Dani Norling is a Montana girl from Helena and this is her first teaching job, but she loves Big Sandy. "I loved the first week. It went by so fast. It was awesome." Dani teaches the 5th grade and has 11 students. I asked her what was her top priority and she said, "The biggest thing for me is building relationships with the students. Getting to know them, because, I don't think, especially with kids, you can't help them unless you get to know them. I want the children feel comfortable with me, so they can talk to me about anything. We spend all day together. I want to have a positive impact on them. So, I want to build a positive relationship with them. "
Dani told me she wanted to be a hairdresser for the longest time, and then she smiled, but since Dani's Freshman year in high school she knew she wanted to be a teacher. "I started working in the church nursery when I was super young." She was also home schooled during her grade school and JR. High years and during that time she helped her younger brother and sister. "I loved helping them."
"It doesn't feel like a job. It doesn't take me much to get up in the morning". Dani's had jobs in the past where she couldn't get out of bed or didn't want to leave the house. It took enormous effort to get up and go to work. "I'm very excited to come to school each day. I don't see it as a job. It's something I really, really enjoy doing."
It was a Friday after school and I knew she was in a hurry to get to the high school. It was the first night of Volleyball games and because she is also assistant coach for the Big Sandy Pioneer Volleyball team. And they had a match that night.
Welcome her to Big Sandy. Whether or not you have children in school or not, we can all recognize that teachers are invaluable to our students.
