Episode Summary

In this episode, I reflect on one of the most meaningful projects of my teaching career—the BAGO Mic Student Podcast. What began as an experiment to help students develop communication and leadership skills quickly became something much bigger. It transformed the way I think about student voice and reminded me just how capable young people really are.

I share how giving students a microphone, a platform, and authentic leadership opportunities allowed them to interview guests, tell their stories, celebrate their community, and grow in confidence. Along the way, I discovered that students don't just need opportunities to answer questions—they need opportunities to ask them, listen deeply, and share experiences that matter.

I also reflect on the incredible growth I witnessed throughout the year. Students became stronger communicators, more confident leaders, and thoughtful interviewers. Most importantly, they learned that their voices matter, and I learned that trusting students with meaningful work often leads to outcomes that exceed our expectations.

As I look ahead, I'm excited that the BAGO Mic has become more than a classroom project. It's now a student leadership legacy that future fifth graders will continue building. My hope is that this reminds all of us to create more opportunities for students to lead, share, and discover the power of their own voices.

Show Notes

• The story behind the BAGO Mic
• Student voice and authentic leadership
• Building communication skills through podcasting
• Confidence, curiosity, and storytelling
• Creating a lasting student legacy
• Lessons I'll carry into the future

Key Takeaways

• Student voice deserves to be heard.
• Leadership grows through authentic experiences.
• Students often exceed our expectations.
• Confidence develops through meaningful opportunities.
• Lasting legacies begin with one courageous idea.

This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome back, everyone.

Today's episode is called The BAGO Mic Student Podcast: How Student Voice Changed My Teaching.

Sometimes the projects that have the biggest impact are the ones you don't fully understand when you start them.

You have an idea.

You have a vision.

You think it might work.

You hope students will enjoy it.

But you don't fully realize what it will become.

That's exactly how I feel about the BAGO Mic.

When I started this project, I thought it would be a way to help students develop communication skills, leadership skills, and confidence.

What I didn't realize was how much it would impact my own teaching.

It changed how I listen.

It changed how I think about leadership.

It changed how I think about student voice.

And perhaps most importantly, it reminded me just how capable students really are.

What started as a podcast eventually became something more.

It became a student leadership legacy project.

The vision was never to create something that would last for one class.

The vision was to create something that future students could inherit, improve, and continue long after this first group of students moved on.

Before we get into it, though, I want to ground myself in gratitude.

Here are three things that I'm thankful for.

The first thing that I'm thankful for is headphones.

They help us listen closely, focus on what matters, and sometimes hear things we might otherwise miss.

The second thing that I'm thankful for is students who ask unexpected questions.

I'm thankful for students who ask unexpected questions because they challenge our thinking, spark curiosity, and often lead conversations in directions we never anticipated.

The third thing that I'm thankful for is community guests who give their time.

I'm thankful for people who are willing to share their stories and experiences with young people.

Whether they are educators, community leaders, elders, parents, or professionals, their willingness to invest in students makes a difference.

So the topic, once again, is The BAGO Mic Student Podcast: How Student Voice Changed My Teaching.

For more than 22 years, I've been involved in student leadership programs.

Throughout my career, I've watched students grow when they were given opportunities to lead, serve, collaborate, and use their voices.

One of the biggest ways I did that was serving as the lead advisor for a student leadership council.

Student leadership has always been something I deeply believe in.

When I arrived at Winnebago Public Schools, I knew I wanted to continue helping students develop leadership skills.

But I also wanted to try something different.

That's where the idea for the BAGO Mic was born.

The BAGO Mic Student Podcast—Powered by Student Voice, where student voices lead the way.

The vision was simple.

Give students a microphone.

Give students a platform.

Give students opportunities to tell stories, ask questions, interview community members, and share their voices with their school and community.

To their credit, our administration was incredibly supportive.

They trusted the idea.

They trusted the students.

They trusted the process.

Looking back now, I don't think any of us fully realized what it would become.

Every episode began with these words:

"Hąpí! Hi, everyone! Welcome to the BAGO Mic, powered by Student Voice, where students lead the way. We are students from Winnebago Public Schools, broadcasting from the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska. This podcast is created by us, for the world."

Looking back, I realize that introduction captured exactly what we were trying to accomplish.

While many episodes featured interviews with guests, that was only part of the story.

Students also shared their own experiences.

They talked about school.

They talked about leadership.

They reflected on challenges.

They discussed mental health and physical health.

They celebrated accomplishments.

They explored culture and community.

They shared what mattered to them.

The BAGO Mic became more than a podcast.

It became a place where student voices could be heard.

The podcast wasn't about me.

It wasn't about adults.

It was about students.

It was about student voice.

It was about empowering young people.

It was about helping students find their voice and realize that what they have to say matters.

So let's explore some of the big lessons the BAGO Mic taught me.

One of the biggest lessons was that the BAGO Mic started as an experiment.

When we launched the podcast, there was no guarantee it would succeed.

We were trying something new.

There was uncertainty.

There was a learning curve.

There were plenty of things we had to figure out along the way.

But innovation often begins with a willingness to take a risk.

The BAGO Mic reminded me that some of the most meaningful opportunities begin when we're willing to try something new.

I think back to when my principal gave me the green light to move forward.

He told me that when he was teaching in another district, he had tried to start a student podcast too, but it never got off the ground.

He said so much depends on how you package it and how you deliver it.

I'm incredibly thankful for an administration that supported this experiment and believed in our students.

Another thing I learned is that students rise to the challenge.

