As the new year school year has recently begun in Scotland (and is on the horizon elsewhere in the UK), I was thinking about what podcasts teachers could listen to to develop their knowledge and understanding. Podcasts are a great option for upskilling as they are free and can be listened to while commuting. Reading is fantastic for developing knowledge, however it can be difficult to find the time during the working day for professional reading, and there’s every chance you may be too tired to do any reading when you get home (or want to relax with a non-work related book).

Anyway, here’s my recommendations (all links are for Spotify but I’m sure they are available on a variety of platforms):

First up it’s Beyond Survival: The New Teacher Podcast by Jamie Thom. I may be biased as Jamie is a good friend and colleague, however this podcast will be useful for teachers at any stage of their career.

Mind the Gap by Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner has a wide spectrum of guests and is always really informative.

In TandTeaching, Arthur Moore and Mike Harrowell also speak with a range of people from across the education spectrum.

Billy Burke and Sarah Philp’s Changing Conversations podcast examines leadership, leaning and wellbeing and is well worth a listen.

Craig Barton’s Tips for Teachers does exactly what it says on the tin.

Becoming Educated by Darren Leslie has a big back catalogue of episodes that will supercharge your teaching.

Finally, Naylor’s Natter examines various aspects of education.

There are many other education podcasts out there, but I think that’s enough to get started. Always remember, as much as listening to these podcasts on your commute will really help to develop your practice, often nothing beats Metallica played very loudly after a tough day.