New teacher encourages students to have more interest in language

Siblings, Victoria and Nicholas Schaefer are practicing their sign language skills at home. Victoria is signing to her older brother “what’s up” as he responds with the sign for “nothing”. Practicing on your own can help significantly increase your fluency in sign language along with any other languages. Photo courtesy of Lauren Shassere.

New teacher Lilly Overbeck joins the school as the only American Sign Language instructor. Her teaching style is different and new leaving the returning students more excited and eager to learn.

Overbeck’s teaching style encourages students to not only learn in a school environment but to bring the language home and practice it.

“My brother and I are both taking sign language so it’s cool to be able to communicate in a different language that our mom can’t understand,” said Victoria Schaefer, 9.

Student’s interest in their sign language usage is spreading to friends and family that may want to take the class in years to come, sparking an interest in the class. This has the current students making predictions of larger participation in classes for the future.

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“ I currently only have 5 other people in my ASL 3 class, with the teacher’s fun teaching methods and personality I think classes will get bigger down the road,” said Nicholas Schaefer, 11.

With a greater number of students planning on taking the course now that the new educator has arrived, can students expect the school to hire another one to help divide the masses? Only time will tell. Until that time comes students are welcoming and thankful for their new teacher.

About the Contributor

Lauren Shassere, Spotlight Chief

Hi, my name is Lauren Shassere and this is my fourth and final year as part of the Sycamore Leaf Family. Being spotlight chief for this amazing award winning news magazine has taught me and continues to teach me so much about hard work and working collaboratively with others. Being Spotlight chief definitely takes me out of my comfort zone sometimes, as I have to go out in search of people's stories whom I don't know. I am a year- round athlete so writing sports articles about events I was passionate about and people whom I knew was always my go-to in years past. Putting myself in this new position took a lot of courage on my part and I could not be happier with my decision. Now I love meeting new people,hearing their stories and more than anything giving them the opportunity to be recognized. The Leaf, Spotlight and the sycamore students I meet through it have all contributed to my growth as both a writer and a person. Go Aves!