I listen to podcasts during my daily commute. I enjoy mindless entertainment, topics that make me think, stories I can learn from, and so much more. There are SO MANY podcasts now a days that there is no shortage of something to listen to. In the past I have followed certain podcasts because of their celebrity hosts, or because they were rewatching and recapping a show I loved. Lately, I have been choosing a balance of old favorites and new opportunities for learning and growth. So much of what I share here is about my reading life (which I also do during my commute sometimes!), but I wanted to share something else about how I spend my time.

• 10 Things to Tell You by Laura Tremaine – This has been a favorite podcast of mine for years. So much so that I am a Patreon member in order to get extra content, and participate in Laura’s monthly book club and symposiums. I appreciate how Laura makes me think, reflect, and want to share my stuff with others.
• Currently Reading with Meredith Monday Schwartz and Katie Cobb – This has been my favorite reading podcast for a few years now, and I joined the Patreon community to support the hosts, who keep this podcast ad-free. I love the weekly format and have enjoyed MANY book recommendations from them. Each week both hosts share 3 books they have recently read and then they do a deep dive into some reading-adjacent topic. My TBR is FULL because of this podcast, but I can’t stop listening!
• We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and “Sister” Abby – I could listen to these three amazing humans talk about just about anything. They are so interesting, so honest, and so raw with their own lives, and challenging us to do the hard things, because we can. I have found new people to follow, new authors to read and learn from, and new topics to explore from the guests they interview and the way they share their learning. I also support their work through the non-profit they build, Together Rising.
• Think Twice: Michael Jackson with Leon Neyfakh and Jay Smooth – I heard about this podcast through my Laura Tremaine Patreon when we read the book Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma. I have struggled with my past love of Michael Jackson’s music and my disgust after watching the Neverland documentary. I banned myself from his music for years because of it. Listening to this podcast made me appreciate both the talent of Jackson and the depth of abuse he suffered growing up, making him a stunted and hurt man-child. It didn’t make me less disgusted with his behavior, but I was able to separate his art from his humanity a little more.
• The Learner-Centered Collaborative podcast with Katie Martin – Our district has been working with the Learner-Centered Collaborative, and I love the books written by both Katie Martin and her colleague Devin Vodicka and the work they have led with us. I love that each interview feels like a natural conversation, with an educator trying to make an impact on behalf of learners.
• What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel – Anne Bogel seems to have read every book ever published! Each week she has a guest on who shares 3 books they love, one book they didn’t love, and a little about their reading goals. Based on that, Anne provides them with 3 book recommendations to read next. I add so many books to my TBR based on her recommendations, when a guest is a similar reader to me.
• The Lazy Genius with Kendra Adachi – I learned about this podcast because Kendra is in a mastermind group with Laura Tremaine (see 10 Things above). I read Kendra’s first book, The Lazy Genius, and I enjoy dropping in to some of her episodes that apply to my life. Many of her suggestions are helpful for people with a busy family fully of children, which don’t apply to me. But with each episode Kendra returns to the key principles from her book, which can help all of us simplify our lives and organize at least some of the chaos.
• The Science of Reading podcast by Amplify – There are so many seasons of this podcast, and I have only just begun to listen to a few. This is a great introduction to educators who need to catch up to the Science of Reading research and where we need to go with primary foundational skills instruction.
• Knowledge Matters with Natalie Wexler – I read the book this podcast is based on and it still has me thinking and questioning what we teach, how we teach, and what resources we use. I want to continue to talk about the ideas brought up here, about how we teach elementary students knowledge, especially in science and history, and what we can do differently.

Podcasts I have had the honor to be a guest on:

• An Imperfect Leader with Peter Stiepleman, episode
• Better Learning podcast, episode 124: The Power of Coaching Teachers, April 2023
• Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast, the November 2, 2019 episode
• You can hear me on The Wired Educator podcast, episode 156 here
• You can hear me on the Little Things First podcast here

What podcasts are you listening to?