One of the greatest things about New York City is the public transportation. We can get on a subway, bus, or a train without the hassle and stress of driving (not to mention parking)! I commute to the city from New Jersey and I know many of my fellow classmates come in from Jersey, Long Island, and even Connecticut. Those long commutes can be hard, but I’d like to share with you what has made them easier for me.
I spend my time getting from place to place listening to podcasts. Podcasts are basically radio shows on the Internet. You can download them to your phone through the iTunes store. Or, if you don’t have an iPhone, there are many apps available, including Stitcher, Overcast and Instacast that are free to download and play podcasts on Androids and other smart phones.
Podcasts are great for commutes because they keep your mind engaged as you travel. I believe that, as a teacher, it is important to have a wealth of knowledge on many topics and podcasts are a great way to learn something new on the go! They have definitely enriched my life and made my commutes so much more interesting!
For any of you new to podcasts, here’s a list of my top 5 favorites:
This American Life – This podcast tells mostly true stories about everyday people. Each show has a theme and they tell different stories on that theme. A recent show that you might find interesting was called “Is this working?” which was all about discipline in schools and what teachers do to try to manage misbehaving kids.
The Moth – The Moth is a storytelling event where people tell true stories live on stage without notes. The podcast is a recording of one of their live shows, which take place all over the country. While listening to The Moth, I usually find myself laughing out loud or trying to hold back tears.
Freakonomics – You might be familiar with the book Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, but you might not know that they now have a podcast where the tag line is, “Exploring the hidden side of everything.” Their latest podcast, “Is America’s education problem really just a teacher problem,” is definitely an interesting listen for all of us in the education field.
The Longest Shortest Time – For those of you who have kids or like me are interested in infants and toddlers, The Longest Shortest Time is about struggles in early parenthood.
Serial–This is the hot new podcast on the block, which is shifting the landscape of podcasts as on-demand radio. Serial tells one nonfiction story with a new “chapter” of the story released weekly. This is currently the number one podcast on iTunes. Just like a good TV show you could “binge listen” to all the chapters so far to catch up!
Some honorable mentions include Stuff You Should Know and Radiolab.
Anyone else have any favorite podcasts? Please share in the comments!