When first-year teacher Danielle Stallings walks into her classroom at Moss Hill Elementary School on Monday she will have a feeling of déjà vu. For Stallings, the first day of school marks returning home to the same hallways she walked as a child.
Stallings was raised in Lenoir County and attended Moss Hill Elementary School. It was during her time there that she knew she teaching would be her career.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I was a kindergartener at Moss Hill,” Stallings said.
When it was time to go off to college, Stallings made the 250-mile trek to enroll at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. She was a member of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows, a state-funded program designed to keep new teachers in the state by paying for a portion of their tuition. In exchange, the student agrees to teach in teach in the Tar Heel state for the first few years of their career.
Upon graduation in May, Stallings left Lenoir-Rhyne with degrees in elementary education, kindergarten through 12th grade special education and kindergarten through 12th grade hard of hearing.
While she also applied for teaching positions in Greene County, Stallings said her goal was to obtain employment at Moss Hill. When she received the job offer, it was for her dream position.
Moss Hill Principal Susan Glover said Stallings excitement is contagious and is thrilled to have Stallings on the staff.
Glover is not the only one excited by the new teacher’s arrival. Melody Vogt, who has been teaching for 32 years, taught Stallings when she was in third grade — and is happy to see her again.
“It’s very rewarding to see her come back,” Vogt said.
Stallings is an exceptional children resource teacher and will have between 30-35 students coming in and out of her classroom on a daily basis. Along with a teaching assistant, she will be responsible for kids who need some extra help with their schoolwork.
She expressed mixed emotions about her first day.
“I’m going to be nervous, but really excited to meet my students,” Stallings said.
Many new teachers don’t often get a job at their proffered location right away. However, in the case of Stallings, she was able to land her dream job and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world,” Stallings said.
Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @ Nclark763.