Beyond My Years

Jan 22 2025 15 ep. 37 mins 15
Beyond My Years Podcast artwork

Host Ana Torres knows firsthand how hard it is to be a teacher. That's why on Beyond My Years, she seeks out the people who have thrived over decades in the classroom: seasoned educators.  You'll hear stories that make you cry, make you laugh... and may change the way you think.

  Society & Culture
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Building an education network to make change, starring A. Simone McQuaige

Jan 22 2025 49 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres absorbs wisdom from A. Simone McQuaige, winner of Amplify's Science of Reading Changemaker Star Award in 2024. Simone teaches Ana about what it takes to support wider change across an entire district, and about the common traits she sees in all seasoned educators. She also shares stories about how her mother tried to convince her not to bec

Your starter pack to mentorship, starring Serena Klosa

Jan 08 2025 49 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres gets wisdom from Serena Klosa, an educator with 37 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and now deputy chief of schools. Serena discusses what it takes to be a good mentor and to be mentored by others—stressing the humility it requires and the strength it creates. She also shares stories of the “Queens of the Third Floor” and

The best of Beyond My Years (so far!)

Dec 19 2024 3 mins  
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 AppleSubscribe to Beyond My Years on SpotifyListen to Beyond My Years via web browser

Advancing together as educators, starring LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D.

Dec 03 2024 46 mins  
On this episode of Beyond My Years, Ana Torres picks up every nugget of wisdom she can learn from LaTonya M. Goffney, Ed.D., superintendent of schools for the Aldine Independent School District in Texas. LaTonya shares her journey through many different roles in education before she ended up in an educational leadership role. She stresses the importance of building a teaching commu

Teaching takes trust, starring Luz Selenia Muñoz

Nov 19 2024 49 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres walks alongside Luz Selenia Muñoz as she retraces the path that led her from planning to become a psychologist in Puerto Rico to living in Chicago as a veteran bilingual teacher with 20 years under her belt. Luz shares how finding her happy place in second grade took time, describing how she quickly learned that teaching upper elementary w

Para enseñar se necesita confianza, con Luz Selenia Muñoz

Nov 19 2024 14 mins  
En este episodio especial de Beyond My Years, Ana tiene el placer de hablar con Luz Selenia Muñoz en español, su idioma de origen. Luz ha sido maestra por 20 años, en dos países diferentes y en dos idiomas distintos. Con toda esa experiencia, Luz comparte las lecciones que le han parecido trascendentes para todos los estudiantes y todas las escuelas, como la importancia de crea

Teaching takes joy, starring Rebecka Peterson

Nov 05 2024 49 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres delves into the wisdom offered by Rebecka Peterson, an educator whose journey began much like Ana’s: as a young immigrant to the United States. Rebecka shares all that she has come to love and appreciate about the K–12 environment after a tough transition from teaching college-level courses. She also reveals her most important lesson le

Teaching is advocacy, starring Missy Testerman

Oct 22 2024 48 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres learns from the best, sitting down with 2024’s National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman. Missy talks about always being open to new ideas and perspectives, offers tips on building relationships with families, and discusses the importance of slowing down. She also shares the story of being the “bossy” kid in the classroom, because

Teaching is listening, starring Patti and Rod Lloyd

Oct 08 2024 47 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres takes you to the northernmost region of Alaska to sit down with Patti and Rod Lloyd. Patti and Rod are longtime educators in a rural school district where caribou outnumber people, the village is only accessible by plane, and the indigenous culture of the Iñupiat people goes back 10,000 years. They teach Ana about how they make the content

Teaching with determination, starring Khamphet Pease

Sep 24 2024 49 mins  
Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres learns all she can learn from the life stories and lessons of Khamphet Pease. While other teenagers might have been sneaking around to go to late night scary movies, Khamphet was applying for scholarships and submitting college applications. As a refugee from Laos, Khamphet shares the difficulty she experienced navigating a home culture tha