← The How To Podcast Series - Podcast Co-Hosts, Practical Podcast Tips, and Podcast Community
The How To Podcast Series - Podcast Co-Hosts, Practical Podcast Tips, and Podcast Community
E611 - Teachers, Support parents, students with on-demand classroom insights - Podcast Ideas For Professionals
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Okay, we're rolling. Hey, welcome back to the how to Podcast series. It's Dave. We are looking at our Podcasting for Professionals little miniseries, and we're looking at teachers today. Teachers, we got our eye on you. We all brought an apple just for all the teachers. And we are here to talk about how a podcast could actually be a great resource for you. Connecting with parents, supporting students, the communication that could happen. A lot of ideas here on why, if you're a teacher, you should also be thinking about a podcast. Take the. Get your students to take their work home with them through a podcast. And I think we might have just uncovered something here. So let's take some notes. There's going to be a test at the end. Everyone set up. Pay attention and don't. Don't bug your neighbor. We got a lot to talk about. Here we go. So a little miniseries we've been talking about. A real estate agent having a podcast, the mayor of the city having a podcast, a plumber having a podcast, a bunch of different people, authors having a podcast just for themselves as a professional. And remember, too, this can be a limited series podcast with only a limited number of episodes. It doesn't have to be forever. And I'm thinking this would really fit well into the school year. There's. There's a bonus tip I'm going to save for the end for you as well. And I'd love for you to consider this as a teacher because this might open some amazing doors. I've actually worked with some teachers about this. I'm not going to give it away right now. Stick around to the end because there's a little tip I think that you, your students can really benefit from a podcast and you being a podcaster, teacher. So stick around to the end because that's something I don't hear a lot of people talking about. And I think we need to do more of this. So, yeah, let's get into this. I think that having a podcast could really empower you as an educator to extend your reach way beyond their traditional channels of the ways that you communicate with the home and build relationships with parents and help your students. That traditional open house meet the teacher night, you know, where the teacher sits on those little chairs and all the parents come and sit on the little chairs and their knees are up by their ears as we sit and talk about little Johnny or Susie and how they're doing in school and the kids do their artwork. You know that. And we walk around the school and they show us where they hang up their Coats that thing that's once a year. And I love the idea that we get an open house in time with the teacher to see this is a real human being and they're always so young. Like as a parent, you go in, you're like, do your parents know that you're here as a teacher? Like what are you, 12? But yeah, this teacher, teachers are so young and it's great to have that relationship and build that relationship with them one on one, teacher and parent. We want to work together, right? For our kids sake. What if we could do that in a podcast? What if we as teachers, educators could leverage the power of a podcast to speak into the homes of our kids? There's so many elements to this and I want to kind of run through this as some high level ideas and you could, you could bolt on all kinds of things to this. You're a creative person, you're a teacher and you do this because you love it. So what if we could do more and do it better? So imagine transforming that once a year parent teacher open house into a year round conversation all through the school year. Your podcast becomes a living bridge between the classroom and the home. It could deliver like bite sized updates, insights and encouragement right to the parents ears during their commutes, their workouts, or even bedtime routines. It's the teacher reaching into the home. I think this is great. One of the things we can do in podcasting is create a private feed for exclusive access so it doesn't have to be a public podcast that the whole world has access to. It can be completely private and hidden from all the other apps. Teachers are all about privacy. Totally get it. You can actually set up a completely private podcast with your own link that only people with the link can access. So you, you can talk freely and openly because the people that are there are meant to be there and it, it keeps everyone else out. Companies do this. They have their own internal podcasts where they talk about financial numbers and ideas for the future, things that their competition would love to know. But they don't have any access because it's not available on any podcast player publicly. It's only available if you have a link and so that can be set up privately. So think about this from a teacher's perspective. You can talk about what's happening in the classroom, talk about what's happened coming up in the future. You could be giving out details about what's happening with it for your students and all behind a private feed that only the, only the parents and the teachers would have access to. There's a lot of great podcasting hosts that allow this and I think this is something we could really work on together. I think this gated approach really ensures that the content stays within your community, your circle. You determine there's a fence around the content. Again, it's not available everywhere. And I think this content in a protected, safe private feed could help to foster trust and to avoid the tendency of a