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
Brent Crouse
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.