¿Cómo se hacen amigos de todo tipo?

¿Cómo se hacen amigos de todo tipo?

En el episodio de esta semana, nos acompaña Natalie Brewster, una dedicada educadora de la primera infancia y la visionaria fundadora de All Kinds of Friends. Natalie tiene la misión de cerrar la creciente brecha entre los niños neurotípicos y aquellos con necesidades especiales, fomentando la inclusión a través de su cuaderno de trabajo interactivo, Different Kinds of Friends, y su conmovedor libro de cuentos, My Friend Cullen. Inspirada por su propio hijo, Cullen, Natalie comparte cómo está transformando las aulas en espacios donde las diferencias de comunicación y las emociones intensas se reciben con comprensión en lugar de reticencia. Exploramos su trayectoria en la creación de una comunidad dedicada a educar a familias y maestros sobre cómo ayudar a cada niño, independientemente de cómo experimente el mundo, a sentirse visto, valorado y plenamente incluido. La conversación toma un giro profundamente personal cuando Natalie ofrece un emotivo testimonio sobre el momento en que supo que Cullen podría tener síndrome de Down, brindando un poderoso mensaje de esperanza para cualquier madre que enfrente la incertidumbre de un nuevo diagnóstico. Nos adentramos en los "hermosos momentos de comprensión" que Natalie ha presenciado en el aula, incluyendo la conmovedora historia de una niña de preescolar que acogió a Cullen bajo su protección, creando juntos un lenguaje y una forma única de jugar. Acompañado de una emotiva canción de Luke Combs, elegida especialmente para honrar el espíritu de Cullen, este episodio es un testimonio de la maravilla que las diferencias aportan a nuestras vidas. La historia de Natalie demuestra que, al abrir espacios para conversaciones sinceras, damos voz a quienes aún no la tienen, reemplazando el miedo con una profunda sensación de esperanza y pertenencia.

Señorita Amanda Jones

Señorita Amanda Jones

In this episode, we sit down with Amanda Jones, a native New Yorker and Harvard Graduate School of Education master’s candidate whose life is a vibrant tapestry of history, education, and hospitality. Amanda takes us through the high-stakes world of New York City education, reflecting on her four years in the classroom—including a remarkable year spent managing thirty kindergartners on her own. We transition from the classroom to the selective world of private school admissions, where Amanda offers a rare glimpse into the process, discussing how a "bad day" can alter a child's path and how equity remains a pressing challenge when traditional requirements inadvertently disqualify marginalized youth.

Central to Amanda’s intellectual journey is her groundbreaking research on The Brownies’ Book, the pioneering 1920s magazine launched by W.E.B. Du Bois, Augustus Granville Dill, and Jessie Redmon Fauset. As one of the only secondary sources on this historic periodical, Amanda’s thesis explores how the magazine used stories and poems to foster pride and self-respect in Black youth. She shares her exciting plans to expand this research into a book, ensuring that the legacy of the first magazine specifically designed for Black children continues to inspire future generations.

Beyond her academic achievements, Amanda shares the personal narratives that shaped her identity, from her parents' beautiful love story to her childhood at the iconic Waldorf Astoria. She paints a vivid picture of meeting children in the hotel lobby and leading them to the grand ballroom, a testament to her lifelong ability to build community. The conversation reaches a heartfelt crescendo as she discusses her father’s legacy in Black entrepreneurship, her mother’s unwavering trust, and a surprise tribute from her partner. From founding Harvard’s first color guard to her work at the Schomburg Center, Amanda embodies a leadership style grounded in history and soaring toward a future in museum education.

La tribu

La tribu

En este poderoso e íntimo episodio, nos sentamos con las integrantes de The Tribe, un grupo de mujeres visionarias de color que se han apoyado mutuamente durante dos intensos años de estudio en Harvard. A medida que se acerca la graduación, exploramos la profunda transición de un espacio de apoyo radical a un mundo profesional que a menudo se asemeja a los "programas arcaicos" que tanto nos hemos esforzado por transformar. The Tribe no era solo un grupo de estudio; era un santuario donde la identidad, la excelencia y la lucha compartida convergían. Ahora, mientras estas líderes se preparan para ingresar a sus respectivos campos —desde la reforma educativa hasta el liderazgo organizacional— se enfrentan a una pregunta desafiante: ¿Cómo nos desenvolvemos en espacios que no fueron creados para nosotras, sin la presencia diaria de las mujeres que nos apoyaron? Los puntos clave de la conversación incluyen: El poder del colectivo: Reflexionar sobre cómo la identidad compartida y el "trabajo de identidad" sirvieron como combustible para la resistencia académica y profesional. Regular la intensidad de la transición: Analizar el "choque generacional" de dejar una comunidad de gran apoyo para ingresar a estructuras profesionales tradicionales. El plan para el futuro: Cómo las lecciones aprendidas en la comunidad pueden combinarse como credenciales para construir nuevos espacios inclusivos en el ámbito laboral. Manteniendo las raíces: Estrategias para conservar el amor y la guía que brinda esta hermandad, incluso cuando la distancia —y las diferentes trayectorias profesionales— las separan. Acompáñanos en una conversación sincera y estratégica sobre liderazgo, resiliencia y la agridulce realidad de avanzar hacia el futuro honrando el vínculo que hizo posible este camino.

¿Qué ocurre cuando se recompensan los errores?

¿Qué ocurre cuando se recompensan los errores?

