When Tate started teaching at Rose, he utilized his fellow teachers’ experiences and knowledge to avoid problems by asking them questions.

     “One of my biggest philosophies is if someone’s already been down the path, don't reinvent the wheel,” Tate said.

     Before beginning the curriculum, Tate focused on getting to know his students better. 

     “All we did was talk; they learned about me [and] I learned about them,” Tate said. “ It's given me a good opportunity to learn them better, and by learning them better, I feel like I can teach them better.” 

     One of his goals was to not only help his students with the curriculum, but with life skills as well. Tate graduated high school in 2021 and believes his age has allowed him to relate more to his students and best adapt to their individual learning styles.

      “I want my students to leave my class understanding everything I’ve taught while also understanding me; I want to create a good relationship there, too,” Tate said. 

     Tate attended North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he played football and earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management. After graduation, he became an assistant offensive line coach at NCSU. He left shortly after deciding he was ready to settle down and that coaching college football was not a family-friendly job. Through coaching, Tate has picked up numerous skills he wishes to apply to teaching. 

     “Coaching and teaching are very similar because coaching styles and teaching styles are very similar,” Tate said. “I’ve been able to use coaching styles that I've learned in college [and] how students learn, how they take in information, [and] what learning styles work best for them; it is the exact same as coaching.” 

     Tate works to create a balanced, well-organized life where he can continue his hobbies and side hustles outside of teaching. Along with teaching, Tate enjoys fishing and continues to work with Adams Athletics, where he is the lead sales manager.​​​​

     “Organization is very key that way, if I know what I need to do for both aspects in terms of what I want to do for my hobby, what I need to do for work, if I know what I need to do, it's easier to balance it,” Tate said. “Being very organized with that helps me to balance and create [the] ability for my free time stuff and for even my side hustles.  

     Tate is very passionate about teaching and helping students expand their knowledge and interest in business. He believes the CTE program is a family environment and has found all the teachers to be very helpful. 

     “I love the CTE department here,” Tate said. “I am very excited to see how kids and students can go through our CTE program and learn a lot of valuable lessons through there.”