Beyond the Bell

K-8 superintendent Kaine Osburn and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the decisions schools must make while the pandemic continues and Omicron spreads. Lauer describes her own experience with Covid-19.Osburn is an educational leader who believes equity is the real engine for growth in student achievement and innovation in learning. He has broad and deep experience as a high school English teacher, union leader, principal, and district leader. He currently leads Avoca District 37, a high performing K-8 district in the near north suburbs of Chicago, which sends students to New Trier High School. As a superintendent, previously he led large-scale community engagement and strategic planning, a successful $78M bond referendum, installation of a new staff training center through an innovative community partnership, and he developed powerful relationships with civic and business leaders on behalf of students. As a Deputy Superintendent and a Principal, he engaged in multiple sectors across larger and smaller school districts -- from operations, to curriculum and instruction, to finance, human resources, and community relations. He also has experience working directly with elementary and secondary families, teachers, principals, and community leaders. Follow Kaine on Twitter @AvocaOsburnFollow Evelyn on Twitter @evelynalauer

Fifth-grade educator Doug Robertson and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the challenges of in-person/full-capacity school during the pandemic and his decision to take a medical leave from his classroom.Robertson is currently a 5th grade teacher just outside of Portland, Oregon. He is in his16th  year of teaching overall, and in that time he has also taught in California and Hawaii OR. On the side, he is also an author, having published four books so far, three of which are education focused [He's the Weird Teacher, THE Teaching Text (You're Welcome), and A Classroom of One] and one novel (The Unforgiving Road). He is also a husband and has three children. He plays bass and rides a motorcycle. You can find Doug on Twitter at @TheWeirdTeacher and also on Instagram at the same. Follow host, Evelyn Lauer, on Twitter or Instagram, @evelynalauer.

Media educator Julie Rowse and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the challenges of beginning the school year during the Delta variant, especially with a inconsistency in the rules and guidelines at different schools in different states. Rowse is a recovering Air Force Brat currently living in Bellevue, Nebraska. She holds a B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and an M.A. in Popular Culture from Bowling Green State University. Julie teaches Journalism and Popular Culture at a suburban high school, where she is also the principal pianist for the school musical every year. She is the host and producer of the Teachers Talking TV podcast. When she isn't teaching or writing, she's watching a movie, college sports, or reading a book. But there's also a good chance she's napping. Follow her @msrowse on Twitter, @jlrowse on Instagram, or at julierowse.com. Follow host, Evelyn Lauer, on Twitter or Instagram, @evelynalauer.

Host Evelyn Lauer introduces the fourth season of Beyond the Bell, a podcast about teaching during the pandemic. On BTB, Lauer, a 21-year educator interviews other teachers about their experiences.Please follow her on Twitter @evelynalauer. 

Host Evelyn Lauer looks back on the challenges of the 2020-2021 school year and looks ahead to the future of education post pandemic. To contact Evelyn, please email her at evelau@d219.org, or DM her on Twitter @evelynalauer.

Assistant director of elementary and middle school literacy Brent Crouse and host Evelyn Lauer discuss engagement strategies, culturally responsive teaching, and the outlook for the 2021-2022 academic year.Crouse began his career as a non-traditional Teach For America corps member in 2010, at the age of 32. After acceptance into the program, he moved from Portland, OR to Philadelphia, where he taught for his  first four years as an Upper Elementary School ELA teacher at LEAP Academy Charter School in Camden, NJ. Seeking a change, he transitioned to Philadelphia, where he was hired by Mastery Charter Schools, teaching at their Mann Elementary Campus for five years as the 5th and 6th grade writing teacher. He left the classroom in June, 2019, and joined the Mastery Academic Team as an Assistant Director of Elementary and Middle School Literacy. Hoping to use his classroom experience to help teachers better help their students, he has spent the past two years dividing his time between teacher coaching, managing curriculum and resources, and designing and facilitating professional development for 3rd through 8th grade ELA teachers across Philadelphia and Camden.Follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter @evelynalauer.

World languages teacher Cheryl Nesbitt and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the complicated space of hybrid learning, including the challenges of breakout rooms and the magic of face-to-face interaction. Nesbitt has been teaching for more than 30 years in various contexts, both domestically and overseas in Japan. She taught at private schools, but returned to college in 2014 to complete her credentials and has been teaching public school since 2016.  Currently, she works at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, teaching Japanese 1 and 2, and Spanish 1. She has always loved school, as a student and as a teacher. She particularly loves teaching world languages, but has also taught English language and literature, ESL, and home educated her own children for a time as well. You can follow Cheryl on Twitter @teachernesbitt.You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter @evelynalauer

Physical education teacher Jenny Lynch and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the instruction of dance classes without touch and the importance of mindfulness and movement, especially this year.Lynch is in her 18th year of teaching high school in Aurora, Colorado.  She teaches Freshmen English, Basic Dance, Intermediate/Advanced Dance, and Beginning Ballroom Dance. She is an active person who enjoys the outdoors.  Her preferred activities include dancing, biking, walking, yoga, reading, writing, and attempting to raise two well-informed, responsible children with her husband of 17 years. You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter @evelynalauer. 

