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
Megan Barber and Erin Helgren
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.