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 become a teacher, about learning to be calm and reflect, and about how she thinks about her legacy as an educator. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Ana and Classroom Insider Eric Cross discuss creating a teacher network, building buy-in, and student-designed projects.

Show notes:

• Connect with A. Simone McQuaige
  • Listen: Hear McQuaige’s advice on the Science of Reading
  • Listen to McQuaige and the rest of the Star Award winners on Science of Reading: The Podcast
  • LinkedIn: Simone McQuaige
  • X: @simone_mcquaige @PGCPSK5RELA
• Subscribe to Beyond My Years https://amplify.com/beyond-my-years
• Follow us on Instagram @amplify.education
• Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/
• Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/

Quotes:
“There are a lot of lessons to be learned from ‘back in the day’. It doesn't mean we always had it right. We were learning along the way and we recognize that our students are not the same students that were sitting in front of us ‘back in the day.’” —A. Simone McQuaige

“Seasoned teachers are often looked at as the ones with all the answers, and they may not truly have all the answers, but they've lived experiences that I think a lot of new teachers could learn from.” —A. Simone McQuaige

“When you look at a lot of the seasoned teachers who've been in the profession for quite some time, there's a calmness about them. And you work effectively when you're in that calm space.” —A. Simone McQuaige

“One of the things that I've learned over the years is you cannot make change by yourself.” —A. Simone McQuaige