“Help for Special Educators Podcast” takes on difficult topics that can be difficult to answer for both educators and parents. The host of the podcast, Lisa Goodell, is not afraid to cover the uncomfortable and tough to answer topics that are prevalent in the world of special education. The episodes of the podcast consist of topics such as tips for teaching students with multiple disabilities, ways to relieve stress, and how to promote independence.
I choose to listen to episodes [Puberty and Sexuality in Special Education Classes] and [How to Survive Taking a Sick Day], where Goodell offered advice on how to handle being out of the classroom, as well as bringing on special guests to discuss puberty and sexuality. She used real life experiences on how to best handle each situation as well as hypothetical scenarios on what should be done if it were to occur. Their main solution to dealing with these difficult issues was to prepare your students before issues begin to occur. She addresses how certain students' understandings of a situation may be flawed because they were never taught how to handle them. Preparing students for a change in routine was also key in equipping them to handle certain situations.
Finally, at the end of the podcast she addressed that all resources and tools mentioned in the video would be linked in the description so other educators can access them. Rounding out the episodes she encourages listeners, who are educators, to join their Facebook group and share their stories.
What I liked about this podcast was its use of real life examples to show how these situations have been dealt with in real life classrooms. It also provides an invitation to their Facebook group so educators could connect with each other and share experiences.
