Kristy Harter teaches her students that their voices matter — those voices can get peers, teachers, parents and communities to listen.

"I want all people — no matter their abilities or disabilities — to feel loved, known, seen and heard," the U of A College of Education and Health Professions alumna said. "I want each of my students to recognize the superpowers they have within."

That desire inspired the superhero-themed program in her special education classroom called Harter's Heroes. It's been so successful that Harter and her Structured Learning Services team at McNair Middle School in Fayetteville recently won the "Team That Makes a Difference" award from the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Education.

Harter diverted the praise to her six team members.

"My team feels like family to me, and to see them recognized for the amazing work they do was an incredibly rewarding experience," she said. "It's an honor to work beside them and to be celebrated for the work we do together."

Their work centers around helping students find their unique "superpowers." Then, the team teaches students how to use those "superpowers" to learn and grow, overcome challenges and positively influence the world.

Harter's desire to work with students who have special needs was sparked in the fifth grade, when she participated in her school's "buddy program." As a part of this program, she spent her recess time tutoring and peer mentoring in a special education classroom.

"That's where I discovered a passion for inclusion and helping others," she said.

She learned to lead while a student at the U of A.  

"I was lucky enough to serve as the manager for the Arkansas Razorbacks softball team for three years. This gave me the chance to work closely with a team," she said. "That experience has helped me support, encourage and lead the team that I work alongside today."

She gained confidence in her teaching abilities by learning from faculty members like Dr. Angela Elsass in the U of A Master of Arts in Teaching program and mentor-teacher Mindy Duell.

"Thankfully, I was placed with Mindy at Root Elementary for my internship," Harter said. "Almost everything I do in the classroom is better because of her. She greatly impacted my relationship with teaching, my ability to navigate the dynamics of leading a group of paraprofessionals and the complexities of serving students with varying abilities."

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To read more Dean's Spotlight stories and other COEHP community news, visit the College's online magazine, the Colleague. The College of Education and Health Professions offers advanced academic degrees as well as professional development opportunities and learning communities in service to the education and health systems of Arkansas and beyond. The U of A Master of Arts in Teaching program has been recognized as one of the leading U.S. teacher preparation programs by the American Association of Teacher Educators.