WarriorEDU

Welcome to Warrior EDU, Episode 13 with Andy Hiller, MCHS French Teacher & Theatre Director

Andy’s Teacher Story

Always wanted to be a teacher

Loved the big steps on the bus - synonymous with being in the school environment

Foreign language in HS, knew he wanted to teach French

Doing music at the same time

Went to France, stayed for a year

Went back to ISU and got his degree -

France - elementary school

Libertyville Middle School

Gets along with stricter teachers

Open up the idea of possibility

Explore after high school!

Leah’s Wedding Dress

Sewing - out of the blue told Leah that if she needed someone to make her wedding dress for her, he would do it.

Almost ruined it attaching the ribbon by hand - pricked his finger, got blood on the ribbon, had to re-do the ribbon!

Theatre

Always enjoyed productions and theatre, studied a lot of opera

Staging of productions

Worked with a theatre group in France, staged productions

Applied here knowing that he could do theatre

Very difficult to do, so much to do

Working with students on a monologue

Challenge Faced in the Trenches

Why still teach French?

Language education is not an extra, shouldn’t be an elective

Opens your mind to see what jobs are out there and possible

We should all experience this as human beings

Break down the barrier of “core vs. elective”

They all have a place at the table

HOPEFUL

Right now - COVID related.

Long Term - A change in education, a broadening of perspectives.

HOST CONTACT INFORMATION

INSTAGRAM

Join Leah & Jeff as we chat with Ashley Burger and her FANTASTIC group of Tri-M Honor Society members! 

Join Leah & Jeff as we chat with MCHS Graphic Instructor, Matt Connor!

Matt’s Teacher Story

Graphics when he went to HS

Difficult upbringing, lots of family tragedy at a young age

Graphics teacher saw he was going down the wrong path; teacher was also his wrestling coach. Started hanging out in the Graphics lab

Wrestled D3 - never actually wrestled due to injury

Job utilizing graphics skills for Fortune 500 companies during college

Stopped school 8 credits shy, went to work

Former Graphics teacher encouraged him to go into teaching (PE), loved coaching, went back to school - NIU for 4 years

Graphics Lab

Predecessors before him grew the program to where it is today

Design, layout, printing, large format printing - cars, doors, etc.

2nd school in nation (?) with auto screen press

Learning how to be a part of the Graphics business

Soft skills are so critical! Sending email, dealing with customers, etc.

Challenge Faced in the Trenches

Dealing with understanding both sides (teaching & admin)

How do we bridge the gap?

Understanding the “Why” isn’t always clear at first - sometimes we have to have faith

Dealing with controversial things kids say

HOPEFUL:

Setting a good path for (my) kids.

Seeing their dad doing something worthwhile

Graphics Industry - wanting to get a handle on where the graphics field is going in order to move in a unified

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

Join Leah and Jeff as we chat with MCHS Band Teacher, Spencer Hile!

Spencer’s Teacher Story

Parents both music teachers,

Grew up at high school football games, basketball games, etc.

Parents wanted him to be an engineer

All of his mother’s families are engineers

Anti-Band

Doing sports and being mean was cool at the time

Parents are biggest mentors as former teachers

Having a Student Teacher during COVID

Understanding the day-to-day pace and rhythm,

Teaching her what the classroom is like

Challenge Faced in the Trenches

Work & Home balance

Air mattress in the car just in case

2-3am - late nights during his first or second year

Changing culture of the Band program

HOPEFUL:

That the pandemic will give people a bigger appreciation for school; deeper appreciation for each moment together.

Teaching us to be humans. This before content.

“COVID Cuts” - what have you cut out of your life as a result of COVID, or just in general? What have you taken off of your plate so that you can be more in the moment?

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

hilespencer@dist156.org

HOST CONTACT INFO:

INSTAGRAM

Join Leah and Jeff as we chat with ANOTHER Leah... Leah Nolan, MCHS 1st Year English Teacher, who also happens to be a grad school student. All during a pandemic. 

More from Leah: 

-Being a new teacher in a pandemic

-School spirit!

-Finding your teacher identity and battling self-doubt

-Student choice and building rapport

-Creating a teacher space. (decorating my classroom, even though the students are not here to see it. I think having a workspace that makes you happy is so important)

Leah’s Educational Journey

New teacher, “pandemic” teacher

Great HS experience;

KNEW she wanted to be an educator

Went to community college

Went to ISU

School counseling kept coming up;

Graduate student and FT teacher at same time

Knew how to be a “Zoom Student”

Aspirations: “it’s okay that my journey includes being a teacher”

Let life be what it may

Battling Self-Doubt as a Teacher:

Comparing herself to others

“I should have thought of that”

Compare yourself to you YESTERDAY

The teacher IS the environment this year

Decorating the classroom shapes the environment

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:

Setting boundaries for myself

Can’t run on empty

Can’t pour from an empty cup

NOT doing anything on Saturday

HOPEFUL:

I hope students come back with a new-found love for school

I hope we see school spirit

High-Fives in the hallways

GUEST CONTACT INFORMATION: 

Join Leah and I as we chat with MCHS English Teacher & Newspaper Advisor, Dane Erbach!

