In this urgent and heartfelt episode, recorded on Sunday, January 25th, Amanda offers raw and real advice for teachers dealing with a recent tragedy involving the death of ICU nurse Alex Preti by federal agents. Acknowledging the emotional burden and chaos, Amanda...
Amanda returns after a long hiatus, excited to start a new season focused on mindfulness, neurodiversity, equity, and student engagement. In this special episode, Amanda shares a recording of her first mindfulness class from her practicum, which is part of her...
Show Notes In this episode of "Empower Students Now," host Amanda interviews Vanessa Jones, an English teacher, writer, and voice actor who has recently authored a guidebook on adult ADHD. Vanessa discusses her personal experience with an adult ADHD diagnosis, the...
In this episode of Empower Students Now, host Amanda interviews her sister Shelly Gonsalves, who opens up about her lifelong struggle with reading and learning difficulties. Shelly recounts her early educational challenges, the lack of support she faced, and the...
Do you want to teach your students how to read more effectively and prepare them for college and life? In this podcast episode, Amanda discusses the book "Reading Reconsidered" by Doug Lemov, which provides a wealth of information on how to improve students' reading...
In this episode of the Empower Students Now podcast, Amanda introduces her new course, The Empowered English Classroom, which aims to increase student engagement through equitable teaching practices. Amanda discusses the Empowered English Classroom Framework, which...
In this podcast episode, Amanda discusses the negative impact of shaming kids and ourselves for screen use. She argues that screens can have benefits for neurodivergent individuals and others seeking community, and emphasizes the importance of cultivating a...
This article includes links to 8 mentor texts to use for teaching argumentative writing. It also includes discussion questions and reflection prompts.
The best way to handle new technology being introduced to the education world is to investigate the tools for ourselves, with an open mind, rather than getting caught up in fear and overwhelm. I know this is hard to do, believe me, I'm a fairly neurotic, anxious...
I wrote this six part equity series to better understand the inequities surrounding the ways in which we teach and assess reading and writing skills in the United States. I wanted to know more. Not only that, I wanted to find practical solutions for the problems all...