Shonta Williams

Instructional Support Teacher for Oakley E. S. and Global Impact Academy. Proud mother of two beautiful daughters. Member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

[uche @msuchengoddy]

Congratulations to @OakleyTigers school nutrition team for winning 1st Place for serving the most lunches in the district !!! Super proud of Ms. Slaughter and her team! @APJordan12 @jasonjstamper

[uche @msuchengoddy]

25-25 is already off to a GREAT start! Our team came in full of energy! You can’t even tell who is new to the team!!! Team building activity yielded great collaboration and team work!! @OakleyTigers @APJordan12 @jasonjstamper

[Oakley Elementary School @OakleyTigers]

OAKLEY TIGERS… it’s about that time!! We are so excited to see all of you next week Thursday! Please take advantage of one of our open house time slots to get a jump start on the new school
year!! @msuchengoddy @APJordan12

[Shonta Williams @SRWilliams_79]

More memories from the best ECW week! #ohtheplacesyoullgo #BuildingFutures

[Shonta Williams @SRWilliams_79]

Our amazing SEC team had a PHENOMENAL Exceptional Children’s Week! One for the books! Thanks to my teacher and staff for helping make this week special for our exceptional students! #OhThePlacesYoullGo #BuildingFutures @msuchengoddy @APJordan12 @FCS_SEC

[Oakley Elementary School @OakleyTigers]

Congratulations Ms. Jackson and Ms. Hood! We are so proud of both of you !!

[Shannel Jordan @APJordan12]

For the LOVE 💕of Teaching! @OakleyTigers PROUDLY presents our 2025-2026 TOTY (Teacher of the Year) @GorgeousTy1908 Mrs. T. Jackson & SPOTY (School Professional of the Year) Ms. Jaylein Hood! @msuchengoddy and I are so proud of you two! @jasonjstamper

[Nicole Thorne @NicoleTFulton]

Super proud of my student on winning the Yes I Can award ! Great things are happening at @OakleyTigers . We are SEC Strong 💪🏾 @SRWilliams_79 . Congrats to all the 2024 winners

[Dr. Emily Abrams Massey @PrincipalDynami]

I’m always excited when I see this dynamic principal! @msuchengoddy She is so focused, strategic, reflective and forward thinking. She will continue to move Oakley ES forward! @PrincipalsCtr @FultonCoSchools @DionneCspeaks #leadershipcoaching @DrEmilyAMassey

[Patricia Thomas @thomasbooktech]

☀️Goooood Morning from our @OakleyTigers news team!🎥
#1%bettereveryday

[Marisa North, MEd @MsMWill3]

@OakleyTigers Are you ready? STEAMTOPIA returns to Oakley Saturday, October 14th from 11-2. Join us for a celebration the whole family can enjoy! @msuchengoddy @APJordan12 @DrTamaraCandis @stemslc @parents4edu_SF @Franchesca_Warr @TomanekkaI @thomasneverstop @TravesHyman

[Kerri-Ann Williams @KCWilliamsFCS]

Differentiation, routines, and evidence of PLC collaboration. These fabulous Firsties at @OakleyTigers were on point! @msuchengoddy @DurdenValencia @OES_Lit_Queen @APJordan12 @ladyterez

[Sigma Gamma Rho @SGRho]

International Grand Basileus Rasheeda S. Liberty will be speaking at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington! Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority,Incorporated is honored to be a part of this historic occasion with several civic organizations.

#MarchOnWashington60 #SigmaGammaRho

[uche @msuchengoddy]

Thanks for the invite !!!!

[Brannon F. Gaskins @BFGaskins]

When I met @msuchengoddy she was a fantastic teacher, now she is a fantastic principal. Miss Bennings was a fantastic student teacher and now is leading her own classroom! @OakleyTigers

[Tomanekka Irving M.ED @TomanekkaI]

❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥💕👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[Shannel Jordan @APJordan12]

Well..,, turns out there was a ROOSTER 🐓 in our last batch! Welcome to the newest members of our @OakleyTigers family! Six new chicks 🐥 #Agriculture #1%BetterEveryday @msuchengoddy @TomanekkaI @MsMWill3 @TravesHyman

[Dr. Bryan Pearlman #MaslowBeforeBloom @DrP_Principal]

My walkie went off with a frantic voice saying, “Code R, we have a runner.” I ran from my office and my assistant was pointing to the door. I broke one of the first rules of school, no running in the hall. For a big dude, I was moving very rapidly. I went out the door and saw a blur of a student hop the fence and run across the street.

Our school faced a very busy street. Right across the street, was a liquor store. If that wasn’t bad enough, the next thing one encounters heading down the road are railroad tracks. As soon as you make it past the tracks, you come upon a bridge with a 20 foot drop into a river. Moving further down the road brings you to a truck stop. If the aforementioned items weren’t scary enough, you then reach a major interstate highway. The interstate can either take you to downtown St. Louis or if you choose to go in the opposite direction you can get as far as Arkansas and points further south and west. I really have no idea whose idea it was to put a school here.

It is important to know that when drivers saw a six foot four big dude running after a small six year old, the first thought for them wasn’t concerned and caring principal. I think it was more likely “stranger danger.” I won’t spend much time on this point, but it was always fun having to run while flashing my school ID badge so as not to get jumped by concerned drivers.

Back to my runner. As soon as I saw him hop the fence, it was time to move and not think. The first attempt of man vs. fence went to the fence. I cleared the fence minus a chunk of the back of my suit pant and some of the skin from my right side of my buttocks.

We were steps from the bridge to the river and I decided that a bear hug would be the best course of action. I corralled him and within a few moments he calmed down.

Billy let me know that when he gets frustrated or angry he runs. I asked him about when this started, and he said ever since he could remember. Billy said, “I remember when I was in preschool, my parents were fighting, and my dad ran out of the house. That was the last time I saw him. Sometimes I think that I may find him when I’m running. I really miss him.”

Wow, that was deep. Not at all what I expected to hear from a six year old. We spoke a little more and I suggested that we should head back so that he could get ready for dismissal.

The next morning I met with his teacher, his previous teacher, the counselor, the assistant principal, and others. My first priority was Billy’s safety. I was also thinking about ways to channel this running impulse into something more positive and safer. Lastly, I was thinking of what we could do to help Billy find a father figure or male role model.

We came up with a plan to start a daily running intervention for Billy. This was something that would play to his strengths, would hopefully be enough to keep him calm and in a good place, and may keep him from running off property where it was more dangerous. It was my job to sell this to Billy. He was very excited to do this.

We created a list of volunteers and implemented the plan right away. Beyond the running, this gave us a great opportunity to have conversations with Billy and provide very important relationships. This plan worked amazingly well.

Billy asked if he could recruit a friend to come with them. We agreed and it was perfect that he selected James. James had a similar family situation and some behavior concerns. We all agreed this was a win-win all the way around.

The intervention grew to more boys with similar concerns. The grown-up helpers grew with time too.

Billy was the first in his family to go to college… on a track scholarship.

Does your school have out of the box strategies that can channel a challenging/unsafe behavior into a positive one?

From the book “Maslow Before Bloom: Basic Human Needs Before Academics”
(https://t.co/IsFQnYpsnh)

Join us at the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: https://t.co/015cLKjJ1m

[Jason Kennedy | Stop Teaching & Design Learning! @letsquitteachin]

ALL learners receive Tier 1 learning. It's where we make all the needed improvement.

If scores are dropping, if misbehaviors are increasing, if gaps are widening, if Tier 2 & 3 population is growing, then it's a Tier 1 learning issue.

We must acknowledge, accept, & act on this