HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Mrs. Danielle Young has been teaching first graders at Blossomwood Elementary School for seven years. Parents say she is dedicated to making sure her kids get the most out of this year, despite learning virtually. She is always patient and loving.
"I definitely just try to make sure that they are comfortable more than anything," shares Danielle Young, the Valley's Top Teacher. "Because I cannot even imagine how challenging it is to be seven-years-old on the computer."
Her goal is to make sure her kids get excited about learning, but she also just wants to make sure they feel cared for and supported in every aspect of their lives.
"I think more than anything it is letting kids know that they are loved, and that school is a safe place for them," says Mrs. Young. "And that if they need anything, even if it is not academic and it is something that is home-related, that I am here to support them in those capacities too."
Parents say Mrs. Young constantly goes above and beyond for her students. Mrs. Young has four kids and says her motto has always been that she wants to be the kind of teacher she would want her own kids to have.
"So I just really try to live by that daily," says Mrs. Young about her motto. "If that means I have to get up at six in the morning to get some things ready, I just want them to see the dedication I have for their child's education, because that is what I would want for my own kids."
Mrs. Young makes learning fun with Bitmoji classrooms and celebratory dances. And this year she is taking the opportunity to teach her kids that when times are tough, they will just come out stronger. She says it is a reminder that they can do anything they set their minds to.
"There are always going to be challenges in life, but you have just got to remind yourself that you got this," says Mrs. Young. "And so that is just something I tell them at the end of the lesson: 'You got this, you did this, you know, we are coming back tomorrow for another day of virtual, but we are going to get through it together.'"
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