The Teachers College at Emporia State is launching the university’s first podcast this week.
How We Teach This, produced by members of The Teacher College, will feature one-on-one interviews to provide insight into education. The podcast is available through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other listening apps on which podcasts are available, as well as from its web site, www.emporia.edu/HWTT.
“We’re so excited this is launching,” said Kristy Duggan, the host and executive producer of the podcast. Duggan is an alum and instructor in the college’s department of Instructional Design & Technology.
“As a former K-12 teacher, I thought ‘What would I listen to if I needed inspiration and ideas for my classroom?’ Each year before the first week of school, as I was driving to work, I would search for something to inspire me for a new year and a fresh start. I believe this podcast will bring that feeling to educators in Kansas.”
“The idea for the podcast originated from a discussion about supporting teachers during the pandemic,” said Dr. Zeni Colorado Resa, associate dean of The Teachers College. “We asked our graduates and partners what would be helpful to them. We chose to do a podcast as no one wants to attend one more online webinar or Zoom session.”
The first episode features Kyler Akagi, a social studies teacher at Junction City Middle School in USD 475, who shares tips and tricks he has discovered as he begins his career.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be interviewed and share my experience about my second year of teaching, and education during COVID,” Akagi said. “Education is a great profession. It is definitely not an easy one and it is not an easy time to be an educator. It is valuable work trying help better humanity.”
Topics of future episodes include mental health, trauma-informed and sensitive practices, and establishing culturally relevant, healthy environments for educators of all levels and students, to help them, their colleagues, and families.
Fans of the podcast can contact the podcast team at email: HWTT@emporia.edu and access more resources related to the episodes at www.emporia.edu/HWTT. New episodes will be available every two weeks.