times 8,” she thinks in her head, “Twelve, 24, 48…” and she does this double-double-double associative property strategy. And it’s so efficient, you would never know. And that’s totally great. That’s fine. That’s not slowing her down. That’s not providing a drag in the middle of a more complex problem or new learning. So we’re really focused on having elementary school students be able to enter the middle and high school standards without having that pull out of the new thinking.

Graham Fletcher (23:53):

And as I think about that, I think about how so many students will memorize their facts, but then they haven’t memorized them with understanding. So that when they move into middle school and they move into high school, it’s almost like new knowledge and new understanding that’s applied from a stand-alone skill.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:10):

So something that felt really unique to me, Graham, as I was diving into the toolkit, is your use of images, Tracy, Graham, is the way that you use images to help students notice and wonder to start making sense of these quantities and the decomposition of numbers using images. Can you talk a little bit about how images played a part in the way that you think about this building a fact fluency?

Graham Fletcher (24:41):

What I realized is so many times when we approach math with just naked numbers with so many of our elementary students, the numbers aren’t visible. The quantities. They can’t see them; they can’t move them. They’re just those squiggly figures that we were talking about earlier on. So how is it that we make the quantities visible, to where students feel as if they can grab an apple and move it around? Because a lot of times we start with the naked numbers and then if kids don’t get the naked numbers, then we kind of backfill it. But what would happen if we start with the images? And then from there, these rich, flourishing mathematical conversations develop from the images. And I think that was the premise and the goal of the toolkit.

Tracy Zager (25:22):

When you look at how fact fluency has traditionally been taught, it’s all naked numbers. And sometimes we wrote ’em sideways. Like, that’s it. That was our variety of task type. Right? Sometimes it’s vertical; sometimes it’s horizontal. And that was it. And I’ve just known way too many kids who couldn’t find a hook to hang their hat on with that. It didn’t connect to anything. And so part of why I knew Graham was the perfect person for this project was his strength in multimedia photography, art, video. And so we started from this idea of contexts that for each lesson string in the toolkit, there’s some kind of context. An everyday object, arranged in some kind of a way that reveals mathematical structure and invites students to notice the properties. So we start with images of everyday objects: tennis balls, paint pots…um, help me out; here are a million of them. Crayons—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (26:18):

Crayons, markers.

Tracy Zager (26:18):

Shoes, right? Sushi, origami paper, all kinds of things in the different toolkits. So there’s a series of images or a three-act task or both around those everyday objects, and then story problems grounded in that context. And then there are images with mathematical tools that bring out different ideas, but relate in some way to the image talks. And we do all of that before we get to the naked number talk. Which we do, and by the time you get to the number talk, it’s pretty quick, ’cause they’ve been reasoning about cups of lemonade. And now when you give them the actual numerals, they’re all over it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:03):

I have to say too, as somebody who—particularly in middle school—navigated math anxiety, we recently talked with Allison Hintz and Anthony Smith about their amazing book Mathematizing Children’s Literature.

Tracy Zager (27:14):

Yay!

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:14):

And I was explaining, like, if I sat down at the beginning of a math class and my teacher opened a picture book and said, “We’re gonna start here,” I felt my whole body relax. And if we start with this image, if we start with just looking at an image and making sense of an image, I feel like that could be such a powerful touchstone for all the work you do from there.

Tracy Zager (27:41):

That’s core. That’s a core design principle, is that invitational access. There are no barriers to entry. There’s nothing to decode. There’s nothing formal. We’ve been learning from Dan for years about this, right? Of starting with the informal and then eventually layering in the formal. I was in a class in Maine where they were doing an image talk and it’s these boxes of pencils. It’s a stack of boxes of pencils and they’re open and you can see there are 10 pencils in each box. And so there are five boxes of pencils each with 10 pencils in it. And then the next image is 10 boxes of pencils and each box is half full. So now it’s 10 boxes each with five. And the kids are talking and talking and then the third image, I think there are seven boxes each with 10 pencils in it. And she said, “What do you think the next picture’s gonna be?” And this girl said, “You just never know with these people!” <laugh> I dunno!”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:37):

That’s kinda true. Knowing you both, it’s kinda true.

Tracy Zager (28:42):

Like if it’s seven boxes with 10 in it, one kid said, I think it’s gonna be 14 boxes of five. And other kids are like, I think it’s gonna be 10 boxes with seven. And they start talking about which of those there are and the relationships between—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:58):

But they’re making sense of numbers!

Tracy Zager (28:59):

Totally. So all the kids felt invited. They can offer something up. They’re noticing and wondering about that image. They’re talking about it in whatever informal language or home language that they speak. And that was core to us. That was a huge priority, because honestly, one of the motivations to talk about fluency is that it’s always been this gatekeeper. It has served to keep kids out of meaningful math. Particularly kids from marginalized or historically excluded communities. So they’re back at the round table, doing Mad Minutes, while the more advantaged kids are getting to do rich problem solving. And so, we thought, what if we could teach fact fluency through rich problem solving that everybody could access? That was like square one for us.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:45):

That’s huge.

Dan Meyer (29:46):

That’s great to hear. What’s been helpful for me is to understand that students who are automatic, that’s just kind of what’s on the surface of things. And that below that might be some really robust kind of foundation or scaffolding that bleeds to a larger building being built, or it might be just really rickety and not offer a sturdy place to build farther up. It’s been really exciting to hear that. I wonder if you’d comment for a moment about, in the digital age and—I’m at Desmos and our sponsors are Amplify and we all work in the digital world quite a bit. There are a lot of what report to be solutions to the fluency issue, to developing fluency in the digital world. Just lots and lots of them. Some that are quite well used, others that are just like X, Y, or Z app on the market. You can find something. Do you have perspectives on these kinds of digital fluency building apps? Like, what about them works or doesn’t work? Let us know. Graham, how about you? And then Tracy, I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

Graham Fletcher (30:47):

Yeah, I think that’s a great question, ’cause there’s a lot of shiny bells and whistles out there right now that can really excite a lot of teachers. But I always come back to what works for me as a classroom teacher is probably gonna work in a digital world as well. So what are the things that I love and honor most about being in front of students, and how can I capture that in that virtual world? I think one of the things that really helps students make connections is coherence. I think coherence, especially when you leave students for—you don’t get to talk with them after the lesson is done—so I think about how we can purposefully sequence things through a day-to-day basis. I think coherence is something that gets really lost when we talk about fluency, especially with whether it be digital or whether it be print, because what ends up happening is we say, “OK, we have all these strategies we need to teach,” and it becomes a checklist. So how is it that we can just provide students the opportunity to play around in a space, whether it be digital or in person, but in a meaningful way that allows them the time and the space and that area to breathe and think, but be coherent. And connecting those lessons along the way. And I think coherence is one thing that a lot of the times it’s harder to—when we’re in the weeds, it’s so hard and difficult to zoom back out and say, “Do all these lessons connect? How do they intentionally connect? And how do they purposefully connect?” And without coherence, everything’s kind of broken down into that granular level. So when looking at—I think about Desmos and I think about the Toolkit and I think about how Tracy and I talked a lot about, “Well, this, does it connect with the context problem, does it connect with the image talk, or the lessons? Like, how does it all connect and how are we providing students an opportunity to make connections between the day-to-day instruction and lessons that we tackle?”

Tracy Zager (32:44):

I’m reminded of a conversation that Dan, you and I had a long time ago, in Portland, Maine, in a bar. I’ll just be honest. <laugh> And we were talking about how, in the earlier days of Desmos, you were stressed out by what you saw, which was kids one-on-one, on a device, in a silent room. And you were like, no, this is not it. This is not what technology is here to serve. We can do so many things better using technology appropriately, but we can’t lose talk and we can’t lose relationships and we can’t lose formative assessment and teachers listening to kids and kids listening to each other and helping each other understand their thinking. Right? So when I think about the tech that’s out there for fact fluency, most of it is gonna violate all rules I have around time testing. So that a whole bunch of it, I would just toss on that premise. They’re really no different than flashcards. It’s just flashcards set in junkyard heaps. Or, you know, underground caverns. Or with a volcano or whatever. It’s the same thing. There are some lovely visuals—I’m thinking of Berkeley Everett’s Math Flips. Those are really pretty. Mathigon has some really nice stuff that’s digital. And I think that those resources invite you to kind of ponder and notice things and talk about them. All the tools that we design in the toolkit are designed to get people talking to each other, and give teachers opportunities to pull alongside kids and listen in and understand where they are. For example, our games, we didn’t design the games to be played digitally, even though you could, and people did during COVID, because we want kids on the rug, next to each other, on their knees; I’ve seen kids like across tables. I was in a school recently where a kid was like, “I hope you believe in God, ’cause you’re going…!” You know what I mean? <laugh>. Like they’re all pumped up.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (34:41):

They’re invested!

Tracy Zager (34:45):

They’re psyching each other up and down and they’re interacting and it’s social and the teacher’s walking around and she’s listening to the games. And they don’t actually need any bells and whistles. They need dice and they need counters and they need this game that is actually a game. In all of our conversations, games have to actually be games. Games cannot be “roll and record.” Games have to involve strategy. They have to be fun. So in designing those games, we didn’t feel like it brought any advantage to make that a digital platform. But things that did bring advantages digitally, like the ability to project these beautiful images or to use short video in the classroom, that really was a value-add that enabled us to do something different in math class than we had done before, and to get kids talking in a different way than they ever had before. When I think about fluency, historically, if you say like, “OK, it’s time to practice our math facts,” you hear a lot of groans. And when I see a Building Fact Fluency classroom and I say, “OK, it’s BFF time!” There’s like a “YEAAAAHHH!” You know? And so that’s what we’re after.

Graham Fletcher (35:47):

It’s all about kids, really, for us. And I think at the heart of it, we made all the decisions with teachers and kids at the forefront of it.

Tracy Zager (35:55):

I know of high schoolers who are newcomers, who have experienced very little formal education, and speak in other languages, are using it as high schoolers, because it involves language and math and all the deep work in the properties and it’s accessible, but it’s also not at all condescending or patronizing. Like we designed it to be appropriate for older kids. So that’s just something that I think we’re both really proud of. One thing we thought a lot about, especially in the multiplication-division kit is how a classroom teacher could use it and a coordinating educator in EL, Title, special education, intervention could also use it because there’s so much in it, that students could get to be experts, if they got extra time in it, using something that’s related and would give them additional practice. So they could play a game a little bit earlier than the rest of the classes. And they could come in already knowing about that game, or they could do a related task. We have all these optional tasks that no classroom teacher would ever have time to teach it all. So the special educator could use it and have kids doing a Same and Different or a True/False, or some of the optional games. And then the work in both special education and general education could connect.

Dan Meyer (37:20):

I just wanna say that this is an area that for so many students, as you’ve said, Tracy, it presents a barrier. It’s a very emotionally fraught area of mathematics. And we really appreciate the wisdom you brought here. And just the care you’ve brought to the product itself. Your knowledge of teaching, knowledge of math, and yeah, especially a love for students feels like it’s really infused throughout Building Fact Fluency. If our listeners want to know more outside of this podcast, outside of the product itself, where can they find your words, your voice? Where you folks at these days? Tell ’em, Graham would you?

Graham Fletcher (37:57):

You can find us at Stenhouse, Building Fact Fluency. And then Tracy and I, currently playing around, sharing ideas a lot on Twitter, under the hashtag #BuildingFactFluency. That’s kind of where we can all come together and share ideas. And then also on the Facebook community, where there’s lots of teachers sharing ideas.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:19):

If you were to ask our listeners like, “Hey, if you wanna keep thinking about this, here’s something you could try or here’s something you could go do,” what could be a challenge that we could share that could help us continue this conversation?

Graham Fletcher (38:35):

Online you can actually download a full lesson string. And a lesson string is a series of activities and resources that are purposefully connected. You can pick one or two of those from the Stenhouse web site, Building Fact Fluency. You can try the game. You can try one of those strategy-based games. You can try an image talk and just see how it goes. And just share and reflect back, whether on Twitter or on Facebook. But it’s kind of there, if you wanna give it a whirl. And as Tracy was sharing, even if you’re a middle-school teacher or a high-school teacher, we really tried to think about those middle-school and high-school students keeping it grade level-agnostic. Just so every student has those opportunities for those mathematical conversations. So download a lesson string and give it a whirl, and we’d love to hear how it goes.

Dan Meyer (39:25):

Bethany and I will be working the same challenge with people in our life.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:29):

Yes.

Dan Meyer (39:29):

Enjoying some fact fluency with people in our homes, perhaps. We’ll see. And we’ll be sharing the results in the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group. Graham and Tracy, thanks so much for being here. It was such a treat to chat with you both.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:42):

I love learning with you and just helping to shift this idea of fluency into something that can be accessible and powerful and positive.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month.

What Valerie Henry says about math

“A lot of very fluent adults don’t always have every fact memorized. ”

– Val Henry

Meet the guest

Valerie Henry has been a math educator since 1986. She taught middle school math for 17 years and has worked as a lecturer at University of California Irvine since 2002. After doing her 2004 dissertation research on addition/subtraction fluency in first grade, Valerie created FactsWise, a daily mini-lesson approach that simultaneously develops  fluency,  number sense, and algebraic thinking. Additionally, she has provided curriculum and math professional development for K-12 teachers throughout her career, working with individual schools, districts, county offices of education, Illustrative Mathematics, the SBAC Digital Library, and the UCI Math Project.

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Podcast cover for "Math Teacher Lounge" with Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer; bold text on orange and teal semicircle background.

About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast

Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!

Amplify’s professional services for educators

We work together with educators to create meaningful learning experiences in schools—whether it’s designing a customized professional development plan, working alongside teachers in the classroom, or providing engaging and effective high-impact tutoring services to help students thrive.

Amplify’s professional development

When educators grow, students grow. Our goal is to support your team’s professional development with training designed to nurture, develop, and refine instructional practices, enhancing student achievement. We offer flexible PD training and coaching, both in-person and online, with a range of support to fit districts’ needs and educators’ busy schedules.

Explore Amplify’s Effective PD solutions

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Amplify’s high-impact tutoring

Every child deserves to be a confident reader and mathematical thinker. Amplify Tutoring, grounded in evidence-based practices and high-quality instructional materials, delivers meaningful gains for students and data-driven insights for educators. Our flexible high-impact tutoring models for literacy and math help schools meet students’ unique needs.

EXPLORE AMPLIFY’S HIGH-IMPACT TUTORING SOLUTIONS

When you grow, your students grow.

“From the start, and in every encounter since I have been overwhelmed by the professionalism and customer focus all Amplify employees have demonstrated. Not only are the curriculum products extraordinary but they are backed by extraordinary people.”

Teacher, Montana

When you grow, your students grow.

“[Amplify] deserves a medal for being one of the few companies that actually explains enrollment and access processes clearly, while providing continued support. Thanks for being organized and caring towards your customers!”

Technology teaching and learning support specialist, Ohio

When you grow, your students grow.

“[Our] facilitator did a fabulous job of highlighting key look-fors, as well as sharing personal experiences with implementation, which are so useful for a teacher to hear.”

Teacher, Louisiana

When you grow, your students grow.

“Amplify Tutoring has been critical in helping several nonreaders not only become readers, but become avid readers…
The turnaround in confidence and excitement for learning has been amazing! The Amplify Tutoring Team provides continuous support system which checks in at all levels to help make the student experience a success.”


District program director, Alaska

Leading education into the future, together

Collaborative partnerships to strengthen educator success

Partnering with leading organizations, Amplify offers robust Amplify Desmos Math professional development that complements and enriches your learning journey and ensures access to comprehensive educational resources. Together, we align district and school leader support, enhance instructional practices, and boost student engagement to drive enduring outcomes.

Partner organizations

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Leverage Amplify’s curricular expertise and ANet’s strength in assessment alignment and strategic system support to achieve powerful, consistent adoption and effective, long-term implementation.

Explore this partnership

Learn more about ANet

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Accelerate results by pairing Amplify’s deep expertise in Amplify Desmos Math and program-aligned professional learning with Teaching Lab’s proven Cycles of Inquiry and direct-to-teacher coaching models to ensure uniformity and harmony in the adoption, rollout, and long-term implementation of HQIM.

Explore this partnership

Learn more about Teaching Lab

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Harness the power of Amplify’s deep expertise in Amplify Desmos Math alongside TNTP’s proven coaching models for system and school leaders to drive sustainable, impactful, and coherent HQIM implementation.

Explore this partnership

Learn more about TNTP

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Experience transformational results when Amplify’s deep expertise in Amplify Desmos Math joins with UnboundEd’s proven strengths in change management, instructional transformation, and leadership coaching to deliver sustainable instructional practices and lasting impact.

Explore this partnership

Learn more about UnboundEd

The promise of Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and other state standards like them, represent more than just new expectations—they embody a transformative vision for science education. Instead of asking students to memorize isolated facts, NGSS calls for students to think like scientists and engineers while grappling with real-world phenomena that matter to them and their communities.

This shift from learning about to figuring out develops the critical-thinking skills and problem-solving mindset students need to tackle complex challenges throughout their lives.

Two children wearing safety goggles conduct an NGSS-inspired science experiment at a table, mixing substances in clear plastic cups with plastic spoons.

Three-dimensional (3D) learning that engages and inspires

Two girls conduct a science experiment in a classroom, holding a clear cup with water and a straw, while observing and taking notes at their desks.

At the heart of NGSS lies three-dimensional learning, where Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) work together to create rich, meaningful learning experiences.

Science and Engineering Practices are the approaches and habits of real scientists and engineers: asking questions, developing models, planning investigations, and constructing evidence-based explanations and arguments. Working with these practices awakens student curiosity, drives student-centered learning, encourages deep and critical thinking, and creates opportunities for students to articulate their understanding in a variety of meaningful ways. 

Crosscutting Concepts are the big-picture thinking tools that scientists use every day. When students use Crosscutting Concepts as a lens to examine common themes in science such as patterns, cause and effect, systems, and energy, they begin to identify and connect science ideas across disciplines.

Disciplinary Core Ideas represent the essential knowledge of science. Students figure out these science ideas through their investigation of real-world scientific phenomena, and consequently develop deep understandings of science ideas.

The student experience: from passive to passionate

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In three-dimensional science learning, students become active investigators, gathering evidence from multiple sources and constructing increasingly sophisticated scientific arguments and models about real-world phenomena. They engage in evidence-based debates, collaborate on engineering challenges, and make connections between their investigations and their own communities, as well as the world beyond. See it in action.

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The literacy-rich nature of NGSS instruction means students read, write, speak, and listen like real scientists and engineers, actively questioning, analyzing, and communicating findings. This integrated approach develops both scientific understanding and communication skills—skills that transfer across all subjects and even beyond the classroom.

How Amplify Science delivers as an HQIM curriculum

Amplify Science was built from the ground up to fulfill the NGSS vision and is an HQIM (high-quality instructional materials) curriculum, characterized by the following:

  • All green on EdReports. Amplify Science has been evaluated by EdReports, an independent K–12 curriculum review organization, and received the esteemed all-green rating (“meets expectations”) across all three of its gateways: Alignment to the NGSS, Coherence and Scope, and Usability. Learn more about our all-green rating.
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  • The real-world anchor phenomenon is deeply woven throughout each unit as the central thread. In Amplify Science, students assume the role of a real scientist or engineer to investigate a compelling phenomena in K–5 and grades 6–8. Over the course of the unit, they gather and make sense of a variety of evidence sources and develop increasingly sophisticated explanations and models as their understanding deepens. Whether investigating a mysterious fossil discovery as geologists or designing emergency supply delivery pods as mechanical engineers, students experience the kind of work done by real scientists and engineers.  
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  • All three dimensions of the NGSS are intentionally and thoughtfully integrated throughout every unit and across all grades. As they built Amplify Science as an HQIM curriculum, the experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science deliberately crafted each unit, chapter, and lesson with the following guiding questions in mind:
    • What do we want students to figure out (specifically, what Disciplinary Core Idea or part of a DCI)? 
    • How do we want them to figure it out (i.e., what Scientific and Engineering Practice will they engage in to reach understanding)? 
    • What Crosscutting Concept can scaffold students’ understanding and connect it to other ideas about the natural world that they have learned? 

This systematic approach ensures that every learning experience is purposefully designed to engage students in authentic scientific thinking while building connections across concepts and grades.

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  • Educators receive comprehensive implementation support. Through lesson-planning resources, science background materials, built-in assessments, and expert coaching—all provided directly through Amplify—teachers are able to confidently implement the program’s NGSS-aligned, high-quality instructional curriculum with greater ease and success. 
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  • Multimodal learning experiences support all learners. Amplify Science ensures that everyone can access scientific concepts through the Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize multimodal approach that includes hands-on investigations, digital simulations, collaborative discussions, and literacy-rich activities. 
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Bar chart comparing percent growth in three skills—reading comprehension, science vocabulary, and science content knowledge—for “Business as usual” vs. “Amplify Science,” aligned with NGSS standards.

Ready to transform your science instruction with an HQIM curriculum?

Please contact your sales representative today, or download a sample unit to experience three-dimensional learning firsthand. Your future scientists, engineers, and citizens of the world are waiting!

Explore a unit

Welcome, Louisiana reviewers

mCLASS Intervention is an evidence-based program for helping struggling K-6 readers catch up to grade level. Importantly, it:

  1. Uses data from the Louisiana state-approved early literacy screening assessment, DIBELS 8th Edition, when collected on the mCLASS platform.
  2. Aligns with CKLA, a Tier 1 K–5 Core Curriculum reviewed by the Louisiana Department of Education that uses similar approaches to teach reading skills.
  3. Gives teachers time back in the day by doing the heavy lifting of data analysis and lesson sequencing, helping make effective staff-led intervention a reality.

A collaboration between Amplify, classroom practitioners, and leading researchers including Dr. Catherine Snow, mCLASS Intervention offers Louisiana schools a standards-aligned program grounded in the science of reading. As a trusted partner across the state, we look forward to working with you to ensure teachers and students have access to high-quality instructional materials.

Program overview

mCLASS Intervention is a staff-led, supplemental Tier 2/3 intervention program that covers the five big ideas of reading, using the continuum illustrated below. Each hexagon represents a skill taught in mCLASS Intervention. Skills to the left are generally precursors to skills on the right.

The strength of mCLASS Intervention comes from its technology-powered algorithm. Using sophisticated software algorithms, mCLASS Intervention automatically:

  • Analyzes DIBELS 8th Edition and diagnostic measure results collected via the mCLASS platform.
  • Determines which skills each student already knows and which they are ready to learn next.
  • Puts students into small homogeneous groups of 4–6.
  • Compiles detailed lessons that target the specific needs of each group.

Here is a brief example of how mCLASS Intervention identifies the right target for each student.  The image below shows the MOY Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) results for two first-grade students—Student A and Student B.

They both scored 29, which is Well Below Benchmark for this time of year. In spite of the students having the same score, mCLASS Intervention employs automatic analysis of item-level responses to detect that they are actually at different points in the continuum. For Student A, mCLASS Intervention recommends a focus on letter-sound knowledge, and sounding out and blending. For Student B,  mCLASS Intervention recommends a focus on Regular & Irregular Word recognition. (mCLASS Intervention spirals instruction by having students work in two strands at the same time.) Without mCLASS Intervention, this type of analysis would take educators hours to complete and, as a result, could only be completed sporadically. The automatic nature of mCLASS Intervention’s data analysis algorithm makes it possible for busy educators to complete this analysis regularly, which in turn enables them to continually target intervention instruction at students’ evolving needs, day after day. 

