In this episode of Teach in Ten, Steph sits down with Kristin Mayes, a social science teacher and literacy coach at Crystal Lake Central High School, to discuss literacy not as an add-on but as a gateway to deeper learning.

Kristin reflects on how confronting literacy as a barrier profoundly shaped her instructional approach. Working with her students, she quickly recognized how literacy challenges could limit access to content, and that realization became a driving force in how she designs her classroom today. Rather than lowering standards, she embeds meaningful literacy strategies directly into her social science curriculum, ensuring students engage with rigorous content while building essential skills.

A central theme of the conversation is innovation driven by curiosity. Kristin explains that perspective-shifting teaching doesn’t start with flashy tools. It starts with asking better questions. How do we help students access complex texts? How do we maintain high expectations while providing support?

She also highlights the power of desirable difficulties, intentionally designing learning experiences that challenge students in productive ways. By normalizing struggle and emphasizing daily practice, Kristin helps students see that they are capable of doing hard things. Growth becomes something students take pride in, not something they fear.