In the first episode of the Voices from the Middle podcast, host Will Fassbender conducts several interviews with important players in middle grades education. First, listeners are introduced to seven middle grades educators who will provide more insight to their teaching as the school year progresses. During this segment, teachers explain their teaching journey as teachers reflect on their experiences, both as teachers and students. Next, listeners get to hear what YA literature teacher/librarian Beth Shaum will be including on her classroom bookshelf in a segment entitled Voices from the Bookshelf. Shaum discusses her love for the book The Running Dream by Wendellin Van Draanen and how she intends on talking it up with her students in the beginning of the school year. During the final segment, Fassbender interviews the new Voices coeditors, Dr. Sara Kajder and Dr. Shelbie Witte. The coeditors respond to questions about their vision for the future of the journal and how they hope to keep the journal and all of the content relevant and valuable to teachers in the classroom.