Teaching Better Together

In Part 2 of our conversation with District 51 Superintendent Dr. Brian Hill, educators Terry Schmalz and Miranda Bailey continue their discussion about leadership, education, and the future of schools in Western Colorado. Dr. Hill shares his thoughts on one of education's biggest challenges today—educator burnout—and offers practical insights on how teachers and leaders can sustain their pass...

In this episode, educators Terry Schmalz & Miranda Bailey interview Dr. Brian Hill of D51 in Western Colorado. Hill shares his journey in education, discusses the district's student cell phone policy update, explores the challenges of school funding, explains his decision-making process, and reflects on how he measures student success. 📅 Stay tuned for Part 2 on June 12, 2026 , where Dr....

🎧 Episode 4: Student Voices on AI 🤖🎓 In this episode of Teaching Better Together , hosts Terry Schmalz and Miranda Bailey sit down with Central High School seniors Nic Pinnt and Pedro Medina for an honest, insightful conversation about artificial intelligence in today’s classrooms. Both students—aspiring engineers—share how they’ve already encountered and used AI in their learning, from academi...

What happens when artificial intelligence rolls into the classroom? 🤖📓 In this episode, we sit down with D51 Instructional Coach and Magic School Bus Fellow Vanessa Moore to explore how District 51 is navigating the fast-moving world of AI in education. Vanessa shares a thoughtful, boots-on-the-ground look at: ✨ How D51 teachers and leaders are approaching AI ⚖️ The real pros and cons of using...

From Crayons to Cap & Gown Everything I Needed to Learn, I Learned in Kindergarten What do high school seniors really remember about their earliest years of school? In this episode, we sit down with Zoe Clingaman and Quinn Seeman to reflect on their memories of kindergarten and elementary school—classrooms filled with crayons, circle time, playground rules, friendships, and first lessons about...

Say hello to The Kindergarten Whisperer herself — Shannon Koppenhafer! 🍎✨ We had the BEST time talking all things Kinder education: 💛 How to nurture curiosity in our tiniest learners 🎨 Why play, creativity, and movement matter more than ever 🧠 Practical strategies to support emotional + academic growth 🤝 And the magic that happens when teachers truly see their students Shannon’s wisdom, warm...