In this week's Brave New Teaching team meeting, Marie's going a bit off-script with an idea that has been bouncing around her head the last couple weeks about how to get students to engage with reading and the literacy epidemic that is plaguing society at large (it's a lot, we know...). Is the secret to getting students reading actually in just getting them to try things they are resistant to? Perhaps yes, perhaps no, but we won't know until we try! All that, plus a couple ideas to try in your classroom this week!

Resources:

• Boston Globe article: Schools are accommodating student anxiety - and making it worse

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📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
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Consider this your official invite to our Brave New Teaching team meeting! We’re catching you up on life, sharing what’s happening in our classrooms and libraries, and digging into why fun and whimsy are essential for bringing joy back to reading. We talk about the real challenges of getting students excited about books, our evolving thoughts on “gamifying” reading, and the gimmicks (or whimsy!) that actually work.

Resources:

• The Atlantic article: America is Sliding Toward Illiteracy
• Noa App
• Flipster App
• NEW: Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 250, Teachers React: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - Part 1
• Episode 251, Teachers React: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - Part 2
• Episode 271, Back to School: State of the BNT Union + Reading Update

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode275

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

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 going!

Check out the show notes for the full list of books we mentioned in this episode: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode274

Resources:

• NEW: Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Teaching Dystopia Workshop
• Shop Our Faves.

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

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, staying focused, and even embracing a little boredom to spark creativity. Hang tight for our next episode, packed with new text recommendations and ideas to refresh your curriculum!

Resources:

• NEW: Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Teaching Dystopia Workshop
• Shop Our Faves.
• Episode 272, Teaching Dystopia: New Essential Questions to Try

Related Episodes:

• Episode 61, Living in a Dystopian World
• Episode 81, Essential Question Workshop: Dystopia (Woohoo!)
• Episode 171, New Dystopian Texts & Supplements for Your ELA Classroom
• Episode 172, 3 Secrets to Teaching Dystopia

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode273

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

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 three-part dystopia series, so head back here next week!

Resources:

• NEW: Watch this episode on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves
• Teaching Dystopia Workshop
• Join Happy Hour!
• Shop more BNT resources
• Free Training: Down with the Reading Quiz
• Join Curriculum Rehab
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Follow Marie on Instagram: @wellhelloitsmarie
• Follow Amanda on Instagram: @mudandinkteaching
• Let us know what you think! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 61, Living in a Dystopian World
• Episode 81, Essential Question Workshop: Dystopia (Woohoo!)
• Episode 171, New Dystopian Texts & Supplements for Your ELA Classroom
• Episode 172, 3 Secrets to Teaching Dystopia
• Episode 259, Teaching the Hero’s Journey: A Fantasy Choice Unit Approach for 11-12 Grade ELA

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode272

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

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 big announcement about where one of us will be spending the school year, changing things up in the best possible way!

✨ Grab all the resources and books we mention in the show notes: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode271

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

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 our own reading lives, creating routines that support real growth, and designing a program that meets students where they are. Whether you’re launching independent reading right away or easing in later, this episode will help you build an experience that’s authentic and doable!

Related Episodes:

• Episode 96, How to Select Choice Reading + Our 20 Favorite Classroom Books
• Episode 110, August Dreams (September Realities) Back to School
• Episode 139, Independent Reading Series (Interview w/ Dr. Jenna Copper)
• Episode 140, Independent Reading Series (Interview w/ Abby Gross)
• Episode 250, Teachers React: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - Part 1
• Teachers React: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books -Part 2

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode270

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

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 why the stories we share—and the teachers who share them—make such a big impact.

Resources:

• The House in the Cerulean Sea: Bookshop | Amazon
• Shop more of TJ's book
• TJ's website

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode269

"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

Support the show

📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻

• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
• Down with the Reading Quiz
• Shop the BNT Resource Library
• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel