Tatum Elise Brown has only been a teacher for two years but already she has found her calling.
She is the 2nd grade reading comprehension teacher at Holly Springs Primary School in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
For her, the decision to become a teacher was easy.
“I always struggled in school and the teachers who taught me inspired me to do the same. I also love children and how their brains work.”
She enjoys getting to know the children and being their safe place, but what she finds challenging is helping students understand that she is human too, and that there is a delicate balance between being strong for them and showing them that it’s okay to be human.
“I’m not a superhero – I have limits, emotions, and sometimes I just need a moment to reset,” Brown said.
Though it’s still early in her career, she has already experienced a couple of memorable moments.
“One, when organizing our schools ‘mock election.’ The students got a hands-on lesson in how voting works and why it matters. It was incredible to see them so engaged in something so real and relevant.”
Another moment that resonates with her is when a student gave her a poem which she keeps next to her bed. On days when she finds it tough to get up and go to work, she reads the poem and remembers why she does this.
Brown finds inspiration in the Dr. Seuss character The Lorax who said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
She chooses to be that “someone” because every student deserves someone who believes in them and cares enough to make a difference.
“I am a voice for my students, just as the Lorax was for the trees. I advocate for their needs, their potential and their right to be understood.”
She receives encouragement from several individuals. Mrs. Martin is her work mom, always there to listen, offer advice, and check in on her when she needs it most. Her mentor, Ms. Crawford, is the lead teacher, and has been incredibly patient and supportive. Brown has learned so much from her, especially when it comes to classroom management and navigating the challenges of teaching. She also looks up to her principal whose leadership and manner in which she supports both staff and students inspires her daily.
Brown grew up in Tennessee, in the cities of Moscow and Collierville. After graduating from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Elementary Education, she decided to stay in Mississippi to begin her teaching career.
Teaching runs in her family as she follows in the footsteps of her paternal grandmother who was a teacher and maternal grandfather who was a professor.
One of her proudest moments so far is receiving the Rookie Teacher of the Year award.
When not working, she enjoys spending time with friends and family. She also indulges in her passion for fashion by adding new clothes or shoes to her closet.
Brown is appreciative of the support she’s received from family members who have always been in her corner, from helping her through college to funding her classroom – mother, Zondra Cawein, stepfather, Chris Cawein, and father, Bill Brown.
“I truly love teaching and wouldn’t trade this job for anything. While it can be stressful and exhausting at times, it’s also the most rewarding work I could imagine. At the end of the day, the love and appreciation you get, especially from the students, makes it all worth it.”
