Ricky King’s unexpected journey to becoming an award-winning bilingual teacher began during a study abroad trip as a freshman at Illinois State University. King ’20 knew he wanted to be a teacher, but he didn’t know what subject to specialize in until a transformative experience in Panama.
While studying abroad, King was asked to teach English as a second language (ESL) classes. When he returned from Central America, King felt inspired to pursue an ESL certification at Illinois State.
“It was unique because it was my first experience teaching,” said King. “It was really rewarding to be able to help students use language and linguistic tools, let alone watch them use those tools in real time, actively in their daily lives.”
Teaching people of various ages, some twice his age, was an incredibly valuable experience for King. It was in Panama that King built the foundation for his teaching style and philosophy.
“I had a lot of conversations with my students about what it means to speak in American English, the power dynamics to learning and teaching English, and being a non-English speaker in an English-speaking country,” he said. “Trying to deconstruct that power construct effectively is what made me want to teach English to speakers of other languages.”
King, a third-generation Hispanic American, understands firsthand the importance of representation.
“I’m Hispanic, and I didn’t really have anyone in my high school experience that looked like me,” said King. “I did in my early elementary and middle school experiences because I was living closer to the city of Chicago. But when we moved out of Chicago into the suburbs, I didn’t have anyone who looked like or talked like me.”
As an English as a Second Language-Bilingual Spanish (ESL) teacher at Normal Community High School (NCHS), King strives to be a role model for his Latinx students. He wants his students to see him as his authentic self, whether that’s when he’s teaching in his classroom or shopping at Target. By doing so, he hopes to help his students embrace their Latinx identities.
“I try to model positive behaviors in and out of the classroom,” said King. “I also try to model simply being an individual from Hispanic heritage in front of our Latinx students, because I may be one of the only Hispanic individuals they see as a teacher-figure throughout the day. I want them to see themselves through me and know that this could be them in a few years. They could also aspire to do really cool things; and just because they don’t see anyone that looks like them or talks like them in those positions of power doesn’t mean that they can’t do anything that they put their hearts and minds into.”
Now in his fourth year at NCHS, King co-teaches various social studies and English language arts classes and co-supervises extracurricular activities including the mock trial team, Hispanic Heritage Club, and more. In all of his roles at NCHS, King is intentional about helping students embrace their heritage in the classroom and beyond.
“I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish. I learned Spanish in high school,” said King. “Looking forward, I want to continue to develop culturally responsive curriculum that doesn’t force identity loss on the students that walk in my door.”
King approaches teaching on an individual level, carefully considering the demographics of his classroom, and ensuring materials and examples used are representative of his students. He credits his ability to be a culturally responsive educator to his experience as a social sciences teacher education and English double major. Teacher candidates at Illinois State learn how to develop curriculum that connects with their students’ cultures, languages, and life experiences.
“I owe a lot to the History Department because they do a really good job in history education to get us to critically think about history and diversity, especially for our students,” said King. “The English Department really forced me to think about texts that apply to the student group that I have. I think ISU’s history education program and the English Department overall do a really good job of teaching how to be culturally responsive to the student groups and the diverse groups of students that you have in your classrooms.”
In just his third year of teaching, King’s extraordinary efforts were recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which named him the 2023 Bilingual Teacher of the Year last February.
“I am honored that I received that award. I think it’s incredible to receive an award for such a unique content area and this early in my teaching career; but it is really all about my students,” said King. “I wouldn’t be in my teaching position or in this position of receiving this award without my students.”
For King, working with students at such a pivotal time in their lives is the best part of his job.
“I love watching my students grow. It is really cool to be able to see individuals learn and interact with one another and just watch their personalities blossom,” he said. “It is beyond rewarding.”
