Hello! I am Mrs. Gates and I teach 4th Grade. This will be my 5th year of teaching and my 2nd year at Northwood! I previously worked in another district in San Antonio, teaching 5th Grade. I grew up in San Antonio and NEISD. I went to Thousand Oaks Elementary, Bradley Middle School and MacArthur High School! I was even a cheerleader at Mac...Go Brahmas! =) I then went to college at BYU-I, where I met my husband.

My husband and I have been married for 18 years and we have 4 children ages 16, 13, 9, and 5. We also have a Boston Terrier who is the heart of our home! In my free time I enjoy watching movies, swimming, going for walks, reading and cooking.

I chose to become a teacher because I love to empower others to be the best they can be. I believe my students can achieve great things when I set high expectations for them. I believe all students can learn if given the proper tools to succeed. I believe that students learn best when they feel welcomed, comfortable and safe. In my classroom, whatever anybody says or does, we assume positive intent. I believe our whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different when we do this.

I believe in the importance of parent communication. Please reach out to me at any time!