The Holston
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Faculty Spotlight Tammy R. Hutchinson-Harosky I came to King University in August of 2013 after spending nineteen years teaching in the public schools in Tennessee and Virginia. I have never felt at home like I did the day I came to campus to interview. I vividly remember the day spent with the wonderful people of the School of Education, and I instantly knew that if I were offered the job, there would be no hesitation. When I began teaching at King, I was only one year into my doctoral program. Because the School of Education needed someone to teach the literacy courses, and I was three hours short of having enough hours to teach the literacy courses, I returned to my alma mater, Carson-Newman University, and completed a Reading Specialist certification. At King, I teach the literacy and English as a Second Language courses that are required for initial licensure in the state of TN and for an add-on endorsement in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).
Tammy Harosky and family
One year after coming to King, I was asked to serve on the board for the Tennessee Teachers of ESL, and I served as president of the organization from 2016-2017. One of my responsibilities as a board member was to host the 2015 TNTESOL conference. I will forever be grateful for the support and encouragement I received from my colleagues, the university, and my students. It was wonderful to see not only the School of Education faculty being a part of the conference, but seeing our students involved in the organization solidified why I agreed to serve on the board. I believe I am not a success unless my students are successful. I am at King for the students. I believe that is my job: to ensure that my students receive the knowledge that is needed to be successful in their own future classrooms. I believe that I should be a mentor and resource for my students. I love when my students are in their own classrooms and invite me to come read to the class or to bring my current students to their school. I am a hands-on educator. I believe that it is important to provide my students with the opportunity to see what teaching is all about before they leave Kline Hall. I work closely with local school systems to have my students complete observation hours, work closely with the ESL teacher (through practicums), and participate in intervention opportunities. My students conduct a literacy night each semester for a local elementary school. This provides the students with the opportunity to not only work with children, but to work with the parents as well. Since coming to King, I have been instrumental in developing the ESL add-on endorsement in a completely online format, which allows us to offer the endorsement to licensed teachers throughout TN and VA. I have completed my doctoral degree (2016) in Teaching English as a Second Language. Most importantly, since coming to King, I have met colleagues and students who have forever touched my heart. The School of Education may be a small program, but we are a family. We work closely together to ensure that our students are highly qualified educators when they leave us. We encourage and support one another. I have always said that I have the best job in the world. I get to teach what I am passionate about (ESL and literacy), work with fabulous people (who have become family), have amazing students
