The Educator Experience Podcast with Salli Carter

In this special Best of Season 1 episode, we pull together standout moments from all five guests who offer powerful insights on teaching, practical strategies, and the evolving landscape of education. You'll catch clips from: Jo Ann Buffalo on the essential role of Indigenous cultural workers, why every child matters, and how educators can build meaningful relationships with Indigenous leaders...

In this episode, we sit down with Sylvia Fraser, an Applied Business Technology instructor at Northern Lights College, to explore what trust really looks like in vocational education. Sylvia shares how her unconventional path, from retail to the classroom, has shaped the way she connects with learners who are building practical skills for real-world careers. She highlights the small, human moments...

In this thoughtful and inspiring episode, Salli sits down with Wang Yip, educator, writer, and lifelong learner, to explore how reading shapes who we are both as teachers and as people. They discuss the books that have transformed their perspectives, how re-reading can deepen understanding, and why curiosity and reflection are essential to staying relevant in education. Wang opens up about his jou...

Host Salli Carter sits down with her Aunt Barb, an ESL instructor with over 20 years of experience, to talk about the joys and challenges of teaching English to newcomers in Canada. From supply teaching horror stories to students finally having that “aha!” moment, this conversation is an honest look at what it means to teach with empathy, creativity, and fun. Barb shares how Toastmasters helped he...

Reetika Khanna joins Salli for a powerful and deeply reflective conversation about what it truly means to be an educator. Reetika shares her journey from never wanting to teach to discovering the profound meaning behind education through philosophy, reflection, and connection. Drawing on Martin Heidegger’s concept of Dasein, she explores the question, “Who am I when I teach?”, and how understandin...

Dr. Melissa Hills from MacEwan University is a Molecular Biologist engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, with a particular interest in working with students with disabilities as partners in research and inclusive curriculum design. She is also the Group Lead of MacEwan's Research Group on Inclusive Experiential Learning. Melissa is passionate about student-centred and inclusive peda...

In this episode of The Educator Experience, Salli Carter sits down with Chef Franck Desplechin, author of Relentless Growth: Cultivating a Chef’s Mindset for Professional Fulfillment. With experience in Michelin-rated kitchens and world-class hotels, Franck shares how resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence shape effective leadership and adult education. His “hands-on” approach remind...

Rubrics. Feedback. Online engagement. These can be touchy subjects for educators... and we are diving in. This week on The Educator Experience Podcast, Salli Carter is joined by Justin Andrews: culinary educator, entrepreneur, and founder of FoodWeb, for a candid conversation about the TA experience and the art of grading. From navigating rubrics to balancing fairness and creativity, Salli and Jus...

This week, Salli Carter sits down with Dr. Joseph Brown for a fascinating conversation about what it really means to teach freely. With over 20 years in higher education and teaching experience in both Canada and Russia, Dr. Brown shares how his time abroad shaped his perspective on academic freedom , and why we can’t take it for granted. Together, they unpack: Why “Rate My Prof” shouldn’t define...

Teaching isn’t just about lesson plans — it’s about sustaining your passion and wellbeing along the way. In this week’s conversation, Salli Carter sits down with Dr. TJ Hoogsteen, a principal, adult educator, and researcher, to explore what it really means for educators to thrive. Together, they unpack: wellbeing at work, challenges for new educators, and the work/life balancing act. Together, the...

What if one of the most important things you could teach your students isn’t in your syllabus? In this episode of The Educator Experience Podcast , host Salli Carter sits down with Matt Adolphe —author of Canadian Workplace Culture: Mastering the Unspoken Rules , higher-ed educator, and workplace communication consultant—to talk about the powerful intersection of teaching, culture, and career read...

How do we move beyond trying to “fix” a system that was never fully accessible—and instead reimagine education to truly include everyone? In this episode of The Educator Experience Podcast , Salli Carter speaks with Dr. Stefan Sunandan Honisch , a disabled researcher, musician, sessional instructor and scholar-In-Residence, St. John’s College, University of British Columbia in the Department of Th...

