In this special retiree episode, Cori and Steph sit down with Vicki Billimack, an English teacher who has spent her career helping students fall in love with stories, writing, and the learning process.

Vicki reflects on her journey into teaching, from starting as a technical writer to finding her place in the classroom, and the moments that made it all worth it. She shares how her passion for storytelling shaped her teaching, whether she was bringing The Odyssey to life, guiding students through Romeo and Juliet, or sitting beside a student during a writing conference and helping them find their voice.

Throughout the conversation, Vicki emphasizes the importance of giving students time, space, and ownership in their learning. Her work with blended learning opened new opportunities for deeper feedback and more meaningful one-on-one conversations, something she sees as essential to growth in writing.

As she looks ahead to retirement, Vicki leaves behind a legacy grounded in curiosity, creativity, and connection,

In this special episode, Cori and Steph sit down with Sharon Anderson, a Cary-Grove alum and longtime English teacher, as she reflects on her career ahead of retirement. Sharon shares stories from her journey - from being a student in the building to spending decades shaping the lives of others in the very same halls.

Throughout the conversation, Sharon returns to one constant: relationships matter most. She speaks candidly about the moments that defined her career, including navigating tragedy, supporting students through loss, and learning how to care for both others and herself along the way.

Sharon also reflects on the evolving landscape of education, including how to balance the benefits of technology with the importance of deep thinking, authentic communication, and the learning process itself. Her message is a powerful reminder that teaching is not about quick answers or finished products, but about growth, persistence, and connection.

As she looks ahead to retirement, Sharon leaves behind a legacy rooted in empathy, resilience, and the quiet, lasting impact teachers have on their students—often long after they leave the classroom.

In this episode, Cori and Steph sit down with Curt Wadlington, a social science teacher at Prairie Ridge who brings history to life through storytelling, curiosity, and real-world connections. Curt shares his journey into education, including the influence of a former teacher at Crystal Lake South who helped shape his approach to teaching and learning.

Curt’s classroom is built on a Socratic, discussion-based model, where students explore big questions and apply their learning to real-world issues. Whether examining mental health, cell phone use, or other relevant topics, students are encouraged to think critically, ask questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue.

One of the most unique aspects of Curt’s approach is his willingness to bring real voices into the conversation, even inviting superintendents and district leaders into his classroom to listen, respond, and engage with student thinking.

At its core, Curt’s work is about helping students see that history isn’t just something to memorize. It’s something to question, interpret, and connect to the world they’re living in right now.

In this episode, Cori and Steph sit down with Sara Markelonis, a special education teacher at Crystal Lake South and a proud Cary-Grove alum. Sara shares how innovation in her classroom may look simple, but its impact is powerful. She focuses on responding to students’ needs, adjusting workload to reduce overwhelm, and creating space for every student to experience success.

Sara explains how small instructional shifts, like narrowing assignments to the most essential problems, can help students build confidence and stay engaged. She also highlights a hands-on playground design project in which students apply geometry concepts by designing and building a model playground, connecting math to real-world problem-solving.

Throughout the conversation, Sara emphasizes vulnerability, flexibility, and the importance of celebrating mistakes as part of the learning process. Her goal is simple: help students see that math isn’t just about formulas, it’s about learning how to solve problems, a skill they will carry with them long after high school.

In this episode of Teach in Ten, Steph sits down with Kristin Mayes, a social science teacher and literacy coach at Crystal Lake Central High School, to discuss literacy not as an add-on but as a gateway to deeper learning.

Kristin reflects on how confronting literacy as a barrier profoundly shaped her instructional approach. Working with her students, she quickly recognized how literacy challenges could limit access to content, and that realization became a driving force in how she designs her classroom today. Rather than lowering standards, she embeds meaningful literacy strategies directly into her social science curriculum, ensuring students engage with rigorous content while building essential skills.

A central theme of the conversation is innovation driven by curiosity. Kristin explains that perspective-shifting teaching doesn’t start with flashy tools. It starts with asking better questions. How do we help students access complex texts? How do we maintain high expectations while providing support?

She also highlights the power of desirable difficulties, intentionally designing learning experiences that challenge students in productive ways. By normalizing struggle and emphasizing daily practice, Kristin helps students see that they are capable of doing hard things. Growth becomes something students take pride in, not something they fear.

Hosts: Cori & Steph

Guest: Kristen Gioe – Teacher, Literacy Coach, and Advocate at Haber Oaks

In this episode, Cori and Steph sit down with Kristen Gioe, a passionate educator whose work centers on literacy, access, and meeting students exactly where they are. Kristen shares her journey from special education teacher to literacy specialist and coach, and how those experiences shaped her belief that every student deserves instruction tailored to their needs.

Kristen talks about what innovation looks like in a setting like Haber Oaks, where flexibility, empathy, and responsiveness matter just as much as strategy. She highlights how research-based practices such as retrieval practice, quick checks, and low-stakes assessments have transformed her classroom, making learning feel achievable rather than overwhelming. These small, intentional moves help all students engage, regardless of reading level or learning profile.

She also shares powerful examples of connecting students to authentic literacy experiences, including ongoing collaboration with author Ellen Hopkins, which gives students a rare opportunity to interact directly with the voices behind the books they read.

Throughout the conversation, Kristen emphasizes that innovation isn’t about flashy tools or perfect lessons. It’s about care, connection, and motivation. Whether it’s ensuring students have what they need to learn, adapting instruction on the fly, or building trust through relationships, her work reminds us that meaningful innovation often starts with compassion.

Hosts: Cori & Steph

Guest: Hannah Martin, Cary-Grove High School Social Science Teacher & ML Leader

In this episode of Teach in 10, Cori and Steph sit down with Hannah Martin to explore what innovation looks like when it’s rooted in accessibility, student voice, and belonging. Hannah shares her journey into teaching, the educators who inspired her, and how her work with multilingual learners has reshaped her instructional approach.

The conversation highlights practical, classroom-ready innovations—especially how Hannah uses tools like Snorkel and Notebook LM to reduce language barriers, provide meaningful feedback, and empower students to demonstrate learning in multiple ways. Rather than innovation for innovation’s sake, Hannah emphasizes intentional shifts that meet students where they are and support them as they take academic risks in a supportive environment.

Listeners will also hear how innovation connects to real-world skills like communication, collaboration, and a growth mindset, as well as the importance of explicitly teaching social-emotional skills alongside content. This episode is a great reminder that some of the most powerful innovation happens when teachers focus on relationships, equity, and giving every student a voice.

In this episode of Teach in Ten, we sit down with Michelle Roberts, a hearing itinerant and adaptive PE teacher who reminds us that innovation doesn’t always start with a big idea; it often starts with a problem that needs solving.

Michelle talks about her work in hearing itinerant services and adaptive physical education, and how those roles pushed her to rethink what access and inclusion really look like in PE. When traditional equipment didn’t work for students in wheelchairs, especially for activities like soccer, she didn’t stop at “this won’t work.” Instead, she figured out how to make it work. She shares how she adapted materials, modified gameplay, and tested ideas until students could fully participate.

We also get into the real-life challenges of innovation: not enough time, limited space, and the constant balancing act teachers face every day. Michelle is honest about how hard innovation can be, but she also shares why it’s worth it, because when barriers are removed, student confidence, engagement, and growth skyrocket.