Today’s episode takes us into a world of energy, teamwork, and commitment—a world that lives at the heart of Knoxville Junior High School’s community spirit: cheerleading. I’m joined by Coach Amy Hopper, whose role goes far beyond leading cheers and teaching routines. Amy has created an environment where young students develop strength, poise, and resilience that will stay with them for life. She’s here today with three of her eighth-grade cheerleaders—Janessa, Delaney, and Olivia—who, in their own right, are learning to lead, face challenges, and connect with something larger than themselves.

Today we dive into a rich conversation with the future leaders of agriculture and America: the Officers of the FFA at Knoxville High School, led by their dedicated and dynamic advisor, Mallory Tolley. While many might think of the FFA as simply an organization tied to farming, what you’ll learn today is that it’s so much more. It’s about shaping confident leaders, fostering financial and management skills, and building the type of skillsets and resilience that goes far beyond the field. These young students, with Tolley’s guidance, are not just learning about agriculture; they’re developing life skills that will serve them in any career path they choose.

Today, we have a truly special episode lined up for you. I'm thrilled to introduce our guests, Michelle McClay and Matt Maaske, Michelle serves in the role of assistant principal at the Junior High where Matt serves as the principal and Athletic Director.

Michelle and Matt are not just leaders; they are passionate educators dedicated to nurturing the minds and hearts of the young students in their care. Michelle brings over 15 years of experience in the Knoxville district, transitioning from a beloved second-grade teacher to her current role where she seamlessly blends familiarity with innovation. Matt, on the other hand, comes from a rich family background in education, with an interesting journey that led him into to the field after a stint in finance, driven by a family legacy in teaching and administration.

In today's episode, we will explore their unique journeys, their collaborative efforts to create a vibrant and supportive learning environment, and the innovative programs they have implemented to foster student growth and engagement. We'll delve into their personal stories, the challenges and triumphs they face as administrators, and their vision for the future of Knoxville Junior High. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired by the dedication and passion of these two remarkable educators.

Today, I sit down with Jodi Keever, Principal at Mable Woolsey Elementary to learn more about her journey as an educator. Jodi has been in her administrative role for nearly two years, but arrived at Knoxville 12 years ago as a third-grade teacher. Along the way, she’s added a husband, two children, and a sheep farmer to her crew. Although, to be fair, the husband and the sheep farmer are the same guy!

We have the opportunity today to meet a man who has made the education of our young people his life’s work and who joined the Blue Bullets this year as Athletic Director, Mr. Brad Weedman. As the old-timey television infomercial used to say, ‘WAIT, there’s MORE!’ And indeed, there is. We have the pleasure of sitting down with four student-athletes who, through hard work, determination, and friendship, are meeting with and defining success as they create wonderful pathways toward the worlds which lie ahead for them. So, in addition to Mr. Weedman, we’ll welcome Loren King, Alissa Higgins, Sydney Smith, and Regan Brown to our podcast today. The quintet and I discuss the symbiotic nature of student-athletes and the support systems we’ve put into place for them. It means so much, of course, to the students, coaches, and the AD, who are all, themselves, directly involved, but as several of the girls will share, it spills over into the community, and gives us all an opportunity to share in the hoisting of the collective banner of victory. And that’s a pretty special privilege.

I had the privilege of sitting down today with the most remarkable teacher of high school history — Megan Schaefer.  She is making an enormous impact, today, in the lives of the people who will shape our world in the not-too-distant future, and I think that’s a pretty big deal. Through her passion for all things history, she is helping our young people see the relevance of the events past to the lives we live today and, perhaps even more importantly, how we are laying the groundwork, today, for what will become our future tomorrow. Understanding the role history plays in our lives is something that Megan has devoted much of her life preparing to teach. And judging from our conversation today, I believe she teaches it about as well as anyone I’ve ever met.

Teachers really do move the needle on who we become, not only as individuals, but through the leverage students carry out into the world. A science teacher might see this as the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy, and a language arts teacher might see greatness before anyone else in the words a future novelist places on a term paper or a class essay. But a history teacher sees the leverage in history understood and acted upon through life choices that have the capacity to resonate well into the future and even well beyond our own lives. To me, that makes history a pretty big deal. Something to be well understood and so it’s a good thing there are people like Megan Schaefer within our school community willing to so effectively share those lessons. Clearly, she teaches with the passion of someone who cares, but also as someone who has worked hard to prepare herself. I have a hard belief in the notion that we are all better when we work together. The education of our children is a partnership involving parents, teachers, and in fact the entire community. As Megan said in our conversation, it means so much to the success of our kids that we all work together. I know, not just from our conversation today, but from many others I’ve had with teachers, how much Megan and her colleagues value engaged parents.