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

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

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📚 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!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

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!"

Get your FREE Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gateway lesson: shop.bravenewteaching.com/cloudy
Check out Curriculum Rehab here!

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