Family Ties: Teachers Bring Unique Perspective to Shared Classroom

Sisters Heather Solis and Kelly Williams grew up sharing a last name, a bedroom, and the same dream of being educators. Now, they can add one more thing to that list: a shared class. 

“As kids, we played school together. We turned our walk-in closet into a classroom, and I would bring worksheets home and erase them all and use the blank sheet to teach Kelly,” Solis said. “We always wanted to be teachers.”

Years later, that make-believe classroom has become a reality at Frost Elementary School.

Solis and Williams are part of a pilot position at Frost Elementary that splits their time between teaching third grade and serving as instructional coaches. Half of their day is spent working directly with students, and the other half is spent supporting teachers across the campus.

Solis teaches math and social studies and works primarily with third- through fifth-grade teachers as an instructional coach, while Williams teaches reading and language arts (RLA) and science and works with kindergarten through second-grade teachers.

“It’s great because we are actually living it,” Williams said. “We are supporting teachers, but we are also in the classroom and seeing what is actually working and what needs to change.”

As instructional coaches, the two team up to plan lessons, lead professional learning sessions and collaborate on how to best support their peers.

As teachers, that collaboration remains consistent.

Solis and Williams use the same social contract and hold students to the same expectations throughout the entire day. As the students rotate between two teachers, they know that they are part of one solid, reliable team. 

“I’m trying to be the teacher I want for my own kids,” Solis said.

Williams shares that same philosophy of creating a place where students feel cared for and secure.

“We’re taking care of them as we would our own,” she said. “School should be a safe place, where kids want to be.”

Whether they’re teaching students or supporting their fellow teachers, Solis and Williams’ shared background brings a unique perspective to their work. 

“We are strong because we know each other so well and we trust each other,” Solis said. “It couldn’t be a better partnership.”

“We’re so blessed and lucky to get to do this,” Williams added. “And even better that it’s in a community like Georgetown.”