Marueen Pollitz, a gifted teacher at Nicholson Elementary for students attending second through sixth grades, is Nissan of Picayune’s Teacher of the Week.

Maureen has been teaching for the past two decades, all of which have been at Nicholson Elementary.

“I enjoy watching the excitement as the students learn, but also I am learning as the students question and discover their interests,” Marueen said.

“I want students to know that they have the skills to develop solutions to problems and the ability to achieve their goals in their future career choices,” Marueen said.

To her, it’s important that her students know their opinions have value, but those opinions don’t have to match those of other people. While they don’t have to agree with the opinions of others, she does want them to learn that it’s important to listen to those other points of view and to respect them.

Something unique about Marueen is that she is a teacher advisory for Samsung, which means she will be a judge in the upcoming Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. She is also the mother of five adult children who live in four different countries, providing her with the ability to travel and learn about other cultures.