Middle school teacher Danielle Riha named 2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year.

Our nation is fortunate to have so many wonderful public school teachers. One of these is Danielle Riha, a middle school teacher in Anchorage, Alaska. Danielle teaches math, science, social studies, English, and culture to junior high school students in the Southwest Region School District. Because many of her students are Alaska natives, Danielle has developed a curriculum that emphasizes culturally responsive teaching.

Danielle started a reading program that invited Yup’ik elders into the classroom, and she helped develop a culturally relevant curriculum for the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School. She created the Morning Gathering, and implemented Culture Week. Danielle also works on the Alaska Humanities Forum Educational Advisory Board, a group that assists new teachers in their efforts to understand and connect to indigenous culture and lifestyle. In addition, she helped create Math in the Cultural Context modules which are now being used in districts all over the state of Alaska.

For her 18 years of outstanding work in the classroom, Danielle was honored as the 2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Danielle was born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She originally planned to pursue a career in physical therapy. She completed coursework at North Texas University. Then she and a friend decided to work together to earn money for graduate school. Danielle sold everything she owned, took a road trip to Seattle, and found employment in Alaska’s fishing industry. While on a job in Dutch Harbor, she accepted a second job as a substitute teacher. Once she was in the classroom, Danielle was hooked on the profession, and she decided to become a full-fledged educator.

Danielle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of North Texas in 1995. In addition, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska in 2000. She earned her Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University in 2005. Currently, she is working on her Ph.D. in Education at Cappella University.

To read more about this chalkboard champion, click on this link to an article published by Danielle’s alma mater at the University of Alaska: Danielle Riha.