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Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
Marie Morris & Amanda Cardenas, Secondary ELA Teachers
284 episodes
3 weeks ago
Think you’ve seen all the dystopia books out there? Think again! In part three of our “Teaching Dystopia” series, we share hidden gems, fresh picks, and classics, from middle grade survival stories to YA novels exploring climate change and government control. We highlight favorites like Alone and Station Eleven, plus TV and movie options like The Simpsons and Fringe to spark discussion and critical thinking. Want more on this topic? Join us in Happy Hour, where we’ll keep the conversation goi...
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All content for Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers is the property of Marie Morris & Amanda Cardenas, Secondary ELA Teachers and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Think you’ve seen all the dystopia books out there? Think again! In part three of our “Teaching Dystopia” series, we share hidden gems, fresh picks, and classics, from middle grade survival stories to YA novels exploring climate change and government control. We highlight favorites like Alone and Station Eleven, plus TV and movie options like The Simpsons and Fringe to spark discussion and critical thinking. Want more on this topic? Join us in Happy Hour, where we’ll keep the conversation goi...
Show more...
How To
Education,
Courses
Episodes (20/284)
Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING DYSTOPIA: Our NEW Favorite Stories & Protagonists [Ep 274]
Think you’ve seen all the dystopia books out there? Think again! In part three of our “Teaching Dystopia” series, we share hidden gems, fresh picks, and classics, from middle grade survival stories to YA novels exploring climate change and government control. We highlight favorites like Alone and Station Eleven, plus TV and movie options like The Simpsons and Fringe to spark discussion and critical thinking. Want more on this topic? Join us in Happy Hour, where we’ll keep the conversation goi...
Show more...
3 weeks ago
32 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING DYSTOPIA: A Spotlight for Juxtaposition [Ep 273]
Have you ever felt like dystopia is the genre that just keeps on giving? In part two of our dystopia series, we focus on the essential skills that make these texts come alive in your classroom, showing why depth beats covering everything superficially. We explore how teaching students to notice author moves like juxtaposition helps them analyze tension, themes, and contrasts, keeping analysis at the heart of your unit. Plus, we share practical tips for streamlining your dystopia units, stayin...
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1 month ago
28 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING DYSTOPIA: New Essential Questions to Try [Ep 272]
Ready to refresh your dystopia unit? In this episode, we explore how to make the genre feel fresh, relevant, and engaging for today’s students by rethinking essential questions and diving deeper into structure, theme, and skill connections. From moving beyond the classic “Is America a dystopia?” debate to exploring what it means to rebuild a broken world, you’ll get ideas for inquiry-driven lessons that inspire critical thinking and connection to real-life issues. This is a kickoff to our thr...
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1 month ago
30 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
BACK TO SCHOOL: State of the BNT Union + Reading Update [Ep 271]
In this “State of the BNT Union” episode, we’re sharing where the Brave New Teaching podcast is headed next, from a new focus on YouTube and refreshed dystopia content to better-organized resources for teachers...plus a peek at the projects we’re most excited about this year. Along the way, we’re swapping back-to-school recommendations, current reads (with honest reviews and teaching tie-ins), favorite products, and the bookish creators lighting up our feeds. And, of course, there’s a b...
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3 months ago
46 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
INDEPENDENT READING: Breaking Down the Backwards Design for ELA Classrooms [Ep 270]
We’re calling it: independent reading is the back-to-school move of the year! In this episode, we’re getting honest about what it takes to build a reading culture that actually sticks, without burning you (or your students) out by October. We share the real talk on what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how our thinking has shifted post-COVID to make independent reading more joyful, flexible, and student-centered. This isn’t just a planning convo. It’s a mindset shift. We’re talking about modeling o...
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3 months ago
41 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TJ KLUNE: A Conversation about The House in the Cerulean Sea [Ep 269]
In our final episode of Camp BNT, we got to sit down with none other than TJ Klune, author of The House in the Cerulean Sea—and let’s just say, it was everything we hoped for and more! We laughed, fangirled (a lot), and had the most meaningful conversation about TJ’s journey as a neurodivergent, queer kid from rural Oregon, how teachers shaped his life, and why authentic, hopeful queer representation in books matters so much. This episode is packed with heart, inspiration, and reminders of wh...
