Season 5 Reflections & Season 6 Preview

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Host Lindsay Persohn reflects on Season 5's journey through literacy education, where conversations explored evolving reading debates, strategies for supporting diverse learners, vocabulary development, and content-specific literacies. Lindsay also shares a recap of research presentations and publications related to podcasting by the Classroom Caffeine team.

Season 6 of the show promises two compelling special series. The first examines the transformative power of graduate studies for educators, featuring candid conversations with professionals who've pursued advanced degrees and discovered new pathways for growth and impact. These discussions illuminate how continued education shapes not just career opportunities but also classroom practice and student outcomes.

The second series spotlights the Spencer Foundation-supported "Stories to Live By" project, exploring how Florida teachers help students navigate climate challenges through place-based learning. As communities face hurricanes, flooding, and environmental uncertainty, these educators work at the critical intersection of climate science, political tensions, and students' lived experiences—empowering young people to think critically and act practically in response to ongoing change.

Publications mentioned in this episode:

• Persohn, L., Burger, L., & Geren, K. V. (2025). Pod Clubs for professional community: learning, conversation, and relationships. Professional Development in Education, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2025.2514703
• Branson, S.M., Persohn, L., Burger, L., Geren, K.V., & Robertson Stemme, M. (2025). Collaborative Connections in ‘Pod Clubs’ for Professional Learning. In C. Bohem, T. Canfer, & C. Salazar (Eds.) in Podcasting & Education: Concepts, Communities & Case Studies. Routledge.
• Persohn, L., & Branson, S. (2025). Scholarly Podcasting for Research Dissemination: A Scoping Review. SAGE Open, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241311694 

(Direct link to available publication: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440241311694.)

• Persohn, L. & Branson, S.M. (2024). Broadening Legitimacy of Scholarly Podcasting as Knowledge Dissemination: Metrics, Opportunities and Considerations. Publishing Research Quarterly, 40(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-024-10005-5

Connect with Classroom Caffeine at www.classroomcaffeine.com or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Episode Transcript

Lindsay Persohn (00:10):
Education research has a problem the work
of brilliant educationresearchers often doesn't reach
the practice of brilliantteachers.
Classroom Caffeine is here tohelp.
In each episode, I talk with atop education researcher or an
expert educator about what theyhave learned from years of

(00:32):
research and experiences.
So pour a cup of your favoritedrink and join me, your host,
lindsay Persaud, for ClassroomCaffeine research to energize
your teaching practice.
Hello, friends, and welcome tothat in-between seasons episode

(00:54):
of Classroom Caffeine where welook back at Season 5 and look
ahead to Season 6.
Season 5 has been a rich journey, full of thoughtful
conversations with friends, oldand new.
Together, we've explored howthe field of reading and
literacy has changed over time,including ongoing debates like
the current movement around thescience of reading.

(01:14):
We've talked about strategiesfor supporting individual
learners, vocabulary andlanguage development, content
literacies like literacy andphysical education.
We've looked at the importanceof offering young readers
interesting and relevant texts.
We've talked about the role ofteacher professional learning.
We've talked about theinfluence of the teacher in the

(01:35):
classroom and the power ofmentoring in literacy and
education.
And beyond that, season fivewas a year of sharing our work
with the wider world.
The Classroom Caffeine teampresented at the EPOD conference
that's Education ThroughPodcasting at Morley College in
London.
We presented at the LiteracyResearch Association's annual

(01:55):
meeting in Atlanta, georgia, andat the American Educational
Research Association conferencein Denver, colorado.
We also published a few thingsaround scholarly podcasting and
educator learning, including anarticle in Publishing Research
Quarterly on podcasting as amode of knowledge dissemination,
an article in ProfessionalDevelopment in Education and a

(02:19):
chapter in Podcasting andEducation Concepts, communities
and Case Studies about using podclubs to connect educators and
support action.
And we compiled a scopingreview of scholarly podcasting
studies.
This article is freelyavailable through the journal
Sage Open for anyone who'd liketo read or download it.

