Courtney Stull, known to students by Ms. Stull, teaches the American Sign Language classes at Hudson High. She is a dedicated teacher who has taught numerous students about the importance of ASL within America and how to interact with deaf individuals they may encounter in their lives.
Despite the fact that she has been teaching for more than 20 years, this marks her 11th consecutive year teaching American Sign Language at HHS. When she was a student North High School, she discovered Hudson taught American Sign Language, and this discovery sparked her interest in the language.
“I taught myself the language through an ASL dictionary,” she laughed. Although it started as a way she and her friends could communicate during class, her passion for American Sign Language only grew over time. “I thought to myself that ASL would be the coolest thing to teach,” she said.
Even though she initially went to college at Ashland University, majoring in special education, she soon transferred to Toledo University where she could get a degree in both special education and deaf education.
Eventually, she decided to join the visiting student program at Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts deaf college in America, to fully master the language.“ Gallaudet was the only place I would ever fully master American Sign Language; everyone there was deaf! My roommate was deaf, the teachers were deaf and so were the students.” Although she only stayed for a semester, she described it as the hardest semester she has ever taken because it was so overwhelming.
Shortly after, Stull taught in Hawaii at the Hawaii School of the Deaf, teaching as a long-term substitute. “After that experience, I realized that deaf education was a lot more challenging than I thought,” she remarked. Because of that, Stull moved to teaching special education in Oregon, at Westview High School before transferring to Hudson High School to pursue special education.
One distinctive aspect of Stull as a teacher is her remarkable way of connecting and inspiring every student she works with. Not only has she made an impact on students, but her students continue to make an impact on her.
Stull’s favorite teaching memory is taking her ASL 4 class to Gallaudet University. “It was the coolest experience of my life, I hope we can go again,” her least favorite teaching memory was teaching a health class, “It was so awkward,” she laughed.
“I’ve always loved working with children, that’s why I knew I wanted to teach,” she declared. She continued, “I wanted to add on what I missed in my educational experience from when I was in school when I became a teacher. I didn’t ever connect with a teacher in my high school years, only a secretary.”
Stull applies her own personal experiences to her teaching philosophy. She explained that over her years of teaching, “I will never forget a handful of students; classes as well.”
When asked more questions about her career, she continuously went back to her roots. “My biggest piece of advice for new teachers is you cannot teach content without making connections.” According to her, relationships are the basis of teaching and she follows her philosophy extraordinarily well due to the amount of students she has bonded with.
“Ms. Stull’s room is the only place I stop by to visit this year,” an anonymous sophomore said. Another student stated, “I definitely recommend ASL to all students. It’s an extremely fun class that really any grade can enjoy, especially because of the teacher.”
To conclude, Stull is a key contributor to, not only Hudson High School, but to Hudson itself due to her radiating kindness and her likable character. Without Ms. Stull, HHS would be missing a part of itself because she plays such an outstanding role in so many student’s lives. She is not only an unforgettable teacher but is simply a good person. We need more people like her and she is undoubtedly one of the best teachers in the building.