The mCLASS Intervention algorithm not only determines the ideal instructional focus for each student, but also automatically forms small groups of 4–6 students who share the same instructional focus and builds a 10-day plan with detailed lessons that target the specific needs of each group.

Each 10-day plan systematically builds skills. For example, in the 10-day plan below, mCLASS Intervention has a particular group of students work on phonological awareness and letter sound knowledge. And within phonological awareness, mCLASS Intervention first introduces the group to phoneme segmentation; moves students through phoneme identification and substitution in subsequent days; then finishes with first, last, and middle sound segmentation.

This systematic move from less advanced to more advanced skills allows for spaced practice over time, which research has shown to have significant impact on student literacy growth. 

In a Tier 2 intensity, mCLASS Intervention lessons last 30 minutes per day and are delivered daily in groups of 4–6 students. Each session has five activities and each activity is 5–8 minutes long. In a Tier 3 intensity, mCLASS Intervention lessons can be 30 or 60 minutes per day and are delivered daily in groups of 3–4 students. 

Below is an example of a middle sound segmentation activity.

We want to highlight two things from this example: 1) The instructional approach is explicit, and 2) the guidance provided is very detailed.

Explicit instructional approach: All mCLASS Intervention activities begin with a Model (“I Do”) followed by a Practice (“You Do”). During the Model section, the instructor demonstrates how to do the activity. During the Practice section, the instructor has students practice. mCLASS Intervention uses subtle but impactful moves to maximize students’ independent thinking during the Practice portion of an activity. For example, in this activity, mCLASS Intervention has the instructor call on a student only after posing the question to all students in the group and giving the group 3–5 seconds of “think time.” This approach helps instructors keep all students mentally engaged because, should they take the opposite approach of calling on one student and then asking the question, the students who were not called on would tune out and inadvertently rob themselves of crucial practice opportunities they need to catch up to their grade-level peers.  

Detailed guidance: Because mCLASS Intervention activities are detailed, both certified educators and paraprofessionals with little or no training in early elementary reading can deliver mCLASS Intervention with impact. This detailed guidance gives schools a range of options when it comes to staffing intervention, and that added flexibility is vital—especially for moderate and high need schools, which often struggle to provide intervention to all students in need.

Keep in mind that an activity such as the one above represents just 1/5th of a lesson. The additional four activities that round out a 30-minute intervention lesson are short (5–8 minutes each) and varied. Some cover one skill of focus, while others cover the other skill of focus. mCLASS Intervention also regularly incorporates game-based, kinesthetic, peer-to-peer approaches to further increase student engagement and, as a result, educators often report that mCLASS Intervention is their students’ favorite part of the day.  We think this is because students get more attention in a small group; the instruction is targeted to their needs so they are neither bored nor overly frustrated; and the 30 minutes are filled with short, varying, fast-paced, high-energy activities.

The swift pace of mCLASS Intervention is present in the activities that older students work on as well. These students often work on fluency and comprehension at the same time. In the 10-day plan below, you can see how their lessons include the same structure of short and varying activities.

Program components

Site License

Each school needs a site license to the mCLASS Intervention software.  This provides access to the tools interventionists use throughout the year, such as:

  • An assessment app for conducting progress monitoring.
  • A grouping tool that forms small groups of 4–6 students with similar skill profiles.
  • A lesson builder that delivers customized 10-day lesson plans for groups.

See sample 10-day lesson plans

  • Analytical reports for reviewing progress.
  • A practice app for K–2 students to use outside of intervention time.

mCLASS Intervention Kit

mCLASS Intervention kits are recommended, but optional. These kits include the following materials that interventionists bring to lessons:

  • Picture cards
  • Letter cards
  • Regular word cards
  • Irregular word cards
  • Letter combination cards
  • Vocabulary cards
  • Fluency cards
  • Puppet 
  • Resealable bags
  • Magnifying glass
  • Portable whiteboard
  • Dry-erase markers
  • Counting chips
  • Decoding assessment book
  • Vocabulary assessment books
  • Comprehension assessment book

We recommend one mCLASS Intervention kit per interventionist serving K–3 and one mCLASS Intervention kit per interventionist serving 4–6. 

If a school is not able to purchase one kit per interventionist, educators can assemble the materials themselves using our directions here.

DIBELS 8th Edition Kit

Educators administer DIBELS 8th Edition and proprietary diagnostic probes to place intervention students into the program.

Schools can purchase DIBELS 8th Edition kits through Amplify or download forms from the University of Oregon’s site here

For the proprietary diagnostic probes, educators can find the assessment forms in the mCLASS Intervention kit or download them from our teacher portal here

Getting mCLASS Intervention up and running

We have step-by-step guides with training videos and detailed FAQs to help educators get mCLASS Intervention running smoothly in their schools.

  • Schools that screen with DIBELS via mCLASS follow these steps to get Intervention up and running.
  • Schools that screen with another reading assessment (e.g., paper/pencil DIBELS, iReady, NWEA MAP) follow these steps to get Intervention up and running.

Take a tour

Find step-by-step instructions for reviewing lessons and placement materials in our navigation guide

This short video below shows you what those steps look like.

Professional development

For more than a decade, Amplify has provided high-quality customized professional development to meet the specific needs of educators at all levels and improve student outcomes across multiple schools, districts, and states. Our professional development opportunities extend beyond initial product trainings and are proven to leverage data to support effective implementation, consistent administration, focused progress monitoring, skill-focused data analysis, and instructional planning.

There are two distinct roles in mCLASS Intervention critical to ensuring its success at a school site. Professional development is designed to target these different roles:

  • Intervention Coordinator:
    Oversees the mCLASS Intervention program, groups students, determines group assignments, adjusts schedules, and works closely with Interventionists. 
  • Interventionists:
    Instructors who deliver the daily mCLASS Intervention program to small groups of students and monitor students’ progress every two weeks. 

We deliver professional development sessions through multiple formats, including:

  • Onsite:
    Sessions are delivered in person (30 participants).
  • Virtual:
    Sessions are delivered remotely through webinars (15 participants).
  • On demand:
    Resources are posted on the training platform and can be accessed anytime (Individually).

We offer two types of training to support implementation of mCLASS Intervention: Initial Training Sessions and Coaching Sessions.

TRAINING TYPEPURPOSEDATE
Initial Training SessionsIntroduce all stakeholders to mCLASS Intervention and the responsibilities of their individual roles.Beginning of year
Coaching SessionsSupport Intervention Coordinators with data management and fidelity, and support teachers with lesson delivery, progress monitoring, and data analysis.As identified by school

Initial Training Sessions

Training title

Modality

Objectives

Comprehensive Initial Training

1.5 days

Hybrid model*

  • ½-day remote webinar for Intervention Coordinators
  • 1-day onsite training for Interventionists

Interventionist coordinator objectives:

  • Understand how mCLASS Intervention works and what is required to maximize student progress.
  • Learn how to optimize groups and staff schedules to serve all students in need of intervention.
  • Develop the implementation work plan for the school.

Interventionist objectives:

  • Learn how mCLASS Intervention works.
  • Deliver lessons that maximize student progress.
  • Improve lesson delivery, with feedback from certified trainer.
  • Monitor progress with Intervention measures.
  • Increase accuracy of administration of measures.

Comprehensive Initial Training

1.5 days

Remote model*

  • ½-day remote webinar for Intervention Coordinators
  • 1-day remote training for Interventionists
 

*Depending on your needs, Amplify can also deliver these sessions in a Training of Trainers (TOT) model, where sessions are delivered to select leaders from each school, and participants will turn-key training content to their colleagues.

Our Coaching Sessions are also offered in multiple formats, to include full- and half-day in-person sessions, and hourly remote sessions.

Coaching Sessions

Training title

Modality

Objectives

One-day Coaching 1-day onsite

Objectives for these sessions will depend on the content needs determined by the school. Topics can include but are not limited to:

  • Observing Intervention lessons and providing feedback.
  • Analyzing mCLASS Intervention data.
  • Reviewing student progress, and planning next steps.
  • Refining groups and schedules.
  • Co-planning and modeling Intervention lessons.

Half-day Coaching ½-day onsite
Hourly Coaching 1-hour remote

FAQ’s

Do schools need to screen with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition to use mCLASS Intervention?

No. Amplify has an mCLASS Intervention offering designed for schools that use their own reading screener. These schools use the results from their own reading assessment to determine who’s at risk. Then they administer DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify’s proprietary diagnostic measure via mCLASS to the students who will receive mCLASS Intervention. Of course, we highly recommend using mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition for screening the entire class, as it would efficiently serve as both a screener and placement tool into mCLASS Intervention.

How does placement into mCLASS Intervention work?

You can learn on our teacher portal site. Here are the placement procedures for schools that:

Screen with mCLASS DIBELS 8

Screen with their own reading assessment

Does mCLASS Intervention teach skills that are taught in previous grades?

Yes, mCLASS Intervention was designed to detect students’ earliest skill gaps and provide teachers with high-quality resources for addressing them. 

How do teachers set goals?

mCLASS Intervention comes with a goal-setting tool that helps educators choose goals for students. It does this by providing score ranges that represent average, above average, and well above average growth in the skills being worked on.

Approach to AI

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Plan your professional development

We’re excited to partner with you on your Amplify journey. Flexible professional development pathways have been designed to meet your needs.

Illustration of three educational phases: a teacher launches a rocket, another reads a book, and four individuals discuss in a meeting setting.

Recommended Professional Development Plan

Our team has curated a recommended professional learning path from initial launch to continuous support. Use the Professional Development Planning Guide below to discuss the plan that best meets your school or district needs with your Account Executive.

Sessions overview

Recommended sessions are highlighted below.
AudienceTitleDurationModality
mCLASS Texas Edition Launch
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersInitial training2 half days or self-pacedRemote/Online course
New mCLASS Texas Edition customersInitial training1 dayOnsite
Initial training: Train the Trainer1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
New mCLASS Texas Edition customers with limited time for PDmCLASS program overview, English measures onlyHalf dayOnsite/Remote
mCLASS program overview, Spanish measures onlyHalf dayOnsite/Remote
Experienced mCLASS Texas Edition customersRefresher trainingHalf dayOnsite/Remote
mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading Launch
New mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading customersInitial training with Amplify Reading overview1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
Initial training with Amplify Reading overview: Train the Trainer1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC Launch
New mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC customersInitial training with TRC overview1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
Initial training with TRC overview: Train the Trainer1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
Experienced mCLASS Texas Edition customersTRC initial trainingHalf dayOnsite/Remote
TRC initial training: Train the TrainerHalf dayOnsite/Remote
mCLASS Express Launch
New mCLASS Express customersInitial trainingHalf dayOnsite/Remote
Initial trainingSelf-pacedOnline course
mCLASS Texas Edition Strengthen
All mCLASS Texas Edition customers with limited time for PDUnderstanding your classroom dataHalf dayOnsite/Remote
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersClassroom data analysis and instructional planning1 day Onsite
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersClassroom data analysis and instructional planning 2 half daysRemote
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
Classroom data analysis and instructional planningSelf-pacedOnline
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersData-driven leadership practices1 day onsiteOnsite
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersData-driven leadership practices 2 half daysRemote
Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer1 day onsite or 2 half days remoteOnsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practicesSelf-pacedOnline
Understanding your school or district dataHalf dayOnsite/Remote
Strengthening consultation session1-hour sessionRemote
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersStrengthening consultation session package3 1-hour sessionsRemote
mCLASS Texas Edition Coach
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersCoaching session1 dayOnsite
All mCLASS Texas Edition customersCoaching sessionHalf dayOnsite/Remote

Launch

mCLASS Texas Edition

Initial training

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Initial training: Train the Trainer

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

mCLASS program overview, English measures only

Half day (3 hours)

This PD prepares participants to implement the English measures of the mCLASS Texas assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines. Only English measures are covered in this half-day training.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

mCLASS program overview, Spanish measures only

Half day (3 hours)

This PD prepares participants to implement the Spanish measures of the mCLASS Texas assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines. Only Spanish measures are covered in this half-day training.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Refresher training

Half day (3 hours)

The half-day refresher training is designed for teachers and instructional leaders who are experienced with any version of DIBELS® and/or Acadience Reading and are invested in successfully implementing mCLASS Texas Edition. This session will help educators focus on what’s new to the assessment and understand mCLASS Texas Edition’s potential to impact all students through improved measures, stronger insight into students’ instructional needs, and bolstered skills-focused lessons to support instructional planning. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading

Initial training with Amplify Reading overview

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with Amplify Reading will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key Amplify Reading features.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Initial training with Amplify Reading overview: Train the Trainer

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with Amplify Reading will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key Amplify Reading features. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC

Initial training with TRC overview

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with Amplify Reading will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key Amplify Reading features.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Initial training with TRC overview: Train the Trainer

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with TRC will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key TRC features. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

TRC initial training

Half day (3 hours)

Take the first step in launching TRC! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how TRC assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

TRC initial training: Train the Trainer

Half day (3 hours)

Take the first step in launching TRC! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how TRC assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

mCLASS Express

Initial training

Half day (3 hours)

Take the first step in launching mCLASS Express! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Express’ voice-recognition scoring generates immediate instructional recommendations for students reading below grade level. Educators will also learn how to utilize the teacher portal to assign assessments, review and correct scoring, track student growth over time, and leverage the program’s activities to create an action plan for a single classroom or across classes/grades.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Initial training

Self-paced

Take the first step in launching mCLASS Express! The two-hour initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Express’ voice-recognition scoring generates immediate instructional recommendations for students reading below grade level. Educators will also learn how to utilize the teacher portal to assign assessments, review and correct scoring, track student growth over time, and leverage the program’s activities to create an action plan for a single classroom or across classes/grades. As this is a self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will be able to access the course anytime, move as quickly or as slowly as needed through different sections, and revisit the course for up to one year as a refresher in the future.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Remote

Strengthen

Understanding your classroom data

Half day (3 hours)

This PD prepares participants to understand their students’ data by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Classroom data analysis and instructional planning

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.

Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.

Classroom data analysis and instructional planning

Self-paced

This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher. Note: The online course focuses on the English measures only.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online

Understanding your school or district data

Half day (3 hours)

This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.

Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Data-driven leadership practices

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.

Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)

This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.

Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Data driven leadership practices

Self-paced

This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher. Note: The online course focuses on the English measures only.

Audience: Administrators
Modality: Online

Strengthening consultation session

60 minutes

This 60-minute session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them in driving towards stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topic from a menu of options that will best meet educators’ unique needs. Topics include progress monitoring, zones of growth, and a data walkthrough for leaders.

Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Strengthening consultation session package

3 hours

This package consists of three 60-minute sessions that can be delivered on the same day or on different days. Each session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them in driving towards stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topics that will best meet educators’ unique needs. Topics include progress monitoring, zones of growth, and a data walkthrough for leaders.

Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Coach

Coaching session

1 day onsite (6 hours)

This PD will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one or two school sites for one day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.

Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Coaching session

Half day (3 hours)

This PD is up to 3 hours of training and will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one school site for a half-day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.

Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Pricing

We offer the following pricing for training sessions and packages:

Session typePricing
1-day onsite session$3,200
1-day onsite session: Train the Trainer$3,500
2 half-day remote sessions$1,500
2 half-day remote sessions: Train the Trainer$2,000
Half-day onsite session$2,500
Half-day remote session$750
2-hour self-paced online course$20 per individual seat
6-hour self-paced online course$49 per individual seat

Please note that the prices are general ranges and may be subject to change.

Contact

Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with schools and districts to design professional development plans and answer your questions.

If you would like to order any of our professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.

S1-04: Connecting with students and caregivers in the science classroom: Ryan Rudkin

Promotional graphic for "science connections", season 1, episode 4, featuring a smiling woman named Ryan Rudkin, themed with science illustrations like atoms and a globe, highlighting how to engage students

In this special episode, our host Eric Cross sits down with veteran middle school teacher Ryan Rudkin. Ryan shares her expertise after almost two decades in the classroom, discussing ways to incorporate aspects of problem-based learning into the K–8 science classroom. Eric and Ryan talk about how to increase parent engagement, involve community members, and add excitement to lessons.

Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Ryan Renee Rudkin (00:00):

I know there’s other goals in mind, you know, standards and test scores. But at the end of the day, I wanna come back and I want them to come back.

Eric Cross (00:35):

My name’s Eric Cross, host of our science podcast, and I am with Ryan Rudkin, middle-school teacher out here in California just to the north up near Sacramento? El Dorado Hills?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (00:46):

Yeah. 20 miles east of Sacramento.

Eric Cross (00:49):

Nice. And I am down here in San Diego. And so Ryan, to start off, what I wanna do is ask you about your origin story, like a superhero. So how did you become a middle-school science teacher to become part of this elite profession of science folks that get to do awesome things with kids?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (01:08):

I would agree with you that it is definitely an elite profession. I got my credential and I thought I was gonna teach third or fourth grade elementary school. And the second day I got called for a sub job for middle school. And I just thought, “We’ll take it,” you know? And by second period, I knew: This is where I belong. The kids, middle school, students are just a species of their own. And you have to appreciate them. And if you do appreciate them, then you’re in the right spot. And I quickly looked at my coursework and I was able to get authorizations in science, history, and English, and I love science. So I chose science. And the rest is history. It’s been a wild ride and I wouldn’t have changed or asked for anything different. I love it.

Eric Cross (02:02):

I definitely agree with you. So, your history—you’ve been in various middle-school classrooms. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What classrooms have you been in? What disciplines of science have you taught or are currently teaching?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (02:14):

I was hired for seventh grade life science, and then I did that for a few years and then I got moved into eighth physical science, and I was there for 12 years. Love eighth grade science. I love eighth graders. Chemistry and physics are my favorite. There’s just so much opportunity for just awesome labs, great conversations, student discourse, all of that. And then the past three years I’ve been in sixth grade and now we’re integrated. So,a sixth grade integrated science and I also teach social studies and a technology design class.

Eric Cross (02:52):

Oh, nice. What do you do in your technology design class? That sounds cool.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (02:56):

Right now it’s mostly internet media and we use WeVideo, it’s an editing-video program, and we produce and put on our school weekly news bulletin. And then we weave in other projects. We do some interdisciplinary projects. Right now my students are working on a mythology God, Goddess, and Monster project that relates to our social studies curriculum. And we’re learning about Greece. So yeah, we just try to give them added projects and they’re using the WeVideo platform. By sixth grade, they’re coming to us now with wonderful skills with all the tech. I mean, if I need help, I ask them like, “How do you do something on Google Docs?” Or, “How do you do something on Drive?” The kids are definitely tech-savvy.

Eric Cross (03:49):

They must love being the teacher in the classroom. They get to—it kind of switches power roles, where they get to teach the teacher something.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (03:56):

Yes. And especially WeVideo, sometimes we’ve had some hiccups, and the kids show everybody, and that’s part of the design class. They’re trying to solve—we’re teaching them how to solve their own problems. So if there’s any kind of issue with anything with the technology, honestly, I usually tell them, “Go ask a friend,” or we kind of shout out, “Hey, who knows how to troubleshoot this?” And the kids are eager to help each other, which is nice.

Eric Cross (04:21):

And they have this authentic experience where they’re actually doing real problem-solving, as opposed to something that we manufactured. Like, those are real things that we have to deal with in life. And that’s exactly like how we solve it, right? We just go ask people! We look it up, and the ahas are genuine too. Throughout!

Ryan Renee Rudkin (04:36):

Yes, especially thinking on the fly. Especially yesterday, I was in the middle of teaching and my laptop froze, and it’s like, “OK, everybodytake a couple minutes, you know, work on this, this, or that while I switch out laptops!” And so I’m modeling, too, how to solve my own problems. And I think it teaches the kids how to do that too.

Eric Cross (04:59):

I’ve always thought it was interesting that when teachers get to teach in real time, how do we handle stress and frustration when it’s really happening? And I think the tech—at times, failure is the real one where you feel this chill or this sweat that kind of comes over you and you’re trying to present or cast or the video won’t play and things like that. I think I’ve done enough times in my years of teaching where now my students know what to do, or they want to come up and help, and we’re good with it. But I remember in the beginning when those things would kind of glitch or go wrong or the wifi goes down, and you’re like, OK, what do we need now?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (05:33):

I think it’s honestly, after the fact, when I think in the moment, I’m not thinking of feeling stressed, but just afterwards, then I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this has just been a wild day.” But yeah, you just have to kind of go with it. And that’s just the beast of middle school. I just added to the list of why we love it.

Eric Cross (05:53):

You said something about interdisciplinary work, and I wanna kind of ask about that. Because it sounds like you’ve had your hand in several different areas of science and grade levels. Working, doing design courses, working with tech. Are there certain lessons that are your favorites to teach? The ones that you really enjoy, or that no matter what, you’re like, “We need to do this; this is such a rich experience for students”?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (06:17):

Yeah. I definitely try to do lessons or activities along the way. I like to do projects at the end of my units. When I taught physics, we did a project and it was mainly an assessment tool called the Wheeling and Dealing. The kids, they would all get a different car. And then they to sell their car. And so they had to pretend to be a car salesman, and they did that with their knowledge of the physics unit. So everything we did on forces and speed and motion. So I like doing culminating projects like that. And you’re kind of tricking them into assessing them.

Eric Cross (06:57):

When I think about your car salesman project, I’m thinking of a bunch of students, but they’re like on Shark Tank, but they’re just littler versions. And they’re doing these sales pitches, but they’re speaking in scientific terms as they’re trying to do it. Do you record these or do they just exist in the classroom?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (07:12):

No…And that was a long time ago, when I taught eighth grade. I wish I had; I wish I had recorded. That was definitely—it was fun, ’cause the kids, they would get their little piece of paper and they—some of ’em didn’t know what car it was. And so they’re like “A Boo… A Boo-gatti? What’s a Boo-gatti?” And then someone from across the room would be like, “Ooh, I want it! Here, I’ll trade you my Ford Focus!” And <laugh> so they would kind of wheel-and-deal which car they would…and then once they got their choice, then they would do the project.

Eric Cross (07:44):

So they’re really embodying this persona of a car salesman. The wheeling and doing back-and-forth and trying to trade a Bugatti for a Ford Focus. <Laugh>

Ryan Renee Rudkin (07:53):

I know. <Laugh> I like to make my class, my learning environment, enjoyable. You know, I gotta be there; they gotta be there. So I know there’s other goals in mind—you know, standards and test scores—but at the end of the day, I wanna come back, and I want them to come back. And I just have that as a priority.

Eric Cross (08:18):

Well, based on the projects that you’re doing and the way that you approach education with students, I can see why middle-school students would want to come back, even if they had the option not to. Just because of the cool things that you’re doing. Now we’re on this—hopefully, fingers crossed—tail end of COVID in the classroom and schools, and I know it’s impacted all of us differently. Has student engagement changed since COVID and if so, how, and what have you done in these last two years to maybe adjust your approach, to continue that engagement and that richness that you provide for your kids?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (08:57):

I definitely—I think for me, I recognize that when the students are in my classroom, I want them to, I dunno, for lack of a better word, just escape the noise at home. And I know we’ve always had students that are going through divorce situations or their dog died, other things, but I think with COVID, it’s definitely been compounded. And just creating a safe place for the kids to want to be and…it’s hard. We’ve had a lot of students that have been out, absent, for various reasons and on quarantine. And they’re struggling with doing work from home, ’cause their parents are stressed and their parents are dealing with their work issues. And so I think just having grace for the kids and just keeping…I don’t know, I guess like I said, I’ve always had student engagement as top of my list.

