Traveling the Road to Better Teaching with Bryanna Hall as we talk about a moment that might seem small at first: helping a Kindergarten student learn to write her name.

But this wasn’t about handwriting practice or checking off a skill. It was about going above and beyond—slowing down, paying attention, and meeting a student exactly where she was. Through that work, something bigger began to happen. Confidence grew. Engagement changed. And a student who once struggled began to see herself as capable.

This conversation explores how small, intentional acts of teaching can open the door to something much larger—and how relationships and responsiveness can shape the trajectory of a student’s learning.

Links from the episode:

Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)

University of Mississippi Teacher Education, Ph.D.

Capturing Kids' Hearts

The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of Our Children by Susan Bouffard

Traveling the road to better teaching as we talk with Katy Pocreva, current University of Mississippi School of Education graduate student, who saw clear evidence of her elementary students’ understanding of parallel and perpendicular lines and angles—not just on their assessments, but in the designs they created.

After learning about these geometric ideas, students were challenged to design a park that used parallel and perpendicular lines and specific angle relationships. What emerged was more than correct answers; it was visible thinking, creativity, and meaningful application of what they had learned.

This conversation explores what counts as evidence of learning, how tasks can move beyond worksheets, and what becomes possible when students are asked to use mathematics in purposeful ways.

Links in the episode

Road to Better Teaching Episode E001 Ann Monroe: Zike's Fantastic Foldables

Amidon Planet E009 Teaching with Problems

Road to Better Teaching is supported by Amidon Planet.

Traveling the road to better teaching as we consider what happens when a teacher stops teaching the pacing guide and starts teaching the students in front of them?

In this episode, we hear from Emily Reese, Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program Fellow, former high school English Language Arts teacher, and current University of Mississippi School of Education graduate student, who, working with a remedial class, chose to step away from prescribed standards and focus on helping students become stronger readers and writers. The result: deeper engagement, growing confidence, and students who began to thrive.

This is a conversation about trust, responsiveness, and the courage it takes to do what students actually need.

Links from the episode

Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program

Practice Driven PD - Super Wrong, Kinda Right (see https://amidonplanet.com/episode135/)

What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker

More from Amidon Planet - Good Talk. Real Learning. Better Teaching.