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3 months ago
1 hour 24 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
HUDA FAHMY: A Conversation about Huda F Cares? [Ep 268]
We’ve been wanting to bring Huda Fahmy on the podcast for a long time, and this conversation was well worth the wait! From her journey as an English teacher to bestselling graphic novelist, to the power of humor, representation, and student voice, Huda shares how her work helps young readers feel seen—and why that matters. We talk about the themes in her Huda F series, how her books function as both mirrors and windows for students, and why letting go of perfectionism is one of the most impor...
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3 months ago
47 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
LIBBA BRAY: A Conversation about Under the Same Stars [Ep 267]
Some conversations leave a mark, and this one with author Libba Bray is exactly that. From the first few minutes, we found ourselves completely pulled in by her honesty, humor, and the kind of insight that makes you pause and say, “Yes, that’s it.” What started as a chat about books quickly turned into a rich, winding conversation about creativity, teaching, storytelling, and the way young people show up in the world with fierce hope and resilience. We dive into Libba’s newest novel, Un...
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4 months ago
58 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
KATIE BAYERL: A Conversation about What Comes After [Ep 266]
If you've ever daydreamed about writing a novel between grading essays, this one’s for you. In this episode, we chat with former English teacher turned YA author Katie Bayerl about her newest book, What Comes After—a laugh-out-loud, heart-tugging story about grief, identity, and the afterlife. Katie shares her journey from the classroom to the writing world, her process for weaving humor into heavy themes, and how her novel can spark deep, inquiry-based conversations in your classroom. Plus, ...
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4 months ago
45 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
BREAK FOR THE 4TH: Amanda’s Road Trip Advice for Teacher Parents [Ep 265]
It’s Amanda here, and if you’ve ever hit the road with a car full of kids (or just your teacher brain trying to stay five steps ahead) you know that summer travel takes some serious strategy. In this solo episode, I’m sharing all my favorite tips for stress-free, memory-filled road trips. From how I set up my car to the genius packing system that saves me from digging through suitcases at midnight, I’ve got you covered. I’m also diving into the nerdy (but fun!) extras that make our trips even...
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4 months ago
56 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
AARON H. ACEVES: A Conversation about This is Why They Hate Us [Ep 264]
This episode lit us up in the best way. Amanda sat down with Aaron H. Aceves, author of This Is Why They Hate Us, for a heartfelt conversation about identity and the power of honest storytelling. Aaron’s openness about his own journey challenged us to reflect on how we, as educators, can lead with vulnerability and create space for students to do the same. His protagonist, Enrique, is messy, hilarious, and deeply real—and that kind of representation matters more than ever in our classrooms. A...
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4 months ago
47 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
AIMEE PHAN: A Conversation about The Lost Queen Part 2 [Ep 263]
We’re so excited to share part two of our conversation with Aimee Phan, author of The Lost Queen! If you caught part one, you already know how rich and thoughtful this discussion is. In this episode, we dive deeper into how retellings like The Lost Queen can help students see that stories aren’t set in stone—and that they have the freedom to make stories their own. Aimee shares how the creative process can empower young writers to take risks, explore identity, and find their voice. We also ta...
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5 months ago
24 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
AIMEE PHAN: A Conversation about The Lost Queen Part 1 [Ep 262]
What if the legendary queens of Vietnamese history were reborn as modern-day teens in California? In this episode, we chat with author and educator Aimee Phan about her brand new YA fantasy novel, The Lost Queen. Aimee shares how her experience growing up as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees—and the absence of Vietnamese stories in the books she read—inspired her to create stories that center Vietnamese culture, history, and identity. From dragons and time travel to reimagined mythology, Ai...
