Mrs. Mary Naig wanted to be a mentor teacher for Dallas Teacher Residency due to her love of the teaching profession and her desire to constantly learn more. She is currently in her 27th year of teaching. She taught for 14 years in the Philippines and 13 years in the United States. The 2014-2015 school year marked her ninth year at North Dallas High School.
She has mentored other teachers before through other teacher preparation programs, and Dallas Teacher Residency provided Mrs. Naig with another opportunity for her to share her wealth of knowledge as a teacher, with those new to the teaching profession.
Mrs. Naig loves interacting with the students and getting to know them on a personal level. She adamantly believes relationships are essential to teaching students and motivating them to make the right decisions. Although Mrs. Naig stands at four feet and ten inches in height, she shared that teaching makes her feel tall. She loves when she is able to level with students and encourage them when they are having a rough day. Even now, while in her classroom, Mrs. Naig will receive visits from her former students, who are either seeking for her advice or wanting to tell her how much they miss being in her class.
Outside of work, Mrs. Naig enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and her two puppies. She also enjoys reading, watching television, cooking and traveling. In the future, Mrs. Naig plans to retire as a classroom teacher.