Podcasts!

This week, we dive into podcasts, what they are, and how we enjoy them as hard of hearing folks.

Brad wrote an amazing history of podcasts in his blog this week so I will skip the recanting of it all – read it here: https://bradmckenna.wordpress.com/2025/06/23/podcasts/

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic forced abrupt school closures in the middle of March, 2020. The shift to home-based, remote education necessitated an immediate response from educators as we were expected to adapt quickly and be prepared to provide instruction to all students through a virtual platform. I can only speak to my experience as a Special Educator during this time, but the herculean task of modifying lesson plans, instructional materials, and student assignments to allow for equitable access was easily the most stressful period of my 25+ year career.

The stress levels were astronomically high, as were the expectations to which we were held, and it was enough to impact my mental health, anxiety, self-regulation and drove me to apply for jobs outside of the field of education. I nearly left a job that I love due to the unrealistic expectations placed upon educators during an unprecedented time in our current history.

The perpetuation of criticism continues to undermine our value as educators – some seem to forget that without education in basic literacy and math skills, no other profession could sustain itself. We were not afforded the luxury of learning a new skill, increasing exercise routines or trying our hand at sourdough starter. We were front line workers in a different way, but our medical professionals and first responders are the true heroes.

I spent nearly every night eating dinner at my desk in my home office, missing time spent with Mark and Rocky, during an incredibly stressful time when drawing on support from friends and family was critical for my sanity. I worked until 1:30 a.m. or later in an effort to maintain some sense of normalcy for my students through creative lessons and engaging assignments. Additionally, I was required to maintain meticulous, daily reports detailing student attendance, engagement, and active participation. I had to also document in immense detail how accommodations, modifications, and specialized, individual instruction was being delivered to ensure that students were receiving a mandated free and appropriate public education.

As someone with a hearing impairment I ironically work best when I have music playing or am immersed in an environment with a buzz of noise and activity. By the end of the first week, I was growing tired of hearing the same songs over and over again with my iTunes set to shuffle. I tried to branch out to different genres and unfamiliar artists, but the effort that it was taking to learn new music and voices was a drain on an already depleted system. I was lamenting to a friend via a “Zoom visit” and it was then that I was brought into the fold of the world of podcasts.

The very first podcast series that I listened to is the absolutely unhinged investigation of Richard Simmons and if he had been kidnapped after he failed to appear to teach an exercise class that he had led for 40 years. It was a wild ride and the perfect first foray into podcasts. A bizarre podcast that was fit for a bizarre time in history.

My journey through podcasts continued in the ensuing years, and I have listed my favorites below – I hope that you draw inspiration from this smorgasbord of podcasts and find something new that you may enjoy! If you have any suggested podcasts for me to check out, drop me an email at: hearingthingswithjulieandbrad@gmail.com!

In no particular order, with the exception of #1 – hello to Chuck, Josh and Gerry, too! – I present my favorite podcasts: