Ms. Kristin Pittman - MHS

Ms. Pittman was my kindergarten teacher, and reconnecting with her now honestly feels like coming full circle. She’s one of those educators who doesn’t just teach kids how to read and write, but she has always cared about who they become as people.

One of the most powerful things she shared is that she became a teacher partly because school wasn’t easy for her growing up. She wasn’t a strong test taker, and she remembered adults labeling her based on her test scores, which made her believe she “wasn’t intelligent.” For a long time, she carried that story about herself until she discovered well-being work, when her perspective completely changed. She realized something she now lives by, “we are all intelligent, and so much of what holds students back is what they’ve been told to believe about themselves.”

Ms. Pittman taught in the classroom for 21 years. She started out in New York, earning her bachelor’s in early childhood and then going straight into her master’s program in education. After moving to California, she began subbing on an emergency credential in Pasadena, taught second grade there, and then worked toward her California credential so she could teach in South Pasadena. She spent 14 years at Monterey Hills Elementary School, including 10 years in kindergarten, and she later taught at Marengo as well. Along the way, she also survived major life changes, including a breast cancer diagnosis, which shaped her resilience and deepened her perspective on what kids and teachers truly need.

As she was facing difficulties in life, her focus shifted from being an elementary school teacher. In 2017, she became a certified mindfulness educator, and that ended up changing the direction of her entire career. She thought she was doing her mindfulness education for her students, but this became something that also transformed her as a person. She began implementing mindfulness practices in the classroom, not as a trendy activity, but as a way to help kids understand distractions, build focus, and learn how to regulate their emotions. Her belief was simple, “distractions will always exist, so students deserve tools to manage them.”

Eventually, she shifted into a job-share role so she could keep teaching while also bringing mindfulness curriculum into elementary schools. During COVID, she expanded her mindfulness work even more, as she coached educators through a well-being nonprofit and helped teachers understand something she cares about deeply, “adults’ emotional regulation affecting kids.” Ultimately, she realized that if teachers are stressed and overwhelmed, students feel those heightened emotions. Her work now is centered on helping educators and others build inner awareness, so their “outside world,” like classrooms, families, and communities, can benefit  too.

Even though she’s no longer a full-time classroom teacher, her proudest moments still come from seeing growth. She described how meaningful it is when a child goes from not recognizing letters or sounds to suddenly making connections and gaining confidence. One of her favorite reminders of impact came when a student emailed her later and said they still use the helpful well-being practices she taught during her Friday sessions in COVID.

Ms. Pittman also shared a classroom tradition I love, which is having students write a letter to their future selves, so that they could read it at the end of the year and see how they’ve grown. This tradition is simple, but it shows who she is, a teacher who wants kids to reflect, build self-awareness, and realize they’re capable of change.

If she could give students one message beyond school, it would be this, don’t give up on yourself. Believe in your intelligence, don’t let labels define you, and remember that there is always someone out there willing to support you.

Ms. Pittman’s story is a reminder that teaching isn’t only about academics. Sometimes the most important thing a teacher gives a child is the belief that they are more than a test score, and that they can become someone they’re proud of.