Beloved Englewood Teacher Shares Her Goals for the School Year

Mrs. Yolanda Williams recalls a turning point early in her teaching career, one that has spanned more than 20 years and been entirely focused on serving students in Chicago’s Englewood community. After two years of teaching primary grades, her principal informed her that he wanted her to switch to sixth grade. While she admits that she cried at first about having to leave her comfort zone, she immediately received mentorship from two other middle school teachers. 

One of those mentors is now her husband and the other is now her best friend. And she’s been thriving as a middle school science teacher for the past decade. She explains that she has grown to love teaching science because her students are always engaged with the material. 

“My students are always questioning. They always want to find out more. It’s hands-on. And I love seeing the excitement in the classroom,” she said. “This school year, I’m also excited about a new partnership our school has with Ardmore Roderick, an engineering firm, to give our students opportunities to venture out of the community through field trips.” 

While she was once a new teacher who needed mentorship, with all of her years of experience, she has now become a trusted mentor for other teachers at Mays Elementary School, especially when it comes to classroom management. She believes effective classroom management starts with building connections with students and families. Once those relationships have been formed, she views her role as being an additional parent to students since school is their “home away from home.” Her top priority is always ensuring that students are safe and supported.

“Because I’ve been teaching here in Englewood for 20-plus years, for many of the families that I serve, I’ve taught siblings, aunts, cousins, the whole family,” she said. “Families know me and know that I am here to connect them with various resources that extend outside of the classroom, such as putting their students in different city programs.” 

You might think that a veteran teacher like Mrs. Williams isn’t setting goals anymore because of her extremely successful career. But she notes that she is always continuing to learn and grow in her role. This year, her main goal is to strengthen her classroom community through a renewed focus on social-emotional learning (SEL). She plans to be more deliberate about checking in on students and connecting them with other staff members who can provide additional SEL resources. 

This focus on SEL and meeting her students where they are goes hand-in-hand with her academic goals as well. 

“Even though I teach science, I’m always conferring with students about their other grades. What do you need to pull that grade up? Can you speak with that teacher about making up your assignments? Science is my subject, but I look at the whole child,” she said. “Since I teach middle school students, high school is always top of mind. I want my students to be admitted to the high school of their choice and have everything they need to succeed at that school.” 

Ms. Williams can’t talk about her school for more than a few minutes without sharing the deep pride she has to be a teacher at Mays. But she also understands that not everyone shares her perception of Englewood. That’s why she thinks the District should lead by example and prioritize forming connections within neighborhoods that are held back by misconceptions. 

Helping others see that Englewood is a great community will always be a goal of hers, and she knows that her students can contribute to this goal, too. 

“I have high expectations for all of my students, but I also make sure to give them encouragement and confidence that they can succeed anywhere,” she said. “We talk in class about what it takes to have power. A lot of students may not feel like they have a voice, and I want to show them that, yes, you can make a difference.”