About Beyond My Years, with Ana Torres and Eric Cross

Join host Ana Torres and her classroom insider, Eric Cross, to learn what the new Amplify podcast Beyond My Years is all about. Together, they dig into the essence of what it means to be an educator, the challenges that come with it, and how Beyond My Years will connect with it all. Plus, you’ll get a sneak peek into what's ahead, including conversations with legendary educators (like one who was an inspiration for a hit TV show).

Quotes:
“As lifelong learners, as educators, it's built into our profession and our DNA to want to be mentored, but there's a shrinking population of those people.”  —Eric Cross

“The people who've been in the game for a long time, they can save new teachers a lot of years of trial and error.”  —Eric Cross

“We're more than just the educator or the teacher. We're more than that. We're the nurturer. We're the nurse, we're mom, we're dad, we're aunt, we're all, we play different roles in their lives. And again, it is showing up.” —Ana Torres 

Transcript

Fawn Nguyen: (00:00)
The more vulnerable our mentors are to say, "I did that too." It says like, "Okay, so that I'm not, you know, gosh, I'm the first teacher to ever make this mistake."

Ana Torres: (00:14)
I am Ana Torres and welcome to Beyond My Years, a brand new podcast from Amplify. As a former fourth-grade bilingual teacher, there are two things I remember about my early days in the classroom. One, teaching is a really hard job, and two, I might have not made it through my first year if I hadn't been blessed with an amazing mentor teacher. There were some tough days where she kept me grounded or gave me the right advice at the right time. Her experience was truly invaluable. That's why, on Beyond My Years, I am seeking out seasoned educators who've thrived over decades in the classroom and getting them to share their chronicles from the classroom and some of the secrets to their success. In just a bit, I'm going to introduce you to someone who will be joining me on every single episode, my Classroom Insider, Eric Cross. But first, I need to tell you what Beyond My Years is all about. Listen, I know that there's this idea out there that newer teachers and veteran teachers can butt heads. Maybe you've seen it on tv.

"Lean On Me" clip: (01:29)
Only reason I haven't walked out, and half the staff along with me, is because those children need us here.

"Lean On Me" clip: (01:36)
I have done everything, every time.

"Abbott Elementary" clip: (01:37)
Janine, do not get your hopes up, because Ava will find a way to bring 'em down.

"Abbott Elementary" clip: (01:42)
I don't think that's fair. She's been...

Ana Torres: (01:44)
Beyond My Years is not about old school versus new school. It's about the incredible profession of teaching and sharing hard-earned lessons directly from people who have spent 20, 30, 40-plus years as educators. These aren't just teachers who have stuck it out. These are people who have thrived in the classroom and who love teaching. I had the amazing pleasure of talking with a UK teacher. He returned to the classroom in his eighties to help address the local teaching shortage.

Eric Jones: (02:18)
Going back after 20 years, I walked into a classroom. Every classroom has got a computer and every student in the room has got a laptop. To me that is witchcraft.

Ana Torres: (02:31)
[laughs]

Eric Jones: (02:32)
It's a bit daunting to an 82-year-old, but I do it. I've just done it. I've used the modern technology as I'm using it with you now. The thing I don't want to lose is the ability of turning everything off, sitting at the front of the room and telling the story of a Christmas Carol or of Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth, and keep a group of kids absolutely in the palm of my hand, 'cause that's teaching. I don't wanna lose that and I don't want any of us to lose it.

Ana Torres: (03:04)
I'm also talking with a husband-and-wife team who moved to the most northern district in the US and they still teach in this rural Alaskan district.

Rod Lloyd: (03:14)
We live in a village with about 225 people. There are no roads connecting us, so you truly are isolated. I mean, there's storms when we haven't been able to get out for two weeks of our village or nothing come into our village 'cause it's all flown in on small planes.

Ana Torres: (03:27)
Wow, Alaska. I've never been, but I will take you there as we have these amazing guests on our show. We're also going to be tapping into the legendary 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman.

Missy Testerman: (03:42)
I think most parents, once they feel that you really, truly want what's best for your child, even if it's a rough patch and there are things that you're working through with the child, I think the parent is more likely to trust you if you take the time to build that relationship.

Ana Torres: (04:00)
These are teachers at the top of their game, sharing their biggest victories and the advice they'd go back and give their younger teacher selves. They're also amazing people who are going to share the stories that shaped who they've become as educators.

Fawn Nguyen: (04:17)
Growing up, I was very poor, and, ironically, most people in Vietnam, my neighbors, were also poor, but I felt I was poor than them. We didn't have stuff that my classmates or, you know, the kids around the neighborhood had, so I definitely felt we didn't have these items, and I would lie, I would lie about stuff that I, that we had.

Ana Torres: (04:42)
Yeah.

Fawn Nguyen: (04:42)
And so I think back and I just feel so, so bad for myself. You know, I kind of understand when kids make up stories, 'cause I did that. I made up stories. I made up that we went here and there when we didn't go anywhere, you know? And, so I avoid, for example, I learned, I avoid asking kids after a break, you know, where did you go? You know, what'd you do?