It surprised me how quickly students embraced the responsibility.

They prepared.

They practiced.

They showed up.

They wanted to improve.

They wanted to do well.

They took ownership of the project.

Again and again, students exceeded expectations.

When students are trusted with meaningful work, they often rise to the challenge.

Another big lesson is that student voice matters.

Students have perspectives worth hearing.

They have stories worth telling.

They have ideas worth sharing.

Too often, adults dominate the conversation.

The BAGO Mic reminded me that students deserve opportunities to be heard and to lead conversations.

When they do, incredible things happen.

Another thing I learned is that leadership is learned through experience.

Leadership cannot be fully taught through worksheets.

Leadership develops through action.

Through responsibility.

Through experience.

The BAGO Mic didn't simulate leadership.

It provided real leadership opportunities.

That's where growth occurred.

Another lesson was that interviews build powerful communication skills.

I loved watching students grow as communicators throughout the year.

They learned how to ask thoughtful questions.

They learned how to listen.

They learned how to respond.

They learned how to speak confidently.

They learned how to engage professionally with adults.

That wasn't artificial learning.

It was authentic communication happening in real time.

Another thing I learned is that curiosity creates better questions.

One of the most impressive things I observed was how students learned to listen differently.

At first, many focused only on reading the next question from their list.

Over time, something changed.

They listened more carefully.

They noticed details.

They paid attention to how guests answered.

They began asking follow-up questions.

They layered their questions.

They learned that great interviews don't come from reading questions.

They come from genuine curiosity.

Watching that growth was incredibly rewarding.

Another thing I learned is that student stories matter.

Students have stories worth telling.

Sometimes those stories involve school.

Sometimes leadership.

Sometimes culture.

Sometimes family.

Sometimes dreams.

Sometimes challenges.

The more opportunities students had to share throughout the year, the more confidence they developed.

The more I listened, the more I realized how much we can learn from young people when we intentionally create space for their voices.

Students don't just need opportunities to answer questions.

They need opportunities to tell their stories.

Another big lesson was that students became more confident.

Speaking into a microphone can feel intimidating.

Interviewing adults can feel intimidating.

Representing your school can feel intimidating.

Knowing people around the world may be listening can feel intimidating.

Confidence grows through experience.

The more students participated, the more comfortable they became.

That confidence carried over into other areas of their lives as well.

Another thing I learned is that the BAGO Mic became bigger than one class.

I didn't fully realize when we started that it wasn't just a one-year project.

It was the beginning of something much bigger.

During our first season, students produced more than 50 published episodes.

They interviewed community members.

They shared stories.

They reflected on school.

They discussed leadership.

They celebrated their community.

They explored their culture.

They developed confidence.

They strengthened their leadership skills.

And they represented Winnebago Public Schools with pride.

Most importantly, they built something that will continue after they leave fifth grade.

Next year, students will become Season Two.

They'll inherit what this year's students created.

They'll add their own ideas.

They'll tell their own stories.

They'll leave their own mark.

What started as a classroom project is becoming a tradition.

A legacy.

And that's one of the things I'm most proud of.

Another big idea is that learning became authentic.

Students weren't simply completing assignments.

They were creating something meaningful.

Some episodes featured interviews.

Some featured student conversations.

Some focused on leadership.

Some explored culture and community.

Some allowed students to reflect on their own experiences.

Some highlighted school events and accomplishments.

Some simply gave students a chance to share what mattered to them.

The common thread was student voice.

The audience was real.

The conversations were real.

The impact was real.

That is powerful learning.

Finally, one lesson stands above all the others.

Students are capable of far more than we sometimes realize.

Throughout the year, I watched students interview adults.

Ask thoughtful questions.

Represent their school.

Think critically.

Grow as leaders.

Find their voice.

Again and again, they exceeded expectations.

The biggest lesson the BAGO Mic taught me is simple.

Student voice truly matters.

When we trust students, support students, and provide meaningful opportunities, they often surprise us.

As I close and reflect on the BAGO Mic, I don't just think about microphones, recording equipment, or podcast episodes.

I think about students.

Leadership.

Confidence.

Growth.

Voice.

I think about students sharing their stories.

Discussing leadership.

Reflecting on school.

Celebrating their culture and community.

Learning that their experiences and perspectives have value.

What started as a new idea became one of the most rewarding experiences of my first year at Winnebago.

The BAGO Mic reminded me that students don't need adults to do everything for them.

They need adults who believe in them.

They need opportunities.

They need encouragement.

They need chances to lead.

And when those opportunities are provided, amazing things can happen.

One of the things that excites me most is knowing that this year's students started something that will continue long after they leave fifth grade.

Next year, students will become Season Two.

They'll step behind the microphones.

They'll interview guests.

They'll tell stories.

They'll discuss their experiences.

They'll reflect on their school and community.

They'll add their voices to something bigger than themselves.

Years from now, students may still be recording episodes because this first group of students was willing to take a chance on an idea.

That's the power of a legacy.

The biggest lesson I learned is simple.

Student voice matters.

Not because it sounds good on a poster.

Not because it's an educational buzzword.

But because students matter.

And when students discover that their voice matters, they often begin to discover that they matter too.

My challenge for you is simple.

Find a way to give students more voice.

Give them opportunities to lead.

Give them opportunities to create.

Give them opportunities to be heard.

You may be surprised by what happens.

Well, if you found value in this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts and leave a five-star review.

Let me know what you think.

It helps more teachers find this space.

As you go into your day, remember to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a funky teacher.

Bye now.