I love listening to podcasts. Like most teachers, I rarely have as much time as I would like to read, and podcasts let me learn new things while I’m doing something else like commuting, cleaning my house, or making dinner. With so many podcasts available, it can be hard to know which ones are really worth your time. Here are my 12 favorite podcasts for teachers.
Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
Jennifer Gonzalez, a former middle school teacher, hosts this podcast as part of her popular blog on teaching strategies, education reform, and ed tech. Recent episodes include “How to Approach Your Teaching Like a Master Chef,” and “Creating a Welcoming Classroom for Special Ed Students.”EdSurge On Air
Co-hosted by EdSurge’s Mary Jo Madda and Jeff Young, this podcast has brought the likes of Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton, Los Angeles Unified School District’s John Deasy, and author Paul Tough — to name a few — into the EdSurge recording booth to discuss the in’s and out’s of ed tech.The Codpast
The Codpast is my favorite podcast for students and adults with dyslexia. It has up-to-the-minute news and views on technology, study skills, employment, events, and entertainment.The Teach Better Podcast
Doug McKee, a senior lecturer at Cornell University, and Edward O’Neill, a freelance instructional designer, have been sitting down to talk teaching since 2015. They update the show “fortnightly,” and past episodes have covered why professors should ditch PowerPoint and how a group of high school students used a John Madden video game to teach math. “It’s really teaching and learning, and technology comes up when it’s relevant,” explains O’Neill in an e-mail interview.#EdChat Radio
#EdChat Radio is a ten-minute show that highlights conversations from the weekly #edchat Twitter chat topic. The weekly hosts invite a few powerful conversationalists from the week’s chat to reflect and share. This is a great show for those building their personal learning network (PLN) or who don’t have time to participate in the weekly chat.Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers
At a quick ten minutes per episode, posted every Sunday, Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers is designed to speak life, encouragement, and truth into the minds and hearts of educators — and to get teachers and educators energized for the week ahead.The Bedley Brothers
The Bedley Brothers, Scott and Tim, are teacher-of-the-year brothers from California who live and breathe teaching and learning. They interview high-profile guests in 30-plus-minute shows, where they discuss a variety of topics, full of engaging anecdotes and practical information.Every Classroom Matters
Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly show that interviews teachers and professionals who have impactful practices for any classroom. Winner of Best Talk Show Host in Education, teacher and Edutopia blogger Vicki Davis leads a ten-minute conversation about a variety of best practices.Therapy and Learning Services
This podcast is valuable for all classroom teachers, but especially those who work with kids with learning disabilities. Hosted by speech language pathologist Jennifer Hatfield, the show is focused on improving communication skills, developing good study habits, and helping kids with special needs build confidence.Talks with Teachers
Talks with Teachers Edutopia community facilitator Brian Sztabnik invites teachers to chat about their stories and challenges, their learning and loves. It’s impossible to listen without getting a big shot of inspiration from the ideas offered by these positive teacher voices.Teachers Aid
Guests of the Teachers Aid podcast talk about the most practical classroom issues. Hosted by Rae Pica on the BAM! Radio Network, the episodes are quick-paced and usually feature more than one educator so you get different perspectives on the topic being discussed. Great topics include “Being There for Students When You’re Emotionally Unavailable,” “Overcoming Burnout,” and “5 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Teaching Students in Poverty.”K12 Greatest Hits
This podcast, also from BAM! Radio Network, pulls the best episodes from their huge collection of education podcasts. Teaching strategies, technology, thoughts on testing, classroom management — you name it and there’s probably a K12 Greatest Hits episode about it! You’ll get a little bit of everything with K12 Greatest Hits — start with bringing out the best in kids and keeping testing in perspective.
Did I miss your favorite education podcast? Do you have more recommendations? Let us know in the comments!
- Elizabeth Ross, M.A., SMARTS Media Manager
Sources:
Edutopia
Edsurge
The Cornerstone for Teachers