5 Education Podcasts for Teachers
- The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd
- Early Childhood Research Podcast
- Brains On!
- K-12 Greatest Hits
- Truth for Teachers
Some teachers might feel like they don’t have time for one more education-related task, but podcasts for elementary school teachers can actually be a great way for teachers to get tips on how to better handle some of the stresses of the teaching life from classroom management to burnout and more. There are some great kid-friendly podcasts that teachers can integrate into the classroom as well. Podcasts are easy to digest while commuting or doing some other task, and they can return huge benefits.
Related resource: Top 50 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education
1. The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd
With episodes generally around just 5 minutes long, this is a fast-paced, funny, multi-award-winning show that teaches kids about history as they follow the adventures of Dr. Floyd, Dr. Grant, and their robot C.H.I.P.S. The characters travel through time and encounter numerous historical figures along the way including Benjamin Franklin, Amelia Earhart, Cleopatra, and the Wright Brothers. Although it ceased production in 2010, it is still available, and there are hundreds of episodes to choose from. In addition to teaching kids about history, a great way to use it in the classroom with older elementary school kids is to have them work on creating a short episode of their own.
2. Early Childhood Research Podcast
With this podcast, elementary school teachers can keep up with all the latest research on early childhood education and development. Teachers, researchers, and parents tackle topics such as classroom management, early intervention for dyslexia, dealing with bullying and school readiness. The accompanying blog, Liz’s Early Learning Spot, includes notes about each episode as well as other resources.
3. Brains On!
This is another great and award-winning podcast that elementary school teachers can use in the classroom with kids. Brains On! is a science podcast produced by American Public Media that is designed to encourage curiosity in children. One of its features is the opportunity to submit questions from kids along with a regular “mystery sounds” feature of kid-submitted noises. Episode topics have included the International Space Station, how animals breathe underwater, robots and how animals regrow limbs.
4. K-12 Greatest Hits
Hosted by executive directors of some of the leading educational organizations in the field including the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Head Start Association and the National Association of Elementary School Principles, this podcast for teachers addresses some of the main issues facing educators, administrators and parents today in educating kids. Topics have included the role of testing in the classroom, teaching creativity, classroom management tips, how to manage with limited resources, staying motivated and more.
5. Truth for Teachers
One of the top K-12 podcasts on iTunes, Truth for Teachers deals with issues in the K-12 classroom and aims to inspired and empower teachers. Topics range from working more efficiently to interventions that steer kids away from the school-to-prison pipeline to prepping for substitutes, dealing with anxiety, working in high poverty classrooms and more.
These are only a few of the many education podcasts available. Teachers may want to seek out others as well depending on their particular areas of interest and concern. Podcasts for elementary school teachers can enhance a teacher’s performance, educate them about the latest research, give them great ideas for use in the classroom and above all, offer inspiration and support.
