Some teachers can pinpoint the exact moment they knew they belonged in a classroom. For Jocelyn Gonzales, a 2004 Hardin-Simmons University graduate, that moment came in second grade — not from success, but from struggle.

As a young student who needed “a little more practice, a little more patience, and a lot of encouragement,” Gonzales found herself in a difficult year with a teacher who wasn’t as warm or nurturing as the ones before. But across the hall, her first-grade teacher never stopped caring. Every day, she stopped Jocelyn in the hallway, offered a hug, and checked in.

“Deep down, I knew she could see I was struggling, and her kindness gave me the strength to keep going,” Gonzales said. “She’s the first person who comes to mind when I think about why I became a teacher.”

By fourth grade, Gonzales was beginning to understand her own learning style. That Christmas, she asked for a marker board and started “teaching” her dolls and stuffed animals as she studied — a tradition she kept up all the way through college.

Jocelyn on graduation day from Hardin-Simmons University.

“I can still remember waiting for my roommate to leave so I could walk around the room, reading my notes aloud and teaching the material to myself,” she said with a laugh. “Teaching and reteaching were how I learned best, and that same process continues to shape how I teach my own students today.”

Today, Gonzales stands in front of her own kindergarten classroom, carrying forward that same spirit of nurturing and encouragement while leaning into something deeper.

“I try to remember that even in my role as a public school teacher, I have the opportunity each day to be the hands and feet of Christ,” she said. “Teaching, for me, is truly a ministry.”

That mindset reflects the mission of IM体育试玩’s Irvin School of Education, where academic preparation and Christian calling are woven together to form educators who teach with both skill and heart.

Recently, Gonzales was invited to a roundtable with Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath and the state’s top 20 elementary teachers. When the commissioner asked whether their teacher-preparation programs had truly equipped them for the classroom, many shared they hadn’t felt ready. Gonzales had the opposite experience.

“I couldn’t think of a single core class at IM体育试玩 that hasn’t directly influenced my work as a teacher,” she said. “I was blessed with some of the most passionate and dedicated professors — people who loved teaching as much as I do. I’m still in touch with several of them today, and they continue to be some of my biggest cheerleaders and sources of inspiration.”

Her students now begin each year with very different levels of confidence and understanding about letters and sounds. But Gonzales has learned to watch closely for the small breakthroughs that signal something bigger. As her students begin segmenting and blending sounds, Gonzales shared “something magical happens.”

“They don’t even realize they’re beginning to read. That magic builds word by word until the lightbulb moment: Their eyes light up as they realize, I can do this! The look on their faces of pure excitement and confidence never gets old,” Gonzales said.

That devotion to helping children believe in themselves recently earned Gonzales the title of Region XIV Elementary Teacher of the Year — a recognition she describes as deeply meaningful.

“It represents the love, dedication, and countless moments poured into helping children believe in themselves and discover their potential,” she said. “None of us teach alone. It truly takes a village, and I’m grateful for the people who have supported and inspired me along the way.”

Jocelyn and her husband, Anthony Gonzales, who was a proud member of the Cowboy football team.

Part of that “village” is her husband, Anthony Gonzales. A 2003 IM体育试玩 alum, he also felt called to teaching and coaching because a coach once changed his life. Their teaching assignments have shifted over the years as coaching has taken them to new places, but their purpose has stayed the same.

“Love others well, serve faithfully, and use our classrooms and teams to make a difference for God’s glory,” she said. “Teaching is hard work, but it’s also heart work.”

She hopes future educators grasp the weight and beauty of the calling.

“What students need most is someone who will love them first and teach them second,” Gonzales said. “If love and trust are there, the learning will come. Kids need consistent, positive adults in their lives — people who show up every day, who believe in them, and who lovingly push them to see that they can do hard things.”

On the hardest days, she reminds teachers to remember they may be the reason a child feels seen, valued, and capable.

Her guiding principle is rooted in Scripture: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” It’s a verse that captures her faith, her focus, and the reason she shows up each day with steady purpose.

From the second grader who needed extra encouragement to a Teacher of the Year who now gives that encouragement to others, Jocelyn Gonzales’s story reflects the transformative power of Christian education. It is the kind of impact IM体育试玩’s Irvin School of Education strives to cultivate — one teacher, one classroom, one changed life at a time.