Amidon Planet

Joel Amidon
  • 4.9 (20)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

Amidon Planet is all about learning how to teach better. Each episode, Joel Amidon, PhD, will explore ideas from books, interviews, movies, other podcasts, etc. and apply those ideas to teaching better. The ultimate goal being to lead people to love others through teaching.

  1. 6d ago

    Something Out of Nothing | 45 Minutes, E2

    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 willing to help, and working together to create possibilities that had not existed before. In Episode 2 of 45 Minutes, Keith and Natalie reflect on the people and organizations that helped them find their footing. We hear how local advocacy began gaining attention, how the community and the Kennedy family helped bring visibility to these efforts, and how parents and advocates began working toward better opportunities for children with disabilities. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Alice Udvari-Solner and Joel Amidon offer historical context and reflections on the people and efforts that helped move this work forward. A note about language: This episode includes historical language used to describe people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that is offensive and unacceptable today. We include these words because they were part of Keith and Natalie’s experience in 1962 and help us understand the attitudes and systems they encountered. They do not reflect the language or views of the producers of this series. 45 Minutes is a five-part Amidon Planet special series about a family’s story of advocacy, education, and the ongoing work of inclusion. Listen on the Amidon Planet podcast feed, and find supporting materials for the series at amidonplanet.com/45minutes⁠.

    Something Out of Nothing | 45 Minutes, E2

  2. Oct 8

    The 45 Minute Decision | 45 Minutes, E1

    In January 1962, Keith and Natalie Yelinek welcomed their daughter, Kristin, 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 individuals with disabilities were limited; and when families were often given little guidance or support. Their story begins with a 45-minute decision in a hospital room. From there, it becomes a story about family, relationships, advocacy, and the people who helped create possibilities where very few existed. Joel Amidon and Dr. Alice Udvari-Solner provide context and reflection throughout the conversation, helping place Keith and Natalie’s experiences within the larger history of education and services for individuals with disabilities. A note about language: This episode includes historical language used to describe people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that is offensive and unacceptable today. We include these words because they were part of Keith and Natalie’s experience in 1962 and help us understand the attitudes and systems they encountered. They do not reflect the language or views of the producers of this series. 45 Minutes is a five-part Amidon Planet special series about a family’s story of advocacy, education, and the ongoing work of inclusion. Supporting materials for the series can be found at amidonplanet.com/45minutes.

    The 45 Minute Decision | 45 Minutes, E1

  3. Sep 10

    E150: Supporting the People Who Teach (w/ Adam Ramirez)

    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 between simply asking teachers to be resilient and actually creating the conditions in which teachers can thrive. This conversation is an invitation to look beyond the individual teacher and consider the systems, relationships, and resources that shape the experience of teaching. If you care about teachers—and about creating schools where teachers and students can thrive—this conversation offers plenty to think about. Show notes can be found at amidonplanet.com/episode150

    E150: Supporting the People Who Teach (w/ Adam Ramirez)

  4. Aug 20

    E149: What Stephen King Can Teach Us About the Craft of Teaching (w/ David Coffey)

    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 develop rather than something we simply master. What does it mean to approach teaching as a craft? How do we learn from revision? And how might we become more intentional about getting better over time? Whether you've read On Writing or not, this conversation offers an invitation to reflect on your own practice and the ongoing work of learning to teach better. Show notes for the episode can be found at amidonplanet.com/episode149.

    E149: What Stephen King Can Teach Us About the Craft of Teaching (w/ David Coffey)

  5. Aug 6

    E148: Can a Video Game Change How We Think About Math? (w/ Charlie Van Norman and Devin Santiago)

    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 makes an educational game truly engaging, how thoughtful game design can foster reasoning and exploration, and why play is an essential part of meaningful learning. Whether you're a teacher looking for new ways to engage students, a parent curious about educational games, or simply someone who enjoys thinking about learning differently, this conversation offers an inspiring look at the intersection of mathematics, technology, and imagination. Show notes for the episode can be found at amidonplanet.com/episdoe148

    E148: Can a Video Game Change How We Think About Math? (w/ Charlie Van Norman and Devin Santiago)

  6. Jul 23

    E147: Making the Invisible Visible: Teaching, Disability, and Neurodivergence (w/ Amanda Goodwin)

    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 neurodivergence shape teaching, learning, relationships, and professional life. We discuss why personal narratives matter in educational research, how autoethnography helps us understand experiences that are often overlooked, and what educators can do to create classrooms and workplaces that are more accessible, compassionate, and responsive. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, question our assumptions, and recognize that every classroom includes experiences we cannot fully see. By listening carefully and leading with curiosity, we can create learning communities where people feel understood, valued, and supported.

    E147: Making the Invisible Visible: Teaching, Disability, and Neurodivergence (w/ Amanda Goodwin)

  7. Jul 2

    Introducing "45 Minutes: A Family’s Story of Advocacy, Education, and the Ongoing Work of Inclusion" an Amidon Planet Special Series

    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 inclusion, and support services for individuals with disabilities. Their experiences offer a unique window into how families, educators, advocates, and policymakers worked together to create opportunities that simply did not exist when Kristin was born. In this special five-part series, host Joel Amidon and educator Dr. Alice Udvari-Solner share a recorded conversation with Keith and Natalie, weaving in historical context, personal reflections, and lessons that still matter today. 45 Minutes is a story about family, advocacy, education, and the ongoing work of inclusion. The series begins this fall. Subscribe to Amidon Planet wherever you get your podcasts so this series will appear automatically in your feed when they are released. Learn more and find supporting materials at amidonplanet.com/45minutes.

    Introducing "45 Minutes: A Family’s Story of Advocacy, Education, and the Ongoing Work of Inclusion" an Amidon Planet Special Series

  8. Jun 18

    E146: Finding the Beautiful Path: Identity, Becoming, and Human Possibility (w/ Jeremiah Sims)

    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 the power of multidimensionality, the limitations of reducing people to a single story, and the ways Blackness offers insight into broader questions of humanity, belonging, and growth. We also discuss the idea of radical becoming—the ongoing process of imagining and moving toward new possibilities for ourselves and our communities. If you've ever wrestled with questions of identity, purpose, or what it means to grow beyond expectations, this conversation offers both challenge and hope.  Plus, the Physical Media of the Episode, The Greatest Showman soundtrack on vinyl! Show notes can be found at amidonplanet.com/episode146/

    E146: Finding the Beautiful Path: Identity, Becoming, and Human Possibility (w/ Jeremiah Sims)
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4.9
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About

Amidon Planet is all about learning how to teach better. Each episode, Joel Amidon, PhD, will explore ideas from books, interviews, movies, other podcasts, etc. and apply those ideas to teaching better. The ultimate goal being to lead people to love others through teaching.

Information

  • Creator
    Joel Amidon
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    161
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joel Amidon
  • Show Website
    Amidon Planet