Dane’s Educational Journey

Not from a “teacher family”

Punk Rock kid in HS; “art nerd”

Lake Forest College, started doing more writing and “art stuff”

“Daydreaming about what I would do if I were the teacher”

Stumbled into this field where it all made sense - stumbled upon a passion - didn’t know what he would do

Teacher prep prepared him for diverse learners

Lake Forest College - NOT diverse at all

Taught at Highland Park HS

Newspaper Advisor Role - Yearbook was developed into an award-winning publication

“Make it a student publication”

“Inspiring them to create”

Want it to be something sacred, not a place to go to get a credit

Goal is for them NOT to need me

“Through a little bit of encouragement, and the push from a teacher”

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:

“Challenge was not the students - challenge was the grownups”

“You are not an entertainer, you are a teacher” - professor mentioned this

Had a terrible year last year with newspaper;

Played the middle role between admin and student writing.

Empowering students - challenging values - hold truth to power

HOPEFUL:

Watching my students walk into the classroom for the first time this year. It will be genuine, not much need for hyping it up.

If not this year, eventually there will be kids here.

I will not take them for granted.

I’ll be thinking about my job differently.

GUEST CONTACT INFORMATION

Join Leah & Jeff as we chat with MCHS English Teacher and Former Theatre Director, Heidie Dunn!

"My dad was heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the 60's and was a professor at UW Milwaukee. He actually left his job in protest over a decision to not hire a perfectly qualified woman of color in the history dept. about a month before I was born.  We ended up living in his childhood home in northern Wis after his father died, in a century-old farmhouse without running water, phone or television.  That upbringing taught me a lot about essentials and luxury and how to carve my own educational path."

Heidie’s Education Story -

Mom was an elementary teacher; dad a history professor at UW Milwaukee, quit his job in protest; bought the family farm, became a farmer; graduated with 88 kids in his class from a small, rural HS; reading Thoreau at 12 because of her father.

Dad active in the Civil Rights movement; history dept. Hired someone from a phone interview; Dept. decided they didn’t want to go in that direction once they found out she was African-American.

Grew up with no running water, electricity run with a generator, all through elem and high school.

More from Heidie:

Who you are “Has a lot to do with who you are inside”

It's what have you gained, not what you have lost

The Silver Lining - the ability to take advantage of things...

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches: Time & Balance

Never feeling there is enough time

Balance of time

Not saying YES every time, but coming to yes EVENTUALLY

Adoption Story - her son Braden:

Former theatre student who was engaged to a young woman, wanted to have a baby for Heidie and her husband;

“The Gifts students give”

Advice for New Teachers:

It is SO worth it.

You still have the ability to do all the things you were trained to do

What we are creating are students who become independent learners more so than EVER before;

HOPEFUL:

When we see the other side of a dark tunnel, we are better people. 

What a wonderful opportunity we have.  

Opportunity gives me hope.

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

Join Leah & Jeff as we chat with MCHS Counselor, LINK Advisor, Comics Fan & Staff Infection Band Member, Curtis Menke!

Listen in as we chat about School “Guidance” vs. School “Counseling” - what’s the difference? and MUCH more:

GUIDANCE: It’s about the role and what that person does

Guidance is antithetical to the word counseling

51% Social-Emotional / 49% Educator

Guiding is reactive (guidance is telling someone what to do, “better than”)

Curtis’s Philosophy - “If I’m guiding them, I know where the end is”

Partnering with teachers and other professionals - what a good counselor should be doing

Manager vs. Leader

Middle-Manager

Curtis’s Education Story -

Settled on school counseling because his counselor was “less than,” and was also his Driver’s Ed teacher

From Grant Park, IL - one of those little “Blink and you miss it” towns

Graduated from a 31 student class in high school

WIU - College

Transferred to Olivet (Psychology)

Just clicked when he was there

Grad School - Northern IL U

Entire career here

Has worked at both MCHS campuses

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:

COVID - trying to develop rapport and connection in the age of Zoom

Advice for New Teachers/Counselors

Embrace silliness

Permission to put their guard down, and mistakes more

Social barriers to protect themselves

HOPEFUL:

Short term - return safely

Long term - Overall roles of MCHS employees focusing on developmental needs of kids as we merge campuses; content is enhanced when students have post-secondary goals

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

Join Jeff & Leah as we chat with 2nd year teacher, soccer coach and Yearbook Advisor: Mitch Stengel!

Mitch’s Teacher Story:

High School at Prairie Ridge

University - Illinois State U.

Broadcasting was his first love

At one point thought... “Why not come on stage”

Was hired right out of college here at MCHS

Start of 2nd year - teaching during a  pandemic

Mitch talks about tech apps that can make learning happen

You HAVE to have the connections with students

Favorite Quote: "Students don't learn from teachers they don't like"

This is a unique opportunity - going from “1st year teacher” to “1st year teacher”

Classroom Story:

Has had a few Humbling experiences

Personable vs. Driven-by-Content

Trying to finish a yearbook

THEME: You Can’t Stop Us - student empowerment

Election

Pandemic

Excited about the Broadcast Center at the new HS extension

Opportunity to get at that “Top Tier”

“Why can’t it be us?”

