In her five years teaching third grade at Rantoul’s Pleasant Acres Elementary School, Delores Lloyd has provided value to both her co-workers and students.
Lloyd “works really hard to establish positive relationships with her scholars and their families,” Principal Samantha Sebestik said. “She creates a fun learning environment and is always looking for ways to provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for her scholars. Ms. Lloyd is also a wonderful mentor to some teachers in our building. We are so grateful for Ms. Lloyd’s dedicated to education and Pleasant Acres!”
I find my work important because ... I get the privilege of supporting parents in the academic and social-emotional growth of their child. Children come to school with a wealth of experiences and knowledge. As a teacher, I get to partner with parents. Together, we foster knowledge while facilitating connections and experiences that promote academic growth. This academic growth becomes the foundation for which more complex learning occurs.
I became a teacher because ... I did not want others to have the experiences I had in school, longing to be in the one and only second-grade classroom in the building that was taught by a Black woman. In fact, I went through elementary, middle and high school without having ever been taught by a minority teacher. I was, however, lucky enough to be assigned to a Black female guidance counselor the first year she was employed in my high school during my junior year. Her name was Cheryl Box, and she helped put me on the path to higher education.
My favorite or most unique lesson that I teach is ... I cannot narrow it down to one or two. I enjoy lessons surrounding the holidays and studying holiday celebrations around the world. Additionally, my students learn economics as they earn Lloyd bucks for jobs and student responsibilities in and out of the classroom. This economic system includes saving money to purchase privileges such as: no homework for a day, bring a stuffy to school, dance party with the teacher and a friend, to name a few. The students really enjoy this. Each week, they receive their paycheck and are required to add how much they have earned for the week. They also use their funds to pay rent once a month.
My most fulfilling moments on the job are when ... my current students tell me, “This was the best day ever.” This is something they say quite often. It is also fulfilling to have my former students come to my classroom each morning. On occasions, my former students will tell me about a project or activity that we did when they were in my class that was memorable to them.
I keep students engaged by ... providing hands-on experiences, including classroom cooking. Generally, our cooking revolves around a project we are working on. With most projects, I build the connection it has to the real world and or careers.
Something else I’m passionate about is ... reading and advocating for the students and families in the district. I am also passionate about building relationships with families and celebrating students inside and outside of school.
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school was ... I did not have a favorite teacher when I was in school. It wasn’t until my student-teaching experience with a third-grade teacher at Wiley Elementary School in Urbana, Barb Gillespie-Washington, that I identified a favorite teacher. She not only became my favorite teacher but also helped me realize my love of science and the kind of teacher I wanted to be once I got my own classroom.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be ... a lawyer because I like to read and engage in debates.
— ANTHONY ZILIS