As we get ready to end another fabulous school year, we can’t help but reflect back on all of the incredible staff who helped to make it happen. Including all of our new staff! In this month’s We Are Wolf interview, please help us welcome Room 5 teacher, Kristen Machado, to The Wolf School!

1. Can you briefly tell us about your background before coming to Wolf?

After graduating from college, I began my career as a legal secretary and paralegal, working for a large corporation. While I gained valuable professional experience, I realized, after having my second child, that corporate life no longer aligned with my personal values and goals. I decided to leave my job and shift my focus toward a more balanced and meaningful life with my family. I began substitute teaching on the days my daughter attended preschool, which allowed me to explore a new career path while still spending quality time with my children on the days she was home. That transition sparked a passion for working with children and set me on the path toward a new career in education.

2. What inspired you to want to work in Special Education and with Complex Learners?

Once both of my children were in school, I began substitute teaching regularly and quickly noticed a significant shortage of substitute teachers willing to work in special education classrooms. One day, the school secretary placed me in a self-contained special education classroom, and I was hooked. I felt a connection to the students and found the work meaningful and rewarding. That experience inspired me to return to school and earn my master’s degree in Special Education. Once my third child started school, I transitioned to working full time in special education.

3. How would you describe yourself as a teacher?

I would like to think of myself as the patient and calm teacher who believes that children must feel emotionally regulated in order to learn and thrive. I strive each day to bring kindness, patience, and a grounded sense of calm into the classroom, knowing that sharing my own regulation can help support my students. I listen to them without judgment or criticism, offering a safe, compassionate space where they feel free to express their true selves. My goal is to build trust and connection, allowing each child to feel seen, heard, and valued as they grow both emotionally and academically.

4. What’s your favorite thing about the Wolf School so far?

I truly love everything about the Wolf School, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the people, especially the students. I feel so fortunate to work alongside a team of dedicated professionals and parents who genuinely care about and understand Complex Learners, who are so often misunderstood in other settings. I appreciate the school’s model of integrating services with academics to support the whole child and help students reach their full potential. But most of all, it’s the kids who make the Wolf School so special for me. I love their sense of humor, their stories, and all the cute and silly things they do that bring so much joy to each day.  I have never had a boring day at Wolf!

5. Can you tell us about your favorite teacher from your childhood? 

I’m not sure I had a favorite teacher growing up, but the most influential teacher I had was my 10th-grade English teacher, Mrs. Wilkerson. Writing is a difficult skill to learn—and an even more difficult one to teach—and in a large public school system, I had moved schools several times and fallen through the cracks. My ideas were “good enough to get by,” but I lacked the foundational skills for organizing my thoughts, structuring my writing, and properly quoting and referencing text evidence. I earned an F on my first paper that year. But Mrs. Wilkerson made it her mission to teach me how to write. She spent time with me not just during class, but before and after school. She would read and edit drafts- I’ve never seen so much red ink.  But I think about her often, and I’m grateful for everything she taught me.  She saw more in me at a time when I didn’t believe in myself, and that made all the difference.  She inspired me to be the best version of myself.

Welcome to Wolf, Kristen! We are so happy you’re here and so grateful for the impact you’re already making in lives of our students!

To learn more about other Wolf Staff, read some of our past We Are Wolf interviews!