By Emery Williamson

Ever since she was a little girl, my mom, Lower School Reading Specialist Sarah Williamson, aspired to be a teacher. While her peers played superheroes or house, she would play Teacher, where she used old teacher manuals from former Lower School Collegiate teacher Ann Staples to teach her dolls and stuffed animals. There was something magical to her about helping others develop an understanding of difficult topics. As she grew older, her dream never faded; in fact, it grew more aspirational. Teaching was not just the job she wanted; it was the job she was meant to do. In an interview for The Match, she said, “I knew with teaching I could make a difference, not just for one person but for many.”

Williamson attended James Madison University from 1999 to 2003, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in education. Chasing her dream, she attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her master’s degree in reading. She began her career in education in 2005, teaching 1st grade at Twin Hickory Elementary School in Glen Allen. She loved every second of it; however, when the 1st Grade job opened at the highly-praised Collegiate School, she jumped on it. From 2007 to 2020, she taught 1st Grade. Her passion to teach 1st Grade stemmed from the idea that reading would first be incorporated in Collegiate School at that age. When the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way school worked, a new position for a Reading Specialist opened up in the Lower School. Williamson decided she “wanted a fresh new challenge.” She has been a Lower School Reading Specialist for five years and loves every second of it. Intrigued by her journey to become a teacher at a Collegiate school, I decided to spend a day with her to see what truly goes down. 

Every morning, Williamson begins her day by walking laps around the track with students in Grades K-4, the cool air buzzing with the sounds of cars driving by. As they walk, she learns about her students’ lives beyond the classroom, asking them questions like “What did you do over the weekend?” or “What did you have for breakfast?” and many others. For Williamson, morning walks are more than just an exercise; they are moments of connection and understanding with her students that pave the way for a great day. 

Left to right: Lower School Literacy Specialist and Coach Kristin Tujuba, Lower School Math Specialist Laura Domalik, and Williamson. Photo courtesy of Sarah Williamson.

Around 8:30 a.m., she heads back inside, where she begins her teaching day in Reynolds 212. Williamson works with small groups of students from Kindergarten through 4th Grade for 30-minute periods. She begins each session with word puzzles, which she calls “the warmup.” Then her group eases into the “spelling feature of the week,” which helps her students learn patterns that help with reading and writing text. Williamson uses Elkonin boxes, a tool to help manipulate sounds, to help her students comprehend how to spell and pronounce complicated words. Then they move into a passage or text that the group has to read, which is read together and aids the students’ understanding of certain words and how they are used. 

Friday is game day, so every Friday, her students play games to help review and master the skills they learned earlier in the week. Williamson believes this brings “an aspect of fun to learning” and a “reward for working hard” all week. Williamson also has a pet hamster named “Mittens” who lives in her classroom. Williamson says, “Mittens often steals the show,” for many of her students will bring him carrots and other snacks in hopes of seeing him crawl out of his cage. 

Williamson strives to make a “difference in the world.” Growing up, she herself had difficulties with spelling and reading; she teaches her students these skills in hopes of building their confidence with the goal of making them feel successful at learning. Williamson values community and love of learning, which propelled her success in teaching and helped her earn the Martha Schwartz Award in 2014, which is given out each year to a Lower School teacher who displays the values of Collegiate School. Williamson is compassionate and dedicated, always conveying kindness towards her students. She genuinely cares about their success and well-being, both in and out of the classroom. Her goal is to inspire a love of learning and help each student reach their potential in the realm of reading. Above all, she strives to make a lasting difference in education and the lives of those she teaches.

Featured image courtesy of Collegiate School.