Ellyshia Thompson

The Energizer

There are certainly some amazing math instructors at Lincoln-King High School, including Ellyshia Thompson. When asked to describe this superstar teacher, Principal Andy Anuzis said, “Teachers and students alike will tell you Ms. Thompson knows how to deliver an excellent classroom experience, which is high-energy and fun, but also rigorous, structured and well-planned. She gets results. Students highly respect her down-to-business professionalism.”

What’s your best memory of your own school days? 

My best memory from my school days was the sense of community. We would wake up in the morning and get ready for school. We would literally walk to our neighbor’s house and knock on the door and we all walked to school together. There was more than 10 of us walking to school in the morning. We had so much fun! The sense of camaraderie, the laughs, the unpredictable weather…we loved every minute of it.

What is something most people don’t know about you? 

Where do I begin?  I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but raised on the eastside of Detroit. I love to ballroom dance, bop, and Chicago-Step. I love performing slam poetry. I was the class-clown in high school and college and I have a bucket list item to do a random performance as a standup comedian.

What’s your professional superpower?

My professional superpower is the ability to make people laugh. Building culture has always been my cup of tea. When you are engaging, and students trust you, the sky’s the limit. You can’t just walk into a room and teach without building rapport. You never know what someone is going through, so making someone laugh can go a long way.

How do you empower your students to live their complete life?

I want all of my students to be the best version of themselves, unapologetically. I remind them the importance of being honest and humble, and that people will always remember how you made them feel. I teach them that the goal is not always the answer, but about how you derived the answer. This also applies to life. Life is all about the journey, not the final destination. Enjoy the journey!

What’s the one word your students would use to describe you?

ENERGETIC. They can’t understand how I wake up with so much energy, and I don’t even drink coffee.