Henrico's Top Teachers – Stacey Willis, Adams Elementary School, first grade exceptional education

Late one night, Stacey Willis got a notification from Facebook Messenger, and she couldn’t believe what she saw. It was a message from a student she taught almost 20 years ago in fourth grade, during her very first year of teaching.

“She actually still had the picture of her and I together, she saved it, and sent it to me on Facebook. And I just started crying,” Willis said. “And the messages she sent me. She still thought about me every day. It was just one of those things that was just so heartwarming.”

Even after 22 years of teaching – nine for Henrico Schools – Willis still finds being an exceptional education teacher the most rewarding thing she could have done. She has only taught special education classes, and her own son also is on the autism spectrum, making her somewhat of an expert in the SPED world.

Willis teaches a collaborative first-grade class at Jacob L. Adams Elementary School with 16 students, some of whom have learning disabilities and some of whom do not. There is a wide range of student abilities in her class, with some students being gifted and other students still learning how to say their own name.

But Willis gives all of them the same tough love and structured environment that they need to succeed, whether that means meeting grade level expectations or just being able to speak out loud. During the past year, Willis even has been able to identify three new children as having learning disabilities, allowing them to receive the accommodations they needed.

Several students have also demonstrated so much growth during the past year that their parents have said they were practically a “whole different child.”

“This year, I had probably four or five kids that had no self-confidence, and they were very shy, very timid,” Willis said. “But by now, they’re extremely confident. Now, some of them are still a little bit on the shy side, but at least now they’re talking in front of their peers.”

One student, who started out the year still not knowing her own name, now is even able to read and learn different words. But getting to this level of success, Willis said, requires building a strong rapport and personal relationship with each child in the classroom.

“My whole thing is teaching the whole child. If you don’t know what’s going on, and understand where they are coming from, then those students are just not going to work for you,” she said. “You have to care for all of your students and love and treat them all fairly.”

Willis has worked only in Title I schools – schools with a high percentage of low-income students. At Adams Elementary, some of Willis’ students have parents who work around the clock and are unable to always be home. But in her classroom, Willis can always make sure to provide structure – with some strictness – and lots of extra support.

“I think that it’s really big to have that structure and have high expectations for you students. So even if they don’t go all the way to the stars, they reach to their highest potential,” Willis said. “I always have higher goals for them than they think that they can do. And then they meet them.”

Willis is actively involved in creating her students’ Individualized Education Plans, documents that outline services for students with disabilities. And while she is firm, she is loving, even purchasing prizes for her students with her own money, said another teacher at Adams.

“She goes out of her way to assist her students with disabilities, ensuring that all their accommodations are adhered to,” the colleague wrote in a nomination. “She motivates her students to challenge themselves and grow. Previous students stop in each morning to give her a hug.”

Especially for early elementary students, social and emotional skills are crucial, almost more important than the academic skills, Willis said. Every morning, Willis brings her students together for a “morning meeting,” during which they sing, talk about their feelings, and start the day off with a positive attitude.

“I think that’s really an important piece of education, is just making sure that a student is all together,” she said. “Because if they’re not there emotionally, or they haven’t gotten to sleep the night before, or something’s going on at home, then they’re not going to be there for you.”
 
Willis also uses prizes and positive incentives to motivate her students. The most famous one is “stinky feet day” – a whole day where kids get to wear no shoes in the classroom. Students get points each day for good behavior, and at the end of each month, when the points are tallied up, there may be enough for the coveted “stinky feet coupon.”

In her collaborative classroom, Willis has students from every part of the spectrum – some can already multiply, and some are still learning two plus two. It takes a number of accommodations and supports to “close the gap” and meet everyone’s needs. It also takes a large amount of care and intentionality.

“You need to know the child personally, and build that relationship with them first thing, from day one when they come to open house,” she said. “And just be there for them, let them know that whatever they need, you’re there to support them and just make them feel welcome. And that they’re not different, that everybody is the same.”