Episode 61: Sharon Ponder-Ballard

Rachel: Welcome to Redbird Buzz. I'm Rachel Kobus from University Marketing and  Communications. We are thrilled to be talking to 1986 political science alum and Golden Apple Award-winning educator Sharon Ponder Ballard. Sharon learned early on from her mother that reading is freedom. From personally building classroom libraries to eliminating book deserts in underfunded schools, to volunteering in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and studying in Japan as a Fulbright scholar, Sharon's impact extends far beyond her own classroom to be able to pass that freedom to the next generation. We are ready to be inspired by the amazing Sharon Ponder Ballard. So, Sharon, what's the word, Redbird? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Sharon: Oh, thank you. Well, I will say the word and the phrase is “Gladly we learn and teach.” 

Rachel: Oh yes, I love it. 

Sharon: I am here for it, as you said. And thank you for that amazing introduction. 

Rachel: You earned it.

Sharon: I appreciate it. I am, as you mentioned, Sharon Ponder Ballard. I am a Chicago girl, a die-hard Chicagoan. Yes, and I have eight siblings. We grew up in Chicago, and as you mentioned, my lovely, awesome, amazing mom, who was a single parent, who just raised us all to believe in the power of education, and I'm so honored, so blessed that one of the most fulfilling experiences was becoming a Redbird and attending the Illinois State University. Experiences, such great experiences there. So I will be more than happy to share as we continue our interview, but thank you for having me.

Rachel: Yes, we are excited. I mean, and that's why you're here. You know, it's not just about you. Will hear Sharon has won several awards, but it's because of the impact she's made, like we said, in and outside of the classroom, the talents that she shares, the enthusiasm. It's all amazing, and so for me it's, you know, let's start at the beginning, because there's no better place to start with a path in education than the beginning. So, you came to Illinois State as a poli sci major with a plan, I believe, to move into the field of law. 

Sharon: Yes. 

Rachel: But what at Illinois State helped fuel that passion to use your major in education, and what was the moment or the people that made you see the difference you can make in the education system? Because we know you are, you are a true educator, so your path changed. So, what happened?

Sharon: Well, you know what? Excellent question, because in the poli sci courses I ended up taking some amazing classes, and then classes that really made you question the system. The educational system of funding, I learned, and I saw more of the chronic underfunding, and particularly for black students in Chicago public schools. Then I learned the term “school to prison pipeline,” learning about how there were more school discipline disparities in predominantly black schools. And so then I would talk to students at Illinois State, who came from a variety of Chicago public schools, and when we were students on campus, and you know, you, you network, you, you talk, you, you start learning about your own peers' backgrounds, and some of them told me about how they felt that they were not allowed or provided the opportunity to participate in advanced coursework when they were in their own high schools, so they were limited to certain AP classes, and you know, AP classes help you to bridge those gaps, those academic gaps. And so we talked about that, we learned about depending on where you're at school, how teacher expectations can even be lower. So these things just really fueled me into thinking first that maybe I need to go into education and maybe I can make a difference just by being in the classroom and being advocates for students, and that's been my goal for the past 30 plus years.

Rachel: Yes, yeah, and I mean, and just, and that's crazy to think, you know, like you said, there was classrooms and topics within that, but the fact that you networked and learned from other students and the peers that grew up in different parts, whether it's urban, whether it's rural, and understanding truly what was missing in education, and finding that path. I mean, that's just inspirational in itself. Before you even kept going with what you've been doing outside of the classroom, so I mean, that's amazing to hear. Is it what the impact of outside classroom can do as much as inside a classroom when you're a higher education institution,

Sharon: Yes, and Rachel, you hit a great point, because our professors, and I remember my dean at the time was Dean Roberts, and we had professors that really pushed us to challenge the system or the status quo, and we had just like sometimes very fiery debates, fiery discussions, and then they would have us to go over to Milner and do a great deal of research, and I love Milner Library, by the way,

Rachel: It's a great place to be, love it. Well, you know, and so let's go one step further, so you, you were poli sci, looking at law, went into education, but now you're even a performing arts teacher at your current institution. So, let's dive a little more into the fact that, as a performing arts teacher who majored in political science, how does your political science roots and your passion for the arts collide to inform how your teaching style happens and the work that you do. So, taking that major and now you're this love for performing arts, how is that helping you in the classroom?