message not being fully communicated. So keep that in mind. I think this podcast idea could be a living bridge. It's got so much potential to keep parents up to date. As teachers you could be able to. You could control access per class or per grade. You can invite select listeners while keeping episode intimate and relevant. No, there's no algorithms, meaning it's not being served out to the public and it's completely fenced in. Very safe. There's some year round benefits for teachers when you're considering having a podcast for your students and your parents. For educators, the podcast could streamline your communication without endless emails that don't get ready, text messages that delivered but not really read properly, or meetings or that once a year in person connection point. You could drop five to ten minute episodes on a weekly progress for. For this the class maybe kind of how the class averages are doing so we can get an idea of, you know, how everyone's doing in geography or history or English, whatever. We could record our during our prep periods as well using some free tools like smartphone, mics and anchor which is now called Spotify for creators. What's what I'm using right now for hosting my site. Then repurposed Eclipse for school newsletters for example. It becomes like a ongoing journal diary of the year which would be really interesting at the end of the year for a recap and a celebration of the progress of your kids over the year. You're capturing it in real time and having the kids voices on depending on permissions and all of that that would have to be arranged ahead of time through the school and through the parents. The idea that the kids could actually participate in the podcast themselves. Again because it's safe, it's private, it's not available out for the world. There's maybe an opportunity for your kids to get on the mic and actually take their take a turn and try this thing called podcasting. I think it really helps to empower parents as well. This whole idea of having a podcast and you're a teacher. Parents gain this clarity and it's on demand into their child's world. As parents we Get a filtered version of what's happening in the class through our kids and through the notes that we get when we get them. So it's kind of nice to know what's happening in class and get it on a regular basis through a podcast. Episodes could could cover like study tips tailored to the curriculum that's happening in the class. Maybe some social emotional check ins or some home reinforcement activities that go along with what happened in the classroom. The more we know as parents the better. And a private feed means personalized shout outs like celebrating a student's progress. Birthdays strengthen your bonds between parents and teacher. Busy parents really appreciate the idea that audio is flexible. I don't have to be there when it's released. I can listen on my own time and it's more passive. So it, it's a great way for parents to, to connect with the content on their own terms. And I think it really overall too the idea of a podcast for a teacher could really lift up your students. Students thrive when they're reinforced and their learning is coupled with a sense of belonging. We could share stories and even make them anonymous about student spotlights for example to model growth, mindsets and spark motivation and for students to be recognized for great work. Homework helpers or preview pods prep them for what's coming up next week in the classroom so the kids could get an advantage, kind of be ahead of the curve. It really could help boost their confidence I think. And over time this creates a classroom culture outside of the classroom and there's, there's a chance for more accountability for your students and they become part of a village, not just a classroom. It helps parents, it helps teachers. It's all aligned through the idea and the power of a podcast. So a key takeaway here I think for all teachers as we think about taking this to our principals or school leadership and saying hey, this is something I heard on the how to podcast series. I want to investigate this for my classroom. I want to give you the tools to go there and make your make your presentation to them because this is new. I don't hear a lot of schools doing this and you could be the at the top of the list an A teacher by thinking about how you can implement podcasting in your classroom. A key takeaway. A private podcast extends your open houses beyond one single event, one school year at a time. Parents love having time with you as a teacher and I know that the teachers really love getting the feedback and support that parents are on their side. As teachers. We're all doing this together. For the sake of our kids. So extending that open house feeling into a podcast, I think could be a real win for everyone involved. I think we need to start small. So, like, maybe one test episode for your next unit, you gauge feedback. Maybe use what I use, Speak Pipe, for example, where parents can leave you voice messages over the Internet. It's free to set up and then watch your classroom community flourish. Ask your kids, ask your students. Have they listened to the podcast? Right. There could be a component of an episode, a segment that's focused on the students, where you, as the teacher get to talk to them and encourage them. Again, it's great to be able to take our teachers home with us, not just the homework. So what's this bonus idea, Dave, that you teased at the beginning? Okay. This came from a conversation with a teacher, and when I mentioned it to them, they were in Texas. They just looked at me like, my gosh, really? Yeah. So here's the idea. Think about setting up. You know, how you have. There's after school activities, chess club, computer club