Hannah Harless, 31, was in middle school when she began to weigh the possibility of becoming a teacher.

“I had a teacher I looked up to tell me she thought I would make a great teacher,” she recalled. “That comment made me consider being an educator.”

When she was in high school, she worked for the St. Margaret’s Summer Care Program. There she discovered her love for children. Her mission was reaffirmed when she began working for the After School Care Program at the school, where she cared for the students and helped them with their homework.

Now, she couldn’t see herself doing anything else.

“Some people say if you truly love your job, it is not considered work at all, and that is exactly how I feel about teaching.”

A Lake Charles native, she attended St. Louis Catholic High School and graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in early childhood education in 2017.

She has taught for seven years at St. Margaret Catholic School. After her college graduation, she was offered the opportunity to teach third grade and kindergarten because two teachers were taking maternity leave. She was later hired as a first-grade teacher and has been in that role since.

Harless likes to teach first grade because the kids make it fun for her.

“Every day is a new adventure with them, and they keep me on my toes!”

Harless knows firsthand the impact of an effective teacher who instills a love for learning in students. She succeeded in school, but it didn’t always come easily to her. Throughout her education, she found herself independently discovering new approaches and ways to study to make the lessons easier to digest.

These acts helped lead her to the education career path, and her goal is for students to feel supported in their own journey to discover their learning styles. This is especially important for students in early elementary, she said.

“I think the impact of first grade can affect how they will feel about school for the rest of their lives. I want to ensure my students have a lifetime love for school and learning.”

Her relationship with students is based on mutual channels of respect that allow for a classroom that is fun, trustworthy and conducive to learning. Her classroom cultivates her students’ relationship with God. She believes religion classes teach “civility, love, kindness and, above all, to love one another as you would want to be treated.”

Harless had heard how fulfilling teaching is throughout her life but did not realize how true that statement was until she became a teacher herself. She advises all teachers to remember the importance of their role in students’ lives.

“This impact could potentially change the world. My students are the future of our society, and from what I see, we are headed in the right direction for the future!”