Teachers see first-hand how we grow and learn; each experience is as unique as the individual. And teachers have a trove of stories we don't ever get to hear for a multitude of reasons, like lack of time or interest in knowing what teachers experience first-hand. It's tough to hear the personal stories when so much attention is focused on test scores and standards.
At MindShift and KQED, we want to make space for real dialogue about teaching. So we created a podcast, "Stories Teachers Share." Each episode features a teacher recalling a moment that defined his or her teaching experience. You'll also hear from the people in their lives who were affected by that individual's teaching.
There's Sadie, a special education teacher who leaned on her mom (who also works with students who have disabilities) to get through her first year. You can also meet Alex and Al, who concocted an epic April Fool's Day prank on their high school students, which resulted in handcuffs. English teacher Alexa made an incredible discovery in front of her class while reading a student's creative writing assignment on a Chrome Book. The Puberty Lady and Dr. Rob teach parents, especially, about how to talk with their adolescent kids about puberty. Basketball coach Jim guided one player with dreams of NCAA sports through a smaller college experience. We also helped a former student who had been searching for his middle school teacher for decades to share his appreciation .
If you have an experience you’d like to share, email us at MindShiftStories@kqed.org. You can even record yourself on your smartphone and send the file to us. We’ll try to include these stories on an upcoming episode. You can also call us and leave a message at: 415-553-2200.