was something that was a thing when I was in school. Sporting events. Right. All these things. These are great activities and they bring a lot of. A lot of joy and they open doors for students as well. Right. So we love these after school activities and lunchtime activities. Imagine setting up a podcast activity, volunteer, where kids could sign up and participate in podcasting. Imagine setting this up, getting some microphones, getting a laptop, throwing Audacity, which is a free software on, I'm using it right now, and letting your kids record a podcast of their own. And it could be a segment in your private podcast feed to the families, that'd be interesting. But setting up a podcast and teaching them how to be on a microphone, how to speak, how to prepare, we talk about, like, writing out, like, essays and things, right? Short stories. Maybe they write a short story and they read it on a podcast. Maybe they just get all of their thoughts and they do a project. And instead of the project being like big cardboard bristol board setups or the foaming, you know, volcano, which is really overdone, they do their update to a podcast on a topic. Maybe they interview somebody, maybe they interview each other, Maybe. But the idea is they create content from beginning to end. They record it, they learn how to edit, they learn how to do all of the steps in podcasting. And here's the bonus part. On top of them learning all of these skill sets, which could be their future. Podcasting is a future it. There's radio, there's all kinds of things attached to this. So just think about this. You could be setting your kids up for something outstanding in the future. You don't know. You don't know what these kids are capable of until you put them in front of a mic. Confidence, getting your introverted students like me. I was the kid in the back of this classroom that never talked. You'd have to fight me to speak. I just. I wasn't confident. I didn't have this. Now, podcasting is great. It opens up this world where kids can find their voice. And I wish. Oh, my gosh, I wish back when I was a kid that this was even an option. I would have hated it if you asked me to do it, but I would have done it. Here's the thing. You know how at the end of the year we have awards for our students? So best, best this, best that, person who read the most books, the person who did this. And then there's like, sometimes financial awards that can go along with these award ceremonies we have at graduation events. Now, imagine you have a podcast club in your school. They meet at lunch, they meet after school, whatever, and we learn podcasting. Imagine at the end of the year, you reach out to a podcasting company for microphones or support or education. A lot of the podcast hosting sites have a budget that they spend on events, they spend on all kinds of different things. There's a potential for you to have a sponsored award from a microphone company, a podcast hosting company. There's a bunch. Even a podcast itself could sponsor an award for your school. I would actually be interested in doing that, just by the way, sponsoring an award in your school from the how to Podcast series. And the kids walk away with some money in an award, certificate, a microphone, something. But it becomes one additional award opportunity for the students in your school who show promise and excitement about podcasting. So there's a lot of great things. There's. There's going to be companies that want to donate to you equipment. There's going to be people who want to donate their time. I'm. I can. I can do things remotely with you and your students. I've done that already here in Canada. I'd love to be a part of that. So as a teacher and you're like, I don't know. I don't know where to start before I go to my leadership in the school. I know there's going to be things to talk about around privacy and permissions. I get all that. But don't let that scare you away from the idea of starting something like this. For your classroom. And if you and I just want to have a virtual coffee or a virtual apple, because I guess teachers get apples, you and I can sit down together and just talk through this, come up with a plan. And if I can jump into your classroom virtually and take questions from your students and help them, I'd love to do that. Happy to do that. Anywhere, wherever you are, I love that opportunity, and I'd be happy to participate. Whether you have questions, you need some help, or you're looking for a sponsor, reach out to me. I know some amazing people in podcasting, and I'm pretty sure they'd be quite interested to talk to you. So I've got connections. I personally would love to help and help you sponsor something for your school. I think this is untapped, and I think you as a teacher have an opportunity to not just capture the hearts and attention of your students in the classroom, but. But when they walk out of the door and they pop in their earbuds, they can take you home with them. So think about it as a professional. Podcasting could be a great addition to your classroom. Think about it. Think about it. Reach out to me at a podcast. Ca. Take care. Hey, thanks for being part of the podcast. Thanks for listening to our podcasting for professionals little miniseries that we're doing. Love doing this. Love spending time with you. Again, if you need any help at all and you're thinking, I just want. I have questions. I don't even know for sure if I want to start a podcast, but I just have questions. Let me know if you're also, if you're a guest, you want to be a guest on podcasts and you like, I don't know how to. How to do this. I don't have a PR agent. I don't have anybody helping me. I'm a. I'm an author. I'm a professional. I have. I have a team. But they don't know either. How do I get on