Jaia Lee, dual-licensed as an English Language Learner and English Language Arts teacher, has been teaching at RAHS for three years. Starting in the EL department, Lee now teaches ELA grades 9-12, with a variety of classes such as: Sheltered Content English 9, English 11 and Yearbook.
Her desire to teach was sparked when she volunteered with her church. She said, “we would do these backpack drives and we would help people fill out their HUD home application, and I would help families apply. I would just help translate, help read or write or help define whatever was on the application, and that’s the moment where I found that I should become a teacher because I enjoyed what I was doing.”
Lee emphasizes the importance of being friendly to all students, especially those who are in need of assistance. She stated, “It is so disheartening to know that some students feel that their teachers are mean and hard to approach. I am really vulnerable in the sense that my students know when I make mistakes, and I am honest about not being perfect, which I feel makes it less intimidating for my students to ask for help. Also letting students know there are opportunities for growth, and they can revise and that I’m here to help you make your work better.”
One of Lee’s favorite things at RAHS so far is the schedule. She likes the trimester based schedule and, “that early start Wednesday, where teachers get time to collaborate and catch up, so we can make sure that we can help each other.”
She added that the start time also helps her as a mother with small children. She said, “Even with the 8:10 schedule, allowing our student to get to school after that 8:00 time frame I feel helps, especially with me, I have a young kid to get to school, so I feel it helps me.”
Personal Life:
Growing up in a rural neighborhood in Fresno, California, she then attended college at California State University: Fresno and then moved to Minnesota, getting her licensure and master’s degree here at Metropolitan State University.
She pursued law at first but found it was not for her. She said, “[I was] a real people-pleaser and my parents had these really high expectations for me, but I’m not really high expectation person. I didn’t do the whole lawyer thing because I knew that my heart wasn’t in it; I knew I didn’t want to work late hours. So I decided not to become a lawyer.”
Lee is married with two kids; a two year old boy named Rocky and a six year old daughter named Linnea. Although her family still lives in California, Lee moved to Minnesota because her husband, whom she met during college, lived there.
One thing Lee mentions about California is everyone’s willingness to drive everywhere. She said, “People drive a lot, like the same way here people take trips to Duluth. It’s the same thing in California, like in Fresno, everybody on their vacation would drive to wherever they wanted to.”
Fast Fun Facts:
Favorite Season: Spring
Hobbies: Sewing, or watching her daughter make tiktoks
One song she can’t stop listening to: Fast Car by Luke Combs
Pets: None… “I don’t think I could heart having another animal or pet”
Favorite Food: Papaya Salad or Oysters
Show she’s watching right now: Strong Girl Nam-Soon
Favorite restaurant: Taco Libre
