Brothers Share CSP Experience

FOR BROTHERS KEVIN, MAED ‘21 AND MICHAEL, MAED ‘21 BEEHLER, TEAMING UP FOR A SHARED EXPERIENCE WAS NOTHING NEW FOR EITHER OF THEM. MOST RECENTLY, THAT PARTNERSHIP WAS ON DISPLAY AS THEY COMPLETED THE MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAM AT CONCORDIA.

Only 16 months apart in age, the Beehler brothers did a lot together—and got along well. “Our parents say we never really fought,” older brother Michael quipped.

The brothers’ strong bond played out on the gridiron, with Michael at quarterback and Kevin at wide receiver for Foley (Minn.) High School and Central Lakes Community College in Brainerd, Minn. After their junior college careers ended, the brothers went their separate ways, Michael to Jamestown College in North Dakota, and Kevin to St. Cloud State (Minn.). However, even while apart, both pursued a calling to education. And they didn't stay apart long.

Michael has spent the past eight years in the St. Cloud Area School District, and the past four years at Apollo High School teaching physical education, where he also coaches football. Kevin taught and coached football as well in the St. Michael-Albertville and Princeton school districts. When he had the opportunity to teach science at Apollo three years ago, he jumped at the chance.

FACING COVID

Like most sectors, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the teaching profession. When distance learning was implemented in Spring 2020, both Kevin and Michael saw the inherent difficulties of distance learning.

“The hardest part was the free reign students had to log on between 10am and midnight to be counted as present, but we couldn’t always provide help when they needed it,” said Kevin.

Michael found that he had to be creative in teaching physical education remotely. He found different ways to get students active, whether it was sharing workouts for them to do, or having them choose a workout of their own that they would log and submit.

Both brothers spent the majority of the 2020-2021 school year vacillating between in-person, remote, and hybrid learning, and were glad to return to in-person learning for good in March. “Being back in person makes the job so much easier, and it’s much more enjoyable for the kids,” Michael explained.

TEAMING UP AT CSP

Kevin first explored the idea of getting a master’s degree, giving Michael that “final push to become a student again,” as Michael put it. Joining the CSP community together had its benefits: “We were able to encourage each other along the way,” Kevin recalled.

The program has helped the Beehlers see more possibilities and opportunities for their careers after they graduated last month. For Kevin, his experience at Concordia has pushed him to pursue principal licensure. “It opened your eyes to what an administrator does,” he remarked. “There’s so much behind the scenes that happens to make the day-to-day operations successful.”

“[The program] gave me an overall confidence, because I learned more about myself, whether it was my belief system, my philosophy, my core values, [or] making ethical decisions,” explained Michael.

— Story by Billy Schultz, BA ‘08, MA ‘11 | Photos courtesy of Michael and Kevin Beehler