English teacher Alyssa Guzman and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the challenges of being a first-year educator during the pandemic and the experience of presenting diverse texts and controversial conversations in a conservative community, especially this school year. Guzman is a first-year teacher out of Lincolnwood, Illinois. Her time at Niles West High School led to her becoming passionate about reading, writing, and the power of words. She pursued those interests at the University of Iowa, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing in 2018, and her Master of Arts in secondary English education in 2020. She believes a very important aspect of her job is ensuring her students take in a diverse array of authors and that they leave her classroom thinking critically about the world around them. You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter @evelynalauer. 

Preschool teacher Megan Barber and policy director Erin Helgren share how their school district in rural Oregon created solutions to keep young children learning through the pandemic. Megan Barber is the Yoncalla School District Preschool Director and Head Teacher. She has a strong background in social work and parenting education as well as elementary education. These experiences have given her the gift of understanding the unique needs of all children and families, in particular those who have endured challenging life circumstances. Barber has been instrumental in shifting the model of educational approaches in Yoncalla -- she believes in the power of connection and the universal right for all children to feel safe and valued. She currently lives in rural Douglas County, Oregon with her son and daughter. Erin Helgren joined the Children's Institute in November 2015. She brings nearly 25 years of experience and knowledge working with young children and families. She has experience in a wide range of programming, including home visiting, early childhood classrooms, parenting education and play to learn groups.Before joining Children’s Institute, Helgren worked as the North Douglas County Family Relief Nursery program manager. In this position, she built programming around the unique needs of rural, isolated families. These experiences have given her a deeper understanding and insight into the needs of rural communities. Helgren supports the Yoncalla School District in the Early Works project, a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of young children through community engagement, parent/ teacher collaboration and aligned programs for families. In addition, she leads the district’s emerging P3 alignment work.  She currently lives and works in rural Oregon.You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter @evelynalauer.  

Business teacher Nicholas Pahl and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the pros and cons of teaching team/project-based courses during remote and hybrid learning.  Pahl teaches investing, marketing, and INCubatoredu,  a national, entrepreneurial program that started out of Barrington, IL. Pahl, who has been in education for 10 years,  started this program at Dundee Crown High School. The program won Uncharted Learning's national pitch competition, started six legally recognized businesses, and brought in more than 100 community members to help students learn how to start their own companies. He is now doing the same thing at Niles North High School. He also serves as a Curriculum & Technology coach for the district. Pahl is passionate about learning and passionate about change, and has found a true calling in equity work in his district. Most importantly, he married a teacher who is far better than he is, and they have two beautiful little ones.You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter and Instagram @evelynalauer.

Host Evelyn Lauer discusses all the challenges of hybrid teaching and looks toward season 3.Season 3 of BTB will kick off April 11.Connect with Evelyn on Twitter and Instagram @evelynalauer.

Host Evelyn Lauer talks with four educators who are also mothers of young children and asks the age-old question: How do you do it all? The group chats about the toll the pandemic has had on working moms, the insanity of most days, and how to balance teaching and grading and parenting -- and doing the dishes!Julia Kapelnikova is an English teacher and instructional coach at Highland Park High School. She lives in Chicago with  her son who is just over 2, her husband, and dog.Rachel Gross has been teaching high school English in Skokie for 16 years. In addition to teaching, she helps advise the school newspaper and has written the district's teachers' union newsletter. Rachel also lives in Skokie with her spouse and two children. Jessica Pritzker (@jessicapritzker) is a science teacher, former administrator, mother, and life enthusiast. She’s taught for 18 years in Argentina and in two high schools in the Chicago suburbs and still enjoys learning daily whether it be from her peers, students, or the world around her. Lia Sosa has been a grateful member of the Niles West English department for fifteen years after earning Masters degrees in both English and reading. Together with her husband who teaches math for Chicago Public Schools, she has struggled to both do her own job all the while caring for her two young daughters who are seven and three years old. She enjoys cooking and baking, spending time in her yard with a book, traveling out West, and a cup of Earl Gray that helps her find a moment of peace.  To connect with host Evelyn Lauer, please follow her on Twitter at @evelynalauer.

Kindergarten educator Laura Doran and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the importance of building community, the incorporation of toys into lessons, and what it looks like to teach five year olds how to read via Zoom.Doran teaches at Walled Lake Consolidated School District in Michigan. She has been teaching for 23 years, primarily grades first through third. Currently, she teaches kindergarten remotely. She blogs about her experiences at Days with Ms. Doran. She also has four of her own children -- grades 5, 8, 10, and 11 -- at home remote learning.You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter and Instagram @evelynalauer.  