shows? If you just want to have a conversation, love to help you. It's always there. HowToPodcast CA is my calendar invite. It lives there all the time. You have access to it anytime you want, whatever's available. When you open that calendar, when, in whatever time zone, I'm ready for you. So let's get together and chat. I'll give you some direction, give you some ideas, some tools, some websites, some places to consider and happy to help you. Always willing to serve and love helping new guests find podcasts as well. So I've got some great options. For you. I have some great friends in podcasting as well. They can get you started, and really from there, you can build wherever you want to go. So whether you want to be a podcaster yourself, as we're talking about in this little mini series for professionals, podcasting, starting your own show, even if it's just short few episodes. Right? We're talking about that here. We're also talking about guesting. So if you need help with that and you want somebody to walk with you on the guesting journey, you don't have a PR agent. Even if you do have a PR agent, you're still like, I don't know what I'm doing. Reach out to me. HowToPodcast CA. I'd love to help you and point you in the right direction again here to serve, love to see you grow and build community around whatever you're doing. And I believe podcasting could be the answer for you. Firmly believe it. And I have proof. So reach out to me soon. Thank you for being here. Thanks for listening. Take care. You're still here. That is fantastic. Okay, a question came in. I do these things at the end of the show just for you. So just you and me. No one else knows about this? They've already left. They've already headed out to the cars. They're on their way home. You stuck around. I'm just putting the chairs away. Thank you for sticking around as well. Let's just have time together. Somebody reach out. They said, dave, can I just podcast for fun? Like, do I have to do all the things, you know, like all of the things, like have a website, have social media, do video, be everywhere, promote, promote, promote. I just want to create a show and have fun. I just want to talk to my sibling. I want to talk to my best friend. I want to do a show by myself and just talk about the things that I love. And I don't want to do all the other stuff. Is it possible to have a podcast without all of the other things? And the simple answer is yes. One of my shows is called the Podcast editing and support show. Now I have a website for this podcastediting and support dot com. The only thing I don't have, I have zero social media for that show. Nothing. I don't have an Instagram, Facebook, nothing. TikTok, nothing. I don't do any shorts. I don't promote any episodes. I don't do any of the things that the gurus on the big shows, those other shows will pound into you that you have to do. I don't do any zero. And guess what's happening? No listens. No, actually get a lot of listens. And I'm in a lot of countries for that show. Partly because of the name of the show, because that's a highly searched grouping of words, Podcast editing and support. It's kind of right there in the name. So you know exactly what this is. It's a show about podcast editing and support. So that helps. Having a bunch of episodes with great episode titles help. Having the website is definitely a bonus, but not necessary. You can podcast about anything and jump on and record whatever you want to talk about and you don't have to do all the extra stuff. So if you're feeling overwhelmed, you have a great idea for a show, you feel overwhelmed by all the other things that you're being told you have to do to be a successful podcaster. I'm just here to tell you you don't have to do any of those. You can do whatever you want. I. I like the idea of being a podcaster. First being that I jump on, I record an audio podcast and I put it out to the world and I'm done. I can get on with my day. I already have a job. I don't need a second job by having a podcast. I just want to record and have fun, do what I like to do, throw it out there and see what happens. It's like fishing. You can go fishing and grab a cheap fishing rod and a couple hooks, some worms and a bobber and head off to the dock. You don't even need a boat. Cast out into the lake and see what happens. You might stand there for four hours and nothing happens, but you might get a bite. And you're not going to make any money from it. Nobody's going to pay you to fish. So you can just have a hobby and be happy with that and not feel any pressure that you need to buy a boat and you need to buy a better fishing rod and you need to do this and you need to do that and you should be, you know, showing your video, showing your videos. You fishing on Tick Tock. And you should be doing this and this and this and be an influencer. No, you do any of that. Just fish and have fun and relax and do it for the sake of just doing something for yourself. Be selfish and don't worry about all that other stuff. So if you feel overwhelmed by the gurus, I'm giving you permission, as if you need it. But I'm giving you permission just to podcast and be totally happy with that. It doesn't have to be a business. You don't have to be a top 100 podcast. You don't have to be in the top 1% of podcasts globally. Forget all that stuff. It doesn't even matter if you have a listener. I just want to get on and talk. People will find you, people will fall in love with you, and your show will grow over time. Even with zero social media, I've done it. It works. And I have proof. So if you need help, you want to just talk about podcasting for fun, reach out to me. And I'm not going to charge you. HowToPodcast CA is my calendars right there. Let's chat. Talk soon. Go fishing. Have fun. Bye.