What does backpacking across Europe have to do with teaching in higher ed? For Roberta Sawatzky, everything. Growing up in Ireland and later moving to Canada, Roberta’s travels gave her a unique perspective on how culture, language, and lived experience shape the classroom. In this episode, she joins Salli Carter to talk about the lessons travel can teach us as educators, why empathy is non-negoti...

Join host Salli Carter as she reflects on season two of the Educator Experience, exploring themes of learned helplessness, academic integrity, and the power of community in education. Discover new resources for educators and get a sneak peek into season three, where connection and support take center stage. Tune in for insights that go beyond the classroom and into the heart of teaching.

This episode is a special one… Salli sits down with Domenic Scuglia—former teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools in both Ontario and Saskatchewan—to explore how a career spanning classrooms, gyms, and entire school divisions has been fueled by one central passion: creating a sense of belonging. From ensuring every child feels welcome when they walk through the school doors to supportin...

From side-eye in the back row to full-on “Why are we even learning this?” moments, teaching isn’t always sunshine and perfect participation. In this lively conversation, Salli Carter and Dr. Darryn DiFrancesco tackle the realities of working with challenging students—and why those moments can be the most rewarding. They dive into meeting students where they’re at, balancing feedback with expertise...

This week, Salli Carter teams up with Dr. Joseph Brown to crack the case on one of higher ed’s trickiest topics: academic integrity. From suspiciously polished essays to citation slip-ups, they dive into the behind-the-scenes world of integrity committees, tech-fueled cheating, and why students sometimes ghost their profs instead of asking for help. Expect hot takes on AI-generated essays, cultura...

This week, Salli chats with Danielle Tighe, who made the leap from behind-the-scenes university admin to front-of-class sessional instructor. Danielle's insider knowledge of how colleges and universities really work gives her a unique edge in the classroom—and in this episode, she shares how that perspective helps her connect with students in meaningful ways. They dive into what it means to have a...

In this Season 2 premiere of The Educator Experience , I sit down with industry professor and marketing powerhouse Paul Tedesco to talk about something close to both our hearts: the overlooked brilliance of sessional instructors. With over 30 years in marketing and more than a decade teaching at McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business, Paul shares the winding journey from agency life to academia—al...

Join Salli Carter for her first solo episode to round off Season 1!  Salli opens up about her personal journey into higher education and what inspired her to create The Educator Experience. With a passion for supporting adult educators—especially those transitioning from industry into teaching—Salli shares why the onboarding experience matters, and how better support can lead to more confident, co...

In the season finale of The Educator Experience, Joanne Buffalo shares a powerful Indigenous perspective on truth and reconciliation in education. Through personal stories and her work in the Kamloops area, Joanne speaks about the importance of reconnecting Indigenous learners with cultural knowledge once hidden by residential schools. With honesty and deep care, Joanne challenges us to make educa...

Not all educators work in traditional classrooms, and Steve Newton proves that innovation in adult learning can save lives. In this episode, 'Newt' shares how he's transforming emergency management training using VR, gamification, and 3D learning environments. From firefighters using VR goggles to simulate hazardous spills, to interactive digital platforms that replace static PDFs, 'Newt' is reima...

What happens when our unconscious bias gets in the way of truly seeing our students? In this premiere episode of Educator Experiences, Chantale Hutchinson shares a powerful personal story from her 20 years in adult education, revealing how intentional reflection and empathy helped her grow as an educator in the online context. Tune in to explore how honest conversations, flexible teaching, and hum...

In this episode of The Educator Experience, we sit down with Dr. Treena Orchard—anthropologist, activist, and author of Sticky, Sexy, Sad—to explore why Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) must be more than a checkbox. A leader in creating transformative curricula at Western University’s School of Health Studies, Treena shares how educators can integrate EDI into their classrooms in meaningful,...

In this heartfelt premiere episode of The Educator Experience, Salli sits down with educator and facilitator Sarita Parmar to explore the transformative power of authenticity in the classroom. Together, they unpack how showing up fully—stories, struggles, resilience and all—can deepen connection and elevate learning far beyond the content. Sarita shares how weaving her personal journeys through lo...