About Ms. Williams

About Ms. Williams

Hi! My name is Debra Williams, and I have been an elementary school teacher for the past 20 years. 15 years ago I was chosen to be one of the founding teachers of Creative Connections Arts Academy, and I truly embrace the belief of Arts Integration in Education. I also experienced distance learning last year, with the extra “advantage” of having two boys of my own, each having their own distance learning program to work with. It wasn’t fun.

I have only one sibling - my sister Deanna who is a fourth grade teacher at CCAA. Some of you might have heard of Mrs. Hankin.

My husband Steve and I have been together since 2000 and we got married in 2004. Steve was an IT trainer for 20 years, and now creates cloud-training courses for a company called A Cloud Guru.

As I said earlier, Steve and I have two boys. The oldest is an energetic 15 year old named Keegan who at 6 was diagnosed with anxiety, dyslexia and ADHD. At 12 he was diagnosed with depression and we also found out he has autism spectrum disorder. This has made me acutely aware of the challenges in our educational system that children with these problems face. Our youngest is a talkative 11 year old named Hayden, who also has ADHD and started his stage career when he was a baby. Both of my boys play musical instruments which I feel has helped them with focus and stress relief, and allows them to use their brains in different ways.

Being a mother has heavily influenced my teaching. A child never passes through my door that I don’t ask, “What would I do if that were my child? “ As a teacher, I have the unique opportunity to nurture children’s’ curiosity and excitement. Upon entering my classroom, I want each student to feel a sense of wonder. My teaching philosophy is that no child deserves an average teacher – all children deserve an excellent one. I strive to make this statement true every day.

I enjoy swimming, shopping (I love shoes), cats, all theater, and spending time with my nephew and sons. My passion is theater and music. I have been integrating both into my classroom lesson ever since my first classroom assignment teaching bilingual students. I found that their understanding of English grew faster through theater and music than with the traditional methods of teaching.

I have two Masters Degrees; one in Theater Arts and one in Arts Integration for Education. I also spent a great deal of time learning about dyslexia and studying ways to help struggling readers. I have exciting new ideas to include in my teaching this year, and I hope to find ways to help all students feel successful in school.

Before I was a teacher I had many jobs. My undergraduate studies were in Performing Arts and Advertising. I also spent time working as a graphic artist, which is probably why I believe every child needs a rich art education. Whether at a school or using distance learning, I have an open classroom and I encourage parents to take an active part in their child’s education.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

• Favorite Color: Green

• Favorite Food: sushi rolls, popsicles and bread

• Favorite Drink: Pumpkin Spice Latte

• Favorite Movie: Casablanca

• Favorite Flower: Tulip

• Favorite Animal: Cat

• Favorite Holiday: Halloween

• Favorite Disney Character: Mary Poppins

• Favorite Saying: "Practically Perfect in Every Way"

• Favorite Musical: Les Miserable (not the movie)