This year, our school welcomes Ms. Battles, a new special education teacher who is already making an impact in the classroom. She chose special education because she believes that the special needs community is something she has always been comfortable with. She’s also okay with things not going her way. She has “that ability to take a deep breath and say, okay, we’re all going to just move on.”

She is very patient and allows students to have a space to share their thoughts and emotions. In the classroom, with a drive for creativity and supporting students of all abilities, Ms. Battles focuses on building relationships and confidence in her students.

With one of her true passions being art, Ms. Battles first worked as a preschool art teacher at a primarily deaf school. She enjoys seeing the growth of students, watching them grow more each day. “Seeing the growth in a kid…a student that walks in here as a first-year student, and they’re what, 13, 14, and they leave, and they’re 18 and 19. That change between that first year and that senior year is incredible.”

Growing up with a family member who had cerebral palsy, she was “always eager and wanted to always be helpful with him.” Her life experiences have given her compassion not only inside the classroom but also outside of it.

If you see Ms. Battles in the halls, she will always say “hi” with a smile on her face and joy radiating off of her. As Ms. Battles settles into her first year at Wilde Lake, it’s clear she not only brings experience and dedication but also heart – something that each and every student can feel.