Teaching Channel Talks Teaching Channel

This episode of Teaching Channel Talks features a conversation between Dr. Wendy Amato and Dr. Greg King, the Director of Research from Mindprint Learning, discussing how different cognitive skills in students impact how they process information. They delve into the importance of leveraging cognitive skills for personalized learning, the impact of Mindprint assessments on student growth, and the practical application of data in educational settings to empower students and improve teaching strategies.
Resources for Continued LearningIf you enjoyed this episode, you can learn more about how MindPrint Learning’s cognitive assessment is helping students identify their strengths and reach their highest potential by visiting their website.
Teaching Channel is proud to partner with MindPrint Learning with a new course that helps teachers who have access to the MindPrint Learning Assessment engage every learner in their classroom. If you’re a part of the MindPrint community, you can check out course 5298: Science of Learning: A Practical Approach to Engaging Every Learner.

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, our host, Dr. Wendy Amato, welcomes Dr. Walter Lee, Assistant Professor of Middle/Secondary Education at the University of South Carolina Upstate, to discuss educator mindsets and the importance of positive self-concept. In this conversation, Dr. Lee shares his equity-focused approach for preparing the next generation of educators for the classroom, ensuring they are properly equipped to handle everything thrown at them—including parent-teacher conferences!
Resources for Continued LearningIf you enjoyed this episode, you can learn more from Dr. Lee on his YouTube channel where he posts more information about the Call Me MiSTER program and tips for improving your mindset and wellbeing.
Dr. Lee is a board member of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to middle school resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle-level educators connecting and supporting each other.
Learn more and join the community!
This episode focuses on self-concept and equity, learn more about the important role these factors play in education in Dr. Lee’s article, Rising Tides, Sinking Boats – A Focus on Equitable Practices.

In this compelling episode of Teaching Channel Talks, Dr. Wendy Amato hosts Dr. Howard Fields III, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and adjunct professor of education at Harris-Stowe State University. In this eye-opening exploration, Howard and Wendy examine challenges in educational equity, unravel the complexities of DEI efforts, and shed light on why a consensus that prioritizes comfort is a disservice to our students.
Resources for Continued LearningIf you enjoyed this episode, you can learn more from Dr. Fields by visiting his website or listening to his mini-podcast, How to Achieve Educational Equity. He has also provided an Educational Equity Professional Learning Plan for our listeners working toward educational equity within their schools or organizations. In addition, Dr. Fields has authored two books focused on educational equity that are mentioned in this episode:
Transfers & Open Enrollment: The Denigration of Black School CommunitiesHow to Achieve Educational Equity
In this episode, Wendy and Howard discuss his work developing and training an Educational Equity GPT. Watch a video to see this AI tool in action or test it for yourself.

Junior High. Middle School. No matter what the name on the sign outside says, what's important is the work happening on the inside. In this episode, Wendy welcomes Jack Berckemeyer of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) for a candid conversation about the big changes happening in how educators approach middle school. Jack stresses the importance of middle school teachers connecting with their students during this crucial time in their academic careers and how staying up-to-date on the fads, fashion, and slang of this age group can help in student success.
Resources for Continued LearningThe Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle level educators connecting and supporting each other. Learn more and join the community!
Jack Berckemeyer is a successful author who has written several books focusing on middle level education. In this episode, Jack and Wendy talk about the following titles:
Successful Middle School: This We BelieveSuccessful Middle Schools: TeamingManaging the Madness: A Practical Guide to Understanding Young Adolescents & Classroom ManagementDeliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education 2nd Ed

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, we’re taking a closer look at the middle grades with Jennifer Rose, the Director for Professional Programs at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). From the importance of differentiated professional development to understanding the complex changes students go through during this phase of adolescence, Jennifer and Wendy’s discussion centers around the niche of middle level education and how AMLE is working to support the teachers within it.
Resources for Continued LearningThe Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle level educators connecting and supporting each other.
Learn more and join the community!
During this episode, Jennifer mentions AMLE’s The Successful Middle School: This We Believe. Teaching Channel is proud to partner with the Association of Middle Level Education in upholding the 18 characteristics listed and offering professional development created specifically for middle school teachers.
AMLE also offers several books focused on the education of young adolescents aged 10-15, which Jennifer mentions in the episode. AMLE members receive a 20% discount on all titles, but these texts are available to all educators.

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, Dr. Wendy Amato welcomes Dr. Patricia "Tish" Jennings, a professor of education at the University of Virginia and internationally recognized thought leader in social-emotional learning and mindfulness. Drawing on results from Dr. Jennings' Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, a mindfulness-based professional development program for teachers, this discussion centers around reducing teacher stress, improving educators' emotional regulation, and how this attention to educator well-being shapes education and impacts student engagement, motivation, and even reading competence in classrooms.
Resources for Continued Learning
During this conversation, Drs. Amato and Jennings discuss the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, which has recently been awarded one of three $8 million grants through the Department of Education for expansion and further testing. Early results of SEL-based this professional development program reveal that taking care of teachers results in better student outcomes. Learn more about Dr. Jenning's study and the impact of the CARE program here.
In this episode, Dr. Jennings mentions her curriculum, Flourish: The Compassionate School Project, which can be accessed by educators for free.
Dr. Jennings is also the author and editor of several mindfulness books for teachers. Check out one of these titles for additional learning about educator well-being:
Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the ClassroomThe Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate TeachingTeacher Burnout Turnaround: Strategies for Empowered EducatorsThe Mindful School: Transforming School Culture through Mindfulness and CompassionMindfulness in the PreK-5 Classroom: Helping Students Stress Less and Learn More