2008-2009 Fellows: Hilary Hodes
I entered the special education field in high school when I began working at a camp for students with disabilities and their siblings at the Children’s Institute in Pittsburgh. The inclusive nature of the camp promoted acceptance of all individuals and this successful model has motivated my approach to duplicating an accepting environment in my own classroom.
My involvement in special education deepened throughout college through Indiana University Dance Marathon after meeting Ritchie while dancing my freshman year. Ritchie was a Riley kid. His family joins with other Riley families to celebrate the money that the Marathon raises for Riley Hospital for Children. As Ritchie rose out of his wheelchair to dance with me, a smile spreading across his face, I knew he would always be an inspiration. My role in the Dance Marathon grew throughout my college career, and I found the Riley children continuing to motivate my pursuit of special education.
After college, I joined the Teach for America movement in New York City where I taught fourth and fifth grade self-contained special education for students with learning and behavioral disabilities. In contrast to my campers, these students had been told they were failing throughout their academic career and were teased relentlessly for their differences. They taught me the significance of high expectations, and the success that can be achieved by targeting a specific track to reach those goals. I am pursuing a graduate degree at Hunter College to help me mold the foundations I have created into teaching strategies capable of moving students towards their highest potential. The focus on multiple and severe disabilities allows me to learn about the group of students who continue to amaze me as they challenge my creativity.
During my student teaching placement, I met Herbie, a student who is deaf-blind. My interactions with the deaf-blind field have sparked my interest in two primary components: interpersonal relationships and educational foundations. The interpersonal relationships with individuals who are deaf-blind described by my professors and evident in the literature possess a unique, honest quality. I am drawn to the individualized exploration of communication that develops between individuals who are deaf-blind and the people who are a part of their lives. As I have begun to build a relationship with Herbie, my concept of a conversation has been redefined. Our interactions include attention to minute detail and a powerful shared experience, working towards the establishment of trust in the exploration of his environment. He reinforces my belief that every learner brings unique strengths to the table. The challenge as educators is to identify those strengths and build upon them within the classroom curriculum.
The deaf-blind field is new to me, and every step I have taken into it has stimulated a curiosity and passion to continue learning. The Helen Keller Fellowship provides a unique opportunity and forum for development in the field. I am looking forward to pursuing knowledge and best practice within the deaf-blind field and applying it to my own classroom in the near future.