Beyond the Bell
A college-and-career counseling podcast designed to provide students with tools and tips to look beyond the bell of their high schools into their futures (be it, college, careers, trade schools, or gap years) where bells do not exist. Beyond the Bell is hosted by Evelyn Lauer, who has worked in education for nearly 25 years, serving primarily as a high school English teacher, but also assuming roles as an instructional coach, college writing instructor, workshop leader, and journalism/media advisor. Lauer is also currently a graduate student at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago where she is studying school counseling. She is a mother to two sons, who are in 10th and 7th grade. She also serves on the board of Friends of Amundsen High School. Topics discussed will include: college admissions, college essays, trade schools, gap years, finding one’s passions and future careers.
Lauer's work has been published in The Huffington Post, Education Week, The English Journal, Sentence, and elsewhere. She served as the PR/Publications director for the Journalism Education Association for six years and is currently serving that organization as a mentor teacher. BTB was highlighted in the New York Times Education Briefing during the pandemic. Episodes from 2020-2022 are about teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. They include interviews with educators from across the United States about their experiences teaching remote, hybrid, and in-person during the pandemic.
Episodes
53 episodes
Have a Great Summer!
Beyond the Bell is a college-and-career counseling podcast designed to provide students with tools and tips to look beyond the bell of their high schools into their futures (be it, college, careers, trade schools, or gap years) where b...
Interview: Career Counselor Anthony Gliffe
Evelyn Lauer sits down with Anthony Gliffe, a career counselor at a suburban high school in the Chicago area. They discuss trends in career counseling and his role to support students in their journeys toward non-traditional paths.
On Working with Teens: A Reflection
Host Evelyn Lauer reflects on the reasons why she is certain to she wants to counsel teenagers. She highlights lessons she's learned in a Children & Youth in Schools and Family Systems course this semester, including various play therapy te...
On Getting In & Going to College: A Parent Perspective (Sarah)
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews parents who are going (or who have gone) through the college application process and transition to college with their child or children. Parents will speak of their personal experiences and offer advice.
On Getting In & Going to College: A Parent Perspective (Jessica)
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews parents who are going (or who have gone) through the college application process and transition to college with their child or children. Parents will speak of their personal experiences and offer advice.
On Getting In & Going to College: A Parent Perspective (Kathy)
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews parents who are going (or who have gone) through the college application process and transition to college with their child or children. Parents will speak of their personal experiences and offer advice.
How to Help Fund College Part 2: An Interview with Scholarship America
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews Jacquelyn Bengfort, a program marketing specialist for Scholarship America, a nonprofit founded in 1958 and the nation's largest scholarship administrator. If you...
How to Help Fund College: An Interview with a College Finance Expert
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews Jennifer Finetti, a college finance expert at Scholarship Owl, an AI-powered platform that connects students to the right scholarships that enable them to graduate de...
Interview: Gretchen Stauder on Gap Years & Other Post-Secondary Options
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews Gretchen Stauder, a post-high school counselor at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois. Gretchen is a member of the Illinois Association for College and Admission Counseling, Illinois School C...
Interview: Julia Rogers on Gap Years
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews Julia Rogers, a leading expert in the growing field of gap year education and a passionate advocate for the gap year movement. As President Emeritus of the Gap Ye...
Interview: Andrew Allemann of CollegeIQ
Host Evelyn Lauer interviews Andrew Allemann, the founder of CollegeIQ, a site that helps high school students and their parents find the right colleges for them. He created the site after helping his...
Common App Early Action Deadline Eve
The Common App early-action deadline is November 1, 2024. Host Evelyn Lauer wishes listeners good luck and congratulations! BTB will be taking a break during the month of November. Lauer will be back aft...
College Essay Tip # 6
This week's college essay tip: Check in with yourself. Applying to college is stressful, so make sure you are taking care of yourself first! Host Evelyn Lauer leads listeners through a relaxation exercise geared toward intention setting....
College Essay Tips & Career Counseling Corner #5
This week's college essay tip: Stop listening to everyone's advice. In addition, Evelyn Lauer walks listeners through the next steps of a Career Style Interview, which can help individuals discover their true passions to make better care...
College Essay Tips & Career Counseling Corner #4
This week's college essay tip: Start with the Personal Statement. In addition, Evelyn Lauer walks listeners through the next steps of a Career Style Interview, which can help individuals discover their true passions to make better career...
College Essay Tips & Career Counseling Corner #3
This week's college essay tip: Don't be afraid to start from scratch. In addition, Evelyn Lauer walks listeners through the next steps of a Career Style Interview, which can help individuals discover their true passions to make be...
Interview: College Counselor Dan Gin
Evelyn Lauer sits down with Dan Gin, a college counselor at a suburban high school in the Chicago area. They discuss college application trends, including what colleges are looking for in 2024 as well as college essay tips. Gin also provides ad...
College Essay Tips & Career Counseling Corner #2
Evelyn Lauer discusses how to tame parenting pressure over the college admissions process. Then she dives into this week's college essay tip: Figure out the story you want to tell before you figure out what prompt you want to answer. She...
College Essay Tips & Career Counseling Corner #1
Evelyn Lauer introduces herself and the podcast format more in-depth. She also discusses her first college essay tip: It's all about how you write it & start small. In addition, she walks listeners through the first steps of a
Reintroducing Beyond the Bell
A college-and-career counseling podcast designed to provide students with tools and tips to look beyond the bell of their high schools into their futures (be it, college, careers, trade schools, or gap years) where bells do not exist. Beyon...
Kaine Osburn
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 believe...
Doug Robertson
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 teache...
Julie Rowse
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 i...