
Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers Pardon us - STOP Meeting Students Where They Are?!?! - BNT Team Meeting [Ep 288]
Mar 5, 2026
A lively conversation reacting to a provocative Atlantic article about whether teachers should 'meet students where they are.' They parse media hype, argue for cross-level collaboration, and discuss planning that starts with students. PLUS classroom and library project highlights like a picture-book bracket, Monarch voting, theater productions, and student-led costuming.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Headline Intentionally Provokes To Prompt Reflection
- The Atlantic headline Stop Meeting Students Where They Are is intentionally provocative to spark reflection on lowering expectations.
- Amanda and Marie explain the article actually urges meeting students where they are and then raising rigor, not staying put, which reframes the debate.
Start With Students Then Raise The Bar
- Meeting students where they are should not mean lowering standards; it should be the starting point to bring students up.
- Both hosts admit they sometimes overcorrect and need to intentionally ramp up rigor in places after reflecting on practice.
Articles Raise Alarms Without Classroom Solutions
- Media pieces from higher-ed authors can feel alarmist without offering practical solutions for K–12 teachers.
- Marie and Amanda want follow-up conversations and collaborative problem solving rather than clickbait condemnation.









