Being a teacher isn’t easy, and teaching students with special needs can be even harder. But the energy and care that Kenmoor Early Childhood Center’s Mary Truman puts into teaching every day is the reason why she was named the Prince George’s County Public Schools Teacher of the Year on Tuesday.
Truman has spent more than two decades teaching special education in Prince George’s County, having moved to Kenmoor at the start of this school year after spending several years at a school in Bowie. She now teaches 4-year-olds with autism.
“Special education is a unique situation day to day. But I love it,” Truman said. “I love creating a community of learners. I love to see the students smile. I love when I know that they love school. That means a lot to me.”
She added that it can be hard day to day but said, “When you put forth the effort first, you reap the rewards.”
Truman is invested beyond the classroom as well, recounting how in 2017 she did Bike to the Beach, raising $12,000 for the group Autism Speaks by riding her bike from D.C. to Dewey Beach.
“Students with autism are my favorite. I’ve learned a lot about them, and they are my passion,” said Truman, who grew up in the county.
“She is awesome,” said Principal Alma Ezell-Lawson. “Kenmoor is very overcrowded, so her class has more kids than it should; and she does a phenomenal job with just educating them, teaching them language.”
Ezell-Lawson said Truman’s personal award means a lot to the whole school, too, especially for putting early childhood education on the map.
“Most of our kids are special needs, and they’re three and four years old. And oftentimes, we’re not thought of,” Ezell-Lawson said.
Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson said Truman is an “amazing lead.”
“She’s a collaborator. The one thing about many of our educators is that they don’t do this job alone. They do it with their colleagues. She does it, and not only is she trying to make sure that the education experience is better for students and their parents, but she makes sure that the teachers go along with her on that journey,” Goldson said.
Truman arrived at the Enterprise Golf Course in Mitchellville for the awards, where lunch was served for her family and colleagues.
The honor of being Teacher of the Year also came with a new car courtesy of Pohanka Honda, which provided the winner with a prepaid, three-year lease on a new car.
Truman now advances to the statewide Teacher of the Year competition.
