Recently I came across A.J. Juliani's new podcast, Scratch Your Itch. Just to be clear, I am not a podcast girl. I have always liked the idea of them, maximizing my time and learning in places that I wouldn't normally be learning (in the car, waiting at the doctor's office, etc.), but it just never actually turned into something I followed through with. In fact, I have only really listened to a handful of podcasts and the ones I have listened to were about nutrition and healthy eating (another passion of mine) and not education. But I was like you know what, I am going to make the intentional choice to give this a try. Plus I had a feeling that I would enjoy it because A.J. Juliani's ideas and views about learning have always aligned perfectly with my own.

The first Scratch Your Itch episode I listened to was his latest episode where he interviewed Angela Duckworth, best known for her work (and book) on Grit. I am very familiar with Angela's research and really enjoyed hearing her perspective on grit and character in this interview. What really resonated with me, especially in connection with my own research was when Angela reaffirmed that the place to start with students is curiosity and interest. She went on further to explain that children are at the beginning of the learning curve and should sample and explore as much as possible simply because they are getting to know themselves and the world.

Probably my favorite thing that was said during this interview was the quote below.

I love these words for two reasons. First, it is exactly what I believe and what I want for every single student. To feel this sense of accomplishment and value in themselves and their learning. Second, it puts things into perspective that students cannot get to this level of pride and excellence without going through that exploration of curiosity and interests and then making informed choices for themselves as learners. When students find something that aligns with their strengths and interests coupled with constant feedback and practice, that is when they should go all in and that is when the magic happens.
I am so glad that I decided to make the choice to turn on Scratch Your Itch podcast on my way to work in lieu of my usual country music. It was a small choice, a small action, that ended up having a really positive impact on me that day. If you havn't checked out A.J. Juliani's Scratch Your Itch Podcast, I urge you to go do it now.

And also, if anyone has any good podcast suggestions for this newbie, let me know!!