ABOUT THIS EPISODE
On this episode of Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres is joined by Gregory Trieste, a senior product specialist for STEM at Amplify, longtime disability rights advocate, and former educator with over 20 years of experience. Gregory explores why learning differences are assets—not deficits—and shares ways to reach every learner in your classroom. Drawing on his own experience as a student, Gregory explains why disengagement and acting out are often forms of self-protection. He also walks through a GPS analogy to illustrate why some students need to take the scenic route to arrive at understanding. Our Classroom Insider, middle school science teacher Eric Cross, then joins Ana to reflect on how fostering a classroom of exploration creates more opportunities for students to participate and why disengagement is a clue, not a conclusion.
Show notes:
- Learn more about Amplify Science.
- Learn more about Amplify Desmos Math.
- Connect with Greg Trieste on LinkedIn.
- Register for Greg’s upcoming webinar on Oct. 21.
- Learn more about upcoming Amplify events!
- Watch Student-centered math practices videos on YouTube.
- Join our Amplify learning community.
- Follow us on Instagram.
- Subscribe to Beyond My Years.
- Connect with Ana Torres.
- Connect with Eric Cross.
Quotes:
"It's almost never, 'I can't learn this.' It's almost always, 'I'm struggling to learn this way.'" —Gregory Trieste
"Nothing else matters if students are not engaged." —Gregory Trieste
"Make joy part of your decision matrix." —Gregory Trieste
"Treat disengagement as a clue, not a conclusion." —Eric Cross
"Allow students to be the authors in their learning." —Ana Torres
