Leslie Turner – David Perdue Elementary

Leslie Turner is the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year for David Perdue Elementary School. Born and raised in Macon, she attended Alexander II Magnet School for elementary and then moved on to Mount De Sales Academy for middle and high school. After graduating high school, she attended Valdosta State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and later Walden University for her master’s degree. Her first teaching job was at David Perdue Elementary and this year marks her 11th year at the school.

Why teaching/What brought you into this field?

“My mom has nine brothers and sisters and I’m the second oldest first cousin. So growing up, I was always with my cousins. They say I’d line up my Barbie dolls up pretending to teach them and then it later became my cousins and I had to be the teacher. Having so many kids around me, younger than me, I always wanted to and felt I needed to teach them. So as time went on and I got older, I knew teaching was meant to be.”

Any inspiration from past teachers?

“I was lucky to have a lot of good teachers. There was one who stuck out in elementary. I wanted to be a part of the math advanced class, and she let me do it. She was always so very helpful and would come in early to help me. It’s interesting now for me to see how much I have transferred that to my kids. I get excited when they ask for extra help because I did that.”

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

“It’s cliché to say but I really enjoy when my students have that light bulb moment. One of my kids for instance, I was working with small group tables, and we had been working on a hard skill of division. All of sudden, he worked it all out by himself and then jumps up and cheered. When you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, moments like that reenergize you and make you want to keep going. It truly inspires me.”

What is the most challenging part of teaching?

“Time framing. I’ve learned a lot over the years in making sure to have good balance of home and school life. Juggling responsibilities can be tough, but if you have that good balance, and use your time adequately, you can make it.”

Advice to students

“Make your own goals. Even if not school related, for example, making the basketball team. Whatever it may be, just set goals, achieve them, and then that’s where it will spiral into your academics.”

Advice to parents

“Spend time reading with your children. I know a lot of parents think when their kids get to upper elementary, they think that it’s not good to read with their child still, and that it’s babyish. But don’t stop, because it’s not babyish. Even in middle school, it’s good to read those chapter books with them. When they hear you reading, it inspires them to read well.”