Schooling Santee: Hill Creek's Debbie Wilson

Debbie Wilson is a mother of two and a grandmother of three, but her family gets bigger every year. As a teacher at Hill Creek School, Wilson thinks of each of her students as her own.

Wilson is one of two special day class teachers at Hill Creek. Currently, she and her two assistants teach eight children, but her class roster varies throughout the year.

"We love them," said Wilson, who came to Hill Creek in 2003. "We discipline them when they need it and encourage them and praise them."

It was Wilson's own child who motivated her to become a teacher.

When her 6-year-old son developed a brain tumor and became disabled, he had to relearn everything. The supportive mother later decided to go back to school so she could help more children. 

"Trying to figure out all of his needs made me more aware of what special education teachers do," she said. "Through that process of everything we had to go through, it made me appreciate special day class teachers and the special education system."

Hill Creek Principal Jerelyn Lindsay said Wilson works with her students "in a kind, gentle and sincere manner." 

"Debbie has a genuine desire to help children succeed," Lindsay said. "It is important to her to be a positive influence to her students. She is kind and truly giving. She stands out because her special-needs students make tremendous progress with her support along with her instructional assistants."

Working with special-needs children whose grades range from kindergarten through fourth grade is no easy task. She has realized that a structured class is the best way to help her students learn. The detailed daily class schedule is posted on the board for all to see.  

"These kids have to have structure," she explained. "The more structure there is, the better they're able to focus and learn."

An organized class can still be a fun class, however. Wilson uses her creativity to keep all of her students interested and involved in learning.

If her students turn in their homework every night for two weeks, they get to join the "Homework Breakfast Club" and enjoy a muffin or Pop-Tart with hot chocolate.

Wilson also keeps track of her students' good behavior with a block stuck on the classroom point wall. When their blocks reach the wall's highest line, the class gets a Friday movie.

"They really look forward to it," she said.

Every activity is a learning experience. She uses painter's tape to outline the spaces where her students line up so they learn personal boundaries.

"There are rules that they have to follow in every area, even if it's free time, so that they can learn to follow the rules and become a good citizen in school and then eventually as an adult."

Every student learns to work individually and in a group setting in Wilson's class. When they read as a group, the class discusses reading comprehension and points out commas and periods, which they call "stop signs." They also break into small groups to read with an instructor at their own pace. Wilson also takes turns working with each child individually to discover their growth and adjust their reading material if necessary. 

"It sounds cliché, but I think most teachers are in it because they love the kids," she explained. "You see them saying 'I can do it!' 'Look what I did!' That just kind of inspires you to keep on going. There is a light there and you just have to keep walking towards it until you help that student find it."

Lindsay praised Wilson's creative teaching methods.

"She is eager to continue to learn and loves to try new ideas and methods," Lindsay said. "It has been a true pleasure to work with Debbie, and I admire her abilities in working with her students."

Although her job can be challenging at times, Wilson wouldn't trade it for anything.

"I love being at this school," Wilson said. "This school has been really supportive to us. … I couldn't have asked for a better school to be in, or a better district for that matter."