English teacher Abdel Shakur and host Evelyn Lauer discuss creating a community during remote learning, holding conferences to connect with individual students, and working on a podcasts while teaching.Shakur teaches 9th and 10th grade at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL. He is a writer and teacher concerned with telling the stories of Black teachers. A Catalyst Chicago Classroom Story Slam winner and a 13th year veteran in the classroom.  On his podcast Black Teacher Matters, Shakur and his guests reflect on an essential question: Why are Black teachers so important to the lives of children? You can  connect with Abdel on Twitter at @misstraknowit.You can connect with host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter and Instagram, @evelynalauer

Drama educator Michelle Salerno and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the limitations of teaching theater during a pandemic, the embracement of masks during production, and the magic of extracurriculars, especially now. Salerno has a Ph.D. in theatre and has taught several subjects in colleges, high schools, middle school, and in a community jail. She is currently teaching drama and communications classes at an independent school in Louisville, KY. To purchase tickets to her students' performance of Miss Holmes, visit http://kcdtheater.com/ Follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter or Instagram @evelynalauer. If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please DM her on Twitter. 

English and journalism teacher Sarah Lerner and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the tease of hybrid learning, the productivity of working back at school, and her 46 days of working remotely after Covid-19.Lerner teaches at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She was the 2014 Sun-Sentinel High School Journalism Teacher of the Year,  a 2019 CSPA Gold Key recipient and 2020 Special Recognition Adviser from CSPA, as well as the 2019 Woman of Distinction from Alpha Xi Delta. She was also the editor and a contributing writer for Parkland Speaks, published by Random House. She writes a blog called Life Long Lerner.You can connect with Sarah on Twitter @mrs_lerner and follow "Parkland Speaks" on both Instagram & Twitter via @parklandspeaks.You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter or Instagram @evelynalauer. 

Media publications teacher Natalie Brown and host Evelyn Lauer discuss tips for hybrid teaching, the challenges of creating a yearbook during a pandemic, and the joys and reliefs of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Brown is the Dragon Media adviser at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas -- a 6A school in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex home to around 3000 students. Brown has been a journalism instructor and has advised newspaper, yearbook, and broadcast programs for the last 13 years. A graduate of the University of Mississippi journalism school, she worked as a writer, editor and PR/communications specialist for five years before pursuing her master of secondary education at the University of North Texas and entering the classroom. Since that time, the publications she has advised have been awarded numerous state and national honors including CSPA silver crown and NSPA Pacemaker finalist. She currently serves as a regional representative for her state organization -- Texas Association of Journalism Educators and teaches workshops for Jostens. Her students' work can be seen @slcdragon media on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Natalie on  Twitter and Instagram  @nataliehbrown.Follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter and Instagram @evelynalauer. BTB is produced by Evelyn Lauer. Its music is written and performed by Jim Streisel and his band, The Dead Squirrels. 

Music teacher Justin Johnson and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the impossibility of recreating performances online, the benefit of asynchronous time for enrichment, and the use of polls to increase engagement and competition. Johnson is in his ninth year as Director of Bands at Niles West where he conducts the concert band, symphonic band, and symphonic wind ensemble. Johnson also directs the pep band, marching band, and jazz band. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Memphis and is currently finishing a Masters in Music Education at Eastern Illinois University. Johnson serves on staff for a number of nationally recognized ensembles. This past summer would have been his 12th year as a staff member with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. He was also a member of the Bluecoats where he performed on mellophone. Johnson has additionally served on staff for the US Army All-American Marching Band from 2013-2015 and again in 2018. He has adjudicated and given clinics for concert ensembles, marching band, indoor drumline, winter guard, and jazz ensembles in Illinois, Tennessee, Mississippi, Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, New York, Indiana, Michigan, and Georgia. In 2016, Mr. Johnson was named a finalist for the Golden Apple Award and additionally named teacher of distinction. In 2020, he was named the Zemsky Teacher of the year for Niles West High School. Johnson is the 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year and is also an active member of the National Band Association, Illinois Music Educator Association, National Association for Music Education, Phi Beta Mu, and the Jazz Educators Network. Follow host, Evelyn Lauer, on Twitter and Instagram @evelynalauer.BTB is produced by Evelyn Lauer. Its music is written and performed by Jim Streisel and his band, The Dead Squirrels. 

Mathematics teacher Sachin J. Jhunjhunwala and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the magic and humanity in remote learning, the importance of group work, and the escape of John Hughes films. Jhunjhunwala is a second-year Instructional Coach and third-year mathematics teacher at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, IL.   There, he has taught Algebra I Survey, Geometry, and AP Statistics.  Prior to that he taught at Evanston Township High School for nine years as a mathematics teacher, where he taught AP Statistics, PreCalculus, Algebra II, Geometry, and Algebra I. Before teaching, Jhunjhunwala was a Director of Technology, Product Manager, and Program Manager for Expedia, Inc. in the Puget Sound area and in London.  He currently lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and two sons.Follow host, Evelyn Lauer, on Twitter and Instagram, @evelynalauer.BTB is produced by Evelyn Lauer. Its music is written and performed by Jim Streisel and his band, The Dead Squirrels.