Sharon: Well, what a lot of people didn't know is that my minor at Illinois State was performing arts. 

Rachel: Oh, I see. I didn't either. Okay, okay.

Sharon: Yes, yes. So, I'm the one of the siblings that was always doing the talent shows during the holidays and all that fun stuff, and getting real creative and putting on costumes and things of that nature. So, Illinois State actually really really helped me in the performing arts arena to even build my self-confidence and build my self-expression through poetry, dance, and public speaking, so some of my dance classes, some of my theater classes that I had on campus at ISU really helped me to springboard into performing arts in Chicago Public Schools. 

Rachel: Okay, okay, yes. I did not realize I did not realize your minor was performing… That makes far more sense now. And if you see photos or see videos of Sharon, you would truly understand, like, yes, this passion and this drama and this inspiration, it's just.. it just fuels you, can feel it off of you, and I just love it so much. So, okay, that makes far more sense now. So, you know, inside the classroom, because remind me, how long have you been an educator? 30 plus?

Sharon: 34 and a half years.

Rachel: Yes, yeah, yes. So, you know, you've done this work inside the classroom, working for the Chicago Public School System, but it's not just about what's in the classroom or in that kind of what we see as a daily routine in a classroom. You've taken what you've learned as an educator and you've done work outside of teaching, which is just as incredible. And so one of the reasons I wanted to bring up we are having Sharon on is because just recently, this in 2026 in April, you received the Senator John W. Maitland Jr. Commitment to Education Award from the ISU Alumni Association, and were honored on campus. So, can you talk more about your work with classroom libraries and how that came to be a large component of your professional career.?

Sharon: Yes, yes. Thank you again. So, first of all, I have to thank the Illinois State University Alumni Association for this amazing honor. It was something that really provided me a full circle moment to be able to come back to Illinois State in 2026 after graduating in 1986 

Rachel: Oh yes, a nice little milestone year to come back. Yeah.

Sharon: Yes, we can do the math. So I feel, yeah, yeah, I feel blessed. I feel honored, and even just a little side note is that in 1984 I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, incorporated at Illinois State University Eta Alpha chapter, and some of the what we call neophytes, our newer members were there the night I received the Maitland Award, and they surprised me. They were standing in Bone Student Center, they were, you know, behind the little section, and one of, one of my friends, she came and she says, 'Hey, could you come outside? Someone wants to give you some flowers. And so it was, it was just, just amazing to see them, and I say that because I'm still very active with our sorority on the graduate level, and being able to do what we love doing, which is giving back and community service, so all of this just really helped me to springboard into doing things like writing grants for libraries. I would go to schools, even in Chicago, that were better funded than the schools where I, where I've been teaching, from Cabrini Green to Inglewood to Hearing Corner to now the Washington Park community. I would go to certain schools, it may be for national board meetings and things of that nature, or Yale University. I was a fellow for Yale, so it could be a number of things, and then I would see that one, those schools had actual libraries, and then they had librarians. Then, when you walk around some of the schools, you see that they had these classroom libraries, and I'm thinking my students deserve these as well in Cabrini Green, in Hearing Horner, in Inglewood, and so forth, so on. So I began to write grants, and I encouraged some of my colleagues to write grants. So we wrote grants to Donors Choose, WITS (working in the schools), Rochelle Lee, and I even got a book grant from the Oprah Winfrey.

Rachel: Oh, nice. How nice is that? You can’t say that very often, huh? 

