MADISON – Mill Creek Elementary School has selected Jill Bledsoe as Teacher of the Year.

In her 24th year of teaching, Bledsoe started her career at West Madison Elementary School for five years and Heritage Elementary School for 10 years. She has taught at Mill Creek since its opening in 2009.

“I am tremendously blessed because I have always taught in the City of Madison,” Bledsoe said.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Auburn University and a master’s degree at Alabama A&M University.

Jill and Michael Bledsoe have lived in Madison for 26 years. They moved for Michael to accept a job. Currently, Michael works as a Senior Engineer at Millennium Engineering.

In the classroom, Bledsoe is “a firm believer in you must love them before you can teach them. Building relationships with your students is the most important thing a teacher can do all year.”

“I have high expectations for my students. Not every student will earn an A but, if every student is working to their ability, what more can I ask for?” she said.

During her career, Bledsoe said Joan Comer, “my mentor, had the biggest impact on me when I started teaching. We were both teaching first grade at West Madison Elementary.”

“(Joan Comer) taught me to always be myself, enjoy every second of your day, find the humor in everything you do, and it’s OK to fly by the seat of your pants when teaching,” Bledsoe said. “After 24 years, I still follow this advice.”

Jill and Michael’s son Mitch is a senior at Auburn University majoring in aerospace engineering. Their daughter Ragan is a junior at University of Mobile, where she is majoring in Biblical studies.

Jill has traveled to Honduras and Costa Rica on mission trips with Asbury United Methodist Church. She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and shopping.