From student opinions on schooling to the latest educational research, these podcasts from TC and beyond provide expert insights on everything related to education. Whether you’re interested in the power of learning through play, more equitable schools or the future of the field, this list has a podcast for you.
Faculty-Led and Featured
Curriculum Encounters
This podcast — hosted by curriculum designers Jacqueline Simmons, Associate Professor of Teaching, and Sarah Gerth van den Berg, Visiting Scholar at TC’s Digital Futures Institute (DFI)— reimagines the Black Paint Curriculum Lab and challenges traditional conceptions about learning. Designed for educators, students and everyone in between, “Curriculum Encounters” showcases how curriculum is not merely a prescribed set of lessons but rather an embodied process that can happen inside and outside the classroom.
How's School
Hosted by Joe Riina-Ferrie, Associate Director of Educational Media for DFI, and Jen Lee, a DFI media producer, “How’s School” spotlights the experiences and challenges of young people in school, with a focus on student wellbeing. Designed for parents and guardians, each episode of the podcast explores a different issue with a TC faculty member, from school safety to youth mental health and more.
Pop and Play
“Pop and Play” — hosted by Haeny Yoon, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, and Nathan Holbert, Associate Professor of Communication, Media and Learning Technology Design — explores the power of play-based learning and pop culture. Co-hosts Holbert and Yoon have engaging conversations on everything from comic books to fashion to roleplaying games with TC faculty and other experts. In recent seasons, each episode connects to a broader theme. Season five was all about children’s media and included conversations with TC’s Ioana Literat, Emily Reardon from the Sesame Workshop and Andy Davenport, a co-creator of the hit show, Teletubbies, to name a few.
Pursuing the Public Good
Hosted by the president of Teachers College, Thomas Bailey, this podcast explores what an institutional commitment to “Pursuing the Public Good” in education, health and psychology looks like. In each episode, President Bailey sits down with a different member of the TC community for an engaging discussion about the most pressing challenges in education — from teacher preparation to sustainability in schools — and innovative, cross-discipline solutions.
Take Note!
Created by the Center for Educational Equity (CEE) at TC, “Take Note!” is a podcast meant to foster conversations about creating more equitable educational opportunities for all backgrounds. Co-hosts Yanira Rivera and Yordani Rodriguez, former interns for CEE, have conversations with leading experts and advocates to keep parents, educators and school leaders informed on the latest in education policy.
Teaching Today
The Center for Professional Education of Teachers’ (CPET) podcast, “Teaching Today,” is one of the myriad ways that TC furthers its commitment to the future of teaching. Host Roberta Lenger Kang, Executive Director of CPET, sits down with in-service teachers, researchers, school administrators and more to examine the “problems, policies, and promising practices that define teaching.” The podcast not only brings together research and practice, it also furthers CPET’s commitment to making education more accessible.
From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood
While a majority of students in U.S. public schools are from communities of color, more than 80 percent of teachers are white. The podcast “From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood” — co-hosted by Christopher Emdin, Professor of Science Education and Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education at TC, and Sam Seidel, Director of Products + Publication and K12 Strategy at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University — helps white educators to understand and address these dynamics. Expanding upon Emdin’s and Seidel co-edited volume by the same name, episodes examine liberatory learning, culturally-responsive pedagogy and more with chapter writers.
Faculty Recommendations
Conversations About Consultation
Recommended by Melissa Collier-Meek, Associate Professor of Psychology and Education, “Conversations About Consultation” examines the role of consultation in school and community settings. Co-hosts Emma Ní Chinnéide, Zahra Ahmed and Bethanie Atinuke Sonola have illuminating conversations with a range of practitioners, from trainees to seasoned psychologists.
Teaching in Higher Education
Recommended by Felicia Mensah, Professor of Science and Education, this podcast was created to help professors and lecturers bolster their teaching skills and productivity. With more than 500 episodes to choose from, “Teaching in Higher Education,” examines all aspects of the profession like work-life balance, cultural competency and digital pedagogies.
The Creative Classroom
Recommended by Limarys Caraballo, Associate Professor of English Education, this podcast helps educators bring creative thinking into their classrooms. In episodes of “The Creative Classroom,” host John Spencer — Associate Professor of Education at George Fox University — alternates between deep dives into a single topic and lively interviews with experts on education, creativity and design.
The Daily
Recommended by Beth Rubin, Professor of Social Studies Education who focuses on civic readiness and engagement, this podcast from The New York Times takes a closer look at one news story each day, ranging from breaking news to pop culture. While not explicitly about education, many of the breaking stories covered in “The Daily” can inform your practice as an educator. Episodes frequently feature interviews from subject matter experts in addition to reporting from New York Times journalists.
The views expressed in these episodes are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.