Sharon: Yes, yes, and and it was so crazy because with the Oprah Winfrey grant, Oprah invited my mom onto the show, and the shows, the show's title was Succeeding Against the Odds.

Rachel: Oh, I love it. 

Sharon: Yes, and yeah, and so she, so my mom and my siblings basically Oprah asked my mom about some of her strategies for raising us in the inner city and raising us right right here in Chicago, and then all of us going off to college, and so when there was a break, you know, me, I, I kind of snoozed over to Oprah, and I asked her about her book club, and I asked her, I said, do you have any spare books that you could donate to my class, because at the time I was teaching, teaching at Bird Academy in Cabrini Green, and she looked at me, and she says, "Well, what books are you looking for? And I said, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Raisin in the Sun, Eight of Sun. She's just nodding her head, just like you, and she's just smiling, and she goes, I can get those for you. So she put me in touch with somebody in her office, and maybe about, maybe about two months later, the books came. And the kids, and the students were asking me at the time, “when are those Oprah books coming?”

Rache: Yeah, which books are Oprah-sent? I want to read those first, please. 

Sharon: Yes, yes, yes. So they, so she made, she made, she, she made sure those, we got those books. So, having the libraries were super, super important. Oh, yeah. And then they were great springboards for me to take students on field experiences to the Goodman Theater, to Shakespeare, Lyric Opera. Students in my classes have seen everything from Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamilton, Wicked, Raisin in the Sun to A Christmas Carol.

Rachel: I love it. How amazing is that? And so, why do you think, what was the importance? I guess, can you make the connection a little start from getting those books, making your students understand literature, and how that transformed to why those experiences are so important to go see the arts, then? What, what was your connection for them to truly like to understand why all of this, this whole, you know, path is important to them.

Sharon: Yes. Well, I really feel that, as I mentioned before, performing arts and literature helps build self-confidence, self-expression, and the biggest thing for me, as an educator, is to build empathy. Students are able to role play, students are able to analyze certain characters, but then also explore diverse stories and backgrounds. They're able to even see themselves in literature, see themselves in the productions, in the plays, and be able to understand. A Midsummer Night's Dream, or Romeo on Juliet, and, and.. like, well, you know, I've experienced being in love. I hope I don't get my heart broken like that.

Rachel: Yeah, yeah, no. And that's truly important, because I think, you know, we have to have this balance of education and academics, but then the empathy that goes behind what we're teaching and what we're sharing, who we're working with, is just as important too, and sometimes that skill I think is missing. So to make them see all this, but still have a teaching and arts component to it, is wonderful.

Sharon: Yes, yes, and really getting students to develop this empathy for each other, I'm a big anti-bullying person, so I do a lot of anti-bullying activities, and we have discussion circles, and as we do our warm-ups, our performing arts warm-ups, we're it may just be a word, it may just be a compliment, it may just be an acknowledgement, but getting students to have empathy for each other is super important to me.

Rachel: I would say, especially at, I'm sure, at those age groups too, where they're still, you know, your brain's developing, your attitudes are developing, and truly understand how that's going to impact you later down in life, because I think…

Sharon: I see pre K, yeah, students in Pre-K through eighth grade.

Rachel: Okay, okay, yeah, yeah. So, how important that is, right? Then, yeah,

Sharon: Absolutely, absolutely. So, I have Pre-K students who, who have a problem sharing crayons.

Rachel: Yeah, yep, that's my five year old sometimes. So, oh, I, this is amazing. So, you, I, you know, I want to talk a little bit more about the libraries themselves, too, because I think that, you know, that was a bigger part of your honoring for the Maitland Award. So, you've helped curate so many libraries to eliminate these book deserts, these literacy inequities. Can you share more of how you created these models and ensure you find the books that, and we kind of talked about this, that how you create these, though, that students can see their lived experiences or find opportunities through reading, then. So, how do you go about creating these libraries and finding the books to be in the libraries?

