Congratulations to Danielle Raymond, DSEA’s Teacher of the Month for January!
Danielle recently capped off her first decade in public education by being named Teacher of the Year at Phillis Wheatley Elementary in the Woodbridge School District.
A 2010 Sussex Technical High School graduate, Danielle began her career in the Milford School District. In 2023, she joined her husband as a fellow PASE/Life Skills teacher at PWES, while their daughter attends preschool in the district.
Since joining PWES, Danielle has organized the school’s first RESPECT Week, founded a Project Unify Club, and secured the school’s recognition as a Unified Champion School through Special Olympics Delaware.
“Danielle’s classroom is a place where students feel valued and seen,” her colleagues tell us. “Our administration, staff, and families are so proud of her.”
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?
I was a very busy babysitter from age 13-23. At Sussex Tech, my supportive teachers noticed how interested and passionate I was about helping children to learn, and their encouragement inspired me.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬?
My student teaching sparked an interest in working with students with special learning needs. It’s a true pleasure knowing I have helped a child reach a goal or milestone. Every student in my class is my favorite because they all have so many different individual talents, character traits, and abilities.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐄/𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬?
PASE stands for Personalized Academics for Supported Employment. My classroom is a small group setting for students with special needs. All of my students engage in academics, but we also learn some basic daily living skills. It allows for so much creativity and variety in the activities. Our students even manage and run their own snack cart and iced coffee business for the staff.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?
I wish people understood that I have the BEST JOB! My students, the support staff and I, we are a classroom family. I love going to work every day. Children with disabilities have so much to offer; so many ABILITIES.