Joys of teaching earn Nancy Hutchinson ‘Classroom Teacher of the Year’ for state of Texas

Those little hugs that come after a productive and enthusiastic day at the San Jacinto College (SJC) South Children’s Center are what Nancy Hutchinson has cherished over her three decades of teaching.

"They mean so much to me," she said. "Children accept and love you unconditionally. They keep me going."

They kept her going when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, and were there to cheer her up throughout her treatment and recovery. She considers them the reason her job feels more like a way of life, a culture that has earned her the title of this year's "Classroom Teacher of the Year" by the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC).