IEU Career Corner: Some informative, fun education podcasts
Where can educators turn when they need something from left-field for an insight - or a laugh?
Well, because you are an overworked teacher, the answer is podcasts, which you can listen to while undertaking other tasks. Here’s some we prepared earlier!
PRACTICAL HINTS
10-Minute Teacher Podcast (US)
Punchy, on-point advice from author and teacher Vicki Davis on topics like battling burnout, tech tools and digital literacy, and helping struggling readers. Vicki believes the time it takes for quick gulp of coffee is ‘all you need to squeeze in some quality professional development’. Host and guests don’t waste a word, making this show ideal for a listen on your commute, especially since they drop two episodes per week. The website features heaps of great information on 20 prime educational trends.
Episode example: The Eliza Effect (an AI pedagogical minefield)
WELLBEING
The Wagtail Institute
Director Megan Corcoran is an ex-teacher and IEU member who we profiled in edition two of our national IE journal this year. She offers ‘trauma-informed wellbeing consulting’ for teachers and schools, and the excellent Wag Tales podcast, which engages all manner of innovative educators. Megan, a veteran of teaching young people who have experienced trauma and significant disadvantage, believes in the power of great conversations as a way to learn, and her trauma-aware practice is all about healing. It makes the podcast energising listening.
Episode example: Jen Willis, life lessons from climbing Mount Everest with MS (and the metaphorical mountains that followed).
HUMOUR
Two Mr. Ps in a Pod(cast)
Two British teachers – and brothers – share tales from the classroom. Not all of the stories are uproarious, but you won’t care because ‘Mr P’ and ‘Mr P’s brother’ are natural storytellers who can waffle on about things like camping trips (where they’ve brought more sandwiches than sleeping gear) and make it a fun listen. The P’s are down to earth, glass-half-full gents who can make every day happenings fun, always a welcome gift for the overworked.
Episode example: To Not Surround Yourself With Birds If You Have a Bird Phobia.
Crying in My Car: A Podcast for Teachers
This is an American teacher/comedy offering, from the Bored Teachers podcast network. Hosts Devin Seabold and James Yon discuss colleges giving social media influencers scholarships; the unofficial teacher holiday Lamination Day; and because it’s from the US of A, debates over the banning of books in school libraries. They’re genial and wry, rather than hilarious, but the topics are often nuts – and real.
Episode example: Tears of Space Ice Cream