One of my favorite things to do as the year ends is to scour all of the “Best of” lists, whether it’s the best music or best movies of the year. Well, it’s also time for us here at Teachers’ Lounge to reflect on and revisit a few of our favorite conversations of 2022.
We really pride ourselves on having all sorts of educators from all sorts of backgrounds who teach all different subjects on this show. This year, we’ve had human rights’ educators, student teachers, special education, substitute teachers, theology professors, physics and social studies teachers -- just to name a few. We also talked with middle school and high school students about how the pandemic has shaped their education. Heck, we even had the Illinois Teacher of the Year on the show.
But here on today’s show, we’ve got three excellent (if I do say so myself) interviews from this past year we wanted to share.
First off, we’re revisiting my chat with Aubrey Barnett. She’s now in her second year teaching at Flinn Middle School in Rockford. It’s kind of been the culmination of her work in mental health and her work at a more experimental school. Now, here she is at a huge public school wondering if her convictions about education were going to work.
Next up, my chat with Rachel Metcalfe! She’s had a busy few year between finishing a Master’s Degree and student teaching AT HER OLD HIGH SCHOOL in the SAME CLASSROOM she learned English. With the same teachers who used to grade her essays when she was 16. It was a uniquely surreal and really rewarding experience,
And finally, to round it out, University of Illinois music professor and professional producer, Lamont Holden AKA TheLetterLBeats. Lamont talks about how teaching has influenced his creative process as a producer, helping students understand the business of music, and how to make a living! He also recently penned a new Hip-Hop Fight Song for the University of Illinois and what that means to that community!
Thank you so much to everyone who listened to Teachers’ Lounge in 2022. When I say we couldn’t do it without you, I mean it literally! There is no Teachers’ Lounge without the educators you nominate to be on this show. I can’t thank you enough, but we do have a whole bunch of fun projects planned for the podcast in 2023 that I can’t wait for you to hear.
And, of course, here’s to all of the teachers, coaches, professors, parents, & students that make education so special.
Best,
Peter Medlin
Teachers’ Lounge Host & WNIJ Education Reporter
SHOW NOTES
Educators in this episode:
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
