01/20/2024
The Bowers Automotive Group is excited to be mentioned in this news release from Hamilton County Schools! As a proud Community Partner of HCS we are pleased and honored to provide the use of a car for a year to the HCS 2024 Teachers of the Year. The announced winners are Catherine Casselman, Matty Hardy and Olivia Kane. Congratulations from the Bowers Automotive Group!!
January 18, 2024
HCS, Partners Honor Teachers of the Year
(Chattanooga, Tennessee) - The Hamilton County Board of Education, along with community partners Bowers Automotive Group, the Chattanooga Area Schools Federal Credit Union, and the Hamilton County Schools Foundation, recognized Hamilton County Schools’ 2024 Teachers of the Year during a ceremony on January 18.
Catherine Casselman, a fourth-grade teacher at East Side Elementary; Matty Hardy, a career and technical education teacher at Normal Park Museum Magnet Upper; and Olivia Kane, a chemistry and biology teacher at The STEM School, were honored for their outstanding work as the district’s top teachers for the year. In addition to public recognition, the teachers received the use of a car for a year from Bowers Automotive Group and a $500 check from the Chattanooga Area Schools Federal Credit Union.
Bowers Automotive Group President Bradley Cobb reflected on the importance of teachers in the community as he announced that the Teachers of the Year would be offered the use of a new car for the coming year in recognition of their achievement.
“Other than family and church, there is not a more important group of people who can help shape our children in a positive way than teachers,” Cobb said. “Bowers Automotive Group, along with many local businesses, want to help recognize and reward these three incredible teachers for all their hard work and dedication to our children. Our goal is to help enhance this program to get more applications and involvement from all the Hamilton County Teachers who make a daily commitment to our community by helping educate our kids”
Chattanooga Area Schools Credit Union President and CEO David Siatkowski presented each of the teachers with a $500 check in recognition of their achievements and thanked them for their dedication..
“Chattanooga Area Schools Credit Union is proud to partner with Hamilton County Schools, and we are proud to present $500 to each of these teachers to honor their achievements and thank them for their outstanding performance,” Siatkowski said. “It is our honor to recognize them as teachers of the year and for their dedication to their students.”
According to HCS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Justin Robertson, the involvement of community partners highlights the importance of high-quality teachers to the community.
“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of this year’s Teachers of the Year, and we very much appreciate our community partners and the Hamilton County Schools Foundation for their contributions to honor these dedicated professionals,” Robertson said. “Strong teachers are what makes it possible for every student to learn in Hamilton County, and these teachers are a shining example of the excellence in our classrooms.”
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Catherine Casselman has been an educator for six years, with five and a half years spent in Tennessee. During her time with HCS, she has diligently worked to be an advocate for students and her colleagues. Casselman teaches math and makes it a point to use precise language when discussing concepts. She feels this allows students to show their understanding of concepts which helps her identify where gaps in knowledge may require extra instructional attention. When it comes to ensuring other teachers have what they need, Casselman takes a similar approach. As a lead mentor Casselman assists with monthly professional development. One strategy used in these sessions is also discourse. Teachers who are having specific issues are able to tell a group their situation, and the group is able to provide solutions and ideas. During this time, the teacher presenting the challenge is simply an observer. This structure for feedback allows teachers to learn from others and have thoughtful reflection on the issue. Casselman stated of her desire to mentor new teachers, “Supporting new teachers is one of my passions as an educator…Strengthening new teachers with research-based strategies and multiple levels of support impacts the overall culture of our school and district positively.”
Matty Hardy, has eight years of experience as an educator with six those spent teaching in Tennessee. Hardy is passionate about creating connections and project based learning at Normal Park. She does this by bridging the gap between grade level with projects that engage students at every level. One of these projects was about plastic pollution. She created a project that combined students in sixth grade with students in third grade. Sixth grade students learned about ocean pollution and tracking waste in the ocean currents. The students collected plastic waste which they used to help the third graders create plastic sculptures. This project brought together students across grade level but also created staff connections and collaboration. Hardy enjoys these type of projects because they, “improve school culture by building relationships between campuses and the community and bring joy and excitement in the classroom through engaging hands on learning.”
Olivia Kane, an educator with five years of experience in Hamilton County Schools, is the Chemistry teacher for the STEM School. In her role, Kane searches for innovative ways to teach her students with hands-on real-world experiments, while also creating community and student partnerships. In the past, Kane has utilized a collaborative teaching opportunity with The Howard High Schools Future Ready culinary program to teach the chemistry of baking, data evaluation, and hypothesis testing. Additionally, Kane works with her STEM colleagues in the Global Center for Digital Innovation to teach chemical bonding, prototyping, and the iterative design process. Kane worked to build student curiosity and joy in the classroom through these hands-on activities. She stated she has flipped her teaching style from “I do, we do, you do” to “you do, we do, I do.” This change allows students to formulate their own understandings of patterns and connection. Kane aims to provide students with skills they can use in all aspects of their lives regardless of if they pursue a career in science.
