If you’re not on Substack yet, you’re missing where the best educator conversations are happening.

Twitter is a wasteland. Facebook groups are drowning in spam. Instagram is... well, it’s Instagram.

Meanwhile, educators are quietly building something different on Substack: real conversations, practical resources, and community without the algorithm chaos.

Here’s the thing: Substack is still early for education. The space isn’t crowded yet. If you join now, you can actually connect with the writers you follow. Comment on their posts. Get replies. Build relationships with educators doing the same work you are.

In a few years? It’ll probably feel like every other platform. But right now, it’s the closest thing we have to the old-school teacher blog era.

How Substack works (30-second version):

It’s free to join. You subscribe to newsletters you like. The writters posts come straight to your email. Most education Substacks are free, some have optional paid tiers. No algorithm deciding what you see. No ads. Just the stuff you signed up for.

The List

Elementary teacher in Colorado with 20+ years experience. Writes about designing learning experiences, building classroom community, and rehumanizing public education. Hosts monthly live Q&As and actively recommends other education Substacks.

Subscribers: 1.6K+ | Posts: Weekly + monthly Q&As

2. Rae Hughart — Rae Hughart raehughart.substack.com

CEO of Teachers Deserve It, author, speaker. Real talk for real teachers... bold truths and practical tools for reclaiming your time, wellness, and leadership. The largest education-focused Substack on this list by a mile.

Subscribers: 86K+ | Posts: 3x/week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

3. Colby Sharp — sharpread colbysharp.substack.com

5th grade teacher and co-author of “The Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library” with Donalyn Miller. Everything about helping kids fall in love with reading: read alouds, book recommendations, classroom library tips.

Subscribers: 9.5K+ | Posts: Multiple per week

4. Jenna Vandenberg — Jenna Repeats History jennavandenberg.substack.com

High school history teacher in Washington. Every Sunday: a book recommendation, a lesson plan (with worksheets), and a place to explore. Free resources delivered to your inbox.

Subscribers: 400+ | Posts: Weekly (Sundays)

5. Laura Spargo — Glimmers in Education lauraspargo.substack.com

UK-based primary English consultant and former teacher. Weekly “glimmers” of joy and practical ideas for teaching. Writes about autonomy, balance, and keeping the spark alive.

Subscribers: 545+ | Posts: Weekly

6. Dr. Jo Lein — EduCoach jolein.substack.com

Leadership development coach and adjunct professor. Writes for school leaders and instructional coaches navigating flawed systems. Nuanced, research-backed, refreshingly honest.

Subscribers: 1K+ | Posts: Weekly

7. Lori McCabe — The Better Teacher thebetterteacher.substack.com

17 years as a classroom teacher, now a learning support coach. Shares practical strategies that support all learners and make your life easier. Deep monthly dives on topics like assessment, pedagogy, and skill-based learning.

Subscribers: 170+ | Posts: Monthly

8. Jack Watson — How To Be A Teacher jackwatson1807.substack.com

UK teacher sharing lessons from 70+ years of combined colleague experience in bite-sized posts. Also curates the best of education Substack so you don’t have to. Great entry point if you’re new to the platform.

Subscribers: 783+ | Posts: Weekly

9. Craig Barton — Tips for Teachers tipsforteachers.substack.com

Former maths teacher, author of “How I Wish I’d Taught Maths,” host of the Mr Barton Maths Podcast. Weekly deep dives into educational research papers, translated into practical classroom strategies.

Subscribers: 22K+ | Posts: Weekly (Mondays)