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5 months ago
35 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
SAMIRA AHMED: A Conversation About Internment, Part 2 [Ep 261]
In part two of our conversation with author Samira Ahmed, we deep dive into the genre of Internment—is it dystopian, speculative, or realistic fiction?—and why that label matters in the classroom. What starts as a conversation about shelving quickly becomes an exploration of how genre influences student thinking, how we can break down subject silos in education, and why teaching through inquiry is more critical than ever. Samira shares insights on the emotional toll of teaching today, the urg...
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5 months ago
47 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
SAMIRA AHMED: A Conversation About Internment, Part 1 [Ep 260]
Camp BNT is back for year three, and we’re kicking things off with bestselling author (and former high school English teacher!) Samira Ahmed. In this episode, Samira shares how her time in the classroom shaped her writing, the inspiration behind Internment, and how educators can use essential questions to spark powerful conversations. Plus, get a sneak peek at her upcoming projects—and hear why she’s so passionate about writing for teens. This is part one of a two-part conversation you won’t ...
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5 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: A Fantasy Choice Unit Approach for 11- 12 Grade ELA [Ep 259]
We’re wrapping up our Hero’s Journey series with a fresh twist—this time through the lens of fantasy in eleventh-grade American Literature. Marie shares how she took a bold leap by introducing a fantasy choice novel unit, transforming student engagement and challenging traditional ideas of what counts as “American Lit.” This episode ties together our vertical alignment approach from earlier grades and emphasizes how thoughtfully crafted essential questions and genre expansion can deepen stude...
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5 months ago
31 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: Studying the Odyssey for 9-10 Grade ELA [Ep 258]
Teaching The Odyssey doesn’t have to be stuck in surface-level plot points. It can be the unit where students are guided through their own epic journeys! In this third episode of our Hero’s Journey series, we’re diving into how we’ve completely reimagined teaching The Odyssey to ninth graders. If you’ve been following along, you know we started this series with an overview of using the Hero’s Journey as a curriculum tool, then explored what it looks like in middle school using The Hobbit. Now...
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6 months ago
19 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: Studying The Hobbit for Middle School ELA [Ep 257]
Let’s be honest—The Hobbit isn’t always a crowd-pleaser in middle school, but in this episode, we’re sharing how to turn it into a powerful, skills-based exploration of the hero’s journey. We dive into using essential questions, shifting focus from content to critical thinking, and using tools like our favorite evidence tracker to make Bilbo’s transformation come alive. Plus, we chat about modern pairings and why it’s okay if your students don’t read every page. This one’s all about making fa...
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6 months ago
23 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
TEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY: Dos and Don’ts of Unit Design [Ep 256]
We’re kicking off a new four-part series all about teaching the Hero’s Journey—starting with the dos and don’ts of unit design. In this episode, we share how this timeless framework can lead to deeper thinking, richer discussions, and yes… even a newfound love for fantasy (spoiler: one of us used to be a skeptic!). You’ll walk away with essential questions to anchor your units AND a free evidence tracker to help students go beyond surface-level plot. Resources: Freebie: Hero’s Journey Eviden...
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6 months ago
35 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
THE WORST ACTIVITIES TO USE IN ELA (and How to Make Them Better) [Ep 255]
We’ve all had those end-of-year activities that looked great on paper—but quickly turned into chaos in the classroom. In this episode, we’re sharing some of our own “what were we thinking?” moments, along with practical strategies to help you rethink and rescue those well-intentioned lessons. From creative writing prompts that actually work to research assignments that don’t overwhelm, we’re diving into how structure and clarity can save your sanity this time of year! Resources: End of Year A...
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6 months ago
29 minutes

Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers
Think you’ve seen all the dystopia books out there? Think again! In part three of our “Teaching Dystopia” series, we share hidden gems, fresh picks, and classics, from middle grade survival stories to YA novels exploring climate change and government control. We highlight favorites like Alone and Station Eleven, plus TV and movie options like The Simpsons and Fringe to spark discussion and critical thinking. Want more on this topic? Join us in Happy Hour, where we’ll keep the conversation goi...