Amidon Planet

What does it take to move from providing separate spaces for people with disabilities to creating opportunities for them to participate in everyday community life? In this third episode of 45 Minutes , Keith and Natalie Yelinek reflect on changes in education and community opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Madison, Wisconsin. Their story follows the effor...

What happens when families need support and opportunities for their children, but few exist? In the early 1960s, Keith and Natalie Yelinek were navigating life with their daughter, Kristin, at a time when families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities had few resources and limited educational options. Finding support meant connecting with other families, learning from those...

In January 1962, Keith and Natalie Yelnick welcomed their daughter, Kristen, into the world. Soon, they were faced with a decision that would shape their family’s life for decades to come. In this first episode of 45 Minutes , Keith and Natalie begin sharing their story of raising a daughter with a developmental disability at a time when educational opportunities and community services for individ...

In this episode, I talk with Adam Ramirez from Teacher Guard about the challenges educators are facing and what it means to genuinely support the people doing the work of teaching. We explore Adam's work with Teacher Guard, what he's hearing from teachers and schools, and the ways we might rethink how we protect, support, and empower educators. Along the way, we consider the difference bet...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. David Coffey, from Grand Valley State University, about Stephen King's  On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft  and what a book about becoming a better writer can teach us about becoming better teachers. While King is writing about the work of a writer, many of the lessons in  On Writing  invite us to think differently about teaching as something we continually deve...

In this episode, I talk with Charlie Van Norman and Devin Santiago, from MathBreakers , a video game designed around curiosity, creativity, and mathematical thinking. Rather than asking players to memorize procedures or answer endless practice questions, MathBreakers invites them to experiment, solve problems, and discover how mathematics shapes the world around them. Together, we discuss what mak...

What happens when some of the most significant parts of a person's teaching and learning experience remain unseen? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Amanda Goodwin about her dissertation, INVISIBLE: An Autoethnographic Study of Teaching and Learning with Physical Disabilities and Neurodivergence . Through the lens of her own lived experience, Amanda explores how invisible disabilities and neuro...

Coming this fall on Amidon Planet . In 1962, Keith and Natalie Yelnick were given 45 minutes to make a decision about their newborn daughter, Kristin, who was born with a developmental disability. What followed was not only a family story, but a story of social change. Over the next six decades, Keith and Natalie witnessed—and helped shape—the evolution of educational opportunities, community incl...

What does it mean to become more fully yourself? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jeremiah Sims about his new book,  Finding the Beautiful Path: On Blackness, Multidimensionality, and Radical Becoming . Through personal reflection, scholarship, and storytelling, Jeremiah invites readers to consider identity not as something fixed, but as something continually unfolding. Our conversation explores t...

What if puzzles were about more than finding answers? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jeff Wanko, Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences at Bradley University, about how puzzles create opportunities for both community and reasoning. While puzzles are often viewed as individual challenges, Jeff shares how they can become powerful experiences that bring people together around curiosit...

Cynicism can feel like protection—especially for educators, leaders, and anyone who has experienced disappointment or burnout. But what if cynicism slowly distances us from the very relationships and possibilities we need most? In this episode, Dr. Gary Williams interviews Joel Amidon about the book Hope for Cynics by Jamil Zaki and the challenge of remaining hopeful in a world that often rewards...

Students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties often struggle with multisyllabic words—but explicit instruction in morphology can make a meaningful difference. In this episode, I talk with Amy Jackson and Kristi Livingston about their article DE+CON+STRUCT+ED: A Guide to Explicit Morphology Intervention and the role morphology plays in helping students both decode and understand complex wor...

Many educators and leaders carry powerful ideas, but sharing those ideas clearly and meaningfully can be challenging. In this episode, Dr. Marvin King, Associate Professor of Political Science & African American Studies at the University of Mississippi, and I talk about the book TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson and what it reveals about communicating ideas...

How can mathematics connect meaningfully to the culture and communities students live in? In this episode we are learning to teach better with Dr. Siddhi Soni and Alyssa Harbin as we discuss their article, Barn Quilts Ethnomodeling Task , found in Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12. The task is a mathematics experience that connects geometric thinking with cultural traditions found i...

It’s easy to feel like we have to manage everything - our students, our colleagues, our classrooms, our kids, and sometimes even how others think or respond. But what if some of that weight isn’t actually ours to carry? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Gary Williams about The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and the simple but powerful idea behind it: letting people be who they are, while focusing o...

What if mathematics education were about more than solving problems or passing tests? What if it were part of helping people live fuller, richer lives? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Francis Su about his book Mathematics for Human Flourishing and the deeper purposes of learning (and teaching) mathematics. Drawing on philosophy, lived experience, and years of teaching mathematics, Francis invites...

AI tools are showing up everywhere in education, but most teachers don’t have the time to experiment with every new platform that promises transformation. In this episode, I talk with Ken Rafanan about his work co-hosting  TERC Tech Talks , a video podcast series that tests AI tools so educators don’t have to. We explore what happens when you move from reacting to AI hype to actually putting tools...

Learning to teach better means rethinking some of the practices we’ve inherited - including grammar instruction. For many of us, grammar carries a reputation for red ink, rigid rules, and student shutdown. But what if grammar could actually strengthen voice and clarity instead of suppressing it? In this conversation, I talk with Patty McGee about her book,  Not Your Granny’s Grammar :  An Innovati...

Learning to teach better with the ProgressED Pathways Team—Sarah DiMaria, Carlee Madis, and Sheila Orr. These math educators and Knowles Senior Fellows share how their collaboration fuels progressive STEM instruction and they share the supports they’ve created to help teachers grow. This is a lively conversation full of insight, practical ideas, and inspiration for any educator. Plus the Album of...

Learning to teach better with Dr. Zandra De Araujo (University of Florida), Sam Otten (University of Missouri), and Amber Candela (University of Missouri - St. Louis) as they share their work around incremental change in the mathematics classroom through Instructional Nudges in Practice-Driven Professional Development. Plus the Movie of the Episode,  Hoosiers . Show notes can be found at amidonpla...

Learning to teach better with Dr. JJ Peterson in his return to Amidon Planet to talk about the power of love, joy, and clear communication in leadership and life. In this wide-ranging conversation, JJ reflects on lessons from C.S. Lewis, the importance of leading with heart, and how clarity in messaging can transform the way we connect, serve, and teach others. We also dive into his new podcast, B...

Learning to teach better as I consider book,  Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise  by Horst Shulze, cofounder and former president of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. Plus, some mailbag responses and the Album of the Episode, Guns and Roses’s  Appetite for Destruction . Show notes can be found at https://amidonplanet.com/episode133/

Learning to teach better as Joel shares an extended, uncut version of his University of Wisconsin Rugby Club Hall of Fame reflections. From rucks and scrums to the classroom, Joel explores how the lessons from great coaches and a great game continue to shape the way he teaches and learns. Show notes for the episode can be found at amidonplanet.com/episode132

Learning to teach better with Dr. Leah Tiisler as she shares her dissertation research on how board and card games can help kindergarten students build math confidence and prevent early struggles with learning. Plus the Album of the Episode, Nebraska  by Bruce Springsteen. Show notes for the episode can be found at amidonplanet.com/episode131

Learning to teach better with Dr. Nicole Roberson, Instructor in Secondary Science Education and Director of the AP STEM Access Program at the University of Mississippi, as we discuss her journey from research to real-world impact. Nicole’s dissertation, Exploring the Relationship Between Mentoring by Subject Matter Experts and Teacher Self-Efficacy, grew out of her desire to solve a real problem—...