Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
ABC7Chicago.com: Hearing, deaf students learn together in same classroom
As school begins, teachers are striving for their students' success. That is also the goal for two teachers who had a classroom with both hearing and deaf students.
Teaching a class of deaf and hearing junior high school students is not easy. Chicago Public School teachers Suzi Gantz and Kambri Zielinski were determine to make it work even when it involved time outside of class.
Every student in one class will be off to college this fall, thanks to their teachers Ms. Gantz and Ms. Zielinski.
Ms. Gantz has been teaching mostly deaf education for 30 years.
"I'm the kind of person were my heart opens up and I take them in. I call them my kids. My own two boys knew that our family grew overtime I had a new class in September," said Gantz.
Her son, Josh, was very accepting.
"They've all slept at my house. They used to have sleepovers," said Josh.
This group of students was different. They started at the 5th grade.
"15 hearing kids and 5 deaf kids and they together four 4 years," said Gantz.
Since both teachers have degrees in deaf education, they knew how to work with a mixed classroom.
"The differences is figuring out the many different ways to get a point across to them being more animated being more visual which it doesn't not necessarily different it benefits both the hearing and the deaf," said Zielinski.
"They really were a classroom of kids and I felt it was my responsibility along with Kambri that we needed to encouraged these kids to do more to be the best you can possibly be," said Gantz.
In addition to spending time with students outside of class, the teachers wanted to make sure they would go to college so they promised each student a $500 scholarship.
"I have a teachers salary but it's something I'm proud of that we could do," said Gantz.
Students like, Vincent Millwood, not only appreciated the support and encouragement from his teacher.
"Out friendships were a lot stronger than a lot of the other kids I'm still friends with like some of the other classes but their bond isn't as strong as us," said Millwood.
Joya Yarbrough who will be going to college in Rochester New York enjoyed being in class with hearing.
"I got new friends we socialize I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot," said Yarbrough.
It is a good life lesson for Josh.
"I've just learned the unconditional love that one can have for others and the effect that can have on other people," said Josh.
When students graduated from 8th grade, they gave their teachers a bracelet with hearts and their names on it.
As school begins, teachers are striving for their students' success. That is also the goal for two teachers who had a classroom with both hearing and deaf students.
Teaching a class of deaf and hearing junior high school students is not easy. Chicago Public School teachers Suzi Gantz and Kambri Zielinski were determine to make it work even when it involved time outside of class.
Every student in one class will be off to college this fall, thanks to their teachers Ms. Gantz and Ms. Zielinski.
Ms. Gantz has been teaching mostly deaf education for 30 years.
"I'm the kind of person were my heart opens up and I take them in. I call them my kids. My own two boys knew that our family grew overtime I had a new class in September," said Gantz.
Her son, Josh, was very accepting.
"They've all slept at my house. They used to have sleepovers," said Josh.
This group of students was different. They started at the 5th grade.
"15 hearing kids and 5 deaf kids and they together four 4 years," said Gantz.
Since both teachers have degrees in deaf education, they knew how to work with a mixed classroom.
"The differences is figuring out the many different ways to get a point across to them being more animated being more visual which it doesn't not necessarily different it benefits both the hearing and the deaf," said Zielinski.
"They really were a classroom of kids and I felt it was my responsibility along with Kambri that we needed to encouraged these kids to do more to be the best you can possibly be," said Gantz.
In addition to spending time with students outside of class, the teachers wanted to make sure they would go to college so they promised each student a $500 scholarship.
"I have a teachers salary but it's something I'm proud of that we could do," said Gantz.
Students like, Vincent Millwood, not only appreciated the support and encouragement from his teacher.
"Out friendships were a lot stronger than a lot of the other kids I'm still friends with like some of the other classes but their bond isn't as strong as us," said Millwood.
Joya Yarbrough who will be going to college in Rochester New York enjoyed being in class with hearing.
"I got new friends we socialize I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot," said Yarbrough.
It is a good life lesson for Josh.
"I've just learned the unconditional love that one can have for others and the effect that can have on other people," said Josh.
When students graduated from 8th grade, they gave their teachers a bracelet with hearts and their names on it.