Third Grade Teacher, Heatherbrae Elementary School
Mrs. Williams finds a way where others see none. After overcoming a traumatic childhood, she has sought to help other children going through similar experiences feel welcomed in this country and nurtured so they can succeed.
She engages her students in their learning through fun activities, like art workshops and frequent field trips. She has also reimagined the way math is taught by identifying a new set of core math skills, creating a math assessment to measure students’ abilities, and developing teacher training materials to better address each student’s individual needs
And when she found gaps in the state history standards, Mrs. Williams did her own research to create culturally sensitive and inclusive lesson plans that encourage students to be proud of their heritage and the challenges they’ve overcome.