Feature

Sibling rivalry across the school halls

At first glance, band director Neil Tafelmeyer and English teacher Josie Eyres do not have much in common-but their roots from the same household led the pair of siblings to both become teachers at BHS.

Lizzy Kerzman, Managing Editor • April 25, 2024

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Music partners. BHS teachers Neil Tafelmeyer and Josie Eyers are siblings that grew up around music. They continue to incorporate it into their lives today – even in the classroom. “If you think about it, to play a piano you’re sometimes reading four lines of music at once while both hands are moving in different directions in different rhythms,” BHS English teacher Josie Eyers said. “There’s a lot going on in your brain and that’s really powerful for keeping your brain active and learning. I try to incorporate that same creativity into my classroom.”

Siblings. BHS teachers Neil Tafelmeyer are two of five siblings. According to Tafelmeyer, they are ‘textbook definitions’ of the middle and youngest children. “As a middle child, you kind of have the best of both worlds. I’m a little biased, but we run the world,” BHS band director Neil Tafelmeyer said. “You get the perks of being a younger sibling and an older sibling, but Josie is a great little sister.”

At the first staff meeting of the new school year, BHS Principal David Wisthoff asked staff about any celebrations or successes that happened over the summer. This opened up the floor to talk about weddings, graduations, or new members of families. For BHS band director Neil Tafelmeyer, it was a chance to embarrass a sibling.

“At the meeting,” Tafelmeyer said. “I raised my hand and said real proud ‘I get to work with my baby sister.’”

Tafelmeyer and his ‘baby sister’ Josie Eyers used to work together on their family farm. Now, they work together on the school’s first floor.

“I just think, growing up in that setting, takes a lot of hard work and patience,” Tafelmeyer said. “It translates really well into the work of a teacher.”

Like any other family-run farm, the expectation for the Tafelmeyers was that every sibling worked.

“I think everyone should work on a farm,” Eyres said. “I think it’s good for kids to have that sense of responsibility and feeling like they’re part of something. Being outside and being creative and having that responsibility sets up a kid for success.”

Tafelmeyer is the third of five kids; Eyres is the youngest, and the only girl. The brother and sister used to see each other every day while growing up, but as time moved on and they moved away from the farm, miles were added between the two. Eyres was teaching in Pennsylvania before her move back to North Dakota.

“It’s been a long time since we lived close together,” Eyres said.

“We only saw each other on the big holidays,” Tafelmeyer said. “Now she’s right down the hall.”

At first, Tafelmeyer did not even know Eyers applied to the English department at BHS.

“There was an opening and I told her about it, but I had no idea she actually applied,” Tafelmeyer said. “She didn’t want it to appear like there’s some sort of favoritism or family connection.”

“There was a job opening in both Mandan and here at BHS,” Eyres said. “I submitted my application to BHS because Neil talked so highly of it here.”

After her interview at BHS, Eyres packed up her family and came back to her North Dakota roots to work right alongside her older brother.

“I live by faith, it’s a really big big part of my life,” Tafelmeyer said. “and I just think it was God’s timing.”

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