“A lot of times you have to go and get those opportunities”

Pet Peeve - when teachers fight the modem kids are using

Why not live in their world?  In the present?  If we’re going to prepare them for the future

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:

Kids who don’t want to learn

Ask: “How are you?”

Help kids dig out of their mental trenches

Advice for New Teachers:

The content will come. Relationships First.

Try not to get flooded by too much information.

Build a Network

HOPEFUL FOR:

Light at the end of the tunnel

Find the Light, the Bright Spots

Keep Moving Forward

GUEST CONTACT INFORMATION:

Rob Niemic - MCHS Teacher, Assistant Athletic Director & Coach

Rob’s Teacher Story

Two Choices: Firefighter or Teacher

Grandfather was a firefighter in Milwaukee; 

Went to Crystal Lake HS, and Hastings College - D1 sports in a small school; at one time, thought maybe being a college coach.

Has worked here at MCHS since 2006 - 14 years; start of 15th year (30 semesters)

Philosophy of Leadership - one of his favorite classes to teach

Coach - Head Girls Basketball 

Also coaches Baseball, Basketball, Football

People have played a big role in his life, getting him back on track

Role Sports has played in his life

Since he was young

Learned that you want someone who is going to show up and learn, dedicate, put effort in

Create a standard that is so high, as a human being, that you don’t want to let someone down

Head Coaching

Be respectful of your assistant coaches

Having a high expectation of rigor as people

#OneTeamAllIn

“As far as the score goes for our program…”

Finding Balance as coaches

"Every kid checks in with me throughout the day"

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches

Easy one: When technology doesn’t work; a few years ago, I may have freaked out - today, I realize it's out of my hands.

As a History Teacher: Get away from worrying about the content; "let’s focus more on being a historian than a fact-finder."

Advice for New Teachers dealing with a Young Rob Niemic

What makes them tick and tock

What’s the underlying reason for the behavior?

"We earn the right to understand them"

From the student perspective: "Am I valued by you?"

Always think: "How am I showing you I value you right now?"

Guest Contact

Otto’s Teacher Story - 14 year teaching veteran; started out in Warren Township, and has been at MCHS 156 for the last seven years.  Otto has grown the Spanish program from the ground up, all along working to prepare students for AP Spanish. They are ready!

LOVE OF MUSIC

Loves Hip Hop, has been a Break Dancer since 5 years old, brought a Break Dance program to MCHS, and has been involved in the staff band "Staff Infection"

Golden Apple Scholar

Won the Golden Apple scholarship out of high school!

Favorite Classroom Story

Struggled his first year here in MCHS, working with a young lady who struggled with being judged for assimilating to American culture.

Recently made connections with his kids during COVID by heading to kid’s homes, making sure they had supplies and treats!

Advice for New Teachers

Give grace to others and to YOURSELF!

EdTech Tools - choosing the ones that work for you.  Keep it simple.

CONTACT INFORMATION 

TWITTER

Join Leah and I in the War Room as we speak to MCHS Culinary & FACS Teacher, Student Council Advisor and Softball Coach, Jessica Grens!  Some Key Takeaways from our chat:

Foods & Digital Life: starts with a great department; recently, working on providing take home lab bags and doing live demos; parents can get ingredients or teachers prepare for them; taking requests for recipes from kids

Jessica’s Teacher Story - into health and fitness - wanted to be a dietician at first!  Changed course, went into teaching

Favorite Culinary Unit/Recipe: Monkey Bread (of course!)

Challenges in education & how she dug herself out of the trenches: Very set in her ways, hard to change - learning the importance of adapting, becoming more open to change

What are You Hopeful For:  That we can SLOW DOWN!  People are way more kind than you think; wants students and co-workers to remember her for being kind and helpful!

Contact Jessica:

TWITTER 

Join Jeff & Leah as we chat with MCHS teacher and coach, Ray Hagerty!  

Born & raised in McHenry, the Army has really molded Ray into who he is... As we thank him for his service to our country, you have to listen to the episode to find out more!  

Things Ray Says: 

There is so much more to teaching than content!

I don't take things personally when a kid misbehaves - there's more to it.

They (students) have to know that you want what’s best for them.

Team Aspect - the benefit and power of working together.

The WarriorEDU podcast really came out of a desire to hear teacher stories.  The WarriorEDU is a collective space, offering educators various opportunities for professional development and learning.  What started as a FB group branched off into a Twitter chat, and now a Teacher Voice podcast.  We are looking to amplify teacher voices, to hear their stories, including the hard parts, how people are finding ways to cope, push through, and what it’s really like in the trenches.  We want your War Stories, good and bad. We want to hear your silver linings. Because we are all learners. And because we all grow through learning from one another.

Join Leah and I as we kick off the new school year with a very special guest - Jim Love.  

Reach out to Jim!