For Hillary Mings, the most important work in education happens before most people realize learning has even begun. Every day, she steps into a full-day, blended preschool classroom at Bright Futures in Galesburg, where 3-to-5-year-olds of all ability levels and backgrounds come together to begin building the skills that will carry them through a lifetime of learning.

“I teach kids how to hold a pencil, how to label their feelings, how to calm their bodies, how to take turns,” Hillary says. “These aren’t small things. They’re everything.”

Blended classrooms, she explains, combine students with IEPs, speech needs, developmental delays, English language learners, and general education students all into one learning space. And rather than separating by label or diagnosis, the philosophy is clear: everyone learns together.

“Research shows it’s the best thing for young kids,” she says. “They learn from each other. One of my students started the year speaking no English—and now he’s almost fluent. That happened because he was immersed, not isolated.”

This is Hillary’s 14th year in Galesburg, all of it in early childhood. She came to the work by way of Spoon River College and Western Illinois University, where she originally didn’t know what she wanted to do. Then she took a college placement at a childcare center.

“It clicked immediately,” she says. “I was like, yes—this is it.”

She’s been in her element ever since.

The work is demanding. “We have 180 early learning standards we teach to,” she says, listing everything from letters and numbers to social-emotional milestones and self-help skills. But the approach is deeply child-centered—relying on hands-on learning, open-ended play, and real-world connections to spark imagination and build mastery.

Right now, her classroom is preparing for a zoo field trip. The kids are using wooden blocks to build enclosures, sketching maps, writing animal names, and engaging in collaborative, creative problem-solving—all while practicing fine motor skills, letter formation, and language development.

“They don’t even know they’re learning,” Hillary says. “They’re just playing. But they’re learning everything.”

That approach is intentional. The school follows the Conscious Discipline model, a curriculum that helps students identify their emotions, regulate their behavior, and navigate social interactions with increasing independence.

“We talk about breathing, about calming our bodies, about what it feels like to be mad or excited or scared,” Hillary explains. “And we do it in a way that helps the kids name what’s happening inside.”

That emotional fluency, she says, is essential—not just for the moment, but for the future.

“If we don’t teach these skills now, we’ll have to try to teach them later—when the stakes are higher,” she says. “The earlier, the better.”

Hillary’s classroom is part of a broader equity-focused model. Each child is screened before entry, and weighted criteria—such as family income, trauma history, or language barriers—are used to ensure those with the most need receive access. “It’s not just about fairness,” she says. “It’s about equity. Every child gets what they need, not just the same thing.”

She works alongside a team of educators and specialists—speech therapists, English language teachers, paraprofessionals, and occupational therapists—who ensure that every child, regardless of ability, has a pathway forward.

And while the challenges have grown—especially with the rise in screen time, fine motor delays, and language deficits linked to post-pandemic developmental shifts—Hillary remains focused on the impact she sees every day.

“You can watch it happen,” she says. “That kid who couldn’t hold scissors? Now he’s cutting shapes. That child who wouldn’t speak? Now she’s singing. It’s like planting a garden—you see the growth.”

At the end of the year, the progress is undeniable. “We become a school family,” she says. “The kids say it, and they mean it. We’ve laughed together, solved problems together. We’ve done real work.”

Hillary Mings isn’t just preparing students for kindergarten.

She’s building the footings beneath every step that follows.