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Sarah Joy Daniels was a tutor during middle school and high school and loved it.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping others,” Daniels said.

Daniels, the Guilford County Schools and Guilford Education Alliance’s Rookie Teacher of the Year , thought it was only natural to choose teaching as a career.

“My mother is also a teacher, and she had a strong impact on me toward the teaching profession,” said Daniels, a first-year math teacher at Grimsley High School.

Along with the Rookie Teacher of the Year honor, Daniels received $500 and a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at UNCG . She also was named the Secondary Rookie Teacher of the Year.

“Ms. Daniel’s dedication to her students and colleagues makes her an excellent choice for this honor,” said Anna Brady, Grimsley principal . “She has created a nurturing learning environment in which she helps her students master math concepts while celebrating their successes.”

Daniels was a student teacher at Grimsley before graduating from Greensboro College in 2008 .

“I have had such a wonderful experience at Grimsley,” Daniels said. “It’s been challenging but fun to see the extreme differences in personality and backgrounds you can face from first period to second period; this type of culture is what makes Grimsley unique.”

A native of Wanchese , a small fishing village on the coast of North Carolina, Daniel has always considered math to be her favorite subject.

“I feel that math is such an important subject for students to learn,” Daniels said. “It has such practical and realistic applications to everyday life.”

To make learning more fun and interesting, Daniels incorporates games and activities in her classes and relates math problems to events happening in high school students’ lives, such as saving money from a summer job or shopping with friends.

“Her students appreciate her enthusiasm for teaching, as they are the recipients of creative lessons that are interactive and relevant,” Brady said. “Ms. Daniels holds her students to high standards and expects each student to work to his or her potential.”

A volleyball and softball player during high school and college, Daniels also serves as an assistant coach for Grimsley’s junior varsity volleyball team.

“Teaching was a natural way to combine my professional and extracurricular interests,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to coach.” Daniels says she hopes to continue teaching and coaching for a long time.

“To be a part of a child’s growth is truly wonderful,” she said. “To know that you have made a difference, even if it is a small one, is the best part about teaching.”

Daniels is excited about the scholarship she received to attend UNCG and plans to start on her master’s degree this summer. She is still deciding on her concentration.

Daniels was one of five finalists recognized for impressive accomplishments early in their teaching careers.

Dorinda Carver, a teacher at Archer Elementary, received the Elementary Rookie Teacher of the Year award and $500.

Finalists Virginia Ann Elliott from Parkview Elementary, Robin Britt Jr. from Brown Summit Middle and Melissa Young from The Early College at Guilford each received $100 .

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@ news-record.com