Lutheran Education Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lutheran Special Education Ministries
Introducing the Lutheran Education Podcast, brought to you by Lutheran Special Education Ministries. In this podcast we’ll explore trends, issues and events surrounding Lutheran education. In each episode we’ll invite educational experts to shed light on topics that support educators, administrators and staff.
Reverend Dr. Ryan Peterson, Vice President of Concordia University of Ann Arbor joins our podcast to discuss his responsibilities and how he landed in his role of Vice President. In this episode he recalls stories of what led him into the world of ministry, how he lives and breathes both Concordia University of Ann Arbor and Wisconsin’s mission and how that mission drives both institutions. He sheds light on the importance of finding future church workers and with that paying attention to needs of churches in order to teach their students and give them the proper education.
Ted Neitzke is CEO of Cesa 6, an influential and innovative education service agency based in Oshkosh, WI. His background consists of a life-long dedication to children; serving on all levels from middle school teacher to superintendent. Ted, who is also the mayor of Port Washington, WI, joins the podcast and talks about the ability for us all to be leaders. In this entertaining episode you'll learn about buffalo leaders and feel Ted's enthusiasm and passion for education and leadership jump right out of the speakers.
Dr. Chris Cody and Travis Grulke, education executives with the South Wisconsin and Michigan Districts, respectively, chat on the podcast about their districts' responses to COVID during these past two school years. They share how their schools and teachers have adapted to new ways of teaching that have included both virtual and in-person classrooms, the possibility of vaccination requirements and how the classroom may forever change in a post-COVID future.
Dr. Rebecca Schmidt returns to the Lutheran Education Podcast and shares how things have changed in Lutheran education over the past year. Dr. Schmidt talks about how schools have continued to keep their focus on God and the needs of their students in the midst of the pandemic.
Aaron Rohde, a third/fourth grade teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Reed City, MI, joins the podcast to discussed brain-based education. In the second half of the episode he shares news about the release of his upcoming record, Rooted to Grow — a collection of original songs written and recorded by Rohde over the course of his career as a teacher. Stay tuned at the end of this episode to hear a track he recorded for LSEM, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.
Inclusion means a lot of things to a lot of different people. In this podcast, Dr. Kara Bratton, LSEM's Special Education Director, discusses how it relates to students with special learning needs. She talks about how these students are valued in the classroom and how their presence is felt by their teachers and peers.
Dr. John Brandt, Executive Director at Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw, MI, joins the podcast for an entertaining conversation with host and former student, Richard Schumacher. The two share stories as Brandt reflects on his rewarding and successful career in teaching, coaching and school administration.
In this episode Brett Hardecopf, Principal of St. John Lutheran Church and School in Elk River, MN, and his wife, Heather, share their personal insights for how church workers can deal with personal crisis.
Matthew Bergholt, manager of online support and services for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, joins the podcast to talk about the use of online learning technologies in these times and how we can apply what we're using today when we return to the classroom.
Lutheran Special Education Ministry's Kara Bratton and Rich Schumacher talk about the current state of special education and how the pandemic and school closures are affecting their services to children and families.
Recorded prior to the Coronavirus outbreak that has disrupted the traditional school year across the entire country, Joel Landskroener, the executive director at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN and the Genesis Virtual Academy and, Kim Ross, Director of the Genesis Virtual Academy, join the podcast in what has turned out to be a very timely discussion about online virtual learning and the future of how we do school. They talk about the creation of the Genesis Virtual Academy — a Christian online learning program of Mayer Lutheran High School serving Christian schools and homeschool students.
DJ Schult, Assistant to the President of the North Wisconsin District, joins Rich Schumacher on the podcast to talk about his efforts in developing stronger relationships with the schools within his district and creating better opportunities to share and provide ideas to help teachers and administrators with professional development in an ever-changing educational environment.
This is part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current LSEM speaker. We continue the conversation around parents and self-regulation. In this episode we take a closer look at the essential interaction that needs to take place in order for a child to develop.
Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current LSEM speaker, returns to the podcast to talk about parents and self-regulation and its importance to learning. She'll discuss how students can take care of their own learning, behavior and emotions by appropriately activating, controlling and evaluating them.
Tom Wrege, principal at Zion Lutheran School, Walburg, TX, joins the podcast to talk about how to run effective meetings. With 35 years in ministry and 20 as a principal, he’s participated in all types of meetings with fellow leaders, teachers and parents. He’s seen the good and the bad and this podcast is for anyone in a leadership role looking for a few pointers on how to run a better meeting through proper planning and preparation.
In this episode we chat again with Chuck Winterstein, Assistant to the Superintendent of Michigan Schools at the LCMS. He talks about turning those parent teacher conferences away from something that's feared and, oftentimes, full of surprises, into a useful tool for teachers to grow and develop their relationships with parents and students.
Stacy Hoeft, President and CEO of Lutheran Special Education Ministries, joins the podcast and talks about her journey to LSEM. From teacher to principal to CEO, Hoeft shares how each one of those roles shaped her into the leader she is today. She also reflects on some of her career experiences and talks about the valuable mentors and teachers who helped her along the way.
Matthew Bergholt, manager of online support and services for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, talks about his role with the synod and how technology is ever changing in the school ministry. His schedule keeps him busy as he travels the country providing information and connectivity between the schools and the synod and helps teachers better use technology in their classrooms.
Dr. Chris Cody, Education Executive with the South Wisconsin District, joins the podcast and talks about the state of his district and the challenges in finding Lutheran-trained teachers to fill the growing demand. As an educator who moved the administrative side at a young age, Dr. Cody also touches on his passion for urban education, school of choice options, curriculum and the need for principals to move from being managers to becoming instructional leaders within their schools.
Dr. Rebecca Schmidt, the Director of School Ministry at the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, joins the podcast to talk about her role and the importance of working directly with the districts and schools across the synod. She also talks about how Lutheran schools can better serve the non-traditional learner.
Dr. Steven Buuck, CEO of Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School in Las Vegas, NV, joins the podcast and discusses the opportunities involved in ministering in one of the most unique and iconic cities in the US. He also shares his passion and excitement on what it's taken to become the largest Lutheran school in the country.
Brad Alles, a professor at Concordia University Wisconsin, joins the Lutheran Education podcast to talk about apologetics and preparing our students to defend their faith as they go out in a post-modern world.
Kara Bratton, Lutheran Special Education Ministries Special Education Director, joins the podcast again to talk about the topic of student retention. This episode tackles the difficult decision teachers and administrators need to handle when deciding whether or not to hold a student back.
Stacy Hoeft, LSEM President/CEO, and Kara Bratton, Resource Center Director, join the podcast to talk about LSEM and its role in serving Lutheran and Christian schools across the country. They take us from the origins of LSEM where it began as the Lutheran School for the Deaf that assisted students with hearing impairments and how the focus has changed over the years to serve all students with learning needs.
We conclude our series with Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current guest speaker for LSEM. In this episode we explore our third topic about trust in the classroom and how it's essential to learning.
We continue our conversation with Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current guest speaker for LSEM. In this episode we talk about repentance, the second way of being "smart."
We interview Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current guest speaker for LSEM, and talk about building socio-emotional skills and the teaching of faith in this first of a three-part conversation.
We interview our very own Resource Center Director, Kara Bratton, and talk about the differences in and the importance of accommodations and modifications. As Kara points out, every student has a unique need and that the curriculum should meet the child right where they’re at in their learning. She also discusses the importance of documenting these accommodations and modifications in order to better serve the child as they continue throughout their education.
In this episode we hear from Travis Grulke, superintendent of Michigan District Lutheran Schools, and Chuck Winterstein, assistant superintendent. They join the podcast to talk about the state of education in Michigan’s Lutheran schools.