Sharon: Yes, so one important thing, and I'm so glad you asked this, because this is really important to include student voice when you're building these libraries, so I do surveys. I'll do surveys at the beginning of the year and surveys at the end of the year. Yeah, and students will let you know. And over the past, I want to say, since the pandemic, students have moved more into graphic novels, for instance. And so, oh my gosh, and I've been learning about graphic novels myself through my students.

Rachel: Yeah. Oh, I bet. A whole, like, different world.

Sharon: Yes, yes. So, so even getting the students' input, and even having students to create their own versions of, for instance, a Spider-Man strip or Lilo and Stitch cartoon, and they end up, you know, writing and understanding the panels, understanding bubbles, and all of that, but giving students the opportunity to come into the classroom library, having library time. I would always, even in the grants, get a rug, get floor pillows, a nice couch, and you know, and then even go thrifting and get to the thrift stores and get some of those tall stools, so that the bigger students have that Starbucks feel.

Rachel: Yeah, just things you don't think about, but I mean, this is good, I think this is great information to share for anyone listening that's just interested in their own library classroom, it's not just about the books, it's the atmosphere you're, you're creating around this classroom library, and the purpose for it.

Sharon: Yes, yes, let them manage it themselves as well. And so I have students in each class that helps with the with the checkout system, and they walk around with cards, the index cards, they walk around with the binder, and they'll and I have one girl in fourth grade, she will go up to you and say, "Hey, your book is overdue.”

Rachel: And she's going to be our next librarian. Yes, right. Yes, I love it.

Sharon: I love it. So, yeah, so, so getting student input, yeah, then trying to make sure you have enough copies, so I may be able to, depending on the budget, get 10 copies of a certain title, and if I want to do a class read or for after school, I've had many after school book clubs, so to make sure that I have enough copies, I will go through Donors Twos or WITS or the Rochelle Lee Foundation, and we used to have the Chicago Foundation for Education, CFE, but I think that they're now under WITS, working in the schools, but a lot of these in Chicago, a lot of these organizations, when they have funded your library, and then when they come out to see it, they come out to observe the libraries in action. Many of them will get private donors for you, and private donors will say, "Hey, they just told me what you need.” 

Rachel: Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. Yes, it kind of goes back to it, kind of goes back to what you said, even at the beginning of this interview, about how networking is really important, so it kind of hit on it without realizing it, of getting people in here, so then they can go out and talk to their folks and get the donations needed, you working with different students and making them understand how empathy is important, to network and talk to each other, going to Oprah, and then for a different reason, networking there, and just creating again these relationships, and how important it is to, to again create programs because of the relationships built, and that's so  another full circle for it, really. Yeah.

Sharon: Yes, yes, and that's so super important, and I think significant. I've had students, for instance, who've graduated from eighth grade who are now in high school, that will email me and say, "Hey, can I borrow a certain book that I've read in your class? Because we're reading it for freshman English.

Rachel: Yeah, how amazing is that? Just, and again, that you have those relationships, and we're building you, but hopefully others are building students up by creating these relationships, so they have that trust, and they want to have, you know, your impact is keeping them going too.

Sharon: Yes, yes. So, I just give the books away. I said, you can have it.

Rachel: Yeah, yeah, no kidding, yeah. Well, and I guess so. This kind of leads me to my next question, too. As you work with students and build these libraries, what advice do you have for building resources from scratch for educators listening? So, how can they do this in their own school systems and for their students? You've touched on we've said a few of these, and what you should include in grants and think outside the books, but is there anything else, or any type of advice you'd like to share for anyone interested in these kind of programs?

Sharon: Yes, yes, absolutely. I, one of my key buzz phrases is connection before content. I would always, and I still do, and I just had a former student who became a teacher. She just finished her first year in Springfield. And she's, she's come to me, and I've donated books and things like that to her class, but I tell her, make connections with the students first before trying to drive home that content, you, when you make those connections, you find out what they enjoy, what they like to read. Now, so many of our young people are into anime, and you know, so it's so important to find out what they're doing. Yes, we want to expose them, we want to elevate them, but find out what it is that they want, and you can start from there and build it up or build it out.

