In case you didn’t know, our podcast Teachers’ Lounge is also on the radio! We’ve got all the interviews with Illinois teachers and education stories you love -- along with exclusive segments -- in a monthly, hour-long show on WNIJ.
On this episode, we dig into some of the most important education stories you should be paying attention to this year! We're joined for that conversation by Jason Klein, senior director of learning partnerships at Northern Illinois University
We cover everything from the dismantling of the US Department of Education, the chilling effect of immigration action, how schools are dealing with long-term enrollment declines, and much more.
We also have a "classroom correspondent" on the show. They're the teacher we interview every month of the school year on the radio show to trace a school year in their life.
This year, our correspondent is Caio Gomes! He teaches English as a Second Language at Clinton Rosette Middle School in DeKalb.
It’s been a really difficult and stressful month for him and his entire school. A student at Clinton-Rosette tragically died just before the holidays. So, as everyone came back from break, they’ve needed more support and help as they grieve.
We also talked about the stress he’s been feeling as a teacher who immigrated to the US a few years ago, along with how it’s been for the teachers and students he works with who also come from immigrant families.
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 Teachers’ Lounge, 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 show!
Don’t worry – the podcast hasn’t gone anywhere. You can still catch episodes every other Friday on WNIJ.org or wherever you get podcasts.
