Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Le.
Hi Caroline, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I graduated from LSU with a degree in Elementary Education in December of 2007, and I started my first job in Spring Branch ISD in January of 2008. In June of 2011, I decided to leave teaching and see if there were other opportunities for me.
I started working as an Administrative Assistant in the Fitness and Recreation Ministry at Houston’s First Baptist Church. This was a pivotal point in my journey where I combined my passion for fitness, love of Jesus, and I was able to learn administrative tasks and organization that has helped me today. I also met my husband, Thomas, while working here.
I moved on to other jobs in 2013 and ultimately decided to return to teaching in August of 2014. I missed the classroom, working with students, and honestly, I really disliked sitting behind a desk all day.
I taught for a year in HISD, and then I got the opportunity to teach at KIPP where I ended up for 9 years. KIPP taught me what hard work was, brought back my joy of teaching, and I made incredible friendships there. I taught 3rd and 4th grade ELA, then became the MTSS Interventionist and Dyslexia interventionist before moving to an Instructional Coach position and Special Education Coordinator. We moved up to the Woodlands in 2019, and I continued to commute to KIPP. After having two boys, I realized the commute was hindering our ability to live life outside of work (and the car).
I fell in love with teaching and working with students in Special Education. I love developing relationships with families and students and helping them grow. I interviewed for a Dyslexia Interventionist position in Conroe ISD, and I started as a Dyslexia Reading Interventionist in August of 2024. I am in the same position today with no plans to leave. I love my job, my coworkers, and the students and families I get to work with.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. The years 2012-2014 were bumpy. I held 3 different jobs at 3 different companies. I was unsure of who I was and what I wanted to do. I never thought I would leave teaching, and with a degree in Elementary Education I felt like my options were limited. I bounced around, never truly found stability, and was always feeling like something was missing. It wasn’t until I decided to return to teaching that I found what I truly love. Looking back, I realize that all of these struggles lead me to where I am today, and what I know today. I am truly thankful for the bumps in the road. Without those bumps, I’m not sure I would be in a position and a school that I love today.
I also encountered many personal challenges throughout my journey. In 2016 we found out we were pregnant, and unfortunately that pregnancy was a molar pregnancy and was not viable. Around the same time, I was diagnosed with Melanoma through a random dermatologist visit. Thankfully it was caught early, but I was transferred to MD Anderson in the Medical Center where I received treatment and underwent surgery to remove the mole. In 2017 we had another miscarriage and started looking into options for starting a family. I changed my diet, started seeing an acupuncturist who specialized in fertility, and changed my lifestyle. We did 2 IUI’s which were unsuccessful. Months went by, and after countless negative tests, we reluctantly gave it one more try with an IUI that worked! Henry was born in 2019. When we started trying for another child, we knew the road could be bumpy, but I went back to my fertility diet, exercise, and acupuncture and we got pregnant with Jeffrey! He was born in 2021.
It’s extremely difficult to hold it together everywhere when you are living through infertility and health scares. Jesus, family, and friends held me together.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Dyslexia Interventionist in Conroe ISD. I specialize in Special Education and the Reading by Design program where I get to explicitly teach students who are diagnosed with Dyslexia how to read in a way that their brains need to learn.
I am most proud of the growth of my students. Every student I work with is unique, hardworking, and kind. I love teaching them sound/symbol relationships and syllable patterns that are tricky. It’s difficult at first, but then one day they just get it! The lightbulb goes off, and you can see their smiles, and that is what makes my job so fun and rewarding.
I’m not sure what sets me apart. I am surrounded by amazing teachers, educators, and administrators that put their hearts and souls into the students, their families, and the schools. I learn and grow from them every day. One thing I have learned throughout my years in education, is that if you develop strong relationships with students, they will feel more successful, be more apt to try new things, and have way more fun learning!
What matters most to you? Why?
Relationships matter most to me. Personal relationships with my family – my husband, Thomas, and our two boys Henry & Jeffrey. We struggled to start a family, so that will never be lost on me. I love them with every ounce of me. I enjoy connecting with friends and family. We love doing Spring Roll Sundays where my husband preps the food, and we all sit around the table making spring rolls and chatting. Relationships with my students and their families are very important. As educators, we are entrusted with so much in our students’ lives. I want my students and their families to know I love them, love what I do, and always do what is best for them. Lastly is my relationship with God. He has truly gotten me through some of the hardest times, and without Him and my faith in Him I honestly don’t know where I would be.
Relationships matter. When all is said and done, I want to be remembered through my connections with people and how they felt around me.
