Meet one of Teaching Cleveland’s favorite educators, Krystle Williams! Krystle has been teaching ELA and Special Ed at John Marshall High School for six years. The Teaching Cleveland Institute’s series on immigration spoke to Krystle’s personal interest in history and the influence immigrants had on Northeast Ohio’s culture. “I would recommend Teaching Cleveland to any educator in Cleveland because it’s so important to know about our local history. More importantly, immigration isn’t history, it’s always a current event in some aspects.”
Before becoming a teacher, Krystle worked with adults graduating from for-profit career colleges. Many of these students ended up with thousands of dollars in loans and certificates that were not transferable to traditional colleges and universities. And, many of these students were from urban areas and CMSD graduates. Becoming a teacher gave Krystle the opportunity to help inexperienced students and families navigate the world of higher education.
Born and raised in the Westpark neighborhood, Krystle is a proud 2003 graduate of John Marshall, and wants her students to be proud as well. Krystle loves teaching and truly cares about her students’ education; no one is passing a class just because he or she behaved well. Krystle brings her enthusiasm and excitement for teaching to Teaching Cleveland which she was introduced to through the Facing History and Ourselves program.
Teaching Cleveland Institute’s series on immigration spoke to Krystle’s personal interest in history and the influence immigrants had on Northeast Ohio’s culture. Teaching at a school with a significant immigrant population that literally represents countries from all over the world, including Nepal, Ethiopia, Russia, Guatemala and so many more, makes students both open and empathetic to learning about Jews and their experiences during World War II. Books like Night by Elie Wiesel and the Maltz Museum offer students the opportunity to see what other immigrants have accomplished in the face of overwhelming horror and adversity. It’s inspirational and relatable and about a community that’s just over the Lorain Carnegie bridge.
As Krystle says “I would recommend Teaching Cleveland to any educator in Cleveland because it’s so important to know about our local history. More importantly, immigration isn’t history, it’s always a current event in some aspect. So much of the culture in Northeast Ohio is influenced by the early populations who settled in Cleveland, I think it’s really important for educators to learn about that. By doing so, we can help our kids appreciate the ethnic diversity in our community.”
