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Peter Medlin
Education ReporterPeter is an award-winning education reporter who has been at WNIJ since 2018. He’s also the host of Teachers’ Lounge: a listener-driven podcast & radio show telling the story of education through conversations with teachers and students. He grew up in Sandwich, Illinois, and graduated from North Central College. When he’s not writing & reporting, Peter loves to run at forest preserves across northern Illinois, cook, & hang out with his cat.
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We’re talking to the Wisconsin professor who wrote the first ever comprehensive history of American motherhood.We also talk with an award-winning Illinois educator about the Human Geography class she teaches…and what exactly human geography is…That and more is all on a new Teachers’ Lounge Radio Show…
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Estudiantes y maestros actuales y anteriores del programa bilingüe de DeKalb hablaron en la reunión. Dijeron que hay una falta de recursos para los estudiantes bilingües en cuanto se trata de todo desde el bullying, servicios de traducción, hasta la salud mental, pero – sobre todo – frecuentemente hay una sensación de aislamiento para los estudiantes que principalmente hablan el español.
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DeKalb bilingual students recently spoke out at a school board meeting. They say they don’t have enough resources -- and sometimes have to translate for each other in class.“Sometimes I don't get it myself, and I ask for help from him. And then I help the other students once I'm done getting help so then I can explain everything to them.”Challenges with the bilingual program and why the district is changing it.
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On a new Teachers’ Lounge podcast, the professor who penned “Modern Motherhood: An American History." We also talk about her work to empower women at every stage of their career.
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A bill waiting for Governor J.B. Pritzker’s signature will require students to learn about climate change. And the legislation was created by a Naperville high school student.“My parents were like ‘It passed!’ because they found out and then it's just exciting. It was very exciting.”Learn more about the climate change education plan and the student behind it.
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Students bring their voice to northern Illinois school boards."There're so many students who want to make change, and I just feel like they don't know where to start.”How can these students represent all students -- even the elementary schoolers? Learn more...
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it’s time for a geography class. Well, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY -- which teaches the WHY of WHERE. My chat with a 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist.
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People in Illinois prisons are required to take a civics course before their release to learn their voting rights. “I think, generally across the population, there's a lot of misinformation. A lot of guys just didn't know.” The program is peer-led by incarcerated people. Learn more about the program.
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With our student correspondent segment, we follow a group of students in a club, sport, or activity throughout their entire season -- the highs and lows and the friends they make along the way. Listen to our year with DeKalb High School’s forensics team.
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We went kayaking on the Rock River with teachers learning about their local watershed.“How do we take care of our water and our soil? All of those things you can take back into the classroom, no matter what age you work with.”How they’ll bring these water education lessons from the river back to the classroom.