Rachel: Yep, yep. No, that I think that's very big. That's very important advice. Is you don't want to force something that, because nothing's going to stick if you force it, versus going where your students are at first and building from there instead, and figuring out a way to introduce other topics, other types of literature, art from what they're already at.

Sharon: Yes, yes. And then to model what you want to see, so kids see me reading.

Rachel: Oh, yeah, yeah, yes.

Sharon: They're like, "What are you reading now?

Sharon: Yeah, you know, this is a Toni Morrison book. I think you'll get to it by the time you're in high school. Yes, yes. Model, model what you want to see in your students. I totally believe in that.

Rachel: Yeah, and this can go.. I mean, you just think about even beyond reading to just to model and connect with students with with teams. I mean, all the information, all the advice you're sharing, Sharon, makes sense, I think, in a lot of backgrounds too. That going back to that empathy and that human connection, this kind of advice works for a lot of industries and professionals too. So, kind of, I want to take that for myself and just let it sit there.

Sharon: Yes, yes. And then maybe the last thing I would say is just try to always embrace a growth mindset.

Rachel: Good advice, very good.

Sharon: So, I think my last question for you kind of goes back to something you said in your acceptance speech when you were here on campus, you know, you've done so, so much to fight for resources, for equity, for education, for. Students, no matter the school or classroom you're in, so now looking towards the future. So, as a part of your acceptance speech for the Senator John W. Maitland Jr. Commitment to Education Award, you led with “stepping back to help others step up.” So, what are you seeing as the next step as an educator?

Sharon: Well, what I see is something that I just mentioned about a former student who has just completed her first year of teaching, and just trying to be a stepping stone for other educators. Our new educators, they're going to need our support, they're going to need as much support and encouragement as possible, and I think stepping up for them is really important. When I gave my speech, what I didn't mention was that I had two former students present that evening.

Rachel: Oh, wow, yes.

Sharon: two former students who are sophomores at Illinois State University.

Rachel: Oh, even better. I love hearing that. Oh, that's amazing.

Sharon: Yes, yes. So, Ramari and Paris, they're both, they're both students on campus, and I was able to get them a dinner ticket, and they sat there, and they just loved it, and I felt, so my brother nudged me at the end, and he said, "You should have introduced them,” he said, "That would have been your, your, your real full circle moment.” And I went “shucks, shucks, shucks,” you know, when I started out, I said, you know, I'm grateful for my husband, former students, family, you know, in attendance. But he, so he said, yeah, you said that, but just to have them, just to acknowledge them, and to have them stand up would have just been great, and so that's that. That was my closing about stepping up and reaching back, and so to have former students that I can just continue to encourage, to inspire, to motivate. I think if we can all do that, I think we would just have a better society. I think we'll have a happier society, because we.. I feel like, you know, my mom would tell us that God blesses you to be a blessing to others. And so I feel that I've been extremely blessed in this career, and to even have the Maitland Award to just kind of cement, you know, my journey. It's not cementing it in a way that is saying that it's over, it's cemented in a way of saying “keep up the good work.”

Rachel: Yeah, yes, that's so much more to do, yes, so much more to do, and so much more to give, because you are, you're dev, a true giver, I can see that just from this conversation we've had.

Sharon: Thank you.

Rachel: Thank you, Sharon, for taking the time, I mean, just everyone, Sharon's still in school right now, I would try to make this in June, so she wasn't teaching still, but to me too, so I appreciate it so much. So, thank you again, Sharon, for being with

Sharon: Rachel. Thank you so much, and thank you for selecting me for this podcast today. I feel honored, and if you need anything else from me, I'm here. And go Redbirds!

Rachel: And that was 1986 alum and true servant leader Sharon Ponder Ballard. Thanks for listening to Red Bird Buzz. Tune in next time for more stories from beyond the quad.