Students Visit School for the Deaf

Students in the Teaching as a Profession pathway recently visited the Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Springs, Georgia.  Mrs. Jill Dyer, TAP Coordinator for Fannin County, gives her students real-life experiences in the field of education so they can better determine if this will be the right career for them.  “It’s important for these students to see various environments in which they could one day teach,” said Dyer.  “That’s why we take trips to the school for the deaf and also to the Georgia School for the Blind in Macon, Georgia.  I want them to know that there are many avenues they can pursue that would allow them to work with all kinds of children.”

Students had the opportunity to observe in several classes to see how the lessons were being modified to meet the individual needs of the students with disabilities.  After the observations, they had the chance to meet with a member of the administration for a quick Q & A session.  She explained that the majority of the children (ages 3-18) are residential students and live in a dormitory on campus.

During lunch the TAP students from FCHS also had the opportunity to sit and interact with the students that attend the deaf school.  FCHS Special Education teacher Marci Harper visited Dyer’s Contemporary Issues in Education class the day before the trip to teach the students basic sign language so they would be able to have brief conversations with the students of GSD.  Mallory Ayers, senior at FCHS, said, “I’m so glad we had the chance to visit the school for the deaf because it was a unique learning experience and really showed me that those students need good teachers too.  It was cool to see them communicate so easily in their own way.  Now I see there are many different ways of using your teaching skills not just in a public school.”

Feature photo: Front row L to R: Hannah Fortenberry, MacKenzie Pearson, Katelyn Curtis, Victoria Keaton, Mary Versyn

Back row L to R: Haylee Franklin, Mallory Ayers, Kiersten Twiggs, Cheyenne Graham, Jordan Newman, Cole Roberson, Emily Garrison, Drake Pugh, Kaitlyn Jones, Victoria Weeks