Ana Torres: (05:04)
Right.

Fawn Nguyen: (05:04)
It's like, yeah, no, growing up, we went nowhere, did nothing.

Kamphet Pease: (05:09)
I was supposed to be married at the age of 16, so college was not supposed to be on my mind. I was almost prevented from finding my path just because of my gender. And so I go out of my way to make sure that my female students have these experiences.

Ana Torres: (05:29)
That's just some of what's ahead on Beyond My Years Now, I am a former fourth-grade bilingual teacher. I've been an educator for almost 30 years. I've served in both K–8 and higher education, including working as an assistant principal and a principal. I'm currently a biliteracy and multicultural specialist, and at the end of every single episode, I'm going to be joined by someone who is currently in the classroom. He is one of my favorite people. And on Beyond My Years, he'll serve as our Classroom Insider. Eric, I'm passing it to you.

Eric Cross: (06:07)
I'm Eric Cross, seventh-grade science teacher. I just finished my tenth year in the classroom and my fifth year as adjunct professor at the University of San Diego. And I'm excited to get some wisdom, knowledge, things that I can bring back to my classroom so that I can stay in the game as long as these people that you're talking to.

Ana Torres: (06:24)
And Eric, you're going to be joining me after every single conversation to kind of break it down and think about bringing this wisdom into the modern classroom. Tell me that you're super excited about that part.

Eric Cross: (06:38)
I am, and I want to take the kind of the voice where I think of myself as the practicing teacher, and I want to come in with my own wonderings because I think a lot of the people who are listening are active teachers, and they're gonna be wondering, "Hey, what can I get out of this? How can I apply this?" We're all siloed in our classroom for so long. The magic that you do happens in front of your kids, but few people get to see it. And in this podcast that you're spearheading, you're lifting up educators who oftentimes aren't really visible, or the magic that happens doesn't really get seen by others. And you're also helping to demystify kind of what happens behind the scenes for how did you get there. And that's something that I really appreciate about what you're doing and about what this podcast is about.

Ana Torres: (07:19)
A teaching certification program that I went to, went through, right? Didn't exactly teach me how to control my, you know, how to have good classroom management, how to do an effective lesson plan, how to really pivot in a classroom

Eric Cross: (07:33)
Like the most important parts of teaching, right?

Ana Torres: (07:35)
Right. Like the, like how do the mentors—.

Eric Cross: (07:37)
They left all that out.

Ana Torres: (07:38)
Yeah. Like, I didn't necessarily feel as equipped to do that, but I tell you, those times that I spent with my mentor or teacher, really going through those components really were helpful.

Eric Cross: (07:51)
As lifelong learners, as educators, it's built into our profession and our DNA to want to be mentored. But there's a shrinking population of those people, like there's so much change happening, we don't have a lot of those veterans. And the ones that we do have, they're not always accessible. And that's one of the reasons why I'm really excited about this podcast is because you are making them accessible for all of us.

Ana Torres: (08:11)
So how are you feeling about this? 'Cause I can honestly tell you, I'm so stoked. I'm super excited for folks to hear from these amazing teachers.

Eric Cross: (08:24)
I'm excited too. I wanna be in education for another 10 years at least so I can be on your podcast and you could interview me.

Ana Torres: (08:32)
It's a date, Eric. It's a date. [laughs]

Eric Cross: (08:33)
Yeah, yeah. We'll check in, when? 2034? Oh gosh. We'll put it on our calendar.

Ana Torres: (08:41)
Meanwhile, I have some great news for ya, Eric. Episode One of Beyond My Years is already in folks' podcast feeds. It features an incredibly special educator who was a real-life inspiration for a hit TV show. Her name is Ms. Joyce Abbott, and she was actually the sixth-grade teacher of Quinta Brunson, who went on to create the Emmy-Award-winning series, "Abbott Elementary."

Joyce Abbott: (09:10)
The success of the show is like, wow. I mean, I'm just so proud of her because she went out with a dream and she kept her eyes toward the prize.

Ana Torres: (09:23)
Do you see yourself in the show at all? Do you relate to Sheryl Lee Ralph's character?

Joyce Abbott: (09:29)
Yes, I do. I do. But I dealt with older students and she has younger students, but the veteran teacher, the firmness, you know, yet funny, yet kind, but firm. Yeah. [laughs]

Ana Torres: (09:41)
So that episode is already in the Beyond My Years podcast feed. Go listen and subscribe now, and thank you, my Classroom Insider, love to hear your perspective on all things teaching. Thanks, Eric.

Eric Cross: (09:58)
It's always good talking to you too.

Ana Torres: (10:00)
And listeners, now you know a little bit more about Beyond My Years. I, for one, am super excited about hosting this podcast that's all about uplifting educators, showcasing their successes, and celebrating the teaching profession. I know that this job can be really challenging, and I know that there may be days when you don't feel heard, but this show will be a place for you to feel seen and supported, and to pick up some strategies to help you on your own journey to becoming a legendary educator. I can't wait to take this journey together. I am Ana Torres. Thank you so much for listening.