Eric Cross (10:06):

It sounds like—the things I hear you say really have to do with who these students are as people.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:12):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (10:13):

And then as a second, who they are as students. How do relationships fit into your engagement? ‘Cause I’m hearing this connection that you seem to be making with kids as you’re talking about things that are beyond academics: their home life, how they’re impacted.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:28):

Yes.

Eric Cross (10:28):

Is there anything that you do to build these relationships, or to connect with your students, to make them feel wanted or feel connected to the classroom or to you?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:37):

Yeah, I do. I do a few things to build those connections. And again, this timeframe in their life is so out of their control, their peer relationships, relationships with their parents. And when they’re in my classroom, I want them to feel loved and appreciated. Something I do it’s called Phone Fridays. And in one of the social media groups, someone posted about it, and I’ve been doing it for over a year now, actually. So on Fridays I call parents and give good news. And so I’ll pick maybe one or two students. And it could be academic reasons. It could be behavior, I’ve seen a slight improvement of behavior. Maybe a role model in the classroom. And my goal is to get everybody every trimester. So everybody gets a phone call by the end of the trimester. And it’s funny ’cause sometimes the parents are a little like “Uh-oh”! When they pick up, they see the caller ID, and their school’s calling. ‘Cause Some kids don’t get good calls. So it’s a really—I would say every single parent that I’ve called, I usually get a follow-up email, either to me or my admin, just saying it’s such a cool idea I do this; thank you so much. And yeah, I just call and give good news and just put ’em on the spot. And usually the kids are a little embarrassed, but you can tell, even though they’re kind of—I think they’re faking it, that they’re embarrassed! ‘Cause You know that they got the Phone Friday, and everybody’s like, “Who’s gonna get the phone Friday?!” And so it’s a very big deal in my class.

Eric Cross (12:07):

What a great way to—I mean, it seems like that hits on so many levels. You’re making these positive calls home. You’re praising publicly, which a lot of times can happen where students can get criticized or redirected publicly and then praised privately, which is a lot of times the reverse what we should be doing. But here you are praising them publicly. And then you’re not only building a relationship with yourself, but you’re also connecting them with their parent or whoever is caring for them, because now when they go home, there’s this, “Hey, your teacher called; you’re doing awesome!” So it’s this kind of triangle that’s forming there. I think that’s super-cool and a great thing for teachers to do.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (12:45):

It takes, you know, the last five minutes of my class. I do it every class. And then I have a system. Like I said, I keep track of all the kids. That way, by the end of the trimester I’ve gotten everybody. Sometimes I let the students, whoever I call first, then I let them pick a peer and I tell them, “OK, we have to have a solid reason. Why are we calling?” And a couple times they’ll have a student, like one of my energized ones, they’ll raise their hand. “How About me? How about me?” And I and the kids kind of laugh a little and I said, “Well, how about this? Let’s make a goal. How about next week we’re gonna make a goal and we’re gonna have a reason to call home.” So just working on the kids that need a little push in the right direction. That’s other reasoning to it. But yeah, it’s fun. I love it.

Eric Cross (13:33):

And you have the community. You have this goal setting. We were talking a little earlier about this transition—so you’re becoming this…your school’s going through the IB process, is that right?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (13:44):

Yes.

Eric Cross (13:44):

And we were talking about the ATL skills and one of them is goal-setting management. You already kind of organically do this in your classroom, which is really neat. I know being an IB teacher, a lot of times I find the things that I’ve already been doing and find, “Oh, this is actually an approach to learning!” or “This is something that has a title!” I just thought it was just being helpful! Ah…So the kids are connected. You have this process where you’re calling parents; it’s working; students are involved, so it’s building this community. Now you’re engaging students. Do you have any favorite student engagement tools that you use in your classroom or when you’re teaching that you feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck? There’s so many things out there these days. And so many approaches, tools, web apps. Do you have any favorites that you use?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (14:40):

No. Nothing comes up top of my mind right now. Mostly just projects, like I said. And being excited. I think having my students see me excited about something…and I’m honest when we’re doing something that’s not quite my favorite, then I’m honest about that too. But just having my—like, we just started thermal energy this week and I told my students, I said, “OK guys, I’m gonna weave in some chemistry in there. I’m gonna weave in some particle motion,” and they’re like, “Oh! That’s when you taught eighth grade, huh!” Cause I talk a lot about when I taught eighth grade before. I don’t know, just showing my own enthusiasm, I think, is a good payoff to me. That’s a bang for your buck. Other things…I try to give ’em cool videos and Mark Grober, he’s definitely a favorite of mine I like to show my students. I like to bring in guest speakers from our community. When I taught eighth grade for physics, I always brought in a local CHP officer and they would bring in the radar and lidar guns and the kids would mark off the parking lot and they would calculate their speed. And then they would verify it with the radar gun. Two years ago when I taught math, I brought in a local landscaper company, a father-and-son outfit, and they showed the kids how they would do bids on jobs. And so, relate it to our chapter on volume and area. So just making that connection with real life. Plus it’s just a nice opportunity, too, for the community to come in. With our design class, put on our newscast. And then one of our units in our sixth grade curriculum is weather. And so I brought in a local weatheruh, chief meteorologist. And he actually talked to the students about his job as a meteorologist and then also being on the news and putting on a newscast. So we got him on our green screen and did a little like Mark Finan, you know, little cameo on our newscast for the week for school. So that was kind of cool.

Eric Cross (16:45):

They must have been excited.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (16:47):

Yeah. They’re pretty starstruck by him. So that was pretty fun.

Eric Cross (16:51):

This person was on their local news? So they would know him?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (16:56):

Yeah, he’s on Channel 3 out of Sacramento. Yeah. KCRA Channel 3, Mark Finan.

Eric Cross (17:00):

So all these guest speakers that you have…how do you reach out to these people? And you sound like you get a lot of success. Do you ever get nos? Like if I’m sitting here listening and that inspires me, but you’re getting celebrities and you see a few people…like, how do you reach out to them? And does everybody say yes? How does it go?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (17:21):

Well, usually at my back-to-school night, I always ask the parents if they have a career or hobby that could lend itself to the curriculum. And so sometimes I’ll hear about—students will talk about, like, “My mom’s a doctor.” And so I’ll reach out to parents and just say, “Hey, you know, your kiddo said, you’re a doctor. May I ask what type?” And most of the time the nos that I’ve received are just because of schedule conflicts. You just have to get creative! Look in your community and see what you have. People want to come and talk to kids. I’ve had some presentations that the person is so intelligent and amazing, but they just, weren’t very kid-friendly. I mean, that happens. Butsomeone knows someone. And just ask! I mean, it doesn’t hurt to ask to have ’em come out, come hang out for the day, with my students. Andone time I had a nurse practitioner she was in the cardiac unit. And so she brought in hearts and led a heart dissection with my students. And we did a station set-up. I’ve had elaborate ones like that, or just a mom come in to tell my students about her job as a nutritionist and relate it to our unit on metabolism. And so just did like a little 15-minute Q&A with the kids on nutrition. And I would just say, look at your community and/or post on social media. I always do that. Post in your school’s PTA groups. So the parents know someone, that’s for sure. Or someone’s retired. One time I had—I think he was a grandfather of one of the kids—he was into rocks. And he had a bunch of meteorites <laugh> and brought in his meteorites.

Eric Cross (19:15):

Bring in your rocks!

Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:15):

I know! Right? And he <laugh> just brought in his meteorite collection! I was like, sure, come on in!

Eric Cross (19:23):

That’s one of the things I love about being a middle-school teacher is that my students have such varied interests and I’ll get the Rock Kid every once in a while and he’ll come in and he’ll have all these rocks and crystals. And a lot of times there’s a grandfather that’s responsible for this inherited geologic treasure that they have.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:45):

Yeah, something like that—I mean rocks are not my favorites, but I don’t really tell the kids that. I was like, “Sure, yeah, come on in! We can have a whole-day lesson on rocks!”

Eric Cross (19:55):

<Weakly> “This is great!”

Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:58):

Just utilizing your resources. That’s all it’s about.

Eric Cross (20:02):

Well, I think the back-to-school night was really helpful. That’s something that’s super doable. You have a bunch of parents and you just simply ask, “Who do you know? What do you do?” And then just collecting that and then just asking people to come in. I’ve I’ve been reluctant to do it more often than I’ve wanted to, because I haven’t figured out—and maybe you can help me with this—I have three class periods a day plus other class periods that are not necessarily science. And I don’t want to dominate a person’s schedule. Do they tend to be willing to stay all day? Or do you do, one class gets it, and you record it? Like, how do you balance out the speakers with your school schedule?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (20:39):

Mostly they’ll they’ll just come for the whole day. When I taught eighth grade, I had five classes, so that was easy. That was an all-day thing. And then usually I’ll offer to call lunch, have lunch delivered, or snacks during the day. I mean—

Eric Cross (20:53):

Feeding them is key.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (20:54):

Yeah. Just something kind of nice. Donuts in the morning. I mean, you’d be very surprised. Most people that are in the field or retired, like I said, they’re more than willing to come. And even if they have to wait an hour, while you teach another class that doesn’t pertain to it, then they’ll either leave or come back or just hang out in the back and pretend to be a student during that history class that you have.

Eric Cross (21:20):

It’s my own limiting belief where I feel guilty. I don’t think about it. I need to think about it through the perspective that you do, that these people WANT to talk. I just assume everybody’s so busy. But I do know, the times I’ve had speakers come out, at the end of the day, they’re so energized or they’re so happy or they’re so grateful. ‘Cause They’re like, “This is what it’s like to teach every day?” I’m like, “Yeah, this is what it’s like.”

Ryan Renee Rudkin (21:42):

I think too, a lot of parents…usually being being in the stops at elementary. A Lot of parents don’t get the opportunity to come help out in the classroom, because the middle school kids, you know, it’s not very cool or it’s just not needed like in the elementary classes. So a lot of times, like I said, you’d be surprised. A lot of the parents they’re more than happy to come and hang out. And again, some students, they don’t want their mom or dad to be there, but then I talk it up. I’m like, “Everyone’s gonna be so like impressed that your dad’s a doctor,” or “your mom’s a doctor” or —so then I kind of like downplay it. Like, “Oh, whatever, you’re you’re faking it. It’ll be fine. Don’t be embarrassed.” Leading up to their parent coming into the classroom.

Eric Cross (22:36):

Right. Kind of redirect that energy toward something positive. With guest speakers, projects, pacing, all these awesome things that you have going on, how do you find balance as a teacher, as a person? And what encouragement would you give to new or aspiring teachers? We work in a profession that will take as much as you give it. And you fall asleep at night worrying about other people’s kids and we love it. And teachers by personality can just give and give and give and give. But in order for us to last—I’m thinking about those new teachers who are going into it, who are gonna go in and be there before the sun gets up and stay after the sun gets down. How do you maintain balance, taking care of yourself? You’ve been in education for—how long have you been teaching for?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (23:29):

Sixteen. This is my 16th year.

Eric Cross (23:31):

Enough to be that veteran. So how do you find balance? And then, what encouragement would you give to new or aspiring teachers?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (23:39):

I would say each year, pick one or two things to add on. You can’t add on 10 things, even though you’re gonna find 10 things that are awesome. But just make a little list, put ’em in a file, and every year, just get good at what you do and then just add on one or two things. And reflect on what’s not going well that you can get rid of to make room to add something else. Try to be patient with yourself. And don’t reinvent the wheel. There’s so many things out there that you can borrow and make it your own. Again, I think that’s a time-saver, just leaning on your colleagues. And take lots of notes, because then when you do it again next year, you can refresh yourself and, “Oh yeah, this lesson, wasn’t the best…” What can you add in to make it a little bit better? And yeah, I would say just take on one or two things each year. And then by the time you get to, you know, being a veteran, you can do all these awesome things and it’ll feel natural ’cause you’ve been practicing and just adding in one thing at a time. I coached Science Olympiad a bunch of years ago, and Science Olympiad is so rewarding. It’s just so amazing.

Eric Cross (24:59):

What is Science Olympiad, for the people who’ve never heard of it?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (25:03):

Oh, Science Olympiad is so awesome. Google it. I think it’s just ScienceOlympiad.org. It’s 23 different events across all disciplines of science, different topics. And then you have a team of 15 students. And so your 15 students have to cover the 23 events. So for example, if the student’s on the anatomy team, usually there’s a team of two kids they’re gonna study and learn. They provide all the rules and the guidelines. So the students learn and study whatever the parameters are for that year. And then they take a test. And then they compete against other schools. And there’s build events, the engineering events, they can build things like trebuchets matchbox cars or mousetrap cars. Oh gosh, there’s all kinds of things. There’s like a Rube Goldberg device. It changes every year. And it’s so rewarding to see the kids; they pick their area of science that they love. And sometimes you have to put them on an event that they don’t know, and then they end up loving it. It’s so rewarding as a teacher to see these kids that are just on fire and you know that one day they’re gonna go off and do amazing things. They just commit. They commit to their event. And then they blow it outta the water and they win medals and just the recognition…it’s super, it’s just an amazing program.

Eric Cross (26:42):

One of the competitions that’s really low-tech that I’ve taken into my classroom is Write It, Do It. Have you done that one before?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (26:50):

Oh, yes. Yeah. That’s one. Yep.

Eric Cross (26:52):

It’s such a low-tech, simple one to do, but it teaches such great skills. And for those people who haven’t heard of the Write It, Do It project, you create kinda some abstract art out of random crafts. That’s very difficult to describe. You have pipe cleaners and foam and balls and you know, all these different things. And you make it. And then one person on the team is the writer, and they look at it and they write the procedures, and then their teammate, who’s in a different room and doesn’t get to see it, gets all the materials to build it and the procedures, and they have to rebuild it as closely as possible to the actual original. Even though they don’t get to see the original. So they have to rely on their partner’s ability to write procedures step-by-step. And it was fun to watch my students become teammates in that. And they learned how to communicate in a really fun competition. So I expanded it to do it with all of my students as an activity, just to teach them how write descriptively, to write procedurally, to be technical writers. And it’s, it’s fun! It’s fun to see what they build based on what the students say. <Laugh> And it’s also fun to watch them interact with each other, which for seventh graders, usually it’s conflict. <Laugh> But, like, playful conflict. <Laugh> It’s pretty funny to see what they build.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:11):

They’re like, “Man, what are you talking about? That doesn’t mean this; it means this!”

Eric Cross (28:16):

<Laugh> I know part of me feels guilty, but not enough to stop the project. ‘Cause I know for some of ’em, it’s gonna be a really trial by fire being able to practice their skills with writing procedures.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:27):

But they’re learning among themselves how to provide more details and to be more thorough with their writing and and their thoughts, put their thoughts onto paper. So yeah, that’s a funny event. Definitely.

Eric Cross (28:41):

Earlier you had mentioned something about connecting your kids with kids and students outside of your classroom. What is it that you do with that? Because I thought that was a really cool project. Can you speak to that a little bit?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:57):

Yes, I’ve done—they haven’t had it in a few years, but there’s something called the Pringles Challenge. And if you Google that, I’m sure it’s on the Internet still. So you sign your class up, or your classes, and you get partnered with another school somewhere in the U.S., someplace else. And you decide individually teams, whatever they build. And they make a package to ship a single Pringle chip through the mail. And then you actually mail a Pringle chip through the mail. And then your partner team or partner school, they send their chips to you and then you open everything and then you can take pictures and video. And then there was a whole scoring process where you would score when you receive the chips. And then you input all the data on the website so you can see like how your—and most schools would trade pictures, so that the kids found out how their chip survived. March Mammal Madness is so much fun. Again, Google that.

Eric Cross (30:01):

Did you say March Mammal Madness?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:02):

Yes.

Eric Cross (30:03):

Like March Madness, with mammals?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:05):

Yes.

Eric Cross (30:05):

  1. What is this?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:06):

It starts up in March. And you can sign your students up. And that one—it’s not too interactive with other schools, but this is opportunity to get the kids interacting within your site or within your district. Or if you have teacher friends at other schools. There’s like 60…I think it’s 64 animals? And they have this massive bracket that they post. And then you can have the students, I did it—it would be very time-consuming to have the kids individually research each animal. So I just gave one animal per student and so as a class we researched all the animals and then, I think it’s every three days or so, they have these bouts. And it’s all posted on YouTube. Google it. It’s kind of fun.

Eric Cross (30:56):

I’ve already got the website up, ready to go! Folks, everybody who needs to Google this: <articulates carefully> March Mammal Madness. And is it Arizona State University? Is that the main site, ASU?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:04):

Yes.

Eric Cross (31:04):

So people, listen to this. Check it out. March Mammal Madness. Look, I’m doing this! I’m already,—you’ve already sold me on this.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:14):

It is so much fun, oh my gosh. And then, then the kids—each round, they pick their pick, just like basketball. They do their picks and then you wait for the video. And they do it live on—I think it’s live on Instagram, or the next day on YouTube. And then the kids get all excited. And then usually the kids, whatever animal they got as their research animal, they’re rooting for that one to win, the whole thing.

Eric Cross (31:42):

But we still have time; we still have time to—

Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:45):

You can jump in anytime. Even if it’s already started, you can jump into it. It usually lasts—I believe it’s a two-week from beginning to end. When they do the first round, the wild card, and then all the way to the winner, I believe it’s a two-week process. Oh, maybe three, actually.

Eric Cross (31:59):

I’m already seeing this lead-up to the video being watched in class to see…I’m already thinking about like, “How do I prevent my students from finding the video?” Or like, “When does it go live so that I could be the one to show them so they didn’t go find it early?”

Ryan Renee Rudkin (32:13):

It takes time out of the class, but I believe it’s one of those things where you have to just…it takes 10 minutes out of the class, but it’s important. So when they each round and then the next day, they release the YouTube video. Last year, when it got down to the final round, we were on spring break. And so I told my students, “You guys, let’s do some optional Zooms. And so I had a bunch of kids log on and we all watched the videos together. So that was kind of fun. And then this year, the other thing, the first time I’ve ever done this and it’s going really well is—on social media, I was talking with one of the teachers from Ohio who teaches science and she and I decided we’re gonna do penpals for our students this year. Paper-And-Pen penpals. So that’s been a lot of fun. We just partnered up all the students, her students and my students, and once a month we send and receive the letters to each other. So that’s been a really cool experience.

Eric Cross (33:14):

If you keep doing that, and you need more teachers to be involved, can my students be penpals with your students?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:20):

Yeah!

Eric Cross (33:20):

If you open it up to more people? I think that, to get a letter, old-school? Letter in the mail? It would be so exciting.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:28):

It is. We mail them, the teacher and I, we just put them all together in one package. But yeah, it’s an actual handwritten letter.

Eric Cross (33:37):

The only letters I feel like I get in the mail now are bills.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:42):

Right? Exactly.

Eric Cross (33:42):

But I feel like the digital version of that is if someone calls me, it’s probably bad news. I don’t know if I’m the only one that’s like that, but I’m like, “Who’s calling me? Why aren’t you texting me? What’s going on? Text me first, then call! I need to know who’s going on, and if you’re unknown, you’re going to voicemail.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (34:00):

Exactly. The penpals has been a lot of fun.

Eric Cross (34:03):

You’ve been in education for a while. You’re on the other side of what it’s like to be a student in the classroom. Which can be surreal in itself, when we think about our own experiences as being a student. Is there a teacher or a learning experience that’s had an impact on you while you were a student in school that really stands out to you? And you can interpret the question however you want. But is there someone that’s memorable or an experience that’s memorable that you still carry with you today?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (34:32):

Definitely. My favorite teacher, and we actually still keep in contact on social media is Mrs. Sheldon. She was my fifth and sixth grade teacher. I had the pleasure when I was in elementary school, I was in an all-day contained GATE class—Gifted and Talented Education class. I vividly remember doing so many amazing projects. We built this big, giant—she brought in a big ol’, like, TV box. It was big, big, big. And you could stick like three kids inside there, standing up shoulder-to-shoulder. And we built this big dragon. The head, and we had the whole rest of the class in a big sheet behind us, and we would do a little parade around the school. And she had that thing for years after. They had to repair it every year, and they would do the little parade around school. She did a lot of traveling and when we would go on vacation and then come back, that was always the big deal: “Where did Mrs Sheldon go?” And she had sand from Egypt and pictures from the rainforest. And later when I became a teacher and then I looked her up and we reconnected I did ask her, “Did you go to those places? Or did you, like, lie about it? <Laugh> To get us engaged?

Eric Cross (35:52):

You went for the real questions!

Ryan Renee Rudkin (35:54):

I did. And she laughed and thought that was funny. And she did travel for real. But yeah, she’s an amazing woman. We still keep in contact. And I remember, you know, little things…like we would be out there doing our PE time and she’d have her long skirt, you know, dress on, with her tennies, and she’s out there playing kickball with us. Just a very kindhearted, smart, amazing woman. I’m very fortunate and I’m grateful that we are able to keep in contact. Love social media for that reason. So.

Eric Cross (36:33):

Yeah. And that’s Miss Sheldon?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (36:35):

Mrs. Sheldon. Marlene Sheldon. Yeah.

Eric Cross (36:37):

Shout-Out to Marlene Sheldon influencing the next generation of teachers, with engagement with your world travels and all those different things.

Eric Cross (37:04):

Ryan, thank you so much for one, serving our students. And in the classroom, our middle-school students who need us. I think that middle school especially, elementary school, those years are when students are really starting to decide, “What am I good at?” And the experiences that we create for our students really shape what they believe they can do. These really cool, engaging experiences, these projects that you’re giving them, whether they’re doing these car sales, Shark Tanks, or they’re doing penpals, or you have guest speakers, or they’re designing planets. These are things that students don’t forget. And then when they move on to higher grades, they remember more than anything, I think, how they felt about something. And it sounds like you’re crafting these awesome experiences. And so I just wanna thank you for your time. I know as a teacher it’s very short. And I thank you for being on the podcast with us.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (38:04):

Thank you. This has been a great experience. I just—I really enjoy my students. And I feel very, very grateful and very blessed for finding where I belong.

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What Ryan Rudkin says about science

“I like to make my class and my learning environment enjoyable. I know there’s other goals in mind… but at the end of the day, I want to come back and I want [students] to come back. It’s so rewarding as a teacher to see these kids that are just on fire… and you know that one day they’re going to go off and do amazing things. ”

– Ryan Renee Rudkin

Middle school science teacher

Meet the guest

Ryan Rudkin is a middle school science educator near Sacremento, California. Although she originally thought she would teach elementary students, Ryan connected with middle school and never looked back. Now in her 16th year in the classroom, Ryan also supports teachers in her district with professional development. Ryan’s favorite part of teaching science is seeing students grapple with concepts and explore phenomena.

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair smiles at the camera, wearing earrings and a dark top. The background is blurred green and gray.

About Science Connections: The podcast

Welcome to Science Connections: The Podcast! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher.

S2-06: Making time for science in the K–5 classroom

Promotional graphic for "Science Connections" podcast, Season 2 Episode 6, featuring Lauran Woolley discussing making time for science in K–5 classrooms.

In this episode,  Eric Cross sits down with TikTok star and podcast host Lauran Woolley about her experience teaching science content within her K–5 classroom. Lauran shares how she’s learned how to make time for science, and what most K–5 teachers experience when creating their own science curriculum. Lauran also talks about her rise in popularity on TikTok, her podcast, Teachers Off Duty, and establishing strong relationships with her 5th grade students. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

Lauran Woolley (00:00):

I wanna make sure that they’re ready for the real world, and I wanna make sure that they’re able to apply these things that I’m teaching them in their life, not on a multiple choice test.