(02:40):
We'll include the citations andlinks for all of these
publications in the show notesand you can also find this
information on the research tabon the Classroom Caffeine
website.
As we move into season six, I'mexcited to share with you all a
couple of things we have instore.
We have two special series thathelp to shine a light on

(03:01):
important and timely questionsin education.
The first short series askswhat is the value of graduate
studies for educators.
We know that taking the plungeor deciding to get an advanced
degree in education can supportnot only new knowledge in the

(03:22):
field, but also new careeropportunities.
And so in these episodes in thespecial series I talk with
colleagues as well as a studentin the Reading Education
Master's Program at theUniversity of South Florida.
We talk about what motivatedthem to pursue an advanced
degree or advanced degrees andhow it shaped their thinking, as
well as professional doors thattheir advanced education has

(03:46):
opened.
I hope that special serieshelps us to connect around what
it means to be lifelong learnersand the kinds of opportunities
that lifelong learning canafford us as professionals and
also our students and ourcircles of influence.
The second special series willfeature the Stories to Live by

(04:07):
project, a project which issupported by the Spencer
Foundation and explores climateliteracies and place-based
sensemaking.
Stories to Live by is a projectthat is led by my colleague,
friend and a former ClassroomCaffeine guest, dr Alexandra
Panos.
Dr Alexandra Panos Climateliteracies encompasses knowledge

(04:31):
, competencies and practicesnecessary to understand the
climate system, human-climateinteraction and to act
meaningfully in response towhat's going on with our climate
, personally, socially andpolitically.
And place-based literacies theother term I mentioned includes
skills, practices and criticalsensibilities that are required
to interpret, respond to and actwithin our own geographic and

(04:54):
social environments.
So in this special series ofStories to Live by.
You'll hear from the project'sleaders, researchers and
participating teachers.
Participating teachers They'llshare a bit about how the
project came to be and ourteacher participant guests talk
about how they work within theirown classroom spaces across a

(05:14):
variety of grade levels andcontent areas to support youth
as they navigate unprecedentedclimate challenges, particularly
in the context of the state ofFlorida.
We've experienced things likeback-to-back hurricanes and
flooding.
We know this is a topic thatimpacts people all over the
world, not just in Florida, andwith the idea of place-based

(05:38):
sensemaking, you'll hear somepersonal stories about how the
climate and climate challengesare impacting our day-to-day
lives and education.
We'll also touch on thepragmatic and emotional aspects
of impacting our day-to-daylives and education.
We'll also touch on thepragmatic and emotional aspects
of dealing with climate-relatedlosses.
These conversations highlighthow educators work at the
intersection of climate science,political tensions and young

(06:00):
people's lived realities acrossgrade levels and subject areas,
helping youth to thinkcritically and act practically
in the face of ongoing change.
So I want to thank you all forjoining me for season five and I
hope you'll stay tuned andcheck out season six with us.
Thank you so much for being apart of this community of

(06:21):
Curious Minds, whether you'vebeen listening from the
beginning or if you've justfound us.
Your engagement in theseconversations helps to keep the
show alive.
So if you haven't yet, you cansubscribe to Classroom Caffeine
through your favorite podcastprovider.
That way, you won't miss asingle episode of Season 6.
You can also visit our websiteat classroomcaffeinecom, where

(06:44):
you can sign up for a short butinformative monthly newsletter,
known as the Espresso Shot.
Through the website, you canalso join our freemium area,
where you can access what werefer to as pod packs, which are
curated lists of podcastepisodes related to particular
topics of interest.
In this freemium member space,you can also interact with other

(07:06):
listeners as well as theclassroom caffeine team, around
what you hear and what you'rethinking about it.
As always, our team is workingto make space for collegiality,
networking and thinking aboutthe questions and challenges
that matter to you.
Please help us keep theconversation going, share the
episodes with your colleagues,use them in your courses, and
you can always reach out to meif you'd like episode

(07:29):
recommendations to align withyour questions and interests, or
if you need embed codes orideas about how you might
integrate the podcast into yourown work.
As always, I raise my mug toyou, teachers.
I hope you have a school yearfilled with learning and growth,
laughter and joy.
Thanks for joining me.
Gives you things to think about.

(08:03):
Help us spread the word.
Talk to your colleagues andeducator friends about what you
hear.
You can support the show bysubscribing, liking and
reviewing this podcast throughyour podcast provider.
Visit classroomcaffeinecom,where you can subscribe to
receive our short monthlynewsletter, the Espresso Shot.
On our website, you can alsolearn more about each guest,
find transcripts for ourepisodes, explore topics using

(08:26):
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Support our research throughour listener survey or learn
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Connect with us on social mediathrough Instagram, facebook and
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We would love to hear from you.
Special thanks to the ClassroomCaffeine team Leah Berger,

(08:48):
abaya Valuru, stephanie Bransonand Shaba Oshfath.
As always, I raise my mug toyou, teachers.
Thanks for joining me.