The world is filled with uncertainty, educators are on the frontline, and anxiety is a familiar feeling for everyone. When everything around us is wobbling, it can be hard to concentrate, to reach beyond the things we have to do each day, to do anything extra.

One of our roles as educators is to keep up to date, to keep growing and learning ourselves, so we can support the children we work with to grow and learn too. In times like these though, CPD might just be the extra bit that we haven’t got the capacity for.

Enter the podcast. A friendly voice in your ear you can listen to wherever you are – whether it’s travelling back from work, or doing the hoovering, or taking a moment with a cup of tea. Podcasts can be a simple way to add to your CPD and keep you on your learning toes. You may find you hear about a subject that leads you to find out more in other ways, by reading an article, or looking for a book by the podcast guest. Or they might make you think about an aspect of your practice that you can adapt the very next day, or something that you need to think about and work on over a longer period of time.

Here are three suggestions to get you going:

Here at the FSF and Tapestry we have a weekly education podcast, hosted by members of our education team, usually with a guest. We cover a wide range of topics, from discussions about new guidance, to men in childcare, the importance of the language we use, wellbeing, antiracism in the early years and transition to Year 1. You can subscribe to them wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you haven’t listened to the Early Years Conversations podcast yet, stick on those headphones now! Kerry Payne, a practitioner and early years consultant specialising in additional needs, and Kate Moxley, an early years trainer and consultant who specialises in wellbeing and mental health training, have created a safe space conversations podcast where they discuss key topics and experiences. The podcast includes discussions around mental health, race, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity and adversity. It is full of reflection, challenge, and joy.

The podcast Becoming an Antiracist, hosted by educator and antiracist scholar Dr Muna Abdi, is an honest and challenging dialogue about what it means to be antiracist. Joined by guests, Muna discusses what it means to be antiracist, and the intersectionality of race, gender, religion and place. This podcast shares a lifelong journey, and provokes thought, reflection and understanding.

We hope you enjoy listening and learning.