Education is a continuously evolving field, and it’s important for educational leaders to keep up. At the same time, school administrators are busy. And that’s an understatement! That’s why podcasts are a great way to gain inspiration, stay current, and continue growing as a leader. If you aren’t sure where to begin, try one of our best podcasts for school administrators.
10 Best Podcasts for School Administrators
1. Principal Matters with William D. Parker
High school principal, speaker, and Principal Matters blogger William D. Parker shares insights and practical tips. Parker and his guests offer advice on resolving conflicts, overcoming challenges, improving communication, streamlining responsibilities, and more. Chances are if you’re facing a problem, Parker has a podcast episode for you. If you love the podcast, find Parker’s blog and webinars here.
Listen here: https://www.williamdparker.com/?s=podcast
2. Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones
Each week, Jethro Jones interviews an impactful principal or educational leader. His goal is to help school principals be the best they can be, all while maintaining work-life balance. Often, Jones interviews his podcast guests two weeks in a row. This allows listeners to implement what they’ve learned, then listen to a follow-up episode.
Listen here: http://www.transformativeprincipal.org/
Try this episode: Episode 163- Don’t Wait for Next Year with Adam Beauchamp (Beauchamp discusses his tips for Response to Intervention, or RTI.)
3. Principal Center Radio with Justin Baeder
Justin Baeder interviews innovative thought leaders in educational leadership. Guests share insightful tips aimed at high-performance instructional leadership. Topics include discipline, school transformation, rigor, edtech, instructional coaching, and much more. Plus, podcasts are short enough for your morning commute or a quick jog on the treadmill.
Listen here: https://www.principalcenter.com/radio/
Try this episode: Instructional Agility: Responding to Assessment with Real-Time Decisions with Cassandra Erkens
4. The School Leadership Show with Mike Doughty
Learn the skills and strategies you need to thrive in school administration. Doughty sits down with principals, policymakers, authors, and leaders both in and out of the education field. The podcast covers the usual topics (school improvement, assessment, teacher evaluation), but it’s also heavily focused on productivity. If you need tips to help you get organized and get motivated, this is the podcast for you.
Listen here: http://schoolleadershipshow.com/
Try this episode: Productivity, The 5 AM Miracle, and Your Health (Learn how to be more intentional, efficient, and effective in scheduling your day.)
5. Better Leaders, Better Schools with Daniel Bauer
And finally, no list of the best podcasts for administrators would be complete without this gem from Daniel Bauer. In his entertaining style, Bauer and guests discuss how school leaders can meet peak performance and increase student achievement. Learn how to focus on the essential, create a winning school culture, and lead with integrity and courage.
Listen here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/the-better-podcast
Try this episode: Crush the First 90 days of the Principalship
6. The EdSurge Podcast
Focused on hype-free reporting that covers every level from kindergarten through higher education, EdSurge is committed to finding the latest human-centric insights that matter to educators. This is the place to find thought-provoking interviews with policymakers, tech leaders and school administrators.
Listen here: https://www.edsurge.com/research/guides/the-edsurge-on-air-podcast
Try this episode: How AI Has Changed Student Cheating — And How to Respond
7. Learning Can’t Wait
This podcast brings together teachers and administrators from all over the country to discuss top-of-mind issues that all educators should consider. What’s even better is that depending on the state, administrators can count listening to the podcast toward professional development hours.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3aYP1rFYXKkcr7WAwVYHTR
Try this episode: Bridget Johnson | Dean’s Roundtable, Student Life, School Deans… (Find out how dean’s offices are working to change the perception of their role from punishment to student support and guidance.)
8. Education Leadership and Beyond with Andrew Marotta
A former principal and assistant principal in New York, Marotta also is an inspirational speaker and college basketball referee in addition to hosting this engaging podcast. Joined by guests including school leaders from all over the country, Marotta provides school leaders with insights about personal development and work-life balance.
Listen here: https://andrewmarotta.com/podcast/
Try this episode: Superintendent Marcus Chambers
9. The Empowered Principal Podcast
Hosted by former principal and Certified Life Coach Angela Kelly Robeck, this show is focused on helping elementary-level principals approach their jobs while minimizing burnout and strengthening their “emotional fitness.” Among the topics discussed are building stronger relationships with faculty and families, maintaining healthier work-life balance, and improving time management skills.
Listen here: https://www.edupodcastnetwork.com/show/empoweredprincipal/
Try this episode: Ep #376: People Who Want Conflict
10. Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast
Middle school assistant principal and former teacher Joshua Stamper leads this podcast that concentrates on providing educators with insights they need to make immediate improvements in their teaching and classroom management. Stamper and his guests discuss the big-picture issues teachers face every day with a focus on building positive school cultures.
Listen here: https://joshstamper.com/aspire-episodes/
Try this episode: Leading With Intention: Featuring Michael D. Nelson & Peter DeWitt (Learn how administrators can foster more meaningful engagement with their work, rather than just going through the motions.)
Why Listen to Educational Leadership Podcasts?
School administrators have no shortage of resources when it comes to professional development. What they do have a shortage of, unfortunately, is time. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day for school leaders to devote their full attention to books, webinars and conferences. This is what makes podcasts so great — you can listen to them as you commute to and from school, while you’re working out, as you’re making dinner, or any other time of the day when you can listen as you do something else.
Listening to these and other podcasts aimed at school leadership makes it easier for you to gain insights from knowledgeable and forward-thinking thought leaders. You can be exposed to ideas you may not have considered otherwise and also receive advice you can use to be more effective at your job. Many of these podcasts also focus on helping administrators develop a healthier work-life balance so you can prioritize your wellbeing and mental health so you can be at your best no matter what the school day throws at you.
To make the most of what you can learn through these shows, we recommend making podcasts a part of your daily routine. Many of these podcasts are built with busy administrators in mind, presenting their content in manageable chunks of no more than about 30 minutes. That makes it easy to fit them into your morning drive, your lunch break, or reflections at the end of the day. It’s also a good idea to share the podcasts you listen to with your colleagues so you can discuss each episode and use them as jumping-off points for staff conversations.
Best Podcasts for Administrators: Final Thoughts
Podcasts are an awesome and efficient form of professional development, especially for busy school leaders. We hope you’ll find ideas and inspiration on the go with our list of best podcasts for administrators. Happy listening!
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