Growing up in a Military Family, service has always been important to William Melvin. After living in seven states and going to college, his desire to serve others called him to the classroom.
William graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in finance and worked at several banks before making the career switch to education. He was a Client Relationship Consultant at U.S. Bank before starting his Residency program.
“You can be good at something in life, but that doesn’t mean you’ll like to do it,” shared William. He gravitated to education because of his eagerness to connect with students and become an educator of color to emphasize representation in the classroom. William also comes from a family of educators and felt aligned and supported to pursue his career in education.
He knew AUSL was the right choice for a Teacher Residency because it was a one year program with opportunities for financial assistance.
William is part of the Diverse Learners cohort and is a student teacher at Earle STEM Elementary in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood.
“I have the ideal AUSL experience at Earle STEM Elementary,” he said. “It’s my favorite part of the Residency. There’s a certain level of routine with student teaching that I really enjoy. It gives purpose to everything I’m doing and brings the program full circle.”
Beyond instructing his students and working with his mentor, William also feels called to serve the Earle STEM school community. He extends his help to the other educators in the building and has taken on a mentorship role with Male Mentoring, an after school program for male students at his teacher training site.
“I make sure I’m an asset to the school community and assist other staff members as they need it,” said William.
As Residents in the Chicago Teacher Residency finish their first semester of student teaching, they are applying skills from their coursework and professional development into the classroom. For example, William has been focusing on giving clear instructions to students to leave no room for interpretation when correcting behaviors during class.
“We can have this communal relationship. It doesn’t have to be molded as an adult-student dynamic, it can be all collaborative and that’s something I’ll take with me into my career,” he said.
William values learning and acts of service in his teaching practice. He hopes his students will leave his classroom with the confidence to tackle any subject and know they can succeed in it. William serves his students by supporting their holistic needs and giving them a natural, intrinsic desire to learn and grow.
“I don’t want my students to ever feel like they can’t learn something and that includes teaching them strategies to keep them intrinsically motivated. I hope that my students will learn and retain their knowledge to be academically successful,” shared William.
Do you know someone ready to make a difference like William? Refer them to the Chicago Teacher Residency and help shape the next generation of educators. Plus, earn a $150 Visa gift card for qualified* referrals!