Eric Cross (00:11):

Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host Eric Cross. My guest today is Lauren Woolley. Lauren is a full-time fifth grade teacher in Leetonia, Ohio, who has amassed a following of 5.5 million subscribers on TikTok and over 1 million followers on YouTube. She’s also co-host of the podcast, Teachers Off Duty. Lauren has combined her teaching vocation and her talent for entertaining to connect with her students and encourage teachers across the world using her own unique style of edutainment. My most vivid memory from our discussion was her sincerity and openness about her experiences. It quickly became obvious to me that her personal transparency was a characteristic that she has remained grounded in despite her social media success. And now, please enjoy my discussion with Lauren Woolley.

Eric Cross (00:53):

You’re currently teaching fifth grade?

Lauran Woolley (00:55):

Yes.

Eric Cross (00:55):

What is it like to teach all content areas? ‘Cause I’m a middle school science teacher.

Lauran Woolley (00:59):

I didn’t always teach all content areas. First I started in second grade, so I used to teach like primary. I taught that for about three years. And I only really got my 4-5 endorsement because it was told to me that it would make me more marketable as a teacher. So I got it <laugh>. I was like, I’m never gonna use that. And then, my second year teaching, my class had low numbers and they collapsed my second grade classroom, split up my students, and then moved me to fifth grade in January. I had to take over a fifth grade class with all content areas in the middle of a school year. And it was really hard. It was like probably one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do teaching. When I got my job at my current school, it was only language arts, social studies.

Lauran Woolley (01:46):

So we only have two fifth grade classes. My other teacher would teach math, science. I taught language arts, social studies, and then the timeframes weren’t matching up. Like, I didn’t have enough time in my schedule for all the things we had to do in our curriculum. And she had like a little bit too much time. We realized as a district that it would be better for our fifth grade classes to just be self-contained. And last year was the first year I taught all five subjects. And I liked the variety of teaching everything because when I taught just language arts, social studies, I just felt like I was repeating myself twice a day. <laugh>. It was kind of boring for me. So like, I like doing all of it. <laugh>.

Eric Cross (02:24):

Yeah. With all of your talents and like your background and what I’ve seen, I could totally see why having all the different content areas would like make sense. Are you using a set curriculum? How do you come up with what to teach? Do you do it with teams? Like who comes up with that?

Lauran Woolley (02:36):

Uh, me, myself and I.

Eric Cross (02:38):

Well done.

Lauran Woolley (02:39):

My school, for literacy we’re using literacy collaborative. Then for math, we just adopted bridges, which I love and it’s very hands-on, very like student-led. For science, we had nothing. And I am not a science, or was not a science teacher at the time when I took over. So I panicked a bit and I was like, “Hey, can we have some kind of science curriculum? ‘Cause I got nothing.” And it’s not hard to look at the state standards and figure out what you need to teach them, but having no resources to go off of is extremely difficult. And luckily I have an older brother, he’s like three years older than me and he’s also a teacher. He actually is a science teacher. ‘Cause that first year that I was teaching all subjects, I was like, “Hey Ryan, can you just like send me all of your Google Drive files for science <laugh>?

Lauran Woolley (03:33):

And he’s like, “Yeah, sure.” So he kind of was like a mentor for like the first year that I taught science. And this year being my second full year teaching science, I feel much more confident. I’m still using his resources. We don’t have a dedicated curriculum at my school. So that’s like one thing I’ve been fighting my school on. And not that they don’t wanna get us one, but like they were focused on getting the math curriculum last year. And then I was told, okay, this year will be science because in my state, fifth grade is a tested area for science and we have no curriculum.

Eric Cross (04:04):

Ryan, keep doing what you’re doing big bro. Second, thank you to every teacher who’s had a Google Drive folder full of curriculum that you graciously shared to a new teacher or someone else that they could have.

Lauran Woolley (04:18):

Can we just say like, can schools, like schools, please get your teacher’s science curriculums.

Eric Cross (04:24):

No, absolutely right. And there is this way of thinking that, especially as a science teacher, it’s something that is dear to my heart, but we do want to develop these math and English skills that’s important and we need that for science. But we’ve always taught so siloed for so long, but that’s not the way that we learn and that’s not the way life works. Something that intrigued me about what you said, and I think a lot of people can relate to it, and I know I can because that was me, is you created your own content or your science content. Like you’re kind of piecing that together from what Ryan had shared with you. How do you make time for that with all of the other things that you’re doing and pressures of state testing and things like that. Like how do you weave that into your teaching?

Lauran Woolley (05:02):

So we have like things that are non-negotiable in our schedules. Like we have to have so many minutes of this, so many minutes of that, so many minutes of whatever else. Well, the first year, I was self-contained. I was like, okay, my main goal, because science is a tested area, I wanna make sure that I get in science every single day, 90% of the time I’m able to get anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes of science every day. But this year it was my goal to make sure that I was getting science done and like we were doing meaningful lessons. And last year I didn’t do this, but this year I’m doing a Christmas center for STEM. So I got it off of Teachers Pay Teachers. I’m sorry, I can’t remember who it was made by, but it’s called Jingle All the Way and it’s like building Santa’s new sleigh. And so like the kids have an activity where they have popsicle sticks, straws, a plastic cup and then like tape. And they have to build a new sleigh for Santa and see how many pennies their sleigh can hold. Like talk about a sleigh being lightweight but also strong and like what would make it strong and different things like that. So I’ve been trying to incorporate a lot more STEM activities. And then something I really like to use for experiment days, I call them lab days, is Gizmo. Have you heard of Gizmo?

Eric Cross (06:15):

Yeah. The simulations.

Lauran Woolley (06:16):

Yeah. My brother showed me that too and he was using it in his class. I mean there’s so many different ones that they have that align with the standards and they have like student lab sheets that go with them and teacher guides and stuff. I’ve just been trying to like up my game a little bit more this year, because last year I was like struggling to get all of the standards in before state testing came around because, can we agree, state testing should not be as early as it is? Our state test happens in like March and we have two months of school left. So like, we better be done with standards by February so we could review, because otherwise we’re kind of outta luck because we run outta time.

Eric Cross (06:59):

Yes. That and there’s all kinds of other things that state testing brings with it that we could spend a lot of time probably critiquing and talking about like as far as what’s ideal for kids and what’s the best way to measure and assess learning. That is one question I wanna ask you though, because I know with your work on TikTok and Instagram and YouTube, you must be connected to a pretty vast teacher network and maybe you have like, kinda like more of an inner circle of people, but you must come across so many different perspectives and get into great discussions. Is there <laugh>, is there anything that kind of stands out to you as far as if you were in charge of what we’re doing? Because that’s kind of the system that we all live in and we kind of are trying to internally change it, but it’s been that way for a long time and we just kind of have to work within it until we can make changes. But if you were to, I dunno from an elementary school perspective, change or modify the way kids are learning, what would you do if you had Monarch ability?

Lauran Woolley (07:54):

Okay, I got three main things I’m thinking in my head. Okay, first things first, we got Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Okay. If kids are coming to school hungry, if they’re coming to school and don’t have, you know, fresh clothing to put on, if they’re coming to school and they have issues at home that they are dealing with, that they are not okay with, the learning is not happening. That’s secondary. They don’t, it doesn’t matter to them. It doesn’t matter to me because what’s most important is that child as a human being and whether or not they’re okay. If I had unlimited resources, I would love to be able to build like a little mini village inside a school and have like a clothing store that kids could grab stuff from. Or like a, you know how I know how school have like closets and food pantries, but like a real place they could get some new clothes, not like hand-me-down clothes, like a store they could go and grab some food if they needed food for their homes or whatever. We have like an onsite counselor but not like a school counselor, like a therapist-type counselor for like mental health. Having some kind of like health clinic, not just like a school nurse because, let’s be real, our school nurses see everything <laugh> and they do not get enough credit, but like to have like a little like urgent care clinic, like basically a small town <laugh> inside a school that like kids would have all of the resources that they need met. Like that would be my number one thing that I would love to do. I have taught in, you know, I’ve only taught in two different schools, but like I’ve seen a lot of things and the number one thing that keeps coming back is just like home lives and mental health and having someone to talk to.

Lauran Woolley (09:41):

And I think our kids don’t have enough of that. Second of all, would be obviously state testing. Because I mean, it’s good to see like where our kids are at. I don’t think it should be used punitively and I don’t think that it should be putting as much pressure on teachers and students the way that it is. It’s not effective that way at all. Let teachers do their jobs without us having to, like, ’cause honestly, who’s not gonna say that they’re not trying to set their students up to do the best on that test. Our evaluation depends on it. I’m gonna make sure my students are prepared for it. I’m gonna teach all the standards, but like, I shouldn’t have to be teaching so that they could do well on a test. I wanna make sure that they’re ready for the real world and I wanna make sure that they’re able to apply these things that I’m teaching them in their life, not on a multiple choice test. Third of all, <laugh>.

Eric Cross (10:33):

This, this is great. And I think a lot of teachers will listen and be like, “That’s what I’m talking about right there.” Keep going. You’re on three.

Lauran Woolley (10:40):

That would be two teachers in every classroom. Either two teachers in each room or like a teacher and a paraprofessional in each room, because there’s not even an argument that teachers are more effective when they have help.

Eric Cross (10:54):

I would even carry the math on further and say that it’s a force multiplier, like exponentially, that it’s not just, it’s not just like a one plus one equals two teachers. It’s almost like you can almost have like three or four just because of the energy and the synergy that can be created between the two. And you can push off of each other, encourage one another and both support different types of students. So I agree a hundred percent. I think that if you had two teachers that were in sync and planning together and talking about kids all of the time, you would be able to go deeper with students. You’d be able to find out those things that you talked about in Maslow’s because sometimes we don’t find out about it until a parent-teacher conference or kids left our classroom. I wish I would’ve known that. The student was without these things in the very beginning.

Lauran Woolley (11:41):

Absolutely. Mm-hmm.

Eric Cross (11:42):

So when do you start in the school and do we go on LinkedIn to sign up and apply or is it like a lottery system? Like, ’cause you know, I was gonna get a lot of attention.

Lauran Woolley (11:52):

I would love to Oprah Winfrey this and like build my own school <laugh>.

Eric Cross (11:56):

We gotta get those followers up. We gotta build up the sponsorships. We gotta get you up to a hundred million.

Lauran Woolley (12:01):

Listen, if all of my followers across all my platforms donated like $2, we could have $12 million to build a school. <laugh>.

Eric Cross (12:10):

Think about like, DonorsChoose, right? People do that. And I know there’s mixed feelings about it because we need stuff in our classroom. I’m just gonna say that. All right. So, whether I have to ask for it on a website or whatever, but people want to give directly to kids, or people who need it. And I think when there’s opportunities like that, that are visible, people are more likely to want to.

Lauran Woolley (12:29):

In reality, should other people have to fund education in classrooms? No. That’s literally what your taxes are for. A government-funded classroom versus a teacher-funded classroom are two different things. And we know that. But if teachers are asking for things or asking for donations on Amazon or on DonorsChoose, just know in your heart that that teacher has probably already shelled out a lot of their own cash to do that. It’s not that they’re, you know, asking for handouts or anything like that. They’re trying to give their students the best that they can and that’s the thought process behind it. And until we get changes in our education system or changes in legislature that will allow us to do that or will allow classroom budgets, I mean, our hands are tied. Like there’s only so much teachers can do. I’m very fortunate to teach in a district that sees the value in spending money on their teachers and students. And, like my school, like I said, they just shelled out thousands of dollars on a new math curriculum. They bought school supplies. Literally every teacher made their school supply list this year. And then the district went in and paid for every single student’s school supplies in the entire district.

Eric Cross (13:49):

Can we get a shout out to your district real quick?

Lauran Woolley (13:51):

Uh, yeah. I mean, shout out Leetonia schools like, I mean, you guys are awesome and I’ll shout that from the rooftops. I love where I teach. Like I really do think that they value our students and they care about our students and our admin is great. We got a new superintendent a couple years ago. He’s been doing a phenomenal job and I really love it and I’m glad I teach there.

Eric Cross (14:12):

When you move out of the classroom, you know, in any position of leadership, you do have the microscope or magnifying glass on you and a lot of times it’s critical. And not unjustifiably so, I mean, there’s a lot of things that can be critiqued. However, what we don’t always hear is the success stories or where it’s working for teachers and why. And we need leaders to be able to talk to each other and find, “Hey, it’s working in your district? Oh, I just heard, I just heard this district get shot out. I’m gonna go reach out to those people. Hey, what are you doing?” Because we connect with each other, but I think when you go like a level up, that kind of getting up the top of the mountain, the, the connection sometimes can become more difficult for people. There’s not a lot of, I don’t know, maybe there are, but admin influencers.

Lauran Woolley (14:54):

Oh yeah, there definitely are. And I’ve met some really incredible ones. I’m on a committee at my school, it’s called NNPS, it’s the National Network of Partnership Schools. It was started out of Ohio State University. Essentially it is a committee in the school that’s dedicated to bringing together the community and businesses and partnering with people to make our school as strong as it can be. We started last year and we did a bear breakfast, ’cause our mascot is a bear. And we had Christmas things and we had the choir caroling, and we had pancake breakfast for everybody and it was completely free. It was just really nice to see everybody come together. And it feels like the culture changes when people work together and come together for the betterment of the school and for the students. And I think what’s challenging is that so many people have such a negative experience from their schooling that they’re hesitant to get involved in their kids’ schooling. I urge any parents out there, any guardians out there that are, you know, in that mindset where you’re like, I didn’t like my teachers in school, or I had this, this, this and happened to me at school. Give it a chance to know that things have changed and things are changing.

Eric Cross (16:11):

I definitely agree with you about parent engagement and getting involved and sometimes parents, they just don’t know that they should. But wow, your voice is so powerful, especially at board meetings and things like that. Getting stakeholders involved, creating community, which it sounds like your school did a great job or your district did a great job of. The last question I wanna ask you, and it’s kind of going back to who your influencer was, is you now are in a position where your impact exceeds more than, you know. You’re planting so many seeds you’re sharing, and you’ll hear maybe a few, or I’m sure you’ll hear the things that kind of come back to you, but that’s only a fraction. But I wanted to ask you, like, as you think back on your career as an educator or when you were in school K through five or K through 12, is there anyone who stands out to you or who was maybe your influencer or teacher who made a big difference that was memorable? And if so, who was it and what was it about them or what did they do?

Lauran Woolley (17:01):

So I had a lot of teachers that I really had good relationships with and I loved school growing up. But one always stood out in particular, and that was my ninth grade English teacher and her name is Andrea Reid. She was the first person who really told me that I was talented at something and that I could succeed in something because she was the English teacher. She was also a coach of the speech and debate team at my high school. Just one day after school. She was like, “Hey, like you should come to speech tryouts.” So I went to tryouts, like I did it not thinking like I cared if I made it or didn’t, and then I made the team. And honestly, I feel like speech was the starting point of all of it. I competed in speech and debate for four years of high school and she was my coach.

Lauran Woolley (17:49):

I always have horrible nervousness with public speaking, even though I do it a lot. And she would always give me like the best hype speeches and the best confidence boosters. And I feel like speech started my love of acting and started my love of like, you know, comedy and stuff like that. And so therefore TikTok happened and I don’t think any of this would’ve happened had it not been for her and her opening that door for me and telling me, “Hey, you would be good at this. You should try it.” We’re still friends to this day, 15 years later, and she is like an older sister to me and I love it.

Eric Cross (18:26):

That’s amazing. Andrea Reed, that’s her name.

Lauran Woolley (18:28):

Andrea, yep.

Eric Cross (18:29):

Andrea. Andrea Reid. Ms. Reid, thank you, for inspiring Lauran and <laugh> because of your impact, now it’s impacting so many others and as teachers, like, we don’t even, we don’t know, but it’s so humbling to know that like the words that we say to people have that impact and power. It’s so, it’s, it’s so inspiring to me. One of the things that resonate with you so much is your transparency. Like in your depth. Like even as just listening to you talk, you normalize and humanize so many things that we experience and I’m sure that’s what a lot of the people that watch you connect with. You show your life, your family, your house, all these things that are happening. And I was just looking through the comments and there’s just so many people that are warmed. Not just your students, but like so many teachers. So thank you for doing what you’re doing and I wish you tremendous success. Thank you for your time.

Lauran Woolley (19:17):

No, thank you so much for having me. This was awesome. I just wish everybody a great school year and I hope that we all make it through winter break. <laugh>.

Eric Cross (19:27):

Thanks so much for listening to this season of Science Connections. I love learning about science educators just like you. You can nominate educators that inspire you to become a future guest on Science Connections by emailing STEM@amplify.com. That’s S T E M at amplifycom.wpengine.com. Make sure to click subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and tune in for a brand new season of Science Connections coming soon.

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What Lauran Woolley says about science

“I want to make sure they’re ready for the real world and I want to make sure they’re ready to apply these things I’m teaching them in their life, not just on a multiple choice test.”

– Lauran Woolley

5th Grade Teacher, Northeast Ohio

Meet the guest

Lauran Woolley is a fifth grade teacher in Northeast Ohio. She has loved being able to combine her love of education and entertainment into one career. Her goal is not only to humanize educators to both families and students, but to create a safe space for her students on the internet. She has had the privilege of collaborating with educators around the world to shed a light on this amazing career. You can listen and watch the Teachers Off Duty podcast here!

A woman with long dark hair smiles at the camera, wearing a black top and lanyard, with a colorful blurred background.

About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. 

Creating lasting change in K–5 math and literacy instruction

Two women seated at a table engage in a lively conversation. One is using a laptop, likely discussing innovative teaching practices. Bookshelves filled with resources for empowering students are visible in the background, perhaps hinting at their dedication to star awards in education.

Transforming math and literacy education takes more than just tips and tricks—it requires vision, commitment, and the right support. Whether you’re rethinking early literacy skills instruction, refining math core curriculum, or fostering a culture of collaboration, you need strong leadership and proven strategies for real change to occur.

“Sustained, meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight,” said Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd and the keynote speaker at our recent Leading With Vision symposium. “It requires commitment, collaboration, and a clear vision for supporting both educators and students.”

At the symposium—which included keynotes, panels, and math and literacy tracks—education experts from across the country shared experiences navigating instructional shifts, leading curriculum implementation, and setting schools up for success. From building buy-in to making data-driven decisions, their actionable insights can empower you with the knowledge and tools to create lasting change in your district.

Read on for a recap of the core presentations. You can also watch or listen along—and, for extra credit, download the workbook to deepen your learning.

Opening keynote: Key Factors for Successful Transformation in Literacy and Math

Kymyona Burk, Ed.D.
Senior Policy Fellow, ExcelinEd

In her session, Kymona Burk made the case that real student learning progress in literacy and math doesn’t come from policy alone—it requires systemic, research-based change in classrooms. Too often, schools focus on interventions for struggling students instead of strengthening core instruction to prevent gaps in the first place. She pointed to Mississippi’s success in narrowing achievement gaps as proof that evidence-based teaching, teacher support, and family engagement drive meaningful, lasting improvement.

A key factor in that success, she argued, was a firm commitment to the Science of Reading. “We have decades of research on how children learn to read, and we can’t afford to ignore it,” she said.

Burk also stressed math’s similarities to literacy when it comes to effective teaching methods. Just as students need structured, research-backed reading instruction, they also need math teaching and instructional materials that build deep understanding rather than rely on rote memorization. Achieving this, she said, requires strong materials, better teacher training, and a commitment to using data to refine strategies. The path to better outcomes isn’t a mystery—what’s needed is leadership and persistence.

Key takeaways:

  • Tier 1 instruction is the foundation. Schools must prioritize high-quality core instruction to prevent learning gaps.
  • Literacy and math both need urgent attention. Math reform has lagged behind literacy efforts, but both require evidence-based teaching and structured support.
  • Teachers need more than just training. Professional development must be paired with coaching, collaboration, and access to the right materials.
  • Sustained effort leads to results. Mississippi’s success proves that achievement gaps can be closed with consistent investment in people, resources, and accountability.

Leadership Lessons Learned in Baltimore City Schools That Impact Change Everywhere

Janise Lane
VP of Customer Transformation, Amplify; former Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Baltimore City Schools

Janise Lane’s talk centered on Baltimore City Schools’ multi-year effort to implement a more effective literacy curriculum, highlighting the importance of managing both the logistical and emotional aspects of change. While the district had strong, committed educators, student performance remained stagnant, prompting a curriculum audit and a shift toward evidence-based instruction.

Lane described how to build buy-in and sustainability by ensuring that change is not dictated solely by district leadership. “We had to shift from a system where decisions were made at the top, to one where teachers, families, and community members were true decision-makers,” Lane said.

She also emphasized the need to recognize and address resistance. “Everybody approaches change differently, and it’s our job as leaders to attend to all of those emotions,” Lane said. The key to success, she noted, is creating structured pathways for implementation while remaining adaptable and open to feedback and real classroom experiences.

Key takeaways:

  • Balance structure with flexibility. A clear plan is necessary, but it must adapt based on feedback, data, and the realities of implementation.
  • Small wins build momentum. Celebrating early progress helps shift mindsets from skepticism to belief in the change.
  • Trust and transparency matter. Educators need to see that leadership is engaged, responsive, and committed to making change work for everyone.

Making Math People: Key Shifts in How We Think of Math Assessment

Patrick Callahan, Ph.D.
Educator; Founder, Math ANEX

During his talk, Patrick Callahan emphasized the ways that asset-based assessments measure not just what students don’t know, but the depths of their mathematical thinking. Instead of relying on traditional multiple-choice tests, his approach encourages open-ended responses, allowing teachers to analyze how students arrive at their answers.

Callahan noted that by looking beyond correctness to understand reasoning, teachers can better target instruction. “If all I see is that 37% of my students got an area problem right, I might think I need to reteach area,” Callahan explained. “But if I analyze responses, I see that some kids are correctly multiplying but misunderstanding overlapping rectangles, while others are actually calculating perimeter instead. That tells me exactly where to focus my instruction.”

His research also shows a correlation between students who demonstrated conceptual understanding (such as interpreting remainders in division problems) and higher performance on standardized tests—evidence that fostering deep thinking supports both engagement and achievement.

Key takeaways:

  • Assessments should focus on thinking, not just accuracy. Open-ended questions provide deeper learning opportunities.
  • Targeted teaching saves time. Knowing why students struggle prevents unnecessary reteaching.
  • Classroom discussions boost comprehension. Encouraging students to explain their thinking deepens understanding.

Creating a Supportive Environment for Educators During Times of Instructional Change

Ricky Robertson
Educator; author; consultant

“The number one influence on team effectiveness is psychological safety,” Ricky Robertson said during his symposium session. “Not how talented the individuals are, but how they interact with one another.” His talk focused on how the knowledge that one can speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation affects school culture, educator well-being, and student success, citing research such as Google’s Project Aristotle that demonstrates how high-performing teams thrive not on individual expertise but the quality of interactions among team members.

He also noted that toxic workplace dynamics—such as fear-based leadership, cliques, and bullying—contribute to burnout, disengagement, and resistance to change. Stressing that “strategies don’t transform schools, systems do,” he shared case studies of schools that changed their culture by fostering open communication, restructuring leadership teams, and implementing clear decision-making processes. Creating a safe environment isn’t just about being nice, Robertson said. Robertson noted that creating a safe environment isn’t just about being nice, but about building systems that allow educators to collaborate, support one another, and better serve their students.

Key takeaways:

  • Psychological safety boosts performance. Schools that report a high sense of psychological safety see increased collaboration, innovation, and teacher retention.
  • Structured collaboration matters. Schools with clear communication protocols and leadership structures create more productive teams.
  • Change starts with educators. Supporting teachers’ well-being and professional growth is the foundation for student success.

