Kristen French is a Special Education teacher at Goffstown High School. She has taught Applied English at Goffstown for three years and her love for special education stemmed from her student teaching experience. She witnessed students “really struggling and just really felt compelled to help.” That’s the attitude embedded in her Applied English classes where every student gets the attention they deserve.
French has a very impressive academic career sporting a double major in psychology and special education and two Master’s, one in special education and the other in English with a focus on writing. French has always been a fierce worker. During her final semester of grad school, she was pregnant and while going into labor she was assigned ten pages with her professor giving her respite by saying “[write] if you can.” She had those ten pages of her manuscript by next class.
French’s hard work has been consistent throughout her career. After leaving teaching high school for a period, she was bartending, working in restaurants and teaching youth offenders in a correctional facility before landing back in high school English.
Her classes are run in a way that emphasizes growth in her students. Every day there’s a routine that includes a challenge. Every day starts with vocabulary, then there is a free write of ten minutes of silent, focused writing, and finally the rest of the period is spent on literature. Whatever students read is always read cover to cover- fiction, memoirs, news articles are all the various pieces her students study. Mr. McMurray, GHS’s Dean of Students, claims she has a “can-do attitude, works hard and has students’ best interests at heart;” she proves these claims true through her unwavering work ethic and her love for her students.
French makes it clear how important understanding the ins and outs of a child’s IEP are fundamental to their success and how specialized training is important. An interesting difference between New Hampshire and Massachusetts is the emphasis on special education training. In Massachusetts, there is free special education training and incentives, but New Hampshire does not offer the same programs. French speaks on how our society has many “misconceptions” about people with special needs and how “it takes a lot of time, and it takes a lot of understanding.”
French will always be a key player at any school she is in, not just because of her unique set of qualifications, but because of her charming personality, intense work ethic, and love of learning. This is reflected in one of her favorite characters, Atticus Finch, the father from “To Kill A Mockingbird.” “I really admired his integrity, his character, the way he stood up for others,” French explained. There are undeniable parallels between French and Atticus, she appreciates his unwavering character, even in rough times, and how good of an example he is for his children. French sports two children of her own who keep her busy. Even though “being busy is good for your brain” she most certainly does miss reading for pleasure though.
