New Special Education teacher Abigail Tancrede is excited to help students reach their full potential and goals.

After four years working at Melican Middle School and four additional years teaching in Boston, Tancrede comes to Algonquin with experience and important skills. Throughout her years of teaching, Tancrede has realized that inclusion and understanding need to be at the forefront of learning.

“There is no one size fits all,” Tancrede said. “Everyone has a completely unique learning style, and the learning environment can be suited to everyone’s needs.”

Tancrede believes fulfilling the needs of the students should come first and changing the way she approaches teaching is a necessity for her field. However, this requires flexibility.

“Teaching is a very rewarding profession, but it can be hard working with so many different people and personalities,” said Tancrede. “Because of that, it’s important to figure out how to adapt and support your students.”

Changing schools is always a hard transition, especially with a larger caseload than at her previous school. Despite this, Tancrede strives to build bonds with her students and understand them on a deeper level.

“I would really like to learn more about students here, and the way things work here,” Tancrede said.

Student Services department head Caroline Flynn values Tancrede’s ability to connect with students.

“We all have that barrier [talking to students], but she’s able to cross it easier because of her empathetic nature,” Flynn said.

Flynn believes Tancrede’s empathy helps her build relationships and brings a sense of “freshness” to Algonquin. Tancrede looks forward to building these connections.

“Overall, I’m super happy to be here, and I’m super open to meeting new people and students so if you want, come by and say hi,” Tancrede said.