In this episode, we sit down with Jessica Gerson, a former math‑anxious student turned educator who refused to let the next generation suffer the same way she did. After years of trial, failure, and deep reflection in the classroom, Jessica built MathQuest—a math enrichment camp that looks nothing like a traditional tutoring center. Instead of rewarding speed, memorization, and perfect answers, MathQuest rewards slow thinking, resilience, mistakes, patterns, and sharing one's ideas. The secret sauce? Critical thinking, productive struggle, and play. Jessica transforms fractions and division into whimsical adventures involving wizards, healing potions, astro nuggets, and stranded astronauts. Children work together on open‑ended tasks that are just a little too hard for them, fail forward, laugh, and then celebrate their brave thinking in front of their families. What emerges is not just math fluency—but a child who believes, "I am someone who can do hard things." This is the story of how one woman turned her own childhood pit‑in‑her‑stomach into a treasure hunt for courage.

Reach out to Jessica, and she can share what she has done to engage Math learners experiencing Math Anxiety. 

love-of-learning  (Contact Information)

¡Estoy listo!

¡Estoy listo!

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Gabrielle Logan, a visionary educator and the founder of Beyond The Box Education (BTBE) in Barbados. Gabrielle’s journey from a traditional primary school teacher and behavior therapist to a disruptor in the educational space is a masterclass in leadership and resilience. After realizing that "troubled students" were often just students failed by an outdated system, she set out to build something entirely different.

Driven by a "go-getter" spirit that took her across North America to partner with the founders of Big Picture Learning, Gabrielle transformed a small learning center of eight students into the first Big Picture Learning school in the Eastern Caribbean. Today, BTBE serves over 70 students and has become a beacon for regional and international education reform.

Key highlights from our conversation include:

Breaking the Mold: How Gabrielle moved beyond "archaic programs" to create a school that prioritizes student motivation and inclusivity.

The Power of Systemic Change: Why the problem isn't the students, but the systems they are placed in, and how to build a mission-rooted charity to ensure no child is left behind.

Proven Results: A look at the "best practices" in action at BTBE—where high attendance rates and a genuine love for learning prove that when the environment changes, so do the outcomes.

Leading the Way: Gabrielle’s transition into leadership and teacher training, positioning BTBE as a global hub for innovative educational practices.

Join us as we explore how this mother of three and organizational powerhouse is convincing the world to leave the past behind and press forward into the future of education.  Check out the school at btbe.org!

¡Convirtiendo una historia en vida!

¡Convirtiendo una historia en vida!

n this episode of Amy’s Room, we are joined by Irene Berner, a woman who has mastered the art of rewriting her own narrative to build a life of impact and independence. As the founder of Berner Financial Services and a recent partner with Ivy Wealth Management, Irene’s professional credentials—including an MBA and specialized certifications as a CFP® and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst—are just one part of her story.The heart of our conversation explores Irene’s personal journey and how she leveraged her own experiences to fuel a deep passion for empowering other women. We dive into her mission of helping women demystify the world of finance, move past old stories of scarcity or confusion, and step into their own power to achieve true financial freedom.Irene doesn't just talk about endurance; she lives it. Whether she is completing the NYC Marathon, hiking the Grand Canyon for charity, or serving the New Paltz community, she brings a "marathon mindset" to everything she touches. Join us as we discuss how Irene turned her personal history into a roadmap for coaching, guiding, and helping women realize that it is never too late to design the life they want. If you need some life-changing financial information, Irene asks you to reach out. https://www.bernerfinancial.com/ book a meeting with her today!Highlights of the Interview:The Personal Pivot: How Irene turned her life story into a thriving career centered on service.Financial Empowerment: Why educating women is the key to community-wide independence.A Legacy of Leadership: Balancing a high-level financial career with being a doting grandmother and community pillar.

Permanecer.

Permanecer.

In this urgent and deeply personal episode of Amy's Room, we move beyond the geopolitical rhetoric and heartbreaking headlines emerging from the Middle East to focus on the people at the heart of it all.
With the recent escalation of attacks in the region, our guest, Joe Campana, joins us live from Beirut, Lebanon. Joe is an American educator who, for nearly eight years, has chosen to make his home in this vibrant, complex, and now embattled city. As the High School Principal at the American Community School of Beirut since 2017, his career has been a testament to the power of understanding culture—from editing the Encyclopedia of Multicultural America to chronicling life in Mumbai's Dharavi community. But today, we ask him a question that weighs heavily on many minds: Why stay?
We sit down with Joe to go beyond his professional title and speak with him as a person—an American living through a crisis far from his passport's origin. What does it mean to be an educator when the world outside your classroom is in turmoil? How does a principal support his students, his teachers, and his own family while navigating the uncertainty of a conflict zone? And for the Americans watching from afar, what is the reality for those who have built their lives there and are choosing to remain?
This is not a policy discussion. It is a human conversation about resilience, community, and the profound decision to stay and bear witness. Join us for a powerful look at the lives behind the news.
Why you need to listen: To hear the voice of an American on the ground, to understand the human reality behind the conflict, and to discover why, for some, staying is the only choice they can make.

La habitación de Amy

La habitación de Amy

As "Amy’s Room" celebrates its debut and marks the past two years of exploring learning beyond the classroom, the show continues to honor the profound idea that education is woven into the fabric of human experience. Hosted by educator and storyteller Amy White, each episode transforms the airwaves into an intentional, welcoming space for curiosity and authentic dialogue.  The show challenges traditional notions of where and how we learn, reminding us that knowledge is born from experience, struggle, joy, culture, and connection.

In a particularly powerful milestone episode, Amy sits down with Murshid Alam, a Rohingya youth who has survived profound atrocities and channeled his experience into creating the Rohingya Youth Union (RYU) leadership program. This interview, presented as part one of his story, serves as a potent example of the show’s mission: to witness the resilience of the human spirit and to learn from those whose lives are a testament to strength and purpose. As listeners pull up a chair to this special conversation, they are reminded that in Amy’s Room, everyone is both a teacher and a learner, and the lessons we share change how we see the world.