Heather Winward, or Mrs. Winward, as she’s known among her students, is a new staff member within the Special Education Program (also referred as SPED). Mrs. Winward grew up in Downey, Idaho. She attended Western Governors University Online and Idaho State University, earning three degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary, A Bachelor of Arts in Special Education, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership. Mrs. Winward enthusiastically described her college experience as “tedious – It’s a lot of jumping hoops to get where you want to go”. She moved from Marsh Valley to Blackfoot with her husband when he got a job working at the hospital here. Her new commute sent her to work in Pocatello, but when she was offered a job here at Blackfoot High School, she retired from the Pocatello route in favor of something closer to home. She stated that when she met a few of the staff members, of which included Mr. Lance and Ms. Eldredge, Mrs. Winward was very excited to be able to work alongside them. She has loved her time working here and with the students so far. 

Winward works in the Special Education (SPED) Program that takes place in room 301. She has been teaching within the SPED Program for ten years and went into the program because of a unique past experience. When asked about this experience, she stated, “Years ago, I taught elementary [school], and there was a student in first grade who had to learn in a different way. It was fun to watch him realize he could learn, he just had to change the way he learned a little bit. It made his confidence go super high and made him feel really good about himself. So, that student, I suppose if I had to pin it down to one thing, it would be that kid”. Within the Special Education Program, Mrs. Winward teaches the Extended Resource Room and ensures that all the students have what they need. Her favorite aspect about being within the program is, “The students, definitely. They’re hilarious”.

Some of Mrs. Winward’s hobbies outside of school are lifting weights, riding horses, and bowhunting elk. A fun fact about her is that her favorite animal is a racehorse specifically, she provided her reasoning as “Their athleticism is amazing to watch. I’m always in awe of what they can do and how they can move. They’re willing to let you borrow that athleticism when you have a partnership with them”. However, if she could be any animal, she opted for being her own dog specifically; Moose, her very pampered silver lab.