Take Five with Jeremy Williams: Math Teacher at Esmond Elementary School

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 Mr. Jeremy Williams, a 3rd–5th grade math teacher at Esmond Elementary School in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood. Mr. Williams is originally from Chicago and was a CPS student himself at Alex Haley Elementary before his family moved to Nebraska when he was a child. Now back in Chicago as an adult, he loves working in a school that is so close to where he grew up.

Mr. Williams decided to go into education because he liked working with children, and because he wanted to make a positive contribution to his community. Now that he’s in his eighth year of teaching, he gets to see this positive impact in his classroom every day. Mr. Williams is known for having engaging lessons and fostering a love of learning for his students.

“Mr. Williams is a fantastic teacher,” said Esmond’s assistant principal Marquette McClinton. “For the first time in my career, I’m hearing students say ‘I love math!’ He is one of our very best and we are so lucky to have him.”

Learn more about Mr. Williams below!

How do you make math class engaging for students?

Math can be hard, so I’m always planning opportunities for students to have fun in class and work together in groups. I use student data to plan learning opportunities that are accessible to students at all levels. I like making up songs to help them learn math concepts—I have a song for everything. At first the kids look at me like I’m crazy, but before long I hear them singing the math songs in the hallway. I like to have fun in class, but students know I mean business. A big focus of mine is making sure kids are enjoying learning experiences while still meeting high expectations and achieving their learning goals.

What are you most passionate about in your work?

Being able to provide my students with a great education right in their own neighborhood. I am inspired by how smart my students are and how capable they are of success. Right now, my students are doing great things in elementary school, but soon they’re going to grow up and do great things in the larger Chicago community. I am extremely passionate about providing my students with the right strategies and tools that will set them up for success in the future.

What is one lesson you’ve learned during your career?

The importance of partnership. Early on in my career, I felt like I had to do everything on my own. The focus on collaboration is one of my favorite things about Esmond. We’re a smaller school and have a very supportive environment. Working together as a team and bouncing ideas off your colleagues not only makes planning better for staff, but it also helps students, because our lessons turn out even better.

What are your biggest goals for your students?

In addition to making sure they’re learning their grade level math skills, I also put a high focus on character development. Today’s students are our future leaders, and I want to make sure that my students are learning respect, positive conflict resolution, how to make smart choices, and how to work collaboratively with each other. Our students are not robots and are reminded that strong emotions will occur and it is okay. I work closely with Counselor Smith to conduct peace circles and opportunities for students to practice and express strong emotions positively.

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

I love trying new restaurants and spending time with friends and family. I’m also very busy finishing up a master’s degree in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education. I’ll start my Educational Leadership degree program in summer of 2025! I am very happy in the classroom right now, but in the future I would love to make an impact on a bigger scale as an administrator.