Where Students Feel Seen: Inside Ms. Kesha’s Classroom

By Sariah Jenkins

December 22, 2025

Many students at Urban Assembly Maker Academy say one teacher has made the biggest difference in their high school experience. Through humor, support, and genuine care, Ms. Kesha has built a classroom where students thrive both academically and personally.

During the 2025 school year, Ms. Kesha has had a lasting impact on students across the school. Students describe her classroom as a space filled with laughter, understanding, and encouragement, making lessons both fun and effective. By building strong relationships and supporting students beyond academics, she demonstrates how one teacher can truly shape a student’s school experience.

Annie Pichardo, a physical education teacher and former UA Maker student, said Ms. Kesha’s ability to make lessons relatable is a major reason students connect with her. “I think since Ms. Kesha is able to make all the material relatable, it helps students actually want to learn and pay attention,” Pichardo said. “She makes her classes engaging and fun, not just lecturing for hours. She cracks jokes, connects with students, and still makes sure learning happens.”

Students say her presence makes coming to school easier. “If Ms. Kesha left the school, it would honestly feel really different,” said Lyan Curry, a sophomore and member of Maker’s softball team. “She’s one of the teachers that makes you want to come to school. Without her, a lot of students would lose someone they feel comfortable talking to.”

Her relatability is something students say sets her apart. “Ms. Kesha is just like us. She doesn’t fake her personality,” said Jaiden Camacho, a junior. “Some teachers act really professional all the time, and that can make students uncomfortable. She understands the things we go through, and that makes her easier to talk to.”

Ms. Kesha, whose full name is Chekesha Thomas, has been teaching for 26 years. She began her career at age 22 at M.S. 391, the Mahalia Jackson School in District 17, where she worked as a dance teacher. “I always wanted to be a secondary teacher,” Thomas said. “I knew early on that little kids were not for me.”

Thomas holds four degrees: an associate degree in Fine and Performing Arts from Queensborough Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Health Education from York College, a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Long Island University, and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. She said she was inspired to become a teacher by her mother, a retired New York City public school elementary teacher.