Balancing the difficulties of teaching with coaching, Kristin Judd has succeeded at Parkway West. Going into her 16th year of teaching at West High, Judd teaches AP Calculus BC, the most advanced math class that Parkway West offers, and sponsors the advanced math program Mu Alpha Theta as well. 

The hidden difficulties of juggling teaching at such a high level with personal life create many challenges, but Judd continues to teach and support every student. The influence of math and connections with her students have helped her keep pushing, despite these many obstacles. 

“I enjoy math because I get to see a lot of light bulb moments from people. For some people, it comes easily, [and] for others, it takes a little more time. I’ve always felt like math is something that people have avoided, and I want people to enjoy it, find it interesting [and] make connections, because I do think there [are] a lot of connections out there,” Judd said.

Despite numerous teaching opportunities at all levels of education, Judd chose to pursue a career in high school teaching. She has ultimately decided to stay at Parkway West, teaching high schoolers and coaching volleyball for over 15 years. This decision to stay is influenced by the connections she’s built with students in high school rather than anywhere else.

“High school kids are a little easier for me to relate to. [They] are getting to a place where they’re [going to] be adults, but they’re not quite there yet. It’s a fun place for me to give them opportunities to act like adults, yet guide them if they make mistakes,” Judd said.

Additionally, Judd has coached girls and boys’ volleyball almost every year she has taught at West. Most recently, Judd helped coach the 2024 girls’ volleyball team to a record of 20-10-3. However, for Judd, the experience and connections that she builds are far more important than the record.

“I have pretty much always coached and taught, and the high school level is, in my experience, a good way to build relationships, both in and outside the classroom,” Judd said. “All of a sudden, I went from knowing the kids in my classroom and on my team to knowing all their friends [as well].”

Judd has found similarities between coaching and teaching. She utilizes her experiences and coaching skills to improve her teaching and classroom environment. She has found that these methods can be valuable in both worlds. 

“The things I do in my classroom, I bring to the volleyball team. For example, sometimes in your classroom, if you have a student [who is] easily distracted, you might go stand next to them while you teach [to help] them be less distracted. Same thing in volleyball,” Judd said.

Judd has not only built strong relationships with students but also with her colleagues. These relationships help her navigate through everyday problems at school and also the difficult situations and challenges that life presents.

“I’ve built really good friendships over the last 16 years with all the people in the department. We always support each other when [we] struggle,” Judd said. “The head coach of volleyball, Susan Anderson, also had a baby last spring, and she is still coaching, and we talked a lot about [my decision on whether or not I should still coach].”

Last spring, Judd took time off from school and volleyball because she wanted to enjoy time with her newborn baby. On March 15, 2025, Adelaide Violet Judd was born. Nicknamed Addie, Judd’s commitments quickly shifted from school and coaching to supporting and being with her daughter, especially at such a young age.

“She’s so cute and so sweet and very fun right now, so I don’t want to miss all the milestones. She’s growing like a weed, and she’s got something new every day,” Judd said. “I had to give up boys’ volleyball in the spring because [of Addie]. [Giving up boys’ volleyball] helped me feel like I [could give up coaching the girls as well and] be away from the program and still feel connected to the kids and help.”

In addition to the absence of coaching, Addie has changed the way Judd manages her time.

“I’m having to wash the dishes [for] the day; I’m having to prepare her bottles; I’m having to wash laundry. It’s a lot of cleaning, organizing, and planning for the next day,” Judd said. “I’m still trying to make sure that school time [is] school time and home time [is] home time. When I go home, there’s not a lot of time that I can be thinking about [school and teaching] anymore.”

Although circumstances have definitely changed in Judd’s life, there still remains the consistency of teaching in her life. On the court, she hopes that one day she can return to her title as coach. However, for now, the focus in her life has shifted to the new and exciting role as Mom.

“I will start thinking about whether or not I can get back into coaching once Addie gets a little older. My ultimate goal is to eventually get back into coaching volleyball. It’s just right now, my life circumstances have changed,” Judd said. “It’s not like it used to be, where I could just sit on the bus ride back and answer all my emails or grade papers. Now my priority is Addie, and I need to be there for her as much as I can.”