On a new Teachers’ Lounge, Brian Turnbaugh has had his fair share of students in his 20 years as an English teacher in West Chicago. He wants them to know they can go on to do great things after graduation, so he started a podcast called “WeGo Places” (WeGo being an abbreviation for West Chicago) to highlight former students following their dreams.
We talked about how his skills as an English teacher transfer to the podcast, how he’s grown as an educator during the pandemic and the biggest things he’s seen change in his two decades in the classroom.
If you’ve never listened before, our show is based on an idea -- we’ve all had teachers in our lives who shaped who we are. And we want to hear about the teachers who inspired you. Every educator we have on this podcast, whether teacher, coach, counselor or professor, is nominated by our listeners.
So, tell us about the person who comes to your mind. Shoot us an email and nominate an educator at teacherslounge@niu.edu and they could be on the podcast!
Also, Teachers’ Lounge is coming to the radio! The podcast won’t change one bit, but you can now catch the show as an hour-long radio program every month on WNIJ. We’ll have multiple guests, stories, and new segments to hear. Listen to the first edition of the Teachers’ Lounge radio show on Friday, October 29 at 11 a.m. on 89-5 FM or WNIJ.org. Tune in the last Friday of the month at the same time for future episodes.
SHOW NOTES
Educator in this episode: Brian Turnbaugh
Stories featured in this episode:
Has evidence-based funding made education in Illinois more equitable?
85% of NIU students learning in-person have received a COVID-19 vaccine
Music: Our show's theme music is from the northern Illinois-based band "Kindoves" and their songs "Popn," "Origins" and "Quiche." You can find more of their music on their Soundcloud page. You can also listen to the episode of WNIJ's own Sessions from Studio A where they were featured.
Teachers! People who know teachers! People with stories about teachers! Send us an email and be part of the show! Also, send us your topic recommendations: teacherslounge@niu.edu
