Ryann Mills: Teacher of the Year

04/30/2024

This April, Ryann Mills was nominated as Teacher of the Year for Plainfield High School. Mills has been teaching for 18 years, and currently teaches Spanish, as well as English Language Learners (ELL).

Being a teacher for nearly two decades, Mills has countless stories of students and memories that have greatly impacted her. Mills explained that a few years ago, she was teaching a student who had moved from Mexico and did not speak any English. "He was not happy that his parents had moved him to a new country and he was very depressed," explained Mills. "He wasn't sure a high school diploma was worth it."

Despite the struggles, Mills worked with him daily, and years later, was able to watch him cross the stage at graduation. "As teachers, we want our students to see their potential and achieve things they didn't think they could achieve," she said, explaining how proud she felt at that moment.

Mills also acknowledged the challenges that come with learning a new language, and explained that in her classroom, she values collaboration and lots of practice. "I let the students know that we will all make mistakes learning and speaking a new language and not to be afraid to do or say the wrong thing, or make fun of someone who does, which I think fosters a strong community in the classroom," explained Mills.

Mills also works on strengthening her classroom by connecting with each student and treating them as individuals. She noted that while she cannot fix every situation a student faces, she is able to control her classroom atmosphere and can ensure that her students know she is there to support them. "I want my students to know that I care enough to get to know them and want to support them, not only inside my classroom as my student, but outside my classroom as the person they are," she said.

Even after Mills has retired, she explained that she hopes to leave behind a lasting imprint of care and support. "I hope my legacy as a teacher would be that I cared about each and every student and supported each of my students to achieve their goals, no matter where they are from, what language they speak, what religion they practice, what skin color they have, what struggles they face," said Mills. "I hope to have made learning fun and my classroom an inviting, safe place."

Story by Lily Saylor