The New Century School accepts students as young as age 2 years into the preprimary program. The teachers who instruct the toddler classrooms, therefore, must be very special people in order to start their young charges’ academic journeys off on the right foot. Joining Laura Noletto and Elizabeth Salas on the preprimary team, Donghui Song took over as lead Mandarin Immersion teacher for the 2017–2018 school year.

Song Laoshi came to the United States in 1996 with her husband, who took a position in Oahu, Hawaii in oceanography research. While there, she began volunteering in her son’s preschool. She soon realized how critical these early years are for optimal social and intellectual development and started thinking about taking classes in early childhood education.

But first, she moved with her family to Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. After 6 years in beautiful Hawaii, her husband took a new research position at the University of Illinois. Although she earned a bachelor’s degree in music back in China, Song Laoshi saw Illinois as the perfect opportunity to get her early childhood education degree. She began working at a preschool with 2- and 3-year-olds. “The people are all so nice there,” she said, “and the preschool where I worked was very international, like here.”

Another move took her family to New York, where Song Laoshi’s husband was offered a position at Columbia University. In New York, she once again worked with toddlers. Three years later, in 2011, her family moved to this area.

Before joining TNCS, Song Laoshi worked at the McDonogh School, where she was a full-time substitute for 1st, 5th, and 6th grades. Now that she is at TNCS, she has a Chinese immersion classroom of 16 children. “The children we teach learn a lot and really remember, so I want to teach them more,” she said. “It’s very rewarding. I have two assistants, and we know what children need. It’s great.” She also says she has felt welcome and supported by her fellow teachers.

Her philosophy of teaching early childhood education is simple, but effective: “First, I think you have to make it fun and meet their needs. It’s very important for attachment, and you have to be loving, too.”

She also now has the opportunity to bring her music background back into play, as TNCS highly prizes music of all forms. For Chinese New Year last month, she brought her erhu to school and gave a performance. She also plays piano.

In addition, she has been teaching at the Howard County Chinese School for the last 3 years. Her students there are kindergartners and first-graders.

Her other pastimes include exercising with a group of friends who attend classes together. Her son, now college age, attends UMBC, and she also has a daughter in the 9th grade.

As for where oceanography will next take Song Laoshi’s family, she believes Baltimore is the last stop. “I think we will retire here,” she said. “Moving around was fun when I was young, but now I don’t want to move again.”

That’s music to our ears, Song Laoshi!