Setting Students Up for Success: Take Five with Erick Tellez

Take Five is a series that highlights members of the CPS community who are going above and beyond for our students. All throughout the 2024–25 school year, we will be spotlighting our amazing CPS teachers! If you know a teacher who is making a difference, nominate them to be featured here.

Meet Erick Tellez, a postsecondary employment preparation teacher at Vaughn Occupational High School in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. Vaughn specifically serves students with disabilities, and Mr. Tellez teaches his students important life skills that will help them acquire paid internships and enter the workforce after graduation.

A CPS graduate himself, Mr. Tellez has spent his entire career at Vaughn, first as a special education classroom assistant (SECA), then as an English teacher, and finally in his current role helping prepare students for postsecondary success. 

"Mr. Tellez takes a student-centered approach and does a tremendous job integrating technology and students' interests into his teaching," said Vaughn principal Stephanie Anderson. "Most of all, he is vital in helping our students obtain internships and develop competitive employment skills."

Learn more about Mr. Tellez below!

What kinds of skills are you helping students learn?

We work on everything you need to know to get a job, such as creating a resume, filling out applications, and interviewing for a position. Then, we talk about how to get to their job once they have it—how to use public transportation and different ways to navigate the neighborhood. We also cover a lot of independent living skills, like budgeting, grocery shopping, personal hygiene, living with roommates, and setting goals for yourself. We try to set students up so that they can successfully navigate all the different sorts of situations and challenges they’ll encounter in the workforce.

What have been some of your biggest successes so far?

A huge one is our partnership with Wright College. It’s called Project Wright Access, and it helps connect our students to internship opportunities in the community. We have great relationships with our community partners, especially with Eli’s Cheesecake, Pete’s Pizza, and Culver’s. My goal is always to match students with internships that align with their interests and challenge them. These opportunities let our students gain valuable hands-on work experience, which will greatly help them land jobs in the future. In fact, two of our current students received job offers after their internships and are now working part-time at Eli’s Cheesecake.

What do you love most about your work?

Every day is exciting and different. I love to see how much my students grow over the course of the year. I meet students where they are, but I also want to challenge them to come out of their comfort zone and learn new things, because that’s when they really start to grow. We’ve created a very supportive and open environment where everyone can grow together. I also love to see my students help each other out and develop friendships.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned during your time as an educator?

Patience and flexibility! Every student moves at their own pace, and it’s helpful to take the time to get to know your students and their individual interests and needs.

What do you like to do when you’re not teaching?

I'm currently getting my master's degree in educational leadership and completing my principal internship here at Vaughn. I would like to become an administrator one day, but I’m not in a rush, because I really enjoy what I’m doing now. When I’m not doing my own homework, I like working out and playing video games! My students always keep me updated on the newest games.