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
Natalie Brown
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.