She learned about the spirit of collaboration early on from her mother, an aide in a special education classroom. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a young age,” Kylee says. Though she leaned toward general education when she reached her college years, the experience in her mother’s classroom opened her eyes to the unique value special education offered students in need and the broader community. A primary driver as to why she’s leaping into a general education classroom now is to be closer to home. The transition can be a tad frightening, especially for a creature of habit. “Change is scary when you’ve been in a position for 13 years,” Kylee says. Her coworkers at Newton have welcomed her with open arms and unlimited support. They’ve helped her navigate the “first-grade world,” as she phrases it: “It’s been amazing and my class is just full of life. I have amazing kiddos and I’m having a blast.” Fun factor aside, it’s a responsibility Kylee takes seriously. “Teaching is definitely a high-pressure position,” Kylee says. “Especially first grade where there’s a lot of learning going on. It’s one of the biggest developmental years.” As a seasoned teacher in a new position, she’s not afraid to ask questions. The dedicated educators she works alongside offset her anxieties about reading goals and dispel the feeling that reaching every milestone depends on her alone.

 

“I’ll always love special education,” she says warmly. “I still do miss it. It’s definitely rewarding.” The rewards she’s received from her career so far are plentiful and run deep, and it’s hard to tell sometimes which comes first: satisfaction from the job or the classroom wins that can lead to the same fulfillment. Likely, it’s a cycle where happiness feeds achievement and vice versa. We’re under the impression that home will continue providing Kylee a place to shine, and that her students and our district are all the better for it.