State of Montana Newsroom
Kalispell Educator Wins 2026 History Teacher of the Year Award
Helena, MT — Kristopher Schreiner, a history teacher at Kalispell Middle School, has been awarded the 2026 Centennial Bell Montana History Teacher of the Year Award. Schreiner was unanimously selected by the awards committee, which praised the scope of his curriculum, the range of hands-on learning opportunities he provides, and his commitment to fostering “a lasting connection between his students and the place they call home.”
Schreiner has taught Montana history at Kalispell Middle School for 18 years. He grew up on a farm near Laurel, where both sides of his family homesteaded in the early 1900s, and has spent his entire career bringing that firsthand connection to the land into the classroom.
“Teaching Montana history is not simply a subject I cover — it is a lifelong passion rooted in both my professional career and my personal heritage,” said Schreiner. “My goal is to foster a lasting connection between my students and the history of the place they call home."
Schreiner's classroom is distinguished by a wide range of immersive, hands-on activities that bring Montana history to life. Students in his class have participated in atlatl training, fire-making, hide tanning, gold panning, log cabin construction, butter churning, and many other activities.
"He does not simply teach Montana history — he immerses students in it,” said Dallas Stuker, Kalispell Middle School principal. “Whether students are mining for gold, milling lumber, or contributing to the construction of a log cabin, they are engaging in memorable learning experiences that deepen their understanding of Montana's heritage."
Students themselves have taken notice. "I have seen students that I know particularly hate school come into his class with that special glimmer in their eye, ready to see what they will get to experience," said eighth-grader Serena Carlson. "Those lessons stick with us instead of learning it, taking a test on it, and forgetting what we wrote down."
Schreiner will receive $4,250 from event sponsors Montana Television Network, the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers, and the Virginia City Preservation Alliance. The money can be used for classroom materials, guest speakers, field trips, and anything else that enhances student learning. Other project supporters include the Montana Historical Society and the 1889 Coffeehouse in Helena.
The History Teacher of the Year Award is part of the 37th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell celebration. Because Statehood Day (Nov. 8) falls on a Sunday this year, Schreiner and his students will ring the Centennial Bell on Nov. 9 at 10:29 a.m., the exact minute Montana became the 41st state in 1889. The award was established in 1989 by Montana Historical Society trustee Norma Ashby-Smith to honor the centennial of Montana statehood.