Emmett Burnton and Ryan Donovan are two teachers both working in the social studies department at Boulder Creek High School in Deer Valley Unified School District. Not only colleagues, Emmett and Ryan have become mentors and coaches for each other. In today’s episode, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Kathleen Paulsen, NBCT, and Marlys Weaver talk with these outstanding educators about how they mentor each other to be their professional best and continue to evolve their practice.

Both teachers were also recognized for their teaching practice by the Arizona Educational Foundation. Emmett is the 2025 AEF Teacher of the Year, while Ryan is a 2025 AEF Ambassador for Excellence.

Emmett and Ryan share with Kathleen and Marlys how they connected at Boulder Creek and how their strengths differ and compliment each other. They also reflect on other educators and moments that guided their teacher development.

Both teachers explore in depth how they work to develop intentional and thoughtful lessons and assessments. They discuss their reflective practice and how it has positively impacted students.

Emmett calls us to think about mentorship in a way that creates deep relationships. These relationships help us really see our students and our peers in meaningful ways. Ryan shares about the value of protected time for collegial support and mentoring and the professional growth that results. He asks us to think about a mentor relationship as an opportunity for open dialogue and not about spending time focusing on deficits.

Continue your learning

After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link.

Here are a couple additional resources mentioned in this episode:

• Dr. Carol Dweck's on growth mindsets

• About Parker J. Palmer

• The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life by Parker J. Palmer

Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.