Make Engagement Fun,

Even at the End of the School Year

With 34 years as a high school history teacher and an ongoing career as a University lecturer, podcaster and prolific Times 10 author, James Sturtevant has a lot of great advice on how to engage students.

In Hacking Engagement: 50 Tips & Tools To Engage Teachers and Learners Daily, he shares one of his secret weapons to combat and prevail against inevitable the senioritis and end-of-the-year chaos: podcasts.

Yep, podcasts.

But not the usual crime shows, self-help meditations or comedian interviews (although all of them can be quite entertaining and enlightening). James tells of one May Monday when he treated his seniors, who were studying Mesoamerica, to an In Our Time BBC podcast: “The Siege of Tenochtitlan.”

You still may be skeptical. Really? Sturtevant’s students are going to enjoy a forty-minute podcast from the BBC about the fall of the Aztec capital? The answer is yes and it’s yes for two reasons:

• It’s a gripping narrative told expertly by talented historians.
• James’ students navigated fun and engaging activities that coincided with the podcast.

Anyone who has had guest presenters speak to students knows how much students get out of hearing an expert speak. However, it’s not always easy to find someone willing or able to speak to your class about your subject matter. With the upsurge in podcasting, you can almost always find a relevant and interesting speaker online.

The Solution: Pan for Podcasting Gold

 Consider the pervasive nature and awesome power of the podcast. 

1. Experts from around the world are at your beck and call 24/7 and are free of charge.

 When James’ ninth-grade enrichment students asked for background information for their projects, he frequently suggested NPR podcasts. Then, typically, he’d hear students say the next morning, “Thanks. That really helped, and it was interesting.”

2. Podcasts are mushrooming in popularity and variety. Let’s ride this tide.

How can I find good programs? As one of our Millennial sons has said, “Google is your friend.” You can easily find shows with a quick search there.

While not all podcasts are worth introducing to students, three go-tos are:

• NPR programs: about 10 minutes long
• BBC In Our Time podcasts: a longer 40 minutes but worth it
• Listenwise.com: There you search a topic and are treated to high-quality material. If you buy a subscription, you gain access to outstanding lesson plans that go along with the podcasts.

Then Refine Your Treasure 

After you’ve found podcast gold, you can refine your treasure by prompting students with engaging activities.

Final Word

Podcasts are an outstanding way to deliver top-notch content. Then, creating engaging activities to master while students listen ensures a powerful learning experience. Give it a try … what have you got to lose except some end-of-the-school-year chaos?

Check Out These Great

FREE Education Podcasts

For free educational podcasts for students, explore platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Tinkercast for diverse topics and age groups. Here's a breakdown of some excellent options for educational podcasts, categorized by topic and audience:

General Knowledge & Curiosity:

• “Stuff You Should Know”: Explores a wide range of topics, from science and history to pop culture, making learning fun and engaging. 
•  “TED Talks Daily": Offers a daily dose of wisdom and inspiration from TED Talks covering various disciplines. 
• "Radiolab": A podcast from WNYC that delves into scientific, societal, and philosophical questions through investigative journalism. 

Science & Nature:

• "Brains On!": A science podcast for curious kids hosted by Molly Bloom and a different kid co-host each week. 
• "Tumble Science Podcast for Kids": Another great option for young learners, exploring science topics in an engaging way. 
• "The Guardian's Science Weekly": Explores scientific phenomena in an interesting and accessible way.  

History & Culture:

• "History Extra": A podcast from the History Extra website, exploring all things history. 
• "Throughline": Explores the history of the present day, offering insights into current events. 
• "Little-Known History": A podcast from HowStuffWorks that brings little-known historical events to life. 

For Teachers & Educators:

• "The EdTech Podcast": Explores various aspects of edtech, including innovations, trends, and interviews with experts. 
• "The Shake Up Learning Show": A weekly podcast hosted by edtech expert Kasey Bell, offering tech tips, lesson ideas, and practical advice. 
• "Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers": A podcast designed to speak life, encouragement, and truth into the minds and hearts of educators. 
• “The Cult of Pedagogy”: Jennifer Gonzalez interviews anyone involved in classroom management, education reform, ed tech, teaching strategies or offers her own advice on what she’s learned to make teaching fun and more effective.

Want to Learn More? Check out Hacking Engagement and its friends:

Hacking Engagement: 50 Tips & Tools To Engage Teachers and Learners Daily (40% off for our blog readers)

Read More

• Sturtevant, James. 2016. Hacking Engagement: 50 Tips & Tools To Engage Teachers and Learners Daily. Times 10 Publications.
• “Embrace the F Word in Your Classroom.” X10 Publications blog post. January 23, 2025.
• Saini, Anne Noyes. “Question: What Are Your Favorite Podcasts?” Edutopia. January 23, 2025.
• Sturtevant, James. 2023. Even More Hacking Engagement: 50 New Ways to Make Learning Fun for All Students. Times 10 Publications.
• “The Transformative Power of Student Engagement.” X10 Publications blog post. December 2, 2024.

Resources

• Part of this text was taken from Hacking Engagement: 50 Tips & Tools To Engage Teachers and Learners Daily by James Sturtevant.
• Podcast image by Mo Farrelly from Pixabay.
• Student with headphones image by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.
• Will Rogers quote image by BrainyQuote.