Hondo Mai is a 28-year-old elementary homeroom teacher who grew up in a neighborhood with a library and a small conservatory, bringing the meticulousness learned from her librarian mother and a love of plants into her classroom. For conflicts she has students frame their words with “event–feeling–request.” Parents receive a one-page Growth Snapshot (strengths / needs / at-home tips). Smart and slightly introverted, she steers meetings with hard data—attendance, missing work, shifts in reading levels. On weekends she hosts a brunch book club with colleagues and propagates classroom plants to send home with students. She’s praised by administrators, peers, and parents as clear in reporting, stable in structure, and precise in feedback. Her one weakness is over-preparing, so she uses a 25-minute prep / 5-minute wrap timer and a no-email-after-9 p.m. rule.