More to explore

Steps for Interviewing

Amplify Professional Learning Specialist Applicants

Congratulations on being invited to interview for the Professional Learning Specialist role!

Please take these three steps in order to schedule and prepare for your interview.

Step 1: Review the PLS Flipbook
Step 2: Schedule your Interview
Step 3: Prepare for your Interview

Interviews for Cohort 2 will take place from April 27th – May 8th.

A group of four people sitting at a table in a meeting room, using laptops. One person laughs while others work. An analog clock on the wall shows the time.

Step 1: Review the PLS Flipbook

Amplify Professional Learning Specialists (PLS) will be responsible for facilitating high-quality professional development (PD) to teachers and school leaders, ensuring educators feel confident taking steps to implement our programs and ultimately drive student success. 

Please read the PLS flipbook to ensure you have a clear understanding of the role and ensure this is the right fit for you. These details are captured in pages 16 – 33 of the flipbook.

Several key PLS responsibilities are highlighted below:

  • Delivering remote and onsite professional development for approximately 30-40 educators per session during the summer season (May – September 2026), possibly longer.
  • Must be available to be scheduled during normal school hours (Monday–Friday) in all U.S. time zones.
  • Must be available an average of three days per week on Monday through Friday from July 13–August 21. Three consecutive days is strongly recommended as it will potentially lead to more onsite delivery opportunities.
  • PLSs who are current educators and returning to full-time roles at school/districts must have a return to work date after August 21st.
  • Traveling via car, plane, and/or public transportation, sometimes with minimal advance notice and including overnight stay at hotels.   
  • Paying all travel-related expenses in advance, with reimbursements being processed 2-3 weeks following submission of the expense reimbursement requests.

Please reach out to pls_hiring@amplify.com if you have additional questions.

Step 2: Schedule Your Interview

Our second round of interviews will take place between April 27th – May 8th. We do not have any earlier interviews available, all available slots are shown on the calendars linked below.  

Please schedule an interview for the specific role for which you have applied: 

  • Literacy or STEM Candidates: schedule a 30 minute interview by clicking here: “PLS Interviews: May 2026” 
  • Bilingual Candidates: schedule a 45 minute interview by clicking here: “Bilingual PLS Interviews: May 2026” only. You do not need to sign up for a separate 30 minute interview.
  • Once you have scheduled your interview, you should receive a confirmation email from Calendly.  If you do not receive this email, please reach out to PLS_hiring@amplify.com for support.

If you need to reschedule your interview, you may do so directly by clicking the reschedule link in the confirmation email from Calendly to select a new interview option during the current interview window.  Once you have rescheduled, you will receive a new confirmation email and updated calendar invitation. Please do not sign up for more than one interview.

We ask that you only reschedule if absolutely necessary and request at least 24 hours notice prior to your interview day/time.

Step 3: Prepare for Interview

Prior to your scheduled interview, prepare your interview activity! Please view the video to the right for help preparing. 

  • Guidance for the task can be found here: PLS Performance Task Guidance Document
  • You should come ready to share your screen via Google Meet and present the provided activity in under 5 minutes.
  • Talking points are included for each screen to guide your presentation.
  • During your interview we will be looking for proficiency with the following tech skills: independently sharing screen, speech matching animation, and moving from screen to screen with ease.
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Offer, Onboarding, and Training

  • Qualified candidates will receive an offer via email.  The offer will include your product placement and regional assignment.
  • If you accept the offer, our partner contracting agency will reach out to you to provide the necessary documentation to begin the onboarding process. This will include a background check. You will also need to provide college transcripts, please begin gathering these items.
  • Once you have completed the onboarding process with our partner contracting agency, you will begin your official Amplify PLS onboarding process on May 11th for Cohort 1 or June 15th for Cohort 2. A majority of onboarding will be remote, with one in person training on June 6th – 7th for Cohort 1 and July 8th – 9th for Cohort 2. More details to come!
  • Once you are certified, our PD Operations team will begin to schedule you for PD engagements within your region and across the country!

Info Session

Get more details from PD staff members about the PLS role, regional placement, the onboarding process, and ongoing support.

We will address the most common questions we receive:

  1. What is the role of a PLS?
  2. Where will I deliver sessions?  What content will I deliver?
  3. How will onboarding work?
  4. How will I be supported?

The information session recording can be watched here.

Passcode: @N+4hmfi

FAQ

PLS FAQ

Hear from our Professional Learning Specialists

“I have been able to connect with teachers and support them in their implementation of Amplify products. I especially love coaching opportunities where I have time to see teachers in action, model lessons for them, and debrief and problem solve what is going on in their classrooms. I would have loved that opportunity when I was in the classroom.”

Amy Wiktor

Professional Learning Specialist

Hear from our Professional Learning Specialists

“I feel like I have learned so much about the Science of Reading, facilitation, and am inspired by the positive contribution I can make to both teachers and students. I am putting something positive back into the world and spreading kindness every day! Very fulfilling.”

Jennifer Piehl

Professional Learning Specialist

Hear from our Professional Learning Specialists

“I’ve had a lot of new experiences and love the networking involved throughout the Amplify community. Seeing new places in different parts of the country has been incredible, as well! Plus, the work environment has been the most positive, uplifting, and motivational workplace I’ve ever been a part of! ”

Justin Suder-Grose

Professional Learning Specialist

Thank you for your interest!

Contact us with questions at pls_hiring@amplify.com

Write better feedback for better math learning.

Research suggests that Black and Latino students pay attention to what teachers say about their work in math class, and that teacher feedback can affect their learning, motivation, and sense of belonging. Learn how to give better feedback with AI.

Two women smiling and looking at a computer screen in an office setting, surrounded by papers and educational materials.

Overview

With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Amplify researched the features of effective feedback for underrepresented minority students and used that research to create a generative AI tool that helps teachers give students feedback about math.

This project resulted in the following work:

  • Two literature reviews about feedback in mathematics, especially for underrepresented minority students.
  • A prompt for a large language model (LLM) that would take in written feedback and offer feedback on the feedback, helping its author learn principles of effective feedback using  principles of effective feedback.
  • A professional development activity in the Desmos Classroom platform that engages teachers in writing feedback messages about student thinking and receiving feedback on their feedback via an API call to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Literature reviews

We asked researchers to review literature about feedback, especially for underrepresented minority students. The researchers compiled the following literature reviews:

Stereotype Threat and Feedback (Picho-Kiroga)

Teacher Feedback: A Brief Literature Review (Good)

LLM prompt

We wrote an LLM prompt designed to take in the following context:

  • The text of a math problem
  • A student’s response to the problem
  • A teacher’s feedback to the student
  • The principles of effective feedback we distilled from the literature reviews

The prompt gives teachers feedback on their feedback, helping them learn to give effective feedback using the principles of effective feedback. The prompt and sample response:

You are a helpful and patient mathematics instructional coach who needs to support teachers who are trying to give feedback to their students on mathematics problems.

You will give feedback to teachers helping them give more effective feedback to their students. Your goal is to help teachers improve their feedback using several principles. It is important that you also use these principles when you give feedback to the teachers.

First, feedback must communicate high standards and the message that a person is capable of meeting high standards. Those responses might look like:

  • “I am giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.”
  • “The expectations in this course are high and I know you can do great work. The feedback here is designed to help you get there.”

Second, feedback must emphasize mastery goals rather than performance goals. Feedback that incorporates mastery goals:

  • Is specific and substantive rather than one that is comparative/fosters competition.
  • Encourages perseverance, focuses on development of competence on the relevant topic and/or domain.
  • Acknowledges (praises) effort, improvement, and tells the person what is right about their work.
  • Emphasizes achieving a standard relative to mastery of content and prior performance, rather than focusing on relative performance (comparison to others).

Third, feedback needs to be in language that the person receiving it can easily understand. Feedback to students should be written at a level that a grade 6 student can read and understand. Feedback to teachers should be written at a level that a grade 12 student can read and understand.

The feedback should be concise. It should not tell the teacher the exact feedback to offer. Rather it should ask a question designed to help them think more about the principles of effective feedback we have described above.

For context, you will receive a [mathematics problem], [student response], [teacher feedback message]. Here is an example of how you can support a teacher with providing feedback that follows the principles of effective feedback:

[mathematics problem] Write the equation of this line. The line is given by the equation y = ⅔ x + 4

[student response] y = 3/2 x + 4

[teacher feedback message] That is incorrect. Try again.

Your feedback to the teacher might be:

Giving effective feedback is challenging and all of us can learn it. Here you told the student their answer is incorrect, which is important information, but doesn’t tell them what part of the task they got right. Can you change your feedback to emphasize an area where they are correct or, if you don’t see anything correct, to give them a first question to help them start?

Given the following a [mathematics problem], [student response], and [teacher feedback message], write a three-to-five sentence message to the teacher that gives them feedback on their feedback and provides an example.

A graph shows a line segment on a grid. A student answers "3" for its length, the teacher says "This is not correct," and LLM feedback suggests a more supportive response.

Teacher professional development activity

The OpenAI ChatGPT interface could help teachers develop more effective feedback, but working with it is more complex too. Teachers must input a math question, a student answer, and their original message into the context window.

We wanted to simplify that process by embedding an API call to ChatGPT in an environment that automatically collects and injects the context information. To do that, we used the Desmos Classroom Activity Builder, the same platform we use to author our Desmos Math 6-A1 curriculum.

In the professional development activity we created, teachers think about how students might respond to common math questions in middle school. They brainstorm their own responses to common wrong answers. And then they receive feedback from a helpful generative AI agent.

A screen that says: “Miko's cat has an 8-centimeter bow tie. What does the model predict for its height? The most common wrong answer to this question is 40. What feedback might you offer that student?” Next to the question is a graph that shows a scatterplot, a line through the scatterplot and Miko's cat off the line at y = 40.

Prototype: AI-enhanced Feedback Support

Desmos Math contains an interface that lets teachers write feedback to students through its software platform. We created an activity that would a) help teachers learn how to give asset-based mathematics feedback, b) introduce educators to the affordances of AI in their practice.

To use the activity:

  1. Click this activity link.
  2. Log in with a Google or Amplify account.

You will interact with ideas about feedback and several incorrect student answers. When you give your feedback on those student answers, you’ll receive AI-generated feedback on your feedback. You can revise and resubmit multiple times.

A video of the screens in the prototype that shows the AI typing a response to the teacher about the feedback for the student’s wrong answer.

User Testing: Report of Results

We invited middle school mathematics teachers to participate in this teacher feedback activity through one of our email communications. 95 teachers responded affirmatively and 44 of them ultimately participated. They accessed the activity and completed a survey about their experience.

Overall, we have significant qualitative evidence in survey responses that teachers are interested in learning more about giving effective feedback and that they are at least curious about generative AI. This particular instantiation has significant room for improvement and we will continue to investigate ways to improve the kinds of feedback Black and Latino students receive from their teachers. Read more in the below report.

Asset-oriented AI feedback for Black & Latino students at scale: Results of user testing

Contact us

ai-prototype@amplify.com

Embracing artificial intelligence in the math classroom

Artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere these days. We use it when we ask Alexa or Siri for the morning weather report. We use it when GPS tells us how to best avoid traffic. We use it when we chill at the end of the day with a recommendation from Netflix. 

But what about during the day—and specifically, at school? Even more specifically, can AI be leveraged to enhance the math classroom? 

“While AI is an amazing tool, you’ve really got to make sure that you are focusing in on your expertise as well,” says veteran math educator and STEM instructional coach Kristen Moore, “And saying, ‘How can I use this to make something better?’ and not just, ‘How can I use this to make something?’” 

In this post, we’ll talk about the current state of AI in math education, and how it can support educators in making math better. (SPOILER: It’s not going to replace you!) 

First, some STEM learning for us: What is artificial intelligence? 

Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to the development of computer systems able to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. 

It involves creating algorithms and systems that enable computers to learn from data, adapt to new situations, and make decisions or predictions.

AI aims to mimic human cognitive functions such as understanding language, recognizing patterns, solving problems, and making decisions. It encompasses a range of techniques and technologies, including machine learning, neural networks, natural language processing, and robotics.

The term “artificial intelligence” was introduced in 1956.  The availability of vast amounts of data and advancements in computer power in the 2010s led to additional breakthroughs. And with the proliferation of smartphones, smart devices, and the internet, AI technologies began to work their way into our homes, cars, pockets, and everyday lives.

What’s the state of AI in education? 

AI is already commonplace in schools and classrooms. Here are just a few examples:

  • Adaptive learning: This software uses AI algorithms to adjust the difficulty and content of lessons based on a student’s performance, helping students remain engaged and challenged at their optimal level.
  • Assistive technologies: AI helps students with disabilities by providing assistive technologies like text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools, making educational content more accessible.
  • Plagiarism detection: These tools use AI algorithms to identify instances of copied or unoriginal content in students’ assignments, essays, and projects. 
  • Data analysis for teachers: AI analyzes data from student assessments to identify trends and insights, helping teachers make informed decisions about instructional strategies. It can also predict students’ performance trends, helping teachers identify at-risk students early and intervene to provide additional support.
  • Grammar, spelling, and style checkers: AI can provide real-time feedback to students (and teachers!) on their writing work.

Embracing AI technology in your math classroom

While AI is not here to replace teachers, it is here to stay. And experts say it’s only going to become more commonplace. But despite how common AI is already—both outside and inside school—not all teachers are familiar with its numerous applications and potential. Now is a great time for educators to start exploring its uses and get ahead of the curve.

Here are a few easy entry points for math teachers. 

ChatGPT: A common AI tool, ChatGPT is designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. It’s trained on a wide range of internet text, which enables it to generate responses to a vast array of prompts and questions. 

Most students have likely experimented with ChatGPT, while teachers—though aware of it—are less likely to use it. ChatGPT has highly practical applications for both groups, though—including in the math (and science) classroom. 

It can, for example, help teachers plan interesting, relevant math lessons for their students. Kristen Moore, who discusses this topic on Math Teacher Lounge, suggests that math teachers use ChatGPT to:

  • Connect topics to student interests and vice-versa. (Teachers can ask ChatGPT for real-life applications of polynomials and select those that might pique student interest, or ask about math applications derived from students’ hobbies and pursuits.) 
  • Generate word problems (including step-by-step solutions), lessons, projects and rubrics, and more.

Toward the (near) future

As AI advances, it will continue to revolutionize education. Here are a few time-saving ways that educators can look forward to using it in their classrooms.

  • AI tutors: AI-powered virtual tutors will help math students with homework questions and provide explanations for various concepts. These tutors can be available at home 24/7, allowing students to seek an AI homework helper whenever they need it.
  • Automatic graders: Some AI tools can automatically grade math work, including multiple-choice and short-answer assignments. These tutors can be available at home 24/7 in any household with internet access, allowing students to seek more personalized instruction.
  • Personalized learning paths: These AI-powered platforms will work particularly well for math students by adapting to each student’s skill level and pace, offering tailored exercises and challenges that cater to their strengths and identify areas of improvement. They will analyze students’ performance and adjust the difficulty of content, ensuring that students get targeted support and opportunities to progress.

More to explore

To dive deeper into AI in math education—and get rolling with AI in your classroom—check out this two-episode mini-series on our Math Teacher Lounge podcast focused on just that: 

“I’m a believer that learning is inherently social,” says Carolan, who is quick to emphasize how technology can enhance that quality, not replace it. The same can be said for the role teachers play in the classroom—a role technology can support, but never take away. To learn more about this topic (and discuss it with your fellow educators!), head to our Math Teacher Lounge community

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  1. detailed lesson plans.
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    • Grade K Skills and Knowledge
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    • Grade 3 Integrated
    • Grade 4 Integrated
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  • Click the CKLA Student Hub button below.
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2. Full-service

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Program-agnostic sessions will set up educators for success in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math.


Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs.


Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs.


Offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more.

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About the program

We believe in math that motivates. Our structured approach to problem-based learning builds on students’ curiosity to develop lasting grade-level understandings for all students. 

The program thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, fluency, and application, motivating students with interesting problems they are eager to solve. Teachers can spend more time where it’s most impactful: creating a collaborative classroom of learners.

Educational materials featuring various graphs and applications, including rocket motion and quadratic functions, displayed on Desmos and paper.
Interactive digital math lesson interface with colorful graphics showing parabola exploration and plotting tools on screen, enhanced by the New York math curriculum.

Structured approach to problem-based learning

  • Differentiation and personalized practice
  • Easy-to-follow instructional guidance
  • Robust assessments and reports
  • Spanish student materials
A classroom dashboard displays student names and their progress in activities, with checkmarks indicating completed tasks and circles showing ongoing or incomplete tasks.

Math that motivates

  • Powerful teacher-facilitation supports and tools
  • Students talking and building from each other’s ideas 
  • Every lesson has fully compatible print and digital materials for a collaborative classroom
Illustration of an Amplify Desmos math learning tool on a student screen showing abacus representations for the sums 8+7, 7+4+5, 3+8+4

Student thinking is made evident

  • Curiosity-driven lessons that motivate students with interesting problems they are eager to solve
  • Explicit guidance for teachers on what to look for and how to respond
  • Technology that provides Responsive Feedback and is designed to reveal mathematical thinking

Figuring out Problem-Based Learning

Figuring out how to implement a problem-based learning approach to mathematics can be fun and challenging. Rest assured that you will not be alone on this journey. Amplify will be by your side every step of the way.

In the short videos below, Fawn Nguyen (Math Teaching and Learning Team, Former Math Coach and Teacher) and John Hoogestraat (Math Product Specialist, Former Math Coach and Teacher) share their thoughts about the power of Amplify Desmos Math.

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Illustration of a New York math curriculum map for grade 6-algebra 1, divided into 8 units with topics and a cartoon snail next to it.


Scope and sequence

Click the link below to view the program scope and sequence for grade 6–Algebra 1.

Program Preview lessons

Check out the links below to explore our interactive digital lessons.

In addition to the sample lessons below, you can view a sampler of Amplify Desmos Math mini-lessons. Amplify Desmos Math mini-lessons are 15-minute lessons aligned to the most critical topics throughout a unit. Teacher-led mini-lessons are used to provide targeted intervention to small groups of students who need additional support or to re-engage students with content that they may need more time on.

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Grade 6, Unit 6: Expressions and Equations

Sub-Unit 1: Solving Equations

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Grade 7, Unit 6: Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities

Sub-Unit 3: Inequalities

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Grade 8, Unit 6: Associations in Data

Sub-Unit 2: Analyzing Numerical Data

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Algebra 1, Unit 2: Linear Equations and Inequalities

Sub-Unit 1–2: One-Variable Equations and Multi-Variable Equations

Review full-year content

The login information provided below enables you to preview the complete mathematical content by grade level in less-than-final format. This content will be updated to the final Amplify Desmos Math format for the 2024-25 school year with the robust instructional supports shown in the Program Preview lessons.

To begin your review:

1. Review the Amplify Desmos Math Program Preview lessons.

2. Click here and use the following credentials to log in:
Username: t1.sfmath@demo.tryamplify.net
Password: Amplify1-sfmath

3. Use the following links to begin your review:

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Looking for help?

imSupport is always within reach. Our team is dedicated to supporting you throughout your review and can be reached at any time by emailing or calling us directly.

  • Live chat: Click the orange icon while logged in to get immediate help.
  • Phone: Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
  • Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com. In the message body, please include your name and question. Provide as much detail as possible, so we can more quickly help you find a solution.
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Georgia educators, achieve life-changing results with the Science of Reading—we’ll show you how.

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Data’s essential role in your Science of Reading implementation

Support teachers and students in working toward literacy goals by leading with data as you shift to the Science of Reading. With tools like ongoing progress monitoring and a robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports, we’ll show you how data can give your students the literacy instruction they deserve.

Building buy-in for change—with data

You can use literacy data to harness buy-in for a paradigm shift, monitor student progress, and support your transition to the Science of Reading. But which data measures best identify areas for growth and reveal the path to student achievement?

Our free ebook, The Story That Data Tells, will help you take the first steps in using data to guide your journey toward impactful change..

“I had to dig into and learn: What is [the Science of Reading] all about? How are we gonna be using this data instructionally, and then take that data and use it with our kids? So that’s really how we got the ball rolling.”

—Corey Beil, Interventionist and Instructional Coach

Quaker Community School District, Pennsylvania

Getting started with a data-driven literacy implementation

As any experienced educator can agree, change is not straightforward in the classroom. This is especially true when it comes to shifting to the Science of Reading, a process that requires meticulous planning, open communication, and—most importantly—data.

Discover which data to focus on throughout the school year, and how to use it to direct your implementation—whether you’re just starting the shift, or already implementing the Science of Reading.

Align your MTSS to the Science of Reading

Learn more about MTSS in literacy principles and how to align it with the Science of Reading.

The five guiding principles for an effective MTSS

To provide your students with literacy instruction that meets their needs, you need seamless planning and plenty of forethought. Deliver the instruction, assessment, and personalized learning your students deserve with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports grounded in data and the Science of Reading.

Read about the five guiding principles that can help you align your MTSS with the Science of Reading in our free ebook Systems of Success: Getting Started With a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Aligned to the Science of Reading.

Review the five guiding principles

An effective MTSS framework requires collaboration from all stakeholders (such as teachers, administrators, and caregivers) to ensure students have access to the right instructional support at the right time.

Frequent collection and interpretation of high-quality data is essential to identifying student needs, monitoring progress, and guiding decision-making. Universal screening and progress monitoring data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of all tiers in an MTSS, and to identify students at risk.

An MTSS provides increasing levels of support for students when they need it. It also focuses on prevention first to reduce the need for intervention later.

Implementing evidence-based instruction and interventions with fidelity improves outcomes for all students. A focus on all students, not just those in need of additional support, ensures that all students can access high-quality instruction.

In an MTSS framework, decisions are based on research and the constantly evolving needs of all students and schools.

Season 5, Episode 5: Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports

Hear from educator Brittney Bills, Ed.D., as she discusses her districts’ experience learning to use data, avoid burnout, and sustain ongoing improvements.

Listen now

What Does Data Tell Us? Building Buy-In and Determining Areas of Need With Data

Data can paint a clear picture of where your students are, where they need to go, and how the Science of Reading can get them there. Hear from Amplify Executive Director of Learning Science Danielle Damico about the story that data tells, how to use data to build buy-in, and the kind of data you should be collecting to ensure a successful implementation.

Watch now 

Starting Your Science of Reading Shift With Screening: How to Use Assessment Data as a Building Block of MTSS

Screening and assessment data can drive MTSS-aligned change management in your district, supporting you as you navigate and sustain lasting transformation. Learn more about the importance of universal screening in your literacy implementation.

Watch now 

Our K–12 international education programs inspire students around the world.

At Amplify, we believe that every teacher and student deserves access to high-quality materials. That’s why we collaborate with international schools to meet their core curriculum, assessment, and intervention needs.

By providing solutions grounded in research and evidence-based practices, Amplify is making an impact on international K–12 education.

We are making an impact around the globe.

6

continents

80+

countries

900+

schools worldwide

700,000+

students globally

Amplify international education programs

The following programs are available internationally.

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Core curriculum

STEM

Literacy

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Assessment and Intervention

STEM

Literacy

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Supplemental

STEM

Literacy

Amplify professional learning

From live, in-person training and coaching to online courses and virtual professional development, we offer a range of support to fit schools’ needs and educators’ busy schedules. Professional development offerings include the following:

  • Launch sessions
  • Strengthen sessions
  • Coach sessions
  • Custom packages
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Custom development

We collaborate with governments and government agencies to localize and customize our high-quality instructional materials to ensure they align with specific education standards and frameworks.

