I used to listen to NPR all the time, but in recent years the political discord just got to be more than I could handle on a daily basis, so I turned to podcasts. I love listening to podcasts while I am driving, folding laundry or meal prepping. Due to their length and self-contained nature, they fit so smoothly into my life. So today I am sharing seven of my favorite podcasts for English teachers.
I have shared a little something for everyone on this list: some reading podcasts, a feel good podcast and some teacher podcasts. So I hope that you will check one or two of them out. And if you are looking for other summer PD, be sure to check out 6 Books by English Teachers for English Teachers.
7 Podcasts for High School English Teachers
What Should I Read Next (Anne Bogel)
It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that this podcast saved my reading life. A story that I often share is how I had really lost enthusiasm for reading for a few years. I still wanted to love reading but I just wasn’t finding books that were engaging and exciting that is until I discovered the What Should I Read Next Podcast. This weekly podcast features a guest reader with whom Anne talks books. Then she concludes with what she calls literary matchmaking. Every book that I have read because I heard about it on WSIRN has been a winner.
The Read-Aloud Revival (Sarah Mackenzie)
I started listening to this podcast after I read Sarah Mackenzie’s book The Read Aloud Family. I love to get helpful insights into great books for reading aloud and even teaching ideas. Sarah Mackenzie is a homeschool mom, so sometimes her focus is a little different from that of public school teachers, but it is worth listening to even if you don’t listen every time. She often offers helpful tidbits that can be translated into the high school English classroom. And I love to use picture books (which she talks about often) for teaching figurative language, the Hero’s Journey, inferencing skills and more, do it is always good to hear about new ones.
And, if you’re a parent who wants to instill a love of reading in your own children, this is a MUST listen.
A Bit of Optimism (Simon Senek)
I first learned about Simon Sinek when I read his amazing business book called The Infinite Game (which has so many applications to education as well). I was hungry for more from Sinek so I went in search of additional material from him. Each week, Sinek hosts a guest on his podcast and they discuss the optimistic side of life. Topics range from gratitude to courage to service and more. Guests have included Maria Shriver, Angela Duckworth and even Sinek’s sister. I often find myself wanting to quote something I heard on this podcast. This is one of the great podcasts for English teachers because it is one you can use for yourself or with your students.
Simple Systems with Sam (Samantha Holcomb)
Samantha Holcomb is a high school science teacher who comes to education from the engineering field. Her podcasts are short (usually under 15 minutes) and PACKED with helpful tips for systematizing your life both inside the classroom and out. She give helpful ideas about how to organize your classroom, your lessons and your calendar. Sam will have you rethinking your systems and helping your build new ones.
The Spark Creativity Podcast (Betsy Potash)
This one is a podcast for English teachers by an English teacher. Besty Potash shares ideas to keep your English classroom fresh. Sometimes she has guests, other times it is just her, but there is always something that you can take today and use tomorrow (or the next time you will actually be in the classroom). Potash is all about being creative and keeping kids engaged. The length of this podcast is totally dependent on topic: sometimes it is less than 15 minutes and other times it runs about 45 minutes.
Heinemann Podcast (Heinemann Publishers)
Heinemann is book publisher who focuses on books for educators, so this a a podcast for teaching, but not just teaching English. While the goal of this podcast is to “push” their books, there are often great ideas that their authors share on the podcast. I do not listen to this podcast every week because the topics are not always geared at English or at high school (although sometimes I still listen to the ones focus on the littles because those elementary teachers have great ideas that with some adaptations can be brought up to our big kids). It is worth checking and the back episodes are worth putting in your queue. I especially enjoyed Episode 22: Between the Commas.
Poetry Unbound (On Being)
These are short episodes, about 15 minutes, each focusing on a single poem. I binged the fifth season in which Pádraig Ó Tuama does close readings of contemporary poems. It’s just brilliant. Each episode does exactly what we wish our students would do when taking a deep dive into a poem or short prose passage. He discusses the overarching meaning and then gets into the nuance of diction, sound and structure. You can use this podcast for your own growth or with students.
Binge Worthy Podcasts for English Teachers
So as the summer approaches, take some time to listen to these binge worth podcasts for English Teachers. Each series taps into the things that make English teachers English teachers: a love of reading, words and creativity. If you listen to any of these or find other podcasts you think I should check out, let me know in the comments.
These podcasts are for new teachers and seasoned teachers alike. So go ahead and check out some of these podcasts for English Teachers.
Podcasts for English Teachers: Related Resources
6 Books by English Teachers for English Teachers
5 Powerful Ways to Organize You AP Curriculum Map
Three Podcasts the Work in High School English Language Arts (A Better Way to Teach)
