From Classroom Lessons to Recording Sessions
Students at Henry Puffer Elementary School take learning to the next level through their after-school podcast club
When Lilla Bethell was in third grade, she was a self-described “quiet kid” who “didn’t like talking to new people – or people in general.” However, this all changed, thanks to the new club her teacher, Christine Reynolds, created.
It was a club focused on podcasting, and because it was held at Henry Puffer Elementary School, it was aptly titled the Henry Puffer Podcast Club. Reynolds said she started the club in 2019, “inspired by the idea of giving students a platform to share stories, interview interesting guests, and build real-world communication skills.”
Bethell stepped out of her comfort zone and joined the club, and, through it, she found her voice. She is now a ninth-grader at Downers Grove North, yet her story mirrors those of numerous Puffer students, past and present, who have gained invaluable skills and experiences as part of the club that produces the Henry Puffer Podcast. Now in its seventh season, the podcast has over 30 episodes, hosted and produced by 3rd – 6th graders.
Students in 3rd – 6th grade host the Henry Puffer Podcast.
The podcast club is typically comprised of 15 students per year. While Reynolds wishes she could “welcome every student who wants to join” to the club, because the demand to participate is high, students must apply for membership.
Those accepted into the club meet throughout the year to practice hosting skills, brainstorm topics and guests to feature, research, write interview questions, record and edit podcast episodes, and publish these to platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Each episode takes approximately 2-4 weeks to create and is led by nine or 10 students, “showcasing their curiosity, creativity, and courage,” Reynolds said.
Behind the scenes, she coaches the podcasters and functions like “an agent…booking guests and then communicating with them,” she said.
The podcast “highlights people who make an impact in our society and topics that spark curiosity,” Reynolds explained. Past episodes have featured artists, bakers, small business owners, aspiring journalists, television celebrities, musicians, athletes, and more.
Christine Reynolds and the podcast club
she created were featured on NBC’s Chicago Today last year.
Ask the young podcasters, and they will animatedly share their favorite guests and episodes. Reynolds’ most memorable podcast to date featured Matt Rodrigues, Emmy-winning host of NBC’s Chicago Today. “He was electric and an amazing storyteller,” she said. “He made all of us laugh and cry all in one episode.”
Rodrigues then featured Reynolds and the podcast club on NBC. Students in the club have also been featured on WGN, spoken at the Illinois Capitol for Student Advocacy Day, and presented at IDEAcon, an annual conference about innovative practices in education.
The Henry Puffer Podcast is the only one Reynolds is aware of produced through a local elementary school – perhaps because it is challenging to run a podcast and teach full-time. Currently a fifth-grade teacher in her eighth year at Puffer and with nearly 20 years in education, Reynolds explained that “running the podcast truly feels like a second full-time job.”
“[Podcast club students develop] leadership, teamwork, and [a] sense of pride [they] carry with them long after the microphone is turned off.”
– Christine Reynolds
She has invested a “tremendous amount” of time in the podcast as well as “quite a bit of [her] own money” to initially start it, she said. However, “our amazing PTA has since stepped in to support us,” she added, “which has made a huge difference.”
Students decorated holiday cookies during their interview with Keri Petsche of Iced Custom Cookies by Keri on Season 7, Episode 4 of the Henry Puffer Podcast.
Reynolds’ friends outside of school also helped, donating funds for promotional club sweatshirts.
Beyond financial support, Reynolds is grateful for the emotional and technical support from her building principal and instructional coach. With so many champions of the club, and seeing the “leadership, teamwork, and sense of pride students carry with them long after the microphone is turned off,” for Reynolds, the effort necessary to produce the podcast is well worth it.
The Puffer podcasters wholeheartedly agree. Current members Claire Jackson, Ben Majewski, Emma Stachon, and Reagan Wojcik all cited increased confidence among the greatest benefits of being in the club. In addition to confidence, students gain exposure to and key skills for potential career paths.
For these reasons and many more, the podcasters – and their parents – are eternally grateful to Reynolds. Joanne Vought commended Reynolds for teaching her daughter the importance of “showing up, following through, and taking pride in her work,” something Reynolds models in both the club and classroom.
“We are so lucky she can work with our kids,” parent Nicole Stachon said. “She is the teacher-mom they need at school to help them when they need ANYTHING!”
