In this episode from Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast, host Ana Torres interviews Fawn Nguyen, Director of STEM Initiatives at Amplify. A 30-year middle school math teacher and K–8 math coach before she joined Amplify, Fawn shares practical strategies for teaching math in a way that values multiple solutions and makes every student feel like they belong. Fawn breaks down the routines that open math up to every learner and explains why stepping back to let students do the thinking is one of the most powerful moves a teacher can make. Then, Beyond My Years Classroom Insider and middle school science teacher Eric Cross joins Ana to reflect on why "I'm not good at math" is usually a scar with a story behind it.

Show notes:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years for upcoming conversations with Dan Meyer, Greg Trieste, and more leading math educators at.amplify.com/BMY.
• Listen to Fawn Nguyen's first appearance on Beyond My Years.
• Check out Amplify's Fluency Practice.
• Get bite-sized advice from leading thinkers in math education on:
  • Math change management playlist
  • Student-centered math practices playlist
  • Find more videos on math instruction at amplify.com/MathClassroomAdvice
• Visit amplify.com/k-5-math for a wealth of resources and activities to help you move toward math that motivates.

In this recent episode from Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast, host Ana Torres interviews Kelly Serpa, Ed.D., STEM product specialist at Amplify and passionate advocate for inclusive math instruction. Together, they explore what it takes to develop students' conceptual understanding in math and why an asset-based approach makes all the difference. Kelly shares the "aha moment" that transformed her teaching practice and breaks down practical strategies for developing deeper math thinkers—from hooking every student in the first five minutes with routines like Notice and Wonder to building fluency in an asset-based way, without the pressure of a timer.

Show notes:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years for upcoming conversations with Dan Meyer, Fawn Nguyen, and more leading math educators at.amplify.com/BMY.
• Check out Amplify's Fluency Practice.
• Get bite-sized advice from leading thinkers in math education on:
  • Math change management playlist
  • Student-centered math practices playlist
  • Find more videos on math instruction at amplify.com/MathClassroomAdvice
• Visit amplify.com/k-5-math for a wealth of resources and activities to help you move toward math that motivates.

In part two of its new math series, the Beyond My Years podcast from Amplify features Ian Brown, a second-grade teacher and author of the comic book I Hate Math. Listen to Ian’s conversation with host Ana Torres for strategies to reduce math anxiety and create positive math experiences. And look below for some new resources for math educators, including new YouTube playlists with information on math change management and student-centered math practices.

Show notes:

• Get bite-sized advice from leading thinkers in math education on:
  • Math change management playlist
  • Student-centered math practices playlist
  • Find more videos on math instruction at amplify.com/MathClassroomAdvice
• Visit amplify.com/k-5-math for a wealth of resources and activities to help you move toward math that motivates.
• Read I Hate Math by Ian Brown.
• Subscribe to Beyond My Years for recent conversations with Dan Meyer, Keri Brown, Fawn Ngyuen, and more leading math educators at.amplify.com/BMY.

The Beyond My Years podcast from Amplify has kicked off a special math series, featuring two podcast episodes and a bundle of new resources (see below!) for math educators. In this first episode, host Ana Torres chats with Matt Cash, director of elementary curriculum and instruction for Lake Elsinore Unified School District, in California, about math leadership and change management. Together, Matt and Ana discuss the importance of listening to educators during adoption processes, the power of creating systems that support teachers, and the best ways to build unity around instructional approaches.

Show notes:

• Check out the full change management bundle — including the change management playbook— at amplify.com/MathChangeManagement
• Get bite-sized advice from leading thinkers in math education on:
  • Math change management.
  • Student-centered math practices.
  • Find more videos on math instruction at amplify.com/MathClassroomAdvice.
• Subscribe to Beyond My Years for recent conversations with Dan Meyer, Keri Brown, Fawn Nguyen, and more leading math educators at.amplify.com/BMY

Angela Duckworth, Ph.D., the New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, recently joined Host Ana Torres on the Beyond My Years podcast to discuss her new landmark research on school cell phone policies. In this episode, Angela highlights the many complexities surrounding student cell phone use in schools and why there is a need to conduct research, such as her “Phones in Focus” study, to look at which phone policies are actually yielding the best outcomes. She also suggests four ingredients that set young people up to reach their goals. Finally, Ana and Beyond My Years Classroom Insider Eric Cross reflect on Angela’s insights, and Eric shares the strategies he plans to implement to provide mentors to his students.

Show notes:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years at.amplify.com/BMY.
• Participate in Dr. Duckworth's research phonesinfocus.org
• Explore Angela Duckworth’s website: https://angeladuckworth.com/
• Read: Schools don’t know how well cellphone policies are working. You can help

Dan Meyer recently joined the Beyond My Years podcast to share some of his favorite strategies (and hard-earned lessons) for engaging students in math class.

Listen in, as Dan joins host Ana Torres to share his journey in education, including his early struggles to engage students. In this episode, The right questions for the “wrong” answers, Dan provides models for grounding lessons in real life, giving students more opportunities to show off their personalities, and reframing mistakes and “wrong answers” as valuable answers to different questions. He also touches on technology use in the classroom and how to know when it's the right tool for the job. Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross then reflect on Dan’s insights, and Eric shares his top takeaways for the classroom.

Remember to subscribe to the Beyond My Years podcast to hear more insights and lessons from leading education thinkers.

Show notes:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years at.amplify.com/BMY.
• Subscribe to Dan’s Substack, Mathworlds.
• Read Dylan Kane’s blog, Five Twelve Thirteen.

Host Ana Torres and Classroom Insider Eric Cross give you the first look at Season 2 of the Beyond My Years podcast, launching September 17, 2025. This trailer highlights what’s coming after an award-winning first season, including shorter episodes and more takeaways to help you extend your reach. Season 2 focuses on common classroom challenges, looking to the experts and to the research to get you answers. Ana, Eric, and guests will cover topics from finding your teaching style, to engaging students in math, to helping students develop critical thinking, and more!

Subscribe now to Beyond My Years: https://at.amplify.com/bmy

(Not an Apple user? Listen on Spotify or the Beyond My Years website.)

To close out the year, we’re revisiting some of our favorite moments from the first nine episodes of the Beyond My Years podcast – and looking ahead at some of what’s to come in 2025!

Listen to Beyond My Years:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years on Apple
• Subscribe to Beyond My Years on Spotify
• Listen to Beyond My Years via web browser