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.
Beyond the Bell
Nicholas Pahl
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.