The Teacher Collaborative
Contemporary perspectives from everyday educators
The Teacher Collaborative offers programs designed to unite educators, elevate teachers as experts, support collaboration across schools, and celebrate and share practices that benefit all students. It helps teachers maintain and fall back in love with teaching.
Navigating Seasonality for the teacher collaborative podcast
The Teacher Collaborative sought to revamp their podcast production team to better align with their organizational mission and vision. Recognizing this as an opportunity for a more authentic podcast, we conducted a strategic evaluation through in-depth discussions to understand their goals and preferences.
Research and Development
After conducting a strategic evaluation, we performed market research to compare the format of previous seasons to popular podcasts. We identified "How I Built This with Guy Raz" as a good match. This podcast conducts detailed and engaging conversations with entrepreneurs, focusing on their personal backgrounds, the ideas that sparked their ventures, and the obstacles they faced along the way. To emulate this podcast, we restructured the questions for each interview to capture each guest's evolution and share tools that other teachers can use for professional development.
Sound Design
To immerse listeners in a school environment, we incorporated bespoke sound elements like cafeteria noises and school bells throughout the podcast. Additionally, inspired by "How I Built This," we created original music to enhance the overall listening experience and create a similar sound design.
Benefits of Continuity
Our deep understanding of the organization's mission and vision allowed us to consistently adjust each season to each year’s strategic goals and ensure a cohesive and authentic representation of the Teacher Collaborative.
Season 5: Change Makers
Season 5 focused on "Changemakers," highlighting individuals making significant contributions to education. By working closely with the organization, we provided full-service production, including booking guests, hosting recordings, editing audio, and creating a season trailer. This format allowed for more impactful and personal stories.
Season 6: The Teacher Identity
After the success of Season 5, we connected again for the following season. In Season 6, we introduced a new format with a single host to streamline production. In addition, to emphasize the organization's work, we decided to end the season with a roundtable episode featuring multiple members of the Teacher Collaborative to showcase their initiatives and attracting potential collaborators.
Season 7: The Hot Pic Roundtable
Building upon the success of its roundtable episode, Season 7 adopted a roundtable format throughout the season. This collaborative approach offered a more comprehensive exploration of various topics, reflecting the organization's commitment to teamwork.
During the season, the focus was on preparing students for the challenges of the future, particularly the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). Discussions highlighted the need to integrate AI education into the curriculum, emphasizing both its potential benefits and its risks.
A recurring theme in the conversations was the underrepresentation of teacher voices in national discussions about AI education. When given the opportunity, teachers demonstrated their innovative capacity to incorporate AI into their classrooms effectively.
For instance, one episode proposed that instead of avoiding the dangers of AI, educators should proactively teach students how to use AI responsibly, equipping them for a technology-driven workforce and creating a safer and more compassionate internet.
From AI and book bans to educator burnout to standardized testing and beyond, this podcast addresses the most pressing issues shaping today's educational landscape. Our support for The Teacher Collaborative has been instrumental in amplifying their reach, fostering a vibrant community of exceptional educators, and providing invaluable resources for their professional growth.
Lead Consultant
Mijon Zulu
Our Role
Technical Production/Voiceovers/Narration/Scripts and Storyboards/Brand consultation/Strategic Evaluation
Podcast Graphics
Provided by The Teacher Collaborative
Case Study Illustrations
Sourced by The Zulus