IDEA Guiding Principles: CONNECT + SHARE + INSPIRE

We can learn from experts anywhere in the world,
but we should never overlook the knowledge in our own backyard.

Illinois educators understand our students, communities, opportunities, and challenges. Their lived experiences bring a perspective that cannot be found in a generic search or generated by artificial intelligence.

Today is International Podcast Day celebrating the power of podcasts to connect people, share ideas, and start meaningful conversations. For IDEA, it is also an opportunity to recognize the educators and organizations elevating voices from across Illinois. https://internationalpodcastday.com/



Elevating educator voices means more than recognizing good work. It helps educators discover one another, exchange practical ideas, and realize they are not navigating their challenges alone. A conversation recorded in Evanston, Aurora, DeKalb, Chicago, Cairo, Macomb, Beach Park, Glencoe, or Central Illinois can inspire an educator hundreds of miles away.

LISTEN TO ILLINOIS: Here are several podcasts helping Illinois educators and community members share what they know:

• BPD3 Beyond the Bell | Beach Park School District 3 shares the people, stories, and experiences that shape its school community in northeastern Illinois.
• D35 On the Go | Glencoe School District 35 brings listeners closer to the people, learning, and ideas within its school community.
• DEC Signal | Produced by the District 65 Educators’ Council, this podcast gives Evanston-Skokie educators a voice in conversations about classrooms, careers, schools, and the issues affecting their profession.
• The Exit Interview | This podcast elevates the stories of Black educators, including voices and experiences connected to Chicago, while exploring the challenges that can push talented educators away from the profession.
• The Imperfect Principa | Waubonsie Valley High School Principal Jason Stipp invites educators from Indian Prairie School District 204 to discuss their successes, challenges, and the joy they find in education.
• Inside IASB | The Illinois Association of School Boards explores the people, responsibilities, and issues shaping public education and school governance throughout Illinois.
• Out Standing in the Field | University of Illinois Extension educator Doug Gucker shares timely agricultural knowledge and experiences specific to Central Illinois.
• Principals’ Leadership Lounge | Illinois principals Joe Sweeney and Al Davenport share real-life leadership strategies and authentic perspectives from the field.
• The Rookie Teachers    Northern Illinois University creates space for new Illinois teachers to discuss their early experiences, lessons, and growth in the profession.
• That’s the IDEA! | IDEA’s official podcast we will be reigniting this Fall.
• This Is UIC | The University of Illinois Chicago showcases leaders and innovators who are shaping important conversations in Chicago and beyond.
• Unsupervised Leadership: A Podcast for Fun, Fab, & Fierce Females | Illinois education leaders Kate Koch and Dr. Courtney Orzel create space for honest conversations about leadership, relationships, and the realities of working in education. Their connection to Illinois schools and educational leadership brings local experience to conversations that will resonate with leaders everywhere.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION THROUGH IDEA

These podcasts connect naturally with several of IDEA’s Spotlight Communities:

• The Lead Learners  community brings together administrators, coaches, and other educators who help people grow.
• Aspiring and Early-Career Educators creates connections between educators beginning their careers and colleagues willing to share their experiences.
• Our Media Literacy  community helps educators and students thoughtfully access, evaluate, create, and share messages across today’s media.

A podcast may begin with a microphone, but its real value comes from the conversations and connections it creates.

LISTENING IS ONE WAY TO ELEVATE A VOICE: These podcasts remind us that expertise is not confined to a conference stage, a national publication, or someone with thousands of followers. It exists in Illinois classrooms, schools, districts, universities, associations, and communities.

IDEA’s greatest value is connecting educators. Podcasts help make those connections possible by turning individual experiences into shared professional knowledge. On International Podcast Day, choose one of these shows and listen to an episode. Share it with another educator. Recognize the people willing to speak honestly about their work. Most importantly, help us find the voices we have not heard yet. This list is only a beginning. If an Illinois educator or organization is producing a podcast that IDEA should know about, please share it with us.

The more we listen to one another, the stronger our community becomes. Together, we can continue to connect, grow, share, and inspire throughout Illinois.