Being a special education teacher requires patience, perseverance, and emotional maturity.
Special education teachers work above par level to ensure proper assistance and support are given to children with special needs and their requirements are met properly to thrive in the competitive environment. However, it is only possible, if educators are themselves updated and in tune with recent ongoings in the world of special education.
While there are many ways to keep oneself updated, podcasts are a great way to achieve professional knowledge and learn from the experiences of the experts. Whether you are feeling less motivated or are feeling stuck with some new strategies and their implementation, podcasts will not only show you the way around but will also enrich your knowledge and push you toward the best solutions possible.
That being said, here is a list of some amazing and enriching podcasts for special education teachers to ignite the flames of creativity and gain practical knowledge from field experts.
Podcasts for special education teachers
The duties of special education teachers are various and podcasts are a wonderful means to refine and learn about those roles. Some informative podcasts for special education teachers are-
1. Special Education Inner Circle
Special Education Inner Circle with Catherine Whitcher is an insightful podcast channel that beautifully represents every aspect of special education and educates the masses on it. Catherine Whitcher is an experienced special education teacher and has a family member with special educational needs, making her a knowledgeable host of one of the widely listened podcast channels.
She brings guests from a wide range of backgrounds and her thought-provoking episodes are a great tool for special education teachers to widen their knowledge and engage in brain-stimulating conversations.
2. Be The Exception
Worried about your journey as a special education teacher? Or how well you will be able to meet the needs of special kids? No worries, Dawn Ellis, host of the ‘Be The Exception’ podcast got you covered. It is an inspirational podcast channel that every special education teacher must listen to, to gain insights into teaching kids with special needs and how to grow as a professional and person.
The podcast covers topics like mindset motivation, special education strategies, educational hacks, inspirational stories, productivity tips, and whatnot.
3. Unstuck: The Special Education Podcast
Another ideal podcast for special education teachers is Unstuck: The Special Education Podcast. The podcast is run by Danielle and Raleigh and is a perfect space for discussing current trends in special education and what factors are affecting the present special education scenario. The combined experience of 40 years of Danielle and Raleigh makes the podcast successful and an inspirational space for special education teachers.
The podcast beautifully discusses topics that are highly relevant for special education teachers in their professional lives and episodes revolve around the solutions to the problems that are faced by teachers in their classrooms while dealing with kids with special needs.
4. Ability Driven Teaching
Ability-driven Teaching with Kasey and Madison is another knowledgeable podcast with a great range of valuable information in it. Kasey and Madison themselves are special education teachers and bring to their audience refined and insightful conversations on the topics that are crucial for special education teachers in a light-hearted manner.
Whether you are looking for some quick tips on teaching kids with special education needs or some stories to boost your morale, Ability Driven Teaching has something for you.
5. STEPPING INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION, Special Education, SPED, Special Ed, Students With Disabilities, Classroom Management
Michelle Vazquez, M.A. E.d., host of the STEPPING INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION podcast is a special education teacher, special education teacher coach, and an IEP Writer. Making Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) is an important part of being a special education teacher and this is the area where many teachers struggle. This podcast is dedicated to IEPs and everything related to it.
You will also find various ideas on classroom management, effective communication, behavior management strategies, how to support kids, build strong bonds with kids to effectively guide them, and various other things on this podcast.
6. Special Education Advocacy
Special Education Advocacy is an enlightening podcast for special education teachers, hosted by Ashley Barlow. The podcast delves into basics as well as advanced aspects related to special education and IEPs and guides educators on how to effectively develop and implement IEPs. The podcast also deals with tips and strategies for the same.
Additionally, Ashley Barlow on her podcast shares self-care tips, effective practices, best behaviors, and therapies for professionals, teachers, and caregivers who provide support to children with special needs.
7. Just 4 Special Education Teachers
Another great podcast that special education teachers must follow is Just 4 Special Education Teachers. It is a wonderful space to grow both professionally and personally for special education teachers and know the nooks and crannies of being an educator for kids with special needs. The podcast deals with various interventions and strategies to make classroom activities more effective and fruitful.
Just 4 Special Education Teachers deal with topics that are directly applied in practical life by the special education teachers to educate and guide kids better.
8. The Inclusion Podcast
An amazing podcast for special education teachers to know everything about inclusion education is run by Dr. Julie Causton. You will find everything on special education and school inclusion on her podcast in a fun and light-hearted manner. The podcast talks about various important topics related to classroom inclusion and strategies for the same that are highly relevant for special education teachers to know and implement in their classrooms.
You can find enlightening conversations with various professionals and experts on Dr. Causton’s podcast that will make you thrive in your classroom and grow in your profession.
9. Help for Special Educators
Another enriching podcast for special education teachers is Help for Special Educators. It is an insightful podcast to learn and build a community with other special education teachers. You can find teachers from all over the world in this community who are dedicated to guiding and assisting kids with special needs.
Lisa Goodell, the host of ‘Help for Special Educators’, created this podcast to empower educators and provide them with ideas and solutions related to special education. Whether this is your first day with special kids or you are an experienced educator, the podcast surely has something for you.
10. The Resource Room
Another powerful podcast for special education teachers is ‘The Resource Room’. The podcast is hosted by Amanda Wilp, who will take you through a beautiful journey of being a special education teacher and how to successfully navigate that journey. In her podcast, you will learn valuable tips, tricks, and research-based strategies to help you grow as a special education teacher.
The podcast will empower you with resources and tools on educational topics, such as math computation, listening comprehension IEP goals, and so on. Whether you are looking to develop a flexible schedule for yourself or looking for some material for your next class, ‘The Resource Room’ is your go-to podcast.
11. The Science of Special Education
As a special education teacher, you can only effectively deal with special kids if you know what’s bothering them and how it can be addressed best. The Science of Special Education with Brett Stevens presents research-based and scientific discussions on special education, including teaching strategies, learning techniques, and so on.
It is a great tool at the educator’s disposal to understand the basics of the needs of special kids and then formulate strategies accordingly. From the science of brain development to research-based executive functioning techniques, Stevens has covered everything on his podcast.
12. SENDcast Podcast”: The Podcast for Special Education Needs and Disability
SENDcast Podcast with Dale Pickles is an insightful podcast where professionals share their valuable experiences and knowledge with the masses. It is a weekly podcast channel, where every Thursday Dale invites an expert and engages in thought-provoking conversations. It is a wonderful channel for special education teachers to learn from professionals and their experiences.
The podcast deals with a wide range of topics and covers everything that can be helpful for educators. You can watch every episode for free, and can also buy merchandise if you wish to!
Bottom line
Podcasts are a wonderful means to gather knowledge and learn from professionals. The enriching and brain-stimulating conversations open the way to profound thinking and understanding things from different perspectives. As a special education teacher, you can use podcasts for various reasons, including personal growth and professional enhancement.
I am Sehjal Goel, a psychology student, and a writer. I am currently pursuing my Masters’s from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Child psychology has always fascinated me and I have a deep interest in learning about disabilities in children and spreading awareness regarding the same. My other areas of interest are neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. Connect me on Linkedin