Her Story
About Mariell
I’m currently in my fifth year of teaching, and this year marks my first year serving as a third-grade lead teacher. I’m also in my second year as a Leader in Residence. My journey in education began in daycare settings before moving into pre-K, and eventually transitioning from private schools into charter schools. Over the years, I’ve taught first grade for two years and second grade while serving in my leadership role.
Throughout my career, I’ve intentionally focused on growing my leadership skills through opportunities such as the Houston Loves Teachers Leadership Cohort and the BES LENS Leadership Cohort. Most recently, I received an offer to become an instructional coach for next school year, which will transition me fully into campus leadership. My strongest area of expertise is math coaching and instructional support.
In my current Leader in Residence role, I coach two teachers and have seen significant growth in their math data from the beginning to the end of the school year, especially compared to their ELA data. A typical day for me includes balancing both teaching and coaching responsibilities. I spend about 75% of my day teaching and 25% coaching. In the mornings, I support my students during intervention, teach math, and coach one of my teachers. I also facilitate PLCs, use planning periods for lesson preparation, and participate in school-wide leadership meetings on Thursdays. After lunch, I return to the classroom to teach ELA, reading, science, and social studies until dismissal.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mariell
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the strength and support of my family. Knowing that I can pursue my goals and achieve what I set my mind to inspires me every day. More than anything, I want my children to see that nothing is out of reach. No matter your age or how long it takes, with determination and hard work, anything is possible. I always strive to be my best and lead by example so my kids know they can accomplish their dreams too.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice that I would give to young women looking into education is you have to show up as yourself, you have to show up as your whole self, not just yourself but your whole self. You have to be there for you, for the kids, not for the checks. You have to have a passion, because the work that we do sometimes goes unnoticed, and you have to understand that some things that you do will go unnoticed. But you still need to push through just to make it through each day, and again, you can't do nothing if you don't show up as your whole self first.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, the biggest challenge in my field is teacher belonging, the morale at the school. It's about feeling as if what I'm doing is being noticed, being acknowledged and appreciated. On the opportunity side, it's that same teacher belonging and recognition - things like Teacher of the Year, getting recognition from the parents when their kids pass the state assessments, and having the principal and the school acknowledge you for all of that hard work.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are the strive for excellence. I want to make sure I'm doing what I need to do, and doing it the right way. I want to be excellent at everything that I do to ensure that I'm helping people along the way, especially when I'm mentoring or coaching someone. I believe in doing everything with a purpose.
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