© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Never smile until Christmas': tales from teaching in the 1960s | Teachers' Lounge Podcast

Peter Medlin

On a new Teachers’ Lounge: Kathy Berberet! She's a retired elementary school teacher from Freeport. Kathy started her teaching career in 1965 and…to say they threw her right into the deep end…oof.

"When I started teaching, as a teacher, you were extremely isolated," she said. "You were closed in this room with them. In my second year of teaching, I had 50 3rd graders!"

We talk about how in the world you teach that many kids at once, how she evolved as a teacher as she got older and adapted to new teaching styles and technology. We hear some of her favorite stories from over the years and much more.

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 or deserve a spotlight in your community. 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! And subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to speed on everything to do with the show.

Also, Teachers’ Lounge is now on 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. Our next episode airs on Friday, June 24 at 11 a.m. on 89-5 FM and right here WNIJ.org. Tune in the last Friday of the month at the same time for future episodes.

SHOW NOTES

Educator(s) in this episode:

Kathy Berberet

Stories in this episode:

School social worker gives tips for parents & educators during a tragic week

'You go to school to learn and not to die': northern Illinois students & residents protest gun violence

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

Peter joins WNIJ as a graduate of North Central College. He is a native of Sandwich, Illinois.