Teacher of the Week: Maria Truitt

Maria Truitt, a teacher at Green Elementary School in Wake County, is known for her caring, compassion and dedication to her students.
Posted 3/11/2026, 1:56:56 PM Updated 3/11/2026, 2:00:06 PM

LEARN MORE REPORTED HERE ON

WRAL NEWS. CHRIS, APPRECIATE

THAT.

>> OUR TEACHER OF THE WEEK

KNOWS A THING OR 2 ABOUT

OVERCOMING ODDS AS A YOUNG

CHILD EVENTUALLY GROWING UP TO

EARN AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE

AND A MASTERS. RICK GREENE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN WAKE

COUNTY TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THIS

EDUCATOR KNOWN FOR HER CARING

COMPASSION AND DEDICATION,

>> WRITING DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT

ROXANNE.

>> A MOVIE A TRUE ITS

DEDICATION TO THE SUCCESSIVE

HER FIRST GRADE STUDENTS, A

GREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN

RALEIGH. DON'T LEAVE OUT THE

ONLY WE DON'T LEAVE ANYBODY OUT

IS DRIVEN BY HEARD DEEP

COMMITMENT TO ENSURE NO CHILD

IS LEFT OUT OR LEFT BEHIND.

I WANTED TO BE THE TEACHER.

I NEVER HAD THAT. I NEEDED.

SCHOOL IS DIFFICULT FOR ME.

I WAS A SUIT WITH A DISABILITY

AS A CHILD MY TEACHERS WERE

ALWAYS THE MOST HELPFUL.

WE DIDN'T KNOW AS MUCH BACK

IN THE 90'S IN THE 80'S,

MISTER. IT WORKS EVERY DAY AND

WHAT SHE CALLS HER CLASSROOM

COMMUNITY AND CLASS WHO LEADER

FOLDED IN HALF OFFERING THE

LOVE, COMPASSION AND SUPPORT.

SHE DID NOT HAVE THAT. SHE WAS

THEIR AGE. WE LEARNED FROM OUR

PEOPLE AROUND US AND WE LEARN

FROM WHAT WE NEED. IT WAS

REALLY HARD FOR ME AT A LARGE

RETAIL AS AN ADULT TO THAT

IMAGE TO ITS AS EACH STUDENT

GETS TO PICK A BOOK, THEY WANT

TO LEARN HOW TO READ WHEN THEY

DO LISTEN TO HOW SHE DESCRIBES

THAT SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

WHEN THEY PICK UP THAT FIRST

BOOK AND START READING. IT IS

MAGIC ALL THESE YEARS LATER

WHEN THEY START TO READ.

AND THEY FEEL AND THEY OWN IN

THEIR SOUL. IT IS FOR THAT

MOMENT. EVERY DAY. MS TO IT.

WRAL'S TEACHER OF THE WEEK.

>> AND GIRLS GIVE HER A BIG

ROUND OF APPLAUSE. YOU WALK AND

HE GOES

>> IT WAS SUCH A JOINT MEETING.

HER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO NOMINATE

A TEACHER, GO TO WRAL. DOT COM