Get in touch with our sales team to discuss how we can help your organization.

License our digital tools.

Explore Amplify’s digital tools and how they can make your programs more engaging and digital-forward.

Publishers can license the Amplify teaching and learning digital platform, which offers robust digital functionality—including digital manipulatives—that can transform print-based instructional programs into interactive, collaborative, and engaging digital experiences for teachers and students.

If you want to use our platform for commercial purposes, please contact our team.

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Amplify international education support

Amplify aims to provide the best customer support throughout each stage of your journey, whether you are exploring our programs for the first time or are a long-term partner.

Below, you’ll find a quick guide on the international purchase process and expected timelines.

Simple steps to get your order processed quickly:

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To ensure that there are no delays, we advise you to place your order 3–4 months prior to your first day of school. This should allow enough time for shipping and digital set up.

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Purchasing

Our international sales team can answer your questions about our programs and services. Please fill out the form to speak with your account executive.

FILL OUT FORM

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Ordering and payment

We want your purchasing experience to be as seamless as possible. Visit our customer portal to learn more about your payment options.

Please be sure to include:

  • A signed PO. Don’t forget to add your PO number.
  • A copy of your Price Quote.
  • A copy of your Tax-Exemption Certificate.

GO TO CUSTOMER PORTAL

You can also email your documents to IncomingPO@amplify.com.

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Shipping physical materials

  • Submit your logistics and product quantities on the Order Management Page (OMP).
  • Track shipment(s) with the Shipment Status Page (SSP).
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Enrollment and licensing

Please note that our team needs to review your school’s rosters for accuracy and completeness:

  • This process can take up to 12 business days.
  • You will be notified when the licensing process is complete!

Frequently asked questions

Payment processing time can vary, depending on chosen payment method, as well as banking institution. Please allow at least 10 business days for it to be processed. For additional support contact internationalsalessuport@amplify.com.

For digital licenses, you will need to submit your digital logistics information, which includes your school’s rosters data. Our technical onboarding team then needs to verify it for accuracy and completeness. (They might contact you, should they need any clarification.) The digital setup process can take up to four weeks to be completed. For help along the way, please use our Amplify Onboarding Hub.

To avoid delays, please submit your logistics information and product quantities on the Order Management Page as early as possible. Note that international shipping time varies from one country to another due to many factors, including different customs procedures. We are therefore unable to estimate and guarantee delivery time in each case. Amplify offers two international shipping options: 1. Your materials can be shipped from the U.S. directly to you, which will incur an international shipping and handling fee of 25% on the physical products ordered. 2. Alternatively, Amplify can ship your materials to a U.S. freight forwarder, and you can manage the shipping.

Note that setup communications will be sent to the contact person listed on the quote. This email is sometimes routed to the spam folder, so please check there as well. If you do not receive a link within five business days, please reach out to the customer care and support team.

Get support

Our dedicated team members will assist you with purchasing, order fulfillment, enrollment and licensing, and more!

Our support hours are Monday through Friday,
11 a.m.–11 p.m. GMT.

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New to our programs? Our international sales support team is here to help!

Email us: 

internationalsalessupport@amplify.com

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Already a customer but don’t have a login yet?

Open a support case.

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If you already have your login details:

Access our chat live with our support team.

International events

Join us for an upcoming event, webinar, or podcast. You can browse all of our events by month, or use the filter to find events close to you.

GO TO EVENTS PAGE

Ready to learn more?

Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.

Amplify CKLA usage & branding guidelines

Welcome to Amplify’s guidelines on using CKLA materials both under its Open Education Resource (OER) license (CC BY-NC-SA) and Amplify’s license to school districts. These guidelines apply to all variants of the CKLA program, including those not authored by Amplify. These guidelines address the following programs:

  • Amplify CKLA
  • Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR
  • TEA’s K-5 RLA Literacy / SLAR program
  • TEA’s Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Reading Language Arts
  • CKF Core Knowledge Language Arts

Amplify is committed to supporting educators in using CKLA resources to enhance classroom learning while protecting the integrity of the CKLA program and Amplify’s exclusive rights.

Our goal is to encourage impactful, efficacious use of the program while providing clear guidelines on permissible and prohibited uses.

1. Amplify’s license and what it means

Amplify partnered with the Core Knowledge Foundation (CKF) to develop the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum. You can learn more about this program and Amplify’s partnership with CKF here.

Amplify holds the exclusive commercial license to all CKLA content. In more than a decade of partnership, we have worked with CKF to enhance and supplement the program, now in its third edition nationally. Amplify licenses Amplify CKLA and Amplify ELAR/SLAR Texas to school districts, along with a full suite of assessment, intervention, and supplemental products, as well as professional development and coaching services. Learn more here.

As the exclusive commercial partner for CKLA, Amplify is the only organization permitted to use the materials commercially.

If your organization purchases CKLA materials from Amplify, you get the customary usage rights for those purchased materials specified in Amplify’s Customer Terms & Conditions.

2. Open Non-Commercial license

Some versions of the CKLA program are available under a Creative Commons NonCommercial license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This includes Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR, TEA’s K–5 RLA Literacy / SLAR program, TEA’s Bluebonnet Learning K–5 Reading Language Arts and CKF Core Knowledge Language Arts.

CC BY-NC-SA is the OER license for these materials. The license allows users to share and adapt the materials, as long you follow these terms:

  • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
  • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
  • ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under this same CC BY-NC-SA license.

Below we explain how Amplify and CKF apply these terms to common situations — which uses are permitted under the licenses, and which uses are prohibited or require a special permission or commercial arrangement.

Materials licensed under Creative Commons licenses are known as Open Education Resources (OER), and Amplify is proud to have been one of the earliest champions of OER materials in K-12. We believe that OER materials enable a widespread adoption of high quality materials and innovative adaptations by educators for their classrooms, alongside commercial versions that include a full suite of supports.

3. Permitted uses of CKLA content

In these guidelines, when we say “CKLA Content”, we are referring to all versions of the program that was based on the original content from CKF, both those under OER licenses and commercially licensed. Many uses by educators are permissible under either the commercial or OER license. The only difference is that your rights under the commercial license only last as long as that license is maintained by your school or district.

Amplify encourages educators to leverage CKLA Content to foster innovative and effective learning experiences. Below are uses that are permitted without any additional license, as long as you follow attribution guidelines and share-alike requirements.

Classroom Activities and Custom Materials. Educators may create supplementary activities, worksheets, lesson plans, and projects based on the CKLA Content for use within their classroom or school. For these purposes, educators may incorporate portions of the CKLA Content.

Sharing and Selling Materials based on CKLA Content. Educators may also share classroom activities and custom materials with other educators, including by selling the materials on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers. However, if these materials are sold, they may not include CKLA Content.

For any materials you create, you are required to follow our attribution and disclaimer guidelines below.

If you are unsure whether your planned use qualifies as “non-commercial” or is otherwise permitted by Amplify please reach out to us directly.

4. Restricted uses of CKLA program content

To protect the CKLA program’s value and respect Amplify’s exclusive commercial rights, certain uses of the CKLA content are prohibited without first obtaining a commercial license. Amplify reserves the right to enforce these restrictions to protect our rights.

No third party may embed, republish, or incorporate any portion of the CKLA content in products or services intended for sale, licensing, or other commercial purpose. Examples of prohibited uses include embedding CKLA content as a part of digital platforms, apps, or resources marketed to educators or the public, as well as using the content as an input or training data for such products.

This prohibition applies to all types of individuals and organizations (both for-profit and non-profit), and applies to both paid and free uses.

See “Commercial License and Partnerships” below for information on commercial arrangements.

4. Commercial licenses and partnerships

For those interested in using CKLA content in a way that may be commercial, Amplify offers various licensing options. These negotiated licenses allow approved partners to use the CKLA content within their commercial products under specific terms and conditions.

To inquire about a commercial license or discuss a partnership opportunity, please contact our partnerships team at partnerships@amplify.com.

5. Attribution and branding guidelines

Our trademarks are valuable assets of Amplify and its licensors, and we want to ensure our users and partners use them correctly. These trademarks include the Amplify, Core Knowledge Language Arts, and CKLA word marks and logos.
These marks and logos may only be used if you have an existing partnership with us, and you’ve reached out to Amplify to secure our approval to use them.

If you are creating materials based on CKLA Content in accordance with the guidelines above, you are required to include the following attribution in a reasonably perceptible location on each copy of those materials:

“These materials are based on Amplify CKLA but are not affiliated with, sponsored by, reviewed, approved, or endorsed by Amplify Education, Inc. or the Core Knowledge Foundation. ‘Amplify’, ‘CKLA’ and other marks are the property of Amplify Education, Inc. and its licensors.”

Why these guidelines matter

Amplify’s goal is to support educational access to high-quality curriculum resources while protecting the intellectual property and integrity of the CKLA program. By adhering to these guidelines, you help ensure that CKLA remains an accessible and respected resource for educators while supporting its continued improvement.

For additional questions on using the program, or if you need further clarification on any of these points, please contact us.

The power of data-driven instruction for reading success

Words tell stories—and so do numbers. Even though reading can take us to magical places and spark immeasurable wonder, it’s data that can best guide literacy instruction (and instructors) toward delivering reading success.

Amplify’s Executive Director of Learning Science Danielle Damico, Ph.D., notes in this webinar that educators and districts can, understandably, get stuck in out-of-date beliefs. One common one is that reading is a natural process, the product of variables we can’t change in schools. But data shows the opposite—and provides immense opportunity.

Data is at the heart of what we now call the Science of Reading—a term for the decades of data now available on how kids learn to read and write, and how to best teach them. In making the shift to instruction grounded in the Science of Reading, educators can make effective use of this data to change not only literacy practices, but lives.

If you’ve been following the Science of Reading movement, you likely know the power of making that shift. But whether you’ve been following it for years or are just learning about it, there are some questions you’ll need to explore. What data do you need to make your case to your school or district? And what data will help you monitor implementation—and future success?

Using data to make your case for the Science of Reading

When making the shift to instruction grounded in the Science of Reading, you need to build buy-in among key stakeholders. Your most powerful tool in this endeavor? Data.

If your screening data shows that 20% or more of your students require intervention, it’s time to make the shift. That key performance metric is sometimes all you need, but other indicators can include high error rates among students reading decodable words, fluency below grade-level, words-per-minute scores, or struggles in identifying base words with a prefix or suffix.

Your teaching materials are also a source of data. When you conduct an audit of their content and approach, do you notice—for example—a lack of direct connection between phonics lessons and texts? Emphasis on visual strategies for decoding? Few decodable texts in the first place? These clues (or even red flags) could point to materials that are not grounded in the explicit, systematic instruction recommended by the Science of Reading.

The same may be true of your shared or inherited instructional practices. Is reading typically taught through isolated topics or generic skills (like “find the main idea”) that are disconnected from knowledge domains? Those approaches to reading could contribute to low performance data—and could help you make your case as you champion a shift to data-driven instruction.

What does data-driven instruction look like—in implementation and beyond?

Science-based reading instruction reduces the need for intervention and allows students to move forward as capable, confident readers. Once you’ve begun to implement data-driven instruction, you’ll need to collect key information to make sure you get—and stay—on the right track for all of your students.

Among the eight core principles of the Science of Reading, universal screening and progress monitoring are two that are absolutely necessary to ensure that all students receive the right instruction. It’s also important that your universal screener measures phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

It’s important to monitor improvement in foundational literacy skills and decline in the number of students requiring literacy intervention as well. Collecting qualitative insights regarding classroom practices and tracking their alignment with Science of Reading principles forms a crucial part of the data landscape during this instructional shift.

And finally, as Danielle Damico notes, implementation data can help you:

  • Confirm that your program has indeed been implemented.
  • Ensure that student learning is meeting key goals.
  • Distinguish between an ineffective program and an effective program not being implemented as designed.
  • Determine opportunities for professional development and coaching.

To take a deeper dive into all the data that can help you champion, navigate, and succeed in this shift, download our ebook The Story That Data Tells: Using Data to Chart Your Course With the Science of Reading and explore our webinar What Does Data Tell Us? Building Buy-In and Determining Areas of Need With Data.

HQIM for Indiana Reading League Presentation

Implementation of High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) is the work of the entire vertical spine of districts. From the superintendent to the classroom teacher, all stakeholders need a deep understanding of the implementation journey and the curriculum.

Presentation Overview

Janise Lane and Robin McClellan, prior district leaders in both a large urban district and a small rural district, implemented HQIM for the past five years. They will share transparently about their HQIM implementation journey. The audience will leave with a better understanding of:

  • A shared vision for excellent literacy instruction.
  • Change management: Expectations, Engagement, Investment, Integrity.
  • Building the vertical spine of leadership.
  • Building and sustaining momentum.

Additional Information

Attendees will hear about the journey of two district leaders as they lead the adoption of high quality instructional materials.

Janise and Robin will have a candid conversation about the successes experienced and challenges faced throughout the selection, adoption, and beginning stages of launching the use of HQIM.

Attendees will develop leader and participant insight into how to build buy-in and lead change, how to build the capacity of their teams, how to leverage teachers as leaders, how to navigate challenging situations, and how to celebrate successes in ways that continue to move the work forward. Attendees will leave with skills and knowledge that is highly practical, actionable, and applicable to their own work in schools.

Resources

Use the QR code to get more resources such as Amplify’s Rivet PLPG, The Elements, and Curriculum Matters materials.

Question Prompts

Coherence and alignment – principals, supervisors must read and understand at least samples of the curriculum so the teachers know they are invested and can give actionable feedback.

  • 1. Tell us a little bit about your experience of bringing HQIM to your district.
    • State of the union – scores.
    • Tension in district between district leadership and school-based decision-making.
  • 2. Could you give a high level overview of the process of what they did to adopt: Change management, trust, and investment
    • Built a team
    • Communication of urgency for change – materials not aligned with brain science
    • Change management – why HQIM matters
  • 3. How do you build buy-in and coherence?
    • Brought together expert.
    • Brought together internal team of many stakeholder.
    • Invested deeply in learning.
      •  Edreports
      • Duke
  • 4. How do you leverage voice? Supporting leaders in strong implementation with systems of advocacy…
    • Surveys – staff, community.
    • Community visits.
    • Transparent communication: heard this and did this.
    • Celebrating growth in student work – pictures of what children before and after implementation along with quantitative – universal screening scores, etc.
    • Teacher voice more publicly i.e. Twitter (Katie Scotti).
    • Building capacity of teachers to become “lighthouses” – coaches also
    • Knowledge Matters.
  • 5. Advice – navigating problems of practice:
    • Don’t underestimate the power of the people in the schools –
    • Creating guardrail space – prioritize the most important 2 or 3 things that are major focus – come back.
    • Spiraled professional learning – not just a name to fancy up a presentation or school improvement plan – it is the rubber meets the road.
    • Coherence and alignment – principals, supervisors must read and understand at least samples of the curriculum so the teachers know they are invested and can give actionable feedback.

Amplify Ambassador Program

Educators like you do extraordinary things both in the classroom and beyond. The Amplify Ambassador Program brings together a vibrant community of changemakers shaping the future of education to elevate their voices as they advocate about their Amplify experience.

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What is the Amplify Ambassador Program?

The Amplify Ambassador Program brings together inspiring educators from across the country to share insights, build connections, and help shape the future of Amplify programs.

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Ambassadors are:

  • Experienced educators who use Amplify programs to create meaningful learning experiences.
  • Passionate collaborators who are eager to learn from and inspire colleagues.
  • Thought leaders who love to share their insights and best practices.

As an Ambassador, you’ll receive:

  • Features on our website and opportunities to contribute to Amplify’s social media communities.
  • Opportunities to advise Amplify teams and influence future programs.
  • Personalized updates, special learning opportunities, and behind-the-scenes access from our team.
  • An honorarium in recognition of your time and contributions.
  • Incentives including exclusive Amplify swag.
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Ambassadors are asked to:

  • Share feedback and innovative ideas to help improve Amplify programs.
  • Participate in virtual presentations, publications, and share experiences with other educators over the course of the school year. 
  • Connect, collaborate, and build relationships with other Ambassadors and Amplify teams.
  • Attend quarterly virtual meetings.

Ready to become an Amplify Ambassador?

Apply now

Have questions? Reach out to us at
ambassadors@amplify.com.

What our Ambassadors are saying

“The Amplify Ambassador program is a great way to connect with the company. This is one of the many ways that Amplify shows their true commitment to student learning. They are asking for and value feedback from the users.”

Allie Appel, Instructional Coach, School District of Arcadia, WI

What our Ambassadors are saying

“The Amplify Ambassador Program has provided the opportunity for me to network with like-minded and Amplify-inspired individuals! The Ambassador Program leaders make us feel involved and valued each step of the way while also encouraging us to participate in all of the possible activations!”

Maria Fadden, PreK–8 Literacy Coach, Belle Plaine Public Schools, MN

What our Ambassadors are saying

“As an Amplify Ambassador, you have a unique opportunity to connect with other educators across the nation with one similar goal. Through this passionate network of teachers and leaders, you will be introduced to individuals who wish to impact and improve the high-quality instructional materials and effective teaching practices being used in classrooms, with an emphasis on developing more independent and confident thinkers and problem-solvers!”

Katie Purse, Grade 3 Teacher, Seaford School District, DE

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4 ways to weather educational change

The landscape of education is constantly shifting. That’s always been true, because the world is constantly changing. But at no time in recent memory has the landscape of education been forced to change in as many ways as it has over the past few years.

How can teachers navigate the seismic changes in the education system in their day-to-day lives?

In this recent episode of Science Connections: The Podcast, host Eric Cross talks about managing educational change with veteran educator and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Middle School Science Teacher of the Year Marilyn Dieppa.

Below, we’ve outlined four tips for weathering shifts. The bottom line? It’s important for teachers to be able to change with the times, while remaining a steady, solid presence for students.

1. Embrace change—it’s good for kids, too.

“I always change my labs. I don’t like to do the same thing over and over again,” says Dieppa. And when she tries something new, she tells her students she’s experimenting. (After all, it’s science!)

“They’re afraid of trying something new and failing,” Dieppa says—so she tries to model taking on the unknown, learning, and adjusting as needed. This is part of cultivating a growth mindset for kids. “It’s for them not to be fearful. That gives kids a foundation they need.”

2. Have an open-door policy.

The pandemic has exacerbated challenges in kids’ lives that can make it tough for them to learn. Some even say we’re in a youth mental health crisis. Now more than ever, it’s important that “you become more than just a science teacher,” says Cross. “You’re a mentor. You’re an encourager. Sometimes you’re a counselor.”

It’s impossible to be everything to every student, but it’s important to let them know you see them.

“I always say, I’m not there to really be your friend, but I’m there to help you,’” says Dieppa. “And you gotta tell ’em, you know, ‘if you need to talk, come talk to me’. Because so much of what we’re doing is like life coaching in addition, and that connects to their success in the classroom.”

3. Measure wins in lots of ways.

What keeps Dieppa going? “Whether [students] have struggled all year and they’ve had that one piece of success, or they come back and tell you they didn’t realize what they got out of middle school science until they got to high school, those are my moments of success.”

4. Remember—you’re still learning, too.

Yes, you’re the teacher, but “you don’t have to be the expert in everything,” says Cross. “Teachers tend to be more risk-taking and innovative when they’re willing to say, ‘I don’t have to know everything in order to do something.’”

Whenever it feels like you can’t do something or don’t know something, remember: You can’t do it yet. You don’t know it yet. Growth mindset phrases for students apply to your growth, too.

Listen to the whole podcast episode here and subscribe to Science Connections: The Podcast here

About Amplify’s Science Connections: The Podcast

Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So how do we help kids figure that out? How are we preparing students to be the next generation of 21st-century scientists?

Join host Eric Cross as he sits down with educators, scientists, and knowledge experts to discuss how we can best support students in science classrooms. Listen to hear how you can inspire kids across the country to love learning science, and bring that magic into your classroom for your students.

Become an Amplify Tutor

Be the change in a student’s learning journey.

As an Amplify Tutor, you’ll facilitate a research-based curriculum for small groups of students to ensure they close academic gaps and build confidence.

A child wearing headphones raises their hand while attending an online class on a laptop, engaging with resources from the amplify curriculum.

What is Amplify Tutoring?

Amplify Tutoring is a full-service, high-impact virtual tutoring program that reaches students across the country. It ensures students receive high-quality live tutoring for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 3 times per week.

A student wearing headphones attends a Virtual Tutoring Program for U.S. Tutors, watching a teacher point at a green bulletin board on a laptop screen.

Why be an Amplify Tutor?

As an Amplify Tutor, you will deliver our research-backed and evidenced-based intervention programs, virtually to a small group of students in 30 minute sessions, three times per week.

Flexibility: You will choose your desired number of hours and schedule that works best with your lifestyle.  Your schedule will then be matched with available tutoring groups within your selected regions.  

Support: Amplify will provide training to support your growth and impact.  Amplify tutors report a 40 percent increase in confidence after engaging in Amplify’s tutor training course.  You will also receive personalized coaching and support. 

Student Impact: Amplify Tutoring works for students who need it most: students who scored below benchmark, and participated regularly in Amplify Tutoring, made above-average growth. Tutored students were more likely to make outsized growth compared to peers with a similar risk profile who did not receive tutoring at their school.

Compensation: Amplify pays you for the time you spend planning for your groups as well as delivering tutoring to your groups. Amplify also provides paid initial training and ongoing professional development.

What Actual Tutors Have to Say

A woman sits at a desk in an office, smiling at a computer monitor with her laptop open, participating in a Virtual Tutoring Program for U.S. Tutors. Other people are visible working in the background.

Justine K

“And that’s a wrap on my first semester with Amplify! I find so much joy and fulfillment in working with these young learners. I am so proud of the growth each one has made. How I will miss these students but am so thankful for this company. The endless support, not only from leadership but from fellow tutors, is a rare find in today’s work culture. THANK YOU!”

Man wearing headphones sits at a desk, smiling and working on a laptop for a Virtual Tutoring Program for U.S. Tutors, with books and a pen holder nearby.

Adam S.

“As a tutor, I love Amplify’s science of reading approach to literacy. The reading rope incorporates language comprehension along with word recognition to develop skilled reading for students. Watching the science of reading improve students’ literacy skills has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in any career.”

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Britani H.

“Amplify Tutoring was a one of a kind experience as an educator where I was privileged to support students with their specific needs and goals. I always felt incredibly supported by all of the program managers and coaches because of their responsiveness and focused professional development throughout my journey as a tutor.”

Interested in tutoring math?

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We are thrilled to announce the continued expansion of our math tutoring program for students in grades 3 through 5! Introduced in the 2025–2026 school year, this program was designed to meet the growing need for personalized, high-quality math support during these critical foundational years.

Grounded in evidence-based practices, Amplify Desmos Math mini-lessons are aligned with the most critical topics at each grade level. Mini-lessons reinforce the same topics and content students see in core instruction to give students a double dosage. Students can be seen (and heard!) asking questions, debating answers, justifying their thinking, grappling with problems, and working together and independently.

As our program continues to grow, we are actively looking for passionate, dedicated tutors to join our team and make a lasting difference in young learners’ lives.Whether you have experience teaching multiplication, fractions, or general elementary math, we’d love to hear from you. Be part of something new, impactful, and expanding — apply to join our math tutoring team today!

Madison County Schools: Early literacy success through the Science of Reading

A group of thirteen women pose together on outdoor steps, with one woman handing a teacher award to another. All are dressed in colorful, business-casual attire, celebrating achievements in the Science of Reading curriculum.

