Hannah Hartley
  • Early Childhood Intervention Specialist with an Additional Licensure in Early Childhood Education
  • Class of 2017
  • Litchfield, OH

Hannah Hartley has taken her skills learned at Ashland University to her student teaching that she is doing in South Carolina through Ashland University's Southern Internship Program.

2017 May 2

Hannah Hartley has taken her skills learned at Ashland University to her student teaching that she is doing in South Carolina through Ashland University's Southern Internship Program.

Hartley is a double major in early childhood education and early childhood intervention specialist with a concentration in PreK-3.

"I have always had a passion for inspiring and teaching children. I think it's really important to be a positive role model that leads by example. School is one place children can escape the craziness of their home lives and feel secure. I want to provide a safe and loving environment for students of all backgrounds. So basically, I picked teaching because I want to make a difference in this world," Hartley said.

Hartley, a graduating senior, is a resident of Litchfield. She is the daughter of James and Kimberly of Litchfield, Ohio, 44253. She graduated from Buckeye High School in May of 2013.

She is a part of the Council for Exceptional Children, Kappa Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, and intramural sports. Her sophomore year of college, Hartley won the sophomore award for the Department of Early Childhood at the Academic Honors Convocation at Ashland University; the awards are given to one sophomore, one junior and one senior from each department at the Academic Honors Convocation.

Hartley has taken her student teaching to South Carolina and has many things to say about this program that places AU students in schools in Florida and South Carolina.

"I have had the most amazing experiences this semester. I was blessed with an opportunity to head to South Carolina for the first half of this semester and complete my first eight weeks of student teaching. I was in a first grade classroom filled the most loving, charismatic students," she said. "I completed my last eight weeks of student teaching back in Ohio in a second grade classroom. My class was a lively, curious little bunch. My students showed me the beauty of inclusion by treating each other as a unique individual, not a person with a disability. I have learned so much from my student teaching that I feel completely confident having my own classroom. I was given the opportunity to full time teach for several weeks and I learned how to think on the fly and keep students constantly engaged. It was wonderful putting my own ideas to work and seeing how successful they ended up being!"

Hartley gave future students and students giving teaching a chance some advice.

"My advice to future students pursuing the teaching profession would be to be somebody that makes everybody feel like a somebody," she said. "Teaching is such a rewarding profession, but it takes patience, dedication and the ability to think on your toes. Always have backup plans, because every day is different and you never know what is going to happen when you walk into the school for a new day, and that is okay!"

Hartley hopes to continue her teaching profession after graduation and has applied at a number of schools. She hopes her dream job will open up, but she knows wherever she ends up is where she is meant to be. She said that Ashland University has prepared her in many ways by helping her gain the confidence along with the skills to teach in a professional setting. She said her professors and mentors have taught her how to make connections with her future students and how to make them feel special and smart. She is thankful that she has been able to learn this.

"AU has prepared me for the future by giving me so many rich field experiences. I have had the opportunity to see several types of schools with various backgrounds. I think Ashland does a really great job of preparing their students to hop right into their own classroom, because we are held at such high expectations during each field block," she said.

Ashland University, ranked in the top tier of colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category for 2017, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) deeply values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. ###