Jed Batterson, Aldrich Elementary

Position: 4th Grade Teacher

Years Teaching: 19 years

Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with his family; cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood; and working with antique farm equipment.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I have enjoyed building relationships with students and their families.

What do you find the most challenging about teaching? Adapting to the demands of the constantly changing standards.

Best tip for new teachers: I think new teachers should surround themselves with a positive support group; tackle tasks one or two at a time and then move forward to gradually build professional capacity; take time to listen to and understand students and resist the pressure in the moment to ‘get it all done’.

Best tip for career teachers: Every day is an opportunity to have a positive impact on students.

Favorite piece of advice for students: Build empathic relationships with others.

What being a Gold Star Teacher means to you: I think being a Gold Star Teacher is a humbling experience. It’s an honor to join past awardees. An important component of the Award is it takes a team of educators to be successful for students.