What do you do when last period feels like it’s dragging and everyone, including you, is running on fumes? In part two of our conversation with Brian Sztabnik and Susan Barber, we share quick, high-energy strategies to reset the room, from Top Chef–inspired build challenges to two-sentence horror stories and poetry puzzles that get students moving and thinking fast.

We also talk meme projects for Pride and Prejudice, character playlists for Frankenstein, and how to build a classroom culture where it’s safe to care. Most importantly, we remind you that engagement doesn’t have to be nonstop chaos. Sometimes quiet reading and plot review are exactly what your students need, and what you’re doing already matters.

Resources:

• 100% Engagement Listening Guide (FREE!)
• Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 96, How to Select Choice Reading + Our 20 Favorite Classroom Books
• Episode 191, Project Based Learning: An Interview with Danielle Hicks
• Episode 282, We’re Building Our ELA Units WRONG. Here’s How to Fix It
• Episode 284, 100% Engagement (Part 1)

✨ SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode286

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• Join Happy Hour!
• Curriculum Rehab
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🔗 Grab our FREE 100% Engagement Listening Guide to get even more out of this episode!

Ever feel inspired by great teaching ideas, but they never quite make it into real lessons? In this episode, we kick off a special 3-part series with Brian Sztabnik and Susan Barber, co-authors of 100% Engagement, to share practical, doable ways to boost participation, collaboration, and authentic engagement - without a total classroom overhaul.

From their journey as co-authors to honest conversations about student buy-in and boredom, we dig into what real engagement actually looks like. You’ll also hear rapid-fire classroom scenarios and strategies that get students talking, moving, and genuinely invested.

Resources:

• 100% Engagement Listening Guide (FREE!)
• Become a founding beta tester of Brave New Teaching University.
• Take our quiz, and we’ll send you an episode playlist that’s tailored just for you!
• 100% Engagement by Brian Sztabnik and Susan Barber
• Much Ado About Teaching
• Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 96, How to Select Choice Reading + Our 20 Favorite Classroom Books
• Episode 191, Project Based Learning: An Interview with Danielle Hicks
• Episode 199, Lesson Plan Rescue: Not Enough Books

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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

Super Bowl weekend is here, and while the game is fun, we’re really here for the commercials, and how to teach them well! In this team meeting, we share book talk and a clear plan for tackling Super Bowl commercial analysis. You’ll hear practical, classroom-ready steps using tools like the Four Reading Realms and SPACE CAT to help students have stronger conversations, deeper analysis, and way more buy-in!

Resources:

• My 2026 Amazon List
• 4 Reading Realms Webinar (free!)
• Rhetorical Analysis Starter Kit
• Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 178, Unit Makeover: Rhetorical Analysis
• Episode 280, New Year Teacher Trends for 2026: Goals, Books, and Real Talk
• Episode 282, We’re Building Our ELA Units WRONG. Here’s How to Fix it.
• Episode 283, Resistant Readers Need the Four Reading Realms: A Walkthrough - BNT Team Meeting

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode284

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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

Resistant readers are often reacting to confusion, not a lack of ability, and that’s exactly where the Four Reading Realms come in! In this episode, we walk through a framework Amanda developed to clarify the purpose behind different reading tasks, helping students understand what kind of thinking is required and why it matters. By separating reading into intentional realms (focused on identity, perseverance, efficiency, and discernment), we can set clearer expectations, build trust, and support deeper engagement, even for students who have struggled with reading in the past.

🔗 Resources:

• Webinar: The Four Reading Realms
• Become a founding beta tester of Brave New Teaching University!
• Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 276, Ok, but what if the secret to getting them to read is getting them to WRITE???
• Episode 280, New Year Teacher Trends for 2026: Goals, Books, and Real Talk
• Episode 282, We’re Building Our ELA Units WRONG. Here’s How to Fix it.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode283

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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

What if our obsession with data is actually distracting us from the real work? In this team meeting, we dig into how a “data first” or “book first” approach can miss the human side of learning and why culture and engagement have to come first. We look ahead to what teaching needs to look like in 2026, sharing a conversation-first planning workflow that starts with what students actually care about and then selects the skills and texts that support those conversations!

Resources:

• Become a founding beta tester of Brave New Teaching University!
• Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 221, Back to School Survival Kit for Teachers
• Episode 280, New Year Teacher Trends for 2026: Goals, Books, and Real Talk
• Episode 281, SEL and Organic Community Really Are This Simple

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode282

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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

Are you absolutely crawling through January molasses, too? I know I am! In this week’s Team BNT meeting we’re talking honestly about what happens when tired, overwhelmed students are trying (and failing) to keep everything in their heads as finals approach. I share simple, repeatable routines that help students reduce anxiety, take control of their time, and build real classroom community.

We also touch on real teacher life during this stretch, from finals grading and midyear resets to Costco snack runs, and wrap up with a sneak peek at Brave New Teaching University, our upcoming space designed to make everything we’ve created more organized, usable, and supportive for teachers in 2026 and beyond!

Resources:

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

Related Episodes:

• Episode 276, Ok, But What if the Secret to Getting Them to Read is Getting Them to WRITE??
• Episode 277, Phones, Chromebooks, AI, and the Battle for Their Attention (Send Help!)
• Episode 278, Kids Have Officially Forgotten How to Play, and We're Going to Help Them Remember!
• Episode 279, 2026 Will Bring Uncomfortable Shifts, and That’s a Really Good Thing
• Episode 280, New Year Teacher Trends for 2026: Goals, Books, and Real Talk - BNT Team Meeting

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode281

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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

New year, new team meeting, and it’s Amanda behind the mic kicking off 2026 with what’s been on my mind lately. In this episode, I share updates from my move into an elementary school library role, why curated is my word of the year, and how that mindset is shaping everything from my home to my business. We also talk reading goals, audiobooks, and how my feelings about reading numbers have shifted over time. I wrap things up by zooming out to the bigger picture of teaching and leave you with one essential question every department should be asking as we plan for what’s next!

🔗 Resources:

• Amanda’s Top Reads of 2025
• My One Word Activity
• Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 275, Fine, We Can Game-ify Reading (But No Gimmicks!)
• Episode 276, Ok, But What if the Secret to Getting Them to Read is Getting Them to WRITE??
• Episode 277, Phones, Chromebooks, AI, and the Battle for Their Attention (Send Help!)
• Episode 278, Kids Have Officially Forgotten How to Play, and We're Going to Help Them Remember!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode280

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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

If you’re limping toward break and just trying to survive the week, this episode is a quick, honest team meeting and much-needed reality check. I reflect on how teaching has shifted since 2020, how AI and technology are changing our classrooms, and why many old strategies no longer work. This isn’t about changing everything now, but about planting seeds for a future shift and giving yourself permission to finish the year tired, steady, and still hopeful!

Resources:

• Real, Fake, or Deepfake? This Lesson Helps Students Decide
• Gen Z is Redefining Work - and Driving Their Managers Mad
• NEW: Watch BNT episodes on YouTube!
• Shop Our Faves.

More BNT Team Meetings:

• Episode 275, Fine, We Can Game-ify Reading (But No Gimmicks!)
• Episode 276, Ok, But What if the Secret to Getting Them to Read is Getting Them to WRITE??
• Episode 277, Phones, Chromebooks, AI, and the Battle for Their Attention (Send Help!)
• Episode 278, Kids Have Officially Forgotten How to Play, and We're Going to Help Them Remember!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode279

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

Head to bravenewteaching.com/waitlist to become a beta tester for BNT University!

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