Building Connections Beyond the Classroom

Outside the box methods have always been a teaching strength for Louis Williams. The Paw Paw, Michigan native has an impressive teaching career that spans over two decades. His journey began in the classroom, where he taught third grade for two years, fourth grade for one year, sixth grade for three years and kindergarten for his longest stretch of 14 years. He then moved into the role of principal at Sandusky Elementary School, a PreK-6 school in the thumb of Michigan. 

Williams has a clear passion for early childhood education and has dedicated a great deal of time studying and understanding the most appropriate methods to work with young children. His academic pursuits eventually led him to obtain an early childhood endorsement from Saginaw Valley State University and most recently, a Doctorate in Early Childhood Education from Oakland University.

Williams was voted Sandusky Community Schools Teacher of the Year in 2020 for his many contributions to his school. One such initiative was a home visiting program he offered to his Kindergarten families. Typically utilized in prenatal through age four settings, home visits are less common for school-aged children. 

“Through my studies, I discovered the power of home visiting and the ability to build relationships through the program,” said Williams. “I began to wonder what it would be like to do home visits with my Kindergarten class.”

In 2014, he launched a volunteer home visit initiative, which started with roughly 50% participation, but quickly grew to almost full participation among his student’s families. These visits allowed Williams to build trusting relationships with students and their families, providing a unique insight into the child’s environment and fostered student success within the classroom.

“Many of the visits were unique,” said Williams. “I would meet family pets, explore backyards, jump on a trampoline, and even go for a golf cart ride. The whole point was to build solid relationships.”

The impact of the program resulted in noticeable improvements in student behavior, academic achievement and interpersonal relationships. These observations fueled Williams’ passion and became a pivotal part of his doctoral research at OU. 

“When Louis started his program, many of the courses met in-person once per week. He drove from Sandusky to OU’s campus in Rochester each week after teaching Kindergarten. I don't think he missed any of my classes,” said Dr. Tomoko Wakabayashi, coordinator of the Ph.D. program in Early Childhood Education. “With his advisor Dr. Julie Ricks-Doneen's guidance, he piloted a replication of his school-age home visits for his dissertation. Now, as a principal and an early childhood researcher, I’m sure he will continue to do great things, and will leave a mark in the field.”

Not only did Williams study the topic and gather research from three teachers conducting home visits of their own, he even extended the program into his principalship. This newly expanded program adapted his existing strategy to include “Pizza with the Principal,” where he brought pizza to the families’ homes, helping blend informal interaction with educational support. 

The many benefits of the program were quickly made clear to Williams and he is eager to continue and grow the next phase of home visiting as a principal for the upcoming school year. By cultivating these personal interactions with children and their families, Williams aims to enhance educational outcomes while also supporting other educators in adopting similar strategies. 

As Williams reflects on the experiences of his home visits – from the quiet student who talked the entire time to the rambunctious student who was calm at home – it’s abundantly clear that his approach does more than just create relationships, it creates a space where each child feels safe and encouraged to succeed.

For additional information on early childhood education programs available at OU, visit oakland.edu/hdcs.