Madison County Schools is a diverse district serving nearly 13,000 students across 23 schools in central Mississippi. Over the past few years, the district has shifted its approach from balanced literacy to structured literacy. The transition wasn’t quick or simple—but it worked.

In 2016, the district’s elementary ELA proficiency was at 47.1%. By the spring of 2024, it had reached almost 70%, with all elementary schools receiving A ratings for the first time.

“Today, structured literacy is at the core of our instruction, and the results speak for themselves,” said Kacey Matthews, dyslexia coordinator for the district. “This historic achievement affirms that when we commit to evidence-based instruction, students thrive.”

That commitment, and the resulting achievement, has earned Madison County Schools our 2025 Science of Reading Star Awards District Captain award. These teacher awards honor educators, schools, and districts who’ve transformed their classrooms and empowered their students with the Science of Reading.

The constants: Building literacy and a love of reading

Madison County Schools spans four zones, from suburban to rural. Roughly one-third of its schools are Title I, and its teachers support more than 1,200 multilingual/English learners representing 36 languages. Nearly 40% of students in the district receive free or reduced-price lunch.

Madison County originally followed a balanced literacy model, but over time, educators began to see gaps—particularly among students experiencing reading difficulty and students with dyslexia.

“Our diverse student body underscores our belief that literacy is the key to unlocking potential,” Matthews said. Teachers came to understand that their shared desire to support a love of reading in their students and their dedication to paramount literacy goals had to be anchored in a curriculum aligned to the Science of Reading: explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, decoding, and language comprehension.

A clear glass award etched with "Amplify 2025 Science of Reading Star Awards, The District Captain, Madison County Schools" stands against a blue background, celebrating excellence in early literacy and dedication to the Science of Reading curriculum.

Shifting practices and mindsets

According to Matthews, transitioning from balanced to structured literacy required more than a change in instructional methods. “The biggest challenge,” she said, “was shifting instructional mindsets.”

In classrooms, educators needed to trade in the familiar tools of running records and predictable texts for a new framework built on foundational skills data. “Initially, some educators were hesitant, but ongoing professional learning, hands-on support, and student success stories built trust and proved the effectiveness of this approach,” Matthews said.

District leaders, principals, and teachers also worked together to create a shared vision for literacy grounded in evidence and collaboration. Madison County invested in professional learning through LETRS, Phonics First, and the AIM Institute, ensuring every educator had the tools to teach early literacy skills effectively.

Each school added trained literacy specialists who provided classroom coaching and MTSS interventions, and the district instituted dyslexia training for all 1,500 staff members every three years, ensuring consistent understanding of structured literacy principles across every grade.

Principals received targeted professional development to lead with clarity, and the district introduced new, research-based curricula—including Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA)—to align instruction from kindergarten through fifth grade. To unify these efforts, Madison County also rewrote its Literacy Expectations guide, a districtwide roadmap detailing the five essential components of literacy, classroom strategies, and links to foundational research.

All told, Madison County teachers and leaders have reimagined classroom practice, embracing a structured literacy framework grounded in the Science of Reading.

From anxiety to confidence

In addition to the district’s impressive leap in literacy proficiency of more than 20 percentage points, they also saw transformation on the Mississippi Third-Grade Reading Assessment, a high-stakes gate test of readiness for fourth grade. Equipped with strong foundational skills, Madison County’s third graders are now thriving—with a 99.7% promotion rate in 2024.

“Instead of facing [the test] with fear, our students now enter with confidence,” Matthews said. In other words, data only tells one part of the story. “Students who previously dreaded assessments now approach them with readiness,” she said. “Students who once struggled with decoding now read with confidence and fluency.”

Sustaining a culture of literacy and growth

Madison County’s progress rests on persistence as much as innovation. The district’s educators continue to meet regularly for data discussions, lesson study, and reflection—sustaining the same mindset shift that began this journey. Professional learning remains a constant for them, demonstrating their dedication to teaching excellence and their belief that educational approaches are never static.

According to Matthews, Amplify has been a trusted partner in that work. Teachers can target support with precision by using mCLASS® for progress monitoring and the mCLASS Dyslexia Screener for early identification. Several schools also use Amplify CKLA to build decoding and comprehension simultaneously, engaging students with content-rich texts that deepen knowledge and vocabulary.

“When we commit to the Science of Reading, we are not just building better readers,” Matthews said, “we’re building a brighter future.”

More to explore

From full operation to lasting change with the Science of Reading: Phase 3

Welcome to the third and final installment in our series about the change management required to make the shift to the Science of Reading in your schools.

In Phase 1 of this series, we answered the question: Why is the Science of Reading important? We also described its potential to deliver literacy transformation—both in your classrooms and districts, and nationwide.

Change at that level requires hard work at your level, starting with what those in the field often call “exploration.” In Phase 1, we discussed what teachers should know about the Science of Reading. You established the rationale for changing to a Science or Reading curriculum and built buy-in from stakeholders.

In Phase 2 of this series, we guided you in evaluating Science of Reading programs, helping you answer the question: Which program will best help your school or district transition to the evidence-based practices that will drive results for students? We also walked through the selection, adoption, and initial implementation of Science of Reading resources.

And now you’re ready for change management Phase 3: full operation, innovation, and sustainability. What does this phase look like? How will the Science of Reading be used effectively? Where and how will you see student growth? Read on for all this and more.

Phase 3, part 1: Full operation

At this stage, Science of Reading literacy practices are fully integrated throughout your system.

Remember, the three key drivers of educational change are processpractice, and people. So let’s break the full operation phase down into these categories:

Process

Conduct routine data analysis to monitor student progress and determine areas of needed improvement.

Practice

Expand the focus on evidence-based literacy practice to other grade-level instructional areas to support the integration of these practices into the larger system (when appropriate). That might include personalized learning, intervention, support for bilingual students, and others.

People

Plan and implement onboarding processes for new teachers and administrators. Emphasize deeper understanding of resources and instructional practices through continuous improvement, coaching, and mentoring.

Questions to answer at this stage:

  • How has the integration of evidence-based practices and resources impacted literacy development of students?
  • What specific progress-monitoring processes are in place to track the effectiveness of literacy practices?
  • Are interventions effective for students not reading on grade level?
  • Have we reduced the number of students who are at risk?
  • How are staff onboarded and prepared to step into the system?
  • What ongoing professional learning will occur?

Phase 3, part 2: Innovation and sustainability

All these phases, all this work—here’s where it starts to pay off.

With Science of Reading practices fully in play, you’ll see them start to work in the form of student growth.

This stage will allow for refinement of instructional practice and a much deeper understanding of how Science of Reading research affects student achievement.

This is also a moment to continue building knowledge by focusing on middle school. Your middle schoolers need to draw on the foundational skills built in earlier grades—or get the intervention that will help them catch up—and build an academic knowledge base that will prepare them for success in high school and beyond. Continuing to bring research-based literacy practices to middle school instruction will help them get there.

And now, your final set of the 3 Ps:

Process 

  1. Leave room for innovation aligned with the ever-growing body of Science of Reading research.
  2. Consider creating processes that will allow for the expansion of pedagogy based on the Science of Reading into middle schools.

Practice

  1. Ensure that current research and data are informing instructional decisions and continuing to deepen the knowledge base you’ve built so far.
  2. Implement systems such as collaborative conversations about data, peer-to-peer instructional rounds, and the study of problems of practice to support deeper implementation.
  3. Develop professional learning systems and put them into practice.

People

  1. Emphasize a culture of collaboration and shared ownership, as well as a community of practice.
  2. Focus conversations on student growth and outcomes to better allocate resources.

Question to answer at this stage: 

  • What strategies and systems can we develop to encourage innovation while remaining true to the implementation of chosen resources?

Now you have the tools, the plan, and the motivation to help drive life-changing results and improve literacy outcomes for all students by bringing the Science of Reading into your classrooms. We’re happy to be part of that change. And we’d love to hear how it goes!

More ways to explore:

Amplify Tutor Hiring

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Summer ’24 Interlude, Episode 1

Summer ’24 Interlude: How effective coaching transformed Mississippi, with Kelly Butler and Margaret Goldberg

In this episode, Susan Lambert talks with Kelly Butler and Margaret Goldberg about their experiences and insights into improving reading instruction, particularly in Mississippi and California. Kelly discusses her work with the Barksdale Reading Institute, its impact on reading education, and the importance of coaching and structured literacy. Margaret shares her experiences as a coach in California, the challenges of teacher training, and the importance of having a clear and effective literacy plan that includes acquiring high-quality data and using it to inform all your strategies. Both guests emphasize the need for systemic change and the role of community involvement in educational success.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Kelly Butler

Kelly Butler

Kelly Butler is Senior Advisor to Reading Universe.org, a large-scale legacy project of Mississippi’s Barksdale Reading Institute (BRI), where she served as Chief Executive Officer. BRI contributed significantly to Mississippi’s rise in reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. During her tenure there, Kelly initiated the Reading Universe concept to provide high-quality professional development to educators in schools and educator preparation programs. She authored three statewide studies on Teacher Preparation for Early Literacy Instruction which propelled The Path Forward, a multi-state initiative focused on preparation and licensure. She’s an advisor to the Mississippi Reading Panel, the Mississippi Reading Clinic, The Path Forward, the Southeast Region’s Education Laboratory, and the Education Advocacy  Center, and she’s a board member for Springboard to Opportunities and Deans for Impact. She holds a master’s degree in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University.

Margaret Goldberg

Margaret Goldberg

Margaret Goldberg is a literacy coach at Nystrom Elementary, a California school awarded a state Early Literacy Support Block grant. With that grant, she supported a network of literacy coaches striving to improve early literacy achievement in California’s lowest performing schools. She’s held a variety of other roles, including district Early Literacy Lead, reading interventionist, and classroom teacher. Everywhere she’s worked, she’s endeavored to help schools and districts align instruction with reading research. 

Margaret is the co-founder of The Right to Read Project. Her writing has been published on The Right to Read Project blog and on Reading Rockets. She holds a master’s degree in elementary education and teaching from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is the Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Humanities at Amplify, and the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Her career has been focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. As a former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, Lambert is dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Retrato de una mujer caucásica sonriente con cabello rubio corto, involucrada en un podcast sobre la ciencia de la lectura, con gafas, lápiz labial rojo y un collar de perlas.

Quotes

“How did you get the buy-in from the teachers? We didn't wait for buy-in. We said, ‘We've got a law sitting here and we've got coaches that know what to do.’ … Once they tried to do it, it worked. And then there came buy-in.”

—Kelly Butler

“The laws are telling us that time's up. We need to get this job done. The good news is we know how to do it. We just need to get it done everywhere.”

—Kelly Butler

“My greatest frustration with colleges of education is that we have for centuries been colleges of philosophy, not of science. And I think we are beginning to see a shift in the profession based on science, not just on what we think or believe in.”

—Kelly Butler

“I think I used to think that it was going to be possible for a teacher to figure it out on her own. Or I thought that it would be possible for a school to figure it out on their own, or a district, or even a state. And the more that I realize… like, it's very rare that people are getting the outcomes that they actually want.”

—Margaret Goldberg

“I think we have strayed away from the idea of there being a social contract between the community and schools. And if we could get back to the point where we had an agreement about what the obligations of schools actually are, then we'd do everything differently.”

—Margaret Goldberg

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Amplify ELAR Skills and Amplify SLAR Habilidades y Destrezas are on the IMRA-approved list!

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s English and Spanish Phonics programs for Texas. This site will allow you to easily access grade-level teacher and student resources that are IMRA approved.  Final program materials will be updated in March of 2025.  Simply click the program you wish to review below to get started.

TEXAS ELAR K–3 SKILLS

TEXAS SLAR K–2 HABILIDADES Y DESTREZAS

Why do so many districts choose Amplify ELAR/SLAR Texas?

Ilustración que presenta seis paneles diversos con niños en diversas actividades: jugando adentro, bailando, en otoño, en la nieve del invierno, relajándose bajo un árbol y en la playa.

Watch a quick overview before exploring!

ELAR/SLAR Skills Overview Video

Amplify Texas ELAR Skills K–3

Grade K

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Amplify Texas SLAR Habilidades y
Destrezas K–2

Grado K

  • Year at a Glance
  • Curriculum Maps / Mapa curricular: Habilidades y Destrezas
  • Bilingual Planning Tools
  • Writing Evaluation Rubric
  • Pacing Guides / Guía de clases
  • Essential program materials
    • Image Cards / Tarjetas de imágenes
    • Large Letter Cards / Tarjetas grandes de letras
    • Small Letter Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de letras
    • Vocabulary Book – Teacher Guide / Libro de vocabulario: Guía del maestro
    • Vocabulary Book – Activity Book / Libro de vocabulario: Cuaderno del estudiante

Grado 1

  • Year at a Glance
  • Curriculum Maps / Mapa curricular: Habilidades y Destrezas
  • Bilingual Planning Tools
  • Writing Evaluation Rubric
  • Pacing Guides / Guía de clases
  • Essential K–2 program materials
    • Image Cards / Tarjetas de imágenes
    • Large Letter Cards / Tarjetas grandes de letras
    • Vocabulary Book – Teacher Guide / Libro de vocabulario: Guía del maestro
    • Vocabulary Book – Activity Book / Libro de vocabulario: Cuaderno del estudiante

Grado 2

  • Year at a Glance
  • Curriculum Maps / Mapa curricular: Habilidades y Destrezas
  • Bilingual Planning Tools
  • Fluency Packet / ​​Paquete de fluidez: Guía del maestro
  • Writing Evaluation Rubric
  • Pacing Guides / Guía de clases
  • Essential K–2 program materials
    • Image Cards / Tarjetas de imágenes
    • Large Letter Cards / Tarjetas grandes de letras
    • Vocabulary Book – Teacher Guide / Libro de vocabulario: Guía del maestro
    • Vocabulary Book – Activity Book / Libro de vocabulario: Cuaderno del estudiante
    • Cursive Activity Book

High-Quality Professional Development

Amplify’s South Central professional development (PD) team provides a variety of learning experience over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.  All PD is tailored to align to the Amplify Texas edition, support TEKS-aligned instruction, and is supported by a team of former educators and leaders with Texas experience.

You will find embedded professional development support in the program, including an extensive and responsive PD Library.

Watch this video to learn more about the PD Library!

Amplify Texas Professional Development Site

End-of-year data show significant reading gains for students receiving consistent, high-impact tutoring in school districts across nation

BROOKLYN, NY (October 31, 2023) — Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, shared a research brief on national end-of-school-year (EOY) reading data for K–5 students in several districts engaged in Amplify Tutoring. The data reveal that students who received high-dosage tutoring were more likely to make outsized gains in reading and narrow skills gaps on a nationally normed reading assessment compared to similarly at-risk peers who attended the same schools but did not participate in tutoring.

According to the data, during the 2022–23 school year, students who scored well-below or below benchmark on the nationally-normed mCLASS® DIBELS 8th Edition assessment (an indicator that students are not on track for grade-level reading proficiency) and attended Amplify Tutoring sessions regularly demonstrated significant growth.

Compelling growth was demonstrated in districts using both Amplify’s tutors and district-sourced tutors from the local community to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons for elementary tutoring programs with coaching and training provided by Amplify.

  • Within a single semester in a Midwest urban district, 36% of K–2 students and 37% of grade 3–5 students who scored well-below or below benchmark at the beginning of the semester and regularly attended Amplify Tutoring achieved above-average or well-above-average growth compared to national norms on mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition. In comparison, only 25% of similarly at-risk readers in the same schools who did not participate saw gap-closing growth during the same semester.
  • In a large, urban district in the West, 58% of the K–2 students who started the semester scoring well-below benchmark or below benchmark on mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and attended full-service Amplify Tutoring sessions more than twice a week, on average, made above-average or well-above-average growth, compared to national norms. Comparatively, only 42% of similarly at-risk peers who attended the same schools but did not participate in Amplify Tutoring made gap-closing growth.
  • In a large, urban Northeast district implementing Amplify Tutoring’s full-service solution for kindergarten through 5th grade students, 23% of at-risk readers who participated in Amplify Tutoring at least once per week changed risk levels by moving from well-below and below benchmark at the beginning of year to at or above benchmark by the end of the year. In comparison, only 14% of similarly at-risk peers in the same schools who were not participating in Amplify Tutoring changed performance level.

In the state of Texas, students who participated in small-group tutoring using mCLASS Intervention lessons were more likely to achieve above-average or well-above-average reading growth on mCLASS Texas Edition, compared to similarly at-risk Texas students not accessing Amplify Tutoring materials. In addition, the thousands of Texas students with access to Amplify Tutoring materials were more likely to raise their reading proficiency level from mid-year to the end of year, as measured by their benchmark composite scores on mCLASS Texas Edition, compared to similar Texas students without access to the materials.

“Providing post-pandemic support to students and educators around the country has been our purpose and privilege,” said Alanna Phelan, vice president of Amplify Tutoring. ”High-impact tutoring is another important way Amplify can fulfill its goal of supporting students in becoming confident, proficient readers and extending the reach of classroom teachers.”

Amplify launched its tutoring program in the summer of 2020. By providing high-quality instructional materials, training and ongoing coaching for tutors hired by districts, as well as hiring and managing tutors directly, the program has since scaled to serve over 200,000 students and is a trusted tutoring partner to hundreds of school districts and states nationally.

Students are engaged in Amplify Tutoring in various ways based on each local education agency’s needs. Models include:

  • full-service tutoring programs that include sessions with trained Amplify-provided tutors administering lessons virtually to students throughout the school day, outside core instructional time, with an emphasis on creating a consistent, positive student-tutor relationship. Tutors and school/district leaders receive consistent coaching and program management from Amplify staff to support program quality and student success.
  • equipping school staff, community partners and other tutoring providers with research-backed tutoring materials, training and program management.
  • consultancies with local education agencies to design and launch high-impact tutoring programs.

The data was collected using the mCLASS platform, which automates the data collection of Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). DIBELS is a widely-used series of short tests developed by the University of Oregon that assess K–8 literacy. It is an observational assessment collected by educators interacting with students one-on-one, either live or over video. DIBELS is typically administered three times a year (beginning, middle and end of year) and is used to identify reading difficulty, monitor progress and inform instruction, especially for struggling readers.

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our captivating core and supplemental programs in literacy, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify reaches more than 15 million students in all 50 states. To learn more, visit amplify.com.

Media Contact

Kristine Frech
media@amplify.com

Literacy Essentials, Episode 4

Science of Reading Essentials: The science of learning

On this Science of Reading Essentials episode, we're taking a deeper dive into the science of learning to explore how memory, cognitive load, and knowledge building can transform your literacy instruction. On this synthesis episode, host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., weaves in the insights of our expert guests—Natalie Wexler; Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.; Hugh Catts, Ph.D.; Daniel Willingham, Ph.D.; Peter C. Brown; Jamey Peavler, Ed.D.; and David Rapp, Ph.D. With their insights, Susan reflects on how memory works and why understanding its processes is foundational to effective teaching; why cognitive load theory and background knowledge are game-changers for literacy instruction; and which evidence-based strategies—like retrieval practice, spaced repetition, and mixed practice—make learning stick.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Portrait of a woman with short, curly blonde hair, light skin, and a white top, looking at the camera with a neutral expression—an image that could illustrate modern perspectives in literacy instruction or the science of learning.

Natalie Wexler

Natalie Wexler is the author of multiple books, including Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It; and is the co-author, together with Judith C. Hochman, Ed.D., of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. She has a free Substack newsletter called Minding the Gap, and she was the host of the Knowledge Comprehension podcast, Season 1. More information is available on her website, www.nataliewexler.com.

A man with short brown hair and a beard, wearing a light blue collared shirt, poses in front of a blurred background, reflecting his passion for reading comprehension and literacy instruction.

Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

Nathaniel Swain is a teacher, instructional coach, and writer. He produces a blog for teachers called Dr. Swain’s Cognitorium and is cohost of the Chalk Dust podcast with Rebecca Birch. Nathaniel works directly with schools and systems through an online learning platform called Luminary.

He founded a community of educators committed to the science of learning, called Think Forward Educators. He also has a best-selling book, Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement.

A bald older man with a white goatee and mustache, wearing a dark collared shirt, smiles at the camera against a plain gray background—exuding warmth often found in dedicated literacy instruction professionals.

Hugh Catts, Ph.D.

Hugh Catts’ research interests include the early identification and prevention of reading and disabilities. He is a former board member of the International Dyslexia Association and former president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. He has received the Samuel T. Orton Award, the International Dyslexia Association’s highest honor, and the Honors of the Association award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, for his career contributions in these disciplines. His current research concerns the early identification of reading and language difficulties and the nature and assessment of reading comprehension problems.

A bald man with red-framed glasses and a brown jacket stands in front of a brick wall, embodying the spirit of literacy instruction as he looks at the camera.

Daniel Willingham, Ph.D.

Daniel Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K–12 education. He is the author of several books, including the best-selling Why Don’t Students Like School? and Outsmart Your Brain. His writing on education has appeared in 23 languages. In 2017, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Board for Education Sciences.

An older man with white hair and a beard, wearing a blue checked shirt, stands outdoors near a body of water with trees in the background, perhaps reflecting on reading comprehension or the science of learning.

Peter C. Brown

Peter C. Brown is a bestselling writer and novelist, retired from a career as a management consultant. He is the lead author of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Make It Stick has been translated into 17 foreign languages and received international acclaim for changing the way we understand learning.

Jamey Peavler, Ed.D.

Jamey Peavler is a co-director of and full-time instructor in the Graduate Reading Science program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining Mount St. Joseph, Jamey served as director of training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation. In addition, she works for the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ) as a higher-education textbook and teacher licensure reviewer. Her research interests include instructional design, the impact of spaced practice and interleaving to support effortful retrieval and retention of information, the role of oral language and syntactic awareness on comprehension and written expression, and foundational skills for supporting literacy in the early childhood setting.

A woman with long brown hair is smiling at the camera, surrounded by books and plants blurred in the background—a perfect scene for anyone passionate about reading comprehension and the science of learning.
A man with short gray hair, a beard, and glasses, known for his work in literacy instruction, is wearing a purple checkered shirt and smiling slightly against a plain white background.

David Rapp, Ph.D.

David Rapp is the Walter Dill Scott Professor of Education, Social Policy, and Psychology at Northwestern University. His research examines language and memory, focusing on the cognitive mechanisms responsible for successful learning and knowledge failures. This has included investigations into the influence of inaccurate information on comprehension, the evaluation of technologies that support formal and informal learning, and the iterative development of tools and curricula intended to support literacy. Rapps’ projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute on Aging, and Meta.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert, Ed.D.

Susan Lambert is chief academic officer of literacy at Amplify and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. A former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, she’s dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Person with short blonde hair, glasses, and earrings, wearing an orange jacket, smiling in front of a plain gray background—committed to literacy education and fostering background knowledge for all learners.

Quotes

“To build a meaningful memory of something that you can hold on to and use, you have to think about it.”

—Hugh Catts

“Memory is a cognitive process. It's the way the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information.”

—Susan Lambert

“You can't learn something new if it doesn't connect to something you already know.”

—Peter C. Brown

“The catch about writing is it's hugely important. It can help cement knowledge and long-term memory, deep knowledge, et cetera.”

—Natalie Wexler

“When we have knowledge in our long-term memory, all of these limitations suddenly disappear.”

—Nathaniel Swain

“We can only work with a limited set of information and when there's too much happening in our working memory, we experience cognitive overload. Essentially, our system is overloaded and we shut down.”

