Jeanine Hampton is making a difference for the next generation of students in her hometown of North Chicago
Our regional commitment to homegrown talent and local recruitment has been the driving force behind our efforts to address the teacher shortage. Research shows over and over again that students who have a teacher or principal who looks like them and shares a similar background have more academic success and better attendance. This is why half of our corps members are from Illinois and more than half identify as a person of color. Our students need educators who come from the same neighborhoods and understand their unique challenges and dreams. We spoke with Jeanine Hampton, who is one of those educators. Read below about her choice to commit to her hometown so she could make a difference for the next generation of North Chicagoans.
It was important for me to teach in North Chicago because I’ve always wanted to give back to my community. Being from the same community I teach in has given me an advantage with building meaningful relationships with my students and they have shown better responses when working with teachers they can relate to.
This community may not be the prettiest setting but it boasts a town of people with big hearts and a drive to succeed. There are parent leaders who want to inspire their children and their peers to have bigger goals and aspirations for life.
People don’t always know that this community has changed a lot! The Navel base and transplants from Chicago have increased our population and we recently opened a brand new middle school, Neil Math and Science Academy. Development has also started on a new elementary school. For a long time North Chicago was a food desert but a grocery recently opened up. But one thing that has stayed the same is inside of the school where I teach. I tell the students all the time how the lockers and library look exactly the same, which brings me a sense of peace and nostalgia.
Being an equitable teacher is making sure my students receive equal opportunities and receive what they need to be successful both in and outside of the classroom. We try to make sure our classroom is a comfortable, safe, and inviting environment. My students have taught me how resilient they are. And I know they appreciate having a teacher who looks and sounds like them, even if they don’t always mention it.