Teaching Norman- November

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO COMMUNITY

You hear it all the time. With youthful exuberance, a child realizes their calling and pursues their dream. However, real life is rarely like that.

Mai Jeung, a second grade teacher at Truman Primary School, stumbled upon the idea of becoming a teacher while helping her adopted brother.

“Many might say they knew that they wanted to be a teacher since they were little, not me. The signs were all there... but I didn’t see them.”

Her family adopted a child from Vietnam.

“He came to the United States two weeks before fifth grade. He knew no English, so I became his tutor after school.

“It was so amazing to see his progress. I remember speaking with (one of his teachers) and she said, ‘You should be a teacher.’ That really influenced me to think about what if.”

Jeung moved to Dallas shortly after and began substituting as a teaching assistant.

“From there, I enrolled into Region 10, an alternative certification program in Texas.”

Today, Jeung is at the helm of her own classroom. “

I love the life-long relationships that I have created as an educator. These students and their families are so special to me.”

Jeung has found success in the classroom by utilizing an individualize approach, taking the time to interact with her students one-on-one.

“Some students may need some extra time grasping certain concepts. I’m able to take the time and figure out what gaps they have to help them close it. Some students are ready to move onto extension activities.”

Jeung said her process is always evolving. “I do a lot of reflection.

I may teach the same content every year, but how I teach it is going to be different depending on the students.”

Jeung was named as Truman Primary’s Teacher of the Year this year, which she said was an incredible honor.

“I am surrounded by amazing teachers. We have really created a community within our team and we help each other grow.” – BSM Mai Jeung

Teaching Norman

Mai Jeung with her students

Nicole Lee sees teaching as a way to pay it forward.

“I was very fortunate to have some wonderful teachers in my life and paying it forward to the next generation is something I have always wanted to do.” Lee teaches second grade at Eisenhower Elementary.

“I took a second-grade position with the intention to move up at the end of the year.” But she decided to stay put.

“The second-grade experience captured my heart,” Lee said. “The impact you can have on their lives, specifically at this age, is something special.”

There is rarely a dull moment in the day of an educator. From morning meeting time with her students to a rushed lunch usually in between making copies, finishing with dismissal duties, Lee’s workday is full.

But Lee said the intensity is all worth it when she gets to see the impact she has had on her students.

“It is the year-after-year relationships with students that really stand out. My most memorable moments come when former students return to visit with me. It always brings a smile to my face when they bring up something that happened in our second-grade class, something I taught them. It’s so fulfilling when they share their successes with me, or just stop by to say hello.”

Lee sets lofty goals for her students, and she said they almost always achieve more then they think they can.

“Our class motto is go the extra mile. I challenge them to not only be the best they can be academically, but also to be the best classmate they can be for one another.”

Lee also tends to the school garden, growing a space that she feels offers a meaningful learning experience.

“We are currently building grade-level raised garden beds for students to grow fruits and vegetables. Watching the stu

Nicole Lee with her class.

dents take ownership in their work has been wonderful.”

Lee was honored as Eisenhower’s Teacher of the Year, and she said she is grateful to represent Eisenhower Elementary, and grateful to work in a district that is backed by community support.

“Working in Norman, you always feel that the community has your back and wants to see their educators be successful. I look forward to teaching here for years to come.” – BSM