—Susan Lambert

“Essentially, memory is what enables us to retain knowledge, skills, and experiences, forming the foundation for all learning and cognition.”

—Susan Lambert

“The resonance model of comprehension suggests when someone asks a question, lots of ideas get activated automatically in memory.”

—David Rapp

“Your mind is very good at bringing up from memory the necessary facts, the facts that will help you given the context.”

—Daniel Willingham

“A lot of our students that are having difficulty are experiencing cognitive overload. So the first thing we need to think about is how are we gonna minimize that for them?”

—Jamey Peavler

Season 5, Episode 4

Coaching tips for managing math anxiety in teachers

So far this season, we’ve investigated math anxiety in students and its causes with passionate researchers and curriculum experts, including one from Sesame Workshop! Now we hear from Dr. Heidi Sabnani, consultant, coach, and co-host of Math 4 All, as she gives us research-based tips for teachers who are facing math anxiety themselves! Listen as we discuss Heidi’s own math anxiety and journey through math, the effects teacher math anxiety can have on instruction, and practices educators can implement right away for overcoming math anxiety.

Listen today and don’t forget to grab your MTL study guide to track your learning and make the most of this episode!

A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a grey scarf, centered within a circular frame surrounded by a pattern of black cats and math anxiety symbols.

Meet Our Guest(s):

A woman with long dark hair and a gray sweater smiles at the camera, with a blurred brown background behind her, her expression calm despite facing math anxiety. A graphic of a shirt and accent lines frame the circular image.

Heidi Sabnani

Heidi Sabnani is always surprised that she works in math education. She developed math anxiety as a young student and spent much of her school life and early career avoiding math. After teaching English in the United States and Guatemala, and earning her MA in World Literature, she found herself in the uncomfortable position of working in math classrooms as a school improvement consultant. Once she realized that her life was going to involve math, Heidi decided to relearn math in the ways she wished she had learned the first time around. 18 years later she is still learning with and from the students and teachers she has the privilege to serve.

Heidi’s doctoral research at Northeastern University focused on interventions for math anxiety in elementary teachers. She currently works as a consultant, speaker, and author.

Meet our hosts: Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer

Bethany Lockhart Johnson is an elementary school educator and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance, and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 United States and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

Two people smiling at the camera, each in a separate circular frame, with geometric shapes decorating the background—perfect for a math teacher lounge or highlighting fresh math teacher resources.

Quotes

Much like the people in my research, many of us can tie the beginnings or the ‘evil villain origin story’ of our own math anxiety to an event or series of events.

—Heidi Sabnani

Stay connected!

Season 9, Special Episode

The truth behind learning, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. He’s a teacher, instructional coach, and author of the recent book Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement. Emphasizing the science of learning as an ever-growing resource for updating instruction practices, he provides a comprehensive look at how knowledge powers learning, how to identify knowledge-rich curricula, how cognitive load affects learning, and how to understand several common learning misconceptions.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Portrait of a man with short brown hair and beard, wearing a light blue collared shirt, with a graphic pencil illustration at the bottom right.

Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

Nathaniel Swain is a teacher, instructional coach, and writer. He’s a Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University, where he also works at the SOLAR (Science of Language and Reading) Lab, and he blogs about teaching and learning at Dr. Swain’s Cognitorium. He’s taught a range of learners in schools and universities, and he founded a community of teachers committed to the Science of Learning: Think Forward Educators, now at 23,000 members and growing. Dr. Swain is a sought-after speaker on the educational circuit and the author of Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is Chief Academic Officer, Literacy, at Amplify, and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. A former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, she’s dedicated, to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Person with short blonde hair, glasses, and earrings, wearing an orange jacket, smiling in front of a plain gray background—committed to literacy education and fostering background knowledge for all learners.

Quotes

“The greatest thing about the science of learning is that it's never really gonna be finished. Much like the science of reading, it's constantly being updated and it's something that we should be constantly turning to.”

–Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

“When we have knowledge at our fingertips—or in this case, in our synapses—ready to be used, we can overcome all these limitations that cognitive load theory talks about.”

–Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

“We're kidding ourselves a little bit if we think that we can replace that rich content knowledge with generic skills and generic competencies.”

–Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

“Students who have less knowledge or citizens that have less knowledge are more prey to disinformation, because they don't have enough in their schema to be able to question the knowledge that's coming in.”

–Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

“Nothing scares me more than students sitting in classrooms trying to go through the motions of comprehension strategies and diligently trying to apply them to reading a text, but not really knowing what this text is about.”

–Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

Amplify announces launch of new integrated mCLASS® early literacy suite to support all students in reading on grade level by third grade

Brooklyn, NY – (January 28, 2019) Amplify, a company that creates next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, announced today that it is launching a new mCLASS suite that includes both teacher-led and adaptive student-driven instruction, as well as the mobile version of the DIBELS 8th Edition assessment developed by the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon’s College of Education. The updated mCLASS early literacy suite integrates assessment, instruction, and intervention programs to help educators easily provide rich, differentiated reading instruction for all students. The new mCLASS suite is available for educators to begin using in the 2019–2020 school year.

“At Amplify, we are laser-focused on early literacy and research-based identification of risk, and we are committed to providing teachers with highly effective, time-saving tools to help every student read on grade level by the end of third grade, ” said Krista Curran, senior vice president and general manager, Assessment and Intervention, at Amplify. “For this reason, we’re excited to launch an enhanced version of our gold-standard mCLASS early literacy suite to better support the more than 120,000 educators and 1.65 million students who are using the program across the country today. We have improved our mCLASS assessments and reporting, and added screening for reading difficulties such as dyslexia as well as adaptive instruction tailored to each student’s specific needs. This integrated suite means schools can help support all students in becoming confident readers with one easy-to-use tool.”

Amplify launched the first version of mCLASS in 2001, making mCLASS one of the longest-running and most extensively researched early literacy programs on the market today. mCLASS has served more than 14 million students in all 50 states over the last 18 years.

Developed by the University of Oregon, where DIBELS research has been going on for decades, DIBELS 8th Edition is founded on a substantially strong, valid and reliable research base for identifying and supporting struggling readers, including those at risk for dyslexia. As of fall 2018, approximately 21 states have passed legislation for dyslexia screening in order to support the early identification of students at risk for dyslexia, and more states are currently considering enacting similar legislation. The screening tools in the new edition of mCLASS help educators meet the demands of the new legislation.

“We are excited to deepen our partnership with Amplify with the introduction of mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition,” said Hank Fien, director, Center on Teaching and Learning at University of Oregon. “Our launch of DIBELS 8th Edition represents our continued commitment to providing evidence-based assessments, reporting, coaching and interventions as part of our education extension mission. This partnership, along with the Center on Teaching and Learning’s ongoing commitment to the highest standards of evidence, make DIBELS 8th Edition a powerful tool for educators.”

mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition features improved assessments, deeper insight into students’ instructional needs, and more intuitive reporting. It offers reduced assessment time and more useful data through adaptive test design and new skill profiles that better support differentiated instruction.

The updated mCLASS suite also offers adaptive, student-led instruction for the first time in the form of mCLASS: Amplify Reading Edition, in which mCLASS results send students on a highly engaging, game-based journey to learn the specific skills they need to advance their literacy skills. This new option enhances the mCLASS instructional experience, which will also include even more resources for teacher-led instruction.

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our captivating core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves four million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.

About University of Oregon’s Center on Teaching and Learning
The Center on Teaching and Learning (CTL), one of the largest research centers at the University of Oregon (UO), was established in 2000 as part of the College of Education. Over the last decade, CTL has been awarded 75+ state and federal research grants. CTL is committed to conducting rigorous research on the design, delivery and efficacy of curriculum, instruction, and assessment as individual elements used in schools, especially in the primary, elementary, and middle school grades. CTL’s mission is to conduct, translate, and disseminate research that focuses on the solutions to serious but practical problems in school systems.

Media contact: media@amplify.com

Season 10, Episode 14

Your comprehension questions answered, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, returning guest Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D., joins Susan Lambert to close out the season by answering thoughtful and thought-provoking comprehension questions submitted by listeners. Nathaniel and Susan answer questions about comprehension strategies, the relationship between comprehension and memorization, and how to shift the mindset among your teaching colleagues to help them understand comprehension.

Second Mockup Episode 14: Your comprehension questions answered, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

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Season 10, Episode 14

Your comprehension questions answered, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, returning guest Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D., joins Susan Lambert to close out the season by answering thoughtful and thought-provoking comprehension questions submitted by listeners. Nathaniel and Susan answer questions about comprehension strategies, the relationship between comprehension and memorization, and how to shift the mindset among your teaching colleagues to help them understand comprehension.

Mockup Episode 14: Your comprehension questions answered, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

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Season 6, Episode 5

Leading with the head and the heart: Enacting lasting literacy change, with Mitchell Brookins

Equal parts educational leader, educator, and life-long learner of reading science, Mitchell Brookins has leveraged his passion and dedication to affect change in the lives of the students and teachers he works with, as well as the many educators he has inspired online. In this episode, he opens up about the emotional journey he took—from realizing everything he’d been doing wasn’t working and that he’d never actually learned how to teach kids to read, to seeking out reading research and encountering the Science of Reading—a path that brought unparalleled transformation and success to his schools. Mitchell talks about how he is still learning and keeping students at the forefront of what he does every day, ending on a powerful story of a student who changed his life forever.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Portrait of a man smiling, featuring a distinct twisted hair design, wearing a white collared shirt. Decorative white and blue icons are visible on the image's borders, designed by Mitchell Brookins.

Mitchell Brookins

Mitchell Brookins is a Director of Content with Leading Educators. At heart, he is a teacher first, and has spent years studying, exploring, and refining his practices to yield student learning. From his National Board Certification to studying as a doctoral student of Educational Administration, Brookins understands the interconnectedness between teaching and learning. He has been a teacher; district leader of RTI and literacy; school administrator; consultant with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards; instructional coach with EdConnective; and professional development facilitator of ELA, math, and Leadership Institutes with UnboundEd.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is the Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Humanities at Amplify, and the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Her career has been focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Susan is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. As a former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, Susan is dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Susan-Lambert_Headshot

Quotes

“My calling is so that children can one day stand on their own without scaffolds, that children will one day reap the benefits that literacy is liberty, that children will one day be able to teach someone else the power that only literacy can bring.”

—Mitchell Brookins

Winter Wrap-Up '23, Episode 1

Problem-solving and facilitating classroom discussions

As we prep for an exciting new season of Math Teacher Lounge: The Podcast, hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer are looking back at the amazing speakers and conversations from past episodes and sharing some of their favorites! First up: A season 2 double feature of the power of problem-solving with Fawn Nguyen and Facilitating Classroom Discussions with authors Christy Hermann Thompson and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind. Fawn is a specialist on Amplify’s advanced math team and a former math teacher and math coach—so she knows her stuff! You’ll hear about her five criteria for good problem-solving problems, and the power and importance of exposing all students to problem-solving. Then, we’ll move into Bethany and Dan’s conversation with Christy and Kassia to learn how hands-down conversations allow students to become better listeners and the steps you can take to implement hands-down conversations in your classroom.

Three women, each smiling, are shown in separate circular frames against a white background with pastel geometric shapes.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Three women are shown in separate circular frames against a light background, each smiling at the camera, ready for a winter wrap-up.

Fawn Nguyen, Christy Thompson, and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind

Fawn Nguyen began her work with Amplify in 2022 as a Math Advance Team Specialist. She was a math coach for a K-8 school district for three years, and a middle school teacher for 30 years before that. Fawn has also received a number of accolades as an educator.

Christy Thompson is a Literacy Coach in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. She has spent her teaching and coaching career particularly focused on listening to and learning from the talk of our youngest students.

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind spent many wonderful years as a classroom teacher and math coach in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia and now splits her time between being an independent math coach and an editor at Stenhouse Publishers. Her favorite days are spent in classrooms learning from the many ways children talk, listen and negotiate meaning together.

Meet our hosts: Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer

Bethany Lockhart Johnson is an elementary school educator and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance, and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 United States and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

Two people smiling at the camera, each in a separate circular frame, with geometric shapes decorating the background—perfect for a math teacher lounge or highlighting fresh math teacher resources.

Quotes

“It's a big deal for me to have the opportunity and this trust to integrate problem-solving into the curriculum.”

—Fawn Nguyen

Stay connected!

Season 6, Episode 10

The big win is just the beginning, with Dr. Jennifer Throndsen

With Utah’s recent passing of Senate Bill 127, a sweeping piece of literacy legislation, many are turning to the state as a model of what statewide implementation of the Science of Reading can look like. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Throndsen, Director of Teaching and Learning at Utah State Board of Education, joins Susan to tell the story of how Senate Bill 127 came to be and how they are continuing to make changes in schools across Utah. Together, they discuss what the bill included, the opportunities and challenges the bill provides when it comes to implementation, and advice for other states looking to enact literacy legislation. Throndsen also discusses her experience as a teacher and her journey with the Science of Reading.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Una sonriente Dra. Jennifer Throndsen con cabello largo y castaño, fotografiada en un marco circular contra un fondo de pared de ladrillos, con elementos gráficos de un libro azul y una flecha naranja.

Dr. Jennifer Throndsen

Dr. Jennifer Throndsen is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Utah State Board of Education. Throndsen takes pride in developing and designing policy, resources, and supports to help other educators serve students as best as possible. Prior to her current role, she worked as an elementary and middle school teacher, instructional coach, adjunct professor, and district specialist. She earned her doctorate in mathematics curriculum and instruction from Utah State University in 2018. In addition to her primary role, Jennifer has been recognized for her extraordinary commitment to early learning.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is the Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Humanities at Amplify, and the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Her career has been focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Susan is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. As a former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, Susan is dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Susan-Lambert_Headshot

Quotes

"Our students are the state's greatest asset, and we need to invest in them with all the energy and knowledge we have to do our best to serve them with urgency, compassion, and high expectations."

—Dr. Jennifer Throndsen

"If kids can't read, that really keeps them from accessing other content areas like science, social studies, and being able to engage in story problems in mathematics."

—Dr. Jennifer Throndsen

"Being able to read is today's civil right's movement."

—Dr. Jennifer Throndsen

"With requirements comes resistance. No matter how great the opportunity is."

—Dr. Jennifer Throndsen

Summer ’24 Interlude, Episode 2

Summer ’24 Interlude: One-pagers make literacy research more accessible, with Jamie Clark

In this episode, Jamie Clark and Susan Lambert delve into Jamie’s new educational resource called one-pagers designed to distill complex educational literacy research into accessible, practical one-page summaries for teachers. Jamie, originally from the United Kingdom and now based in Australia, also shares his one-pager journey—from ideation, to creating these resources, to witnessing their impact in the classroom. Aside from discussing his methodology, Jamie also highlights the iterative process of refining his work and collaborating with key figures in the educational field, and the importance of contextual application of these strategies in different educational settings. Jamie also gives an in-depth explanation of his think-pair-share one-pager, highlights how important it is for teachers to continue learning, and ends with advice for anyone looking to make research more accessible.

Transcripts and additional resources:

Book:
Teaching One-Pagers: Evidence-Informed Summaries for Busy Educational Professionals
Book:
Teaching One-Pagers: Evidence-Informed Summaries for Busy Educational Professionals

Meet Our Guest(s):

Jamie Clark

Jamie Clark

Jamie Clark is Team Leader of Learning and Innovation at a K–12 school in Perth, Western Australia. Originally from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, Jamie taught English in the United Kingdom for six years before moving to Australia with his family. Jamie is also a lead practitioner specializing in pedagogy and digital learning. He regularly provides professional learning workshops for educators and leaders and has spoken at various educational conferences around the Asia-Pacific region. Jamie’s passion is instructional coaching and driving good practice through research-based, high-impact strategies.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is the Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Humanities at Amplify, and the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Her career has been focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. As a former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, Lambert is dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Retrato de una mujer caucásica sonriente con cabello rubio corto, involucrada en un podcast sobre la ciencia de la lectura, con gafas, lápiz labial rojo y un collar de perlas.

Quotes

“One thing that people often get wrong about one-pagers is that it has all the answers, it has all the strategies. But I always say that it's a reminder, it's a conversation starter.”

—Jamie Clark

“In order to help our students learn effectively, teachers need to know how they learn and sometimes why they do not learn.”

—Jamie Clark

“Think-pair-share is important because it makes students feel safe before they share with the class.”

—Jamie Clark

“The main thing as a teacher for me is that you always need to learn and that you never stop learning.”

—Jamie Clark

“The best research is the stuff that you can glean information from and then do something with that's actionable and practical.”

—Jamie Clark

Season 10, Episode 14

Your comprehension questions answered, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, returning guest Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D., joins Susan Lambert to close out the season by answering thoughtful and thought-provoking comprehension questions submitted by listeners. Nathaniel and Susan answer questions about comprehension strategies, the relationship between comprehension and memorization, and how to shift the mindset among your teaching colleagues to help them understand comprehension.

Meet Our Guest(s):

Portrait of a man with brown hair and beard, wearing a light blue shirt, in front of a blurred background with illustrated orange pencil and accents, reflecting on teaching comprehension strategies.

Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.

Nathaniel Swain is a Teacher, Instructional Coach, and Writer. He produces a blog for teachers called Dr. Swain’s Cognitorium and is cohost of the Chalk Dust Podcast with Rebecca Birch. Nathaniel works directly with schools and systems through an online learning platform called Luminary.

He founded a community of educators committed to the Science of Learning: Think Forward Educators. He also has a best-selling book, Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is chief academic officer of literacy at Amplify and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. A former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, she’s dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Person with short blonde hair, glasses, and earrings, wearing an orange jacket, smiling in front of a plain gray background—committed to literacy education and fostering background knowledge for all learners.

Quotes

“What we’re trying to do is create meaningful text experiences. … The strategies are background, the powerhouse behind the work we’re doing, but the star of the show is the language and the text.”

—Nathaniel Swain

“Humans are geared, whenever they’re encountering language or knowledge, to try and make meaningful connections. Depending on what they’re already thinking about or what they already know, they’re actually going to come to that text with a very different starting point.”

—Nathaniel Swain

“If you ever feel like your comprehension work only allows students to produce or perform something on a particular day in which you’ve just read that text, then you may be missing the opportunity to weave meaningful text together.”

—Nathaniel Swain

“The problem with treating language as if it’s just a set of tick boxes that you can just tick off, is that students need a meaningful reason to hold on to that language. They have to use it or they’ll lose it.”

—Nathaniel Swain

“If you worry so much about which strategy to use and therefore reduce the amount of text exposure to just short paragraphs to practice that strategy, then I think you might miss out on the opportunity to build up that text representation.”

—Nathaniel Swain

“When we’re teaching reading comprehension, really let the text be the center of what we’re doing.”

—Susan Lambert

Season 10, Episode 10

From talk to text: How language skills shape reading success, with Charles Hulme, D.Phil., and MaryKate DeSantis

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by emeritus professor of psychology and education at the University of Oxford, Charles Hulme, D.Phil.; and founder of Left Side Strong LLC, MaryKate DeSantis. They dive deep into the critical connection between oral language development and reading comprehension. Together, they also explore exactly what oral language development is, how to screen children for deficits in oral language abilities, and the most effective strategies educators can use for intervention.

Meet Our Guest(s):

A smiling older man with short gray hair poses in front of green plants, highlighting themes of language development. A lightbulb graphic and circular frame decorate the photo.

Charles Hulme, D.Phil.

Charles Hulme is emeritus professor of psychology and education at the University of Oxford. He has broad research interests in reading, language, and memory processes and their development; and is an expert on randomized controlled trials in education. He has published widely and is in the top 2% for citations of all researchers in the field of education. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo (2014) and is a member of Academia Europea and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He was also elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2017.

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MaryKate DeSantis

MaryKate DeSantis is the founder of Left Side Strong LLC. Her experience working in a large urban school district as a special education teacher, reading specialist, and district-wide literacy coach has fueled her passion for translational research to ensure that all children receive evidence-based instruction. Her background in teaching reading sparked an interest in researching language, literacy, and developmental trajectories. She is a full-time faculty member in the Speech and Language Literacy Lab at MGH Institute of Health Professions, and is also an ongoing-research collaborator with the BRIDGES Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

She has also served as a clinician in the Neurology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an adjunct professor at the Boston College Lynch School of Human Development, and is a Ph.D. student in educational psychology at the University of Connecticut.

Meet our host, Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is chief academic officer of literacy at Amplify and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. A former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, she’s dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

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Quotes

“Reading comprehension is the process of taking the meaning from printed symbols on a page and translating them into a linguistic and cognitive code. It's making contact with the processes of language comprehension.”

—Charles Hulme, D.Phil.

“Language comprehension is really what leads us to reading comprehension.”

—MaryKate DeSantis

“We've got to start from the premise that reading is language. Without language, there would be no reading. Reading is a process that involves taking language in its written form and translating it back into its original form, which is spoken language.”

—Charles Hulme, D.Phil.

“If we go back in development, language skills appear to form the foundation for the ability to decode print, as well as the foundation for the ability to understand what is decoded.”

—Charles Hulme, D.Phil.

“Language skills are unconstrained, meaning the sky's the limit. As long as you continue to engage in any sort of way, your language skills can continue to develop throughout your lifetime.”

—Susan Lambert

“We talk about learning to read, but we also need to talk about reading to learn. A lot of what we learn in our lives is through reading, and reading is certainly a powerful driver of vocabulary and language development.”

—Charles Hulme, D.Phil.

“Focusing on language is worth the time. …  When we treat it as foundational, that's when we will give more students access to success.”

—MaryKate DeSantis

“If we want better readers, we have to grow better language users.”

—MaryKate DeSantis

Season 3, Episode 4

Ideas to build math fluency with Valerie Henry, Graham Fletcher, and Tracy Zager

Fluency in math can oftentimes be associated with negative experiences with its development— timed worksheets, for example. Bethany and Dan are joined by three guests to better understand fluency and how to make its approach fun. Dr. Val Henry shares her three-part definition of fluency and her five principles for developing it. Additionally, Tracy Zager and Graham Fletcher join Bethany and Dan to better understand fluency through a lens of equity and using multimedia as a tool.

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Meet Our Guest(s):

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Valerie Henry, Graham Fletcher, and Tracy Johnston Zager

Valerie Henry has been a math educator since 1986. She taught middle school math for 17 years and has worked as a lecturer at University of California Irvine since 2002. After doing her 2004 dissertation research on addition/subtraction fluency in first grade, Valerie created FactsWise, a daily mini-lesson approach that simultaneously develops fluency, number sense, and algebraic thinking. Additionally, she has provided curriculum and math professional development for K-12 teachers throughout her career, working with individual schools, districts, county offices of education, Illustrative Mathematics, the SBAC Digital Library, and the UCI Math Project.

Graham Fletcher has served in education as a classroom teacher, a math coach, and currently as a math specialist. He is continually seeking new and innovative ways to support students and teachers in their development of conceptual understanding in elementary mathematics. He is the author of Building Fact Fluency and openly shares many of his resources at gfletchy.com.

Tracy Johnston Zager is a district math coach who loves to get teachers hooked on listening to kids’ mathematical ideas. She is a co-author of the Building Fact Fluency toolkits and the author of Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms. Tracy also edits professional books by teachers, for teachers at Stenhouse Publishers.

Meet our hosts: Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer

Bethany Lockhart Johnson is an elementary school educator and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance, and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 United States and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

Two people smiling at the camera, each in a separate circular frame, with geometric shapes decorating the background—perfect for a math teacher lounge or highlighting fresh math teacher resources.

Quotes

“A lot of very fluent adults don't always have every fact memorized. ”

—Val Henry

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