Mrs. Kathy Ballard was born with a servant heart. Even when she was a little girl she knew she wanted to serve others. At first she wanted to be a missionary, but after her experience in school, she realized she wanted to serve in a different way: she wanted to be a teacher.

Mrs. Ballard decided to be a teacher so her students could have a good and beneficial relationship with their teacher in school. She said she wanted to help make other people’s lives better through her teaching.

As an English and Special Education teacher Ballard uses her belief in a good student-teacher relationship to help guide her in the way she teaches and interacts with her students. Ballard uses empathy and compassion to listen to and deal with her students.

“I love my students, [but] sometimes I disagree with expectations placed on them that are beyond their reach,” Ballard said. “I am a special education teacher.”

Mrs. Ballard has been teaching for almost 27 years. She was a homeschool teacher for 10 years at the first nationally accredited home in Tarrant County (NAFCC), and she has been working in the public-school system for 17 years. Not only was she active in her students’ lives, she is also active in her church, Gateway. Mrs. Ballard was born in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 13. She graduated from Lake Highlands High School and received her BA in both Speech and Secondary Education at UTA in Arlington. She has four daughters, and five grandchildren. After retirement Ballard plans to spend some time with her grandchildren, travel and do work outside of teaching.

Mrs. Ballard’s last advice to both students and upcoming teachers alike is to, “Show up regularly and be there 100%. It’s all about relationships.”