Pam Weaver is Teacher of the Year for Horizon Elementary School. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON — Pamela Weaver feels pride when students “do good work, do ‘the right thing,’ try their best and take care of each other.” Weaver is Teacher of the Year at Horizon Elementary School.

Weaver teaches a self-contained, first-grade class, chairs the grade-level team and serves on the pupil support team and garden committee.

This semester, one of Weaver’s students completed academic tasks to earn a bike donated to Horizon. “The bike was rolled into the classroom, and the whole class spontaneously stood and cheered,” Weaver said. “I was so proud of how much they cared for their friend.”

“There may be lots of things wrong in this world, but, if you want to feel hopeful for the future, spend some time with six-year-olds,” Weaver said.

She works “with children who are enthusiastic, little sponges.” Weaver views co-workers as “silent heroes,” working for little monetary reward but never scrimping on care for students.

The “time crunch” of meeting different emotional and academic needs of more than 20 six-year-olds can be difficult, she said. “It’s just hard to get everything done.”

Also in 1996, Weaver was Horizon’s top teacher and runner-up to Teacher of the Year for Madison County.

She best remembers her own first-grade teacher, Mrs. Lettie French. Weaver hated school and cried daily. “Instead of labeling me ‘cry baby,’ Mrs. French figured out why I didn’t like school. She is why I became a teacher,” Weaver said.

Weaver received a bachelor’s degree at Mississippi State University and a master’s degree at the University of Mississippi.

She first taught in 1983 at West Corinth (Miss.) Elementary School. After moving to Alabama in 1989, she taught at Hazel Green Middle School and then West Madison Elementary School.

Her husband Marty is an engineer at Adtran. Their daughter Katy was in James Clemens High School’s first graduating class. Son Charlie earned a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Alabama in Huntsville. “Katy will attend a day services program for young adults with disabilities this fall,” Pam said.