Summer is finally here, and it’s important to make every moment count! Between trips to the pool, summer projects, and vacations, elevating your pedagogical knowledge tends to fall very low on the list.

The good news is that impactful professional growth doesn’t require large time commitments or building complex portfolios. My favorite way to learn something new on the go is by listening to it or watching it! Ready for some bite-sized summer learning? Join me as I share my favorite teacher podcasts, audiobooks, and digital resources, along with where you can access them.

Podcasts

1. Cult of Pedagogy 

This comes as no surprise! Cult of Pedagogy, both a podcast and blog by the same name, is hosted by Jennifer Gonzalez. It has been one of my favorite resources for over a decade and remains just as relevant today. Jennifer tackles everything from classroom management and instructional strategies to digital tools and heavier topics like education reform. There’s truly something for everyone!

Availability: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Player FM, Podbean, and iHeartRadio

2. Truth for Teachers 

Another personal favorite is Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers. Like Cult of Pedagogy, you can peruse articles on her blog or listen to the podcast. Angela’s best known for helping teachers juggle it all (“The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek”) and making work time meaningful instead of overwhelming. However, the podcast tends to focus on the everyday realities of teaching, what is and isn’t working in education, and how to teach sustainably without burning out.

Availability: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

3. Teachers Off Duty 

If you’re looking for a good laugh and to know you’re not alone as a teacher, look no further than Teacher’s Off Duty. Produced by Bored Teachers, this podcast is hosted by the teacher comedians featured in the Bored Teachers Comedy Tours. They cover relevant topics like “Teaching in the 90s vs. Today: How the Times Have Changed!” and “Back-to-School Teacher Hacks That Actually Work.” Plus, they don’t hold back on the truly entertaining side of teaching with hilarious content like “The Juiciest Admin Drama We’ve Ever Heard” and “Unhinged Parent-Teacher Conferences Teachers Will Never Recover From.” This show is perfect for some mindless listening with a few inspirations and ideas thrown in.

Availability: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

4. Nice White Parents 

For an all-star cast and a compelling series, check out the five-episode show, Nice White Parents. A co-production between the widely popular podcast series Serial and The New York Times, Nice White Parents is a five-part documentary podcast that examines how the choices and political power of well-intentioned white parents have historically shaped and reinforced segregation in American public schools. Told with signature storytelling, you’ll want to binge the series as fast as you can. However, if you don’t want to stick around for all five parts or are unable to access all the episodes, you can check out “The Problem We All Live With” on This American Life. But with legends like Ira Glass and Sarah Koenig behind the scenes, listening to all five episodes won’t be a challenge.

Availability: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, The New York Times Podcasts, and Spotify.

• Note: Episodes 3-5 are behind the NYT paywall. My pro tip is to sign up for a $1 per week promo account, which you can cancel anytime. Additionally, you can check out the two-episode summary on This American Life, which is available for free on their website archives. 

5. Sold a Story 

I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about this podcast documentary! Another limited series from 2022, Sold a Story investigates and exposes how American schools spent decades and dollars teaching ineffective reading strategies like three-cueing and “balanced literacy.” Hosted by Emily Hanford, a senior correspondent and producer at APM Reports, the series takes you on a wild ride through literacy over the past several decades. Many even credit this investigation with launching the national shift back to the Science of Reading. Even though the pod dropped in 2022, it remains relevant as schools try to figure out how to get back to basics after years of using curricula such as Units of Study for Teaching Reading and Writing and Fountas & Pinnell to support reading instruction.

Availability: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and the APM Reports website.

Audiobooks

As for audiobooks, the options are endless. The good news? I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of titles that are perfect for the pool, road trips, or everyday life. Of course, I highly encourage reading them in print if you want to pair your beach reads with a little summer learning.

1. For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too 

As a former city teacher, this book deeply impacted my teaching approach. From the get-go, Christopher Emdin hooks you in with the core principles of “reality pedagogy,” an approach that drives transformative educational experiences for all students. If you’re looking for more culturally responsive teaching content, I highly recommend Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain by Zaretta Hammond and Other People’s Children by Lisa Delpit.

Availability: Audible, Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Libby, OverDrive, Hoopla*, major booksellers

*Check your local library’s subscription offerings

2. What Great Teachers Do Differently 

Todd Whitaker takes the stance that a teacher’s own behavior, attitude, and relationships are the main variables impacting student success, rather than school-initiated programs or curriculum. The focus is on what you can control as an educator rather than the factors you have little to no say in. This book is great to explore solo or discuss with teacher friends as you reflect on your own experiences and prepare to start the school year with a renewed mindset!

Availability: Audible, Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Libby, OverDrive, Hoopla*, major booksellers

*Check your local library’s subscription offerings 

3. The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About 

While this book isn’t explicitly focused on education, any teacher or school professional will benefit from this read. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins follows a similar principle to What Great Teachers Do Differently: Stop giving power to what you can’t control, build resilience, and confidently pursue what matters to you. Robbins covers how you can apply the “Let Them” theory to eight areas of life where managing everything and everyone has gotten out of control! Bring a little bit of happiness and success back to your life with this #1 New York Times bestseller.

Availability: Audible, Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Libby, OverDrive*, Target/Walmart, major booksellers

• Note: If you prefer audio content, Mel Robbins hosts a self-titled podcast with several episodes that inspired the book. (Heads up: They’re marked as explicit.)

*Check your local library’s subscription offerings 

4. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Another non-education-specific book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, is a must-read that can reframe your thinking. The premise is helping you break bad habits, form better ones, and adopt small behaviors that have profound effects on your daily life. This book focuses on a mindset shift of small but consistent improvements that lead to true transformation. Rather than focusing on daily routines, Clear’s principles translate directly into the classroom, which impacts how we teach and helps shape students’ habits. If you want to read this with friends or colleagues, there is a workbook that can guide your reflection and discussion.  </p>

Availability: Audible, Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Libby, OverDrive, Hoopla*, Target/Walmart, major booksellers

*Check your local library’s subscription offerings 

5. Teaching with Love and Logic 

Although the audio version of this book is exclusive to the brand’s website, it’s well worth the extra step! Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and Charles Fay is a classic that has stood the test of time. Perfect for new or veteran teachers alike, this book on classroom management takes a different approach to working with students. Rather than relying on elaborate routines, it focuses on building student ownership and responsibility through empathy, clear boundaries, controlled choices, and logical consequences. By shifting the behavioral burden from the teacher to the student, this framework empowers students to solve their own problems.

Availability: Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Libby, OverDrive*, Love and Logic Website

* Check your local library’s subscription offerings 

• Note: The only audio option is streaming on the site. All other digital offerings are available as e-books. 

Additional Resources

Many of the podcasts previously mentioned have accompanying blogs that are also fantastic reads. However, if you prefer to watch your content rather than listen or read, check out the virtual professional development courses on OTIS for educators! Binge the new Google micro-credential series, classroom management sessions, or learn how to best support your ELLs. Best of all, you can use “Ask OTIS” to help you create a playlist of content to keep the learning flowing all summer long!

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