A Little About Hannah

   Welcome to the New Kids on The Block- First Year Teacher Edition blog! My name is Hannah Cates and I cannot wait to start off my first year of teaching!

Now no matter how excited I am, I am still a little anxious about what is to come. Alera and I got to talking one night, and after talking about all of our excitement and the plans we had in store, we talked about how there really isn’t many resources for first year teachers… I think the only book I have seen that addresses first year teachers- is “The First Year Teacher Survival Guide.” And it was HUGE and a little daunting. The other books and blogs I have been reading, though very resourceful and full of spectacular ideas, make it seem like everyday in the classroom is perfect- with their perfect lesson plans, perfect materials, and their little angels- but if you don’t already know- that’s not always going to be the case no matter how cute your little angels are. So this blog is going to be all about the good, the bad, and the questionable things that go on in our classrooms during the first year of our careers. I hope that this blog will be both a source of encouragement to you and also will help you grow as a teacher!

Don't let this face fool you,
I was a lot to handle
in Kindergarten.
Poor Mrs. Moody.

   Now a little about me… I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. I love Nashville. My family lives there- my mom, my brother Wesley who will be a sophomore at Auburn, and then also my foster brother- Jason- who is three! I have known since I was a little girl, that whatever I wanted to do in life, it had to involve helping others. With that in mind, since I was little I wanted to be a nurse or a teacher. I found out at a very young age that the sight of blood was not something that I wanted to see everyday. So a teacher I would be... little did I know that my students would often have little cuts or nose bleeds- so I would not escape the sight even as a teacher. There is nothing I would rather do than teaching. I love kids and I love their eagerness to learn. I decided to go to Baylor University, 1) because I have always loved Texas, I mean who doesn’t love the 100+ degree heat and the warm weather all year long??!), 2) because it was a Baptist university, and 3) because of all the experience students in the education program get.

      At Baylor, I was a teaching associate in 3^rd and 1^st grade, and then did my student teaching in 2^nd grade. I loved all of the experiences, but nothing will ever compare to 2^nd grade- they are perfect! They are still SO excited about learning, love you no matter what and will give you hugs, and they are slowly but surely becoming independent learners. During my student teaching year I was also able to go to Brisbane, Australia and teach Year 2 over there. Going to Australia was one of the best experiences of my life, and I cannot wait to go back there someday and hopefully teach.

      So now more towards the present- I just graduated in May. After graduation I decided to stay in Texas, for Texas won my heart. I got a teaching job in May at a school in Grand Prairie ISD. I will be teaching KINDERGARTEN!!!! I am so looking forward to this coming year and cannot wait to share my thoughts, ideas, and experiences from my first year of teaching with y’all!