Brittany's Determination and Accomplishments

Attached is Brittany's Application for MA Program at Gallaudet University. I read her application letter with great pride and warm tears of joy. Please continue to listen and "hear with your heart".

Sincerely,
Marcia Tonya

Goal Statement

My name is Brittany Danielle Outler. It is my wish to pursue my Masters of Arts in Teaching: ASL/English Bilingual Deaf Education degree at Gallaudet University. I am in the process of successfully completing a double Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Mathematics with high honors – along with a minor in Spanish. I very much enjoying the world of challenges and adventures that math and students offer. It is my dream to teach children with deafness the wonders of math. I wish to be a teacher who can provide more fun educational learning to students.

             My brother and I were born deaf and have lived and experienced the deaf world and hearing world. Through hard work and determination, we can be anything we want to be and make a difference in the world. My parents, grandparents, and good teachers taught us this as small children and have reminded us of this fact many times since then. It is my desire to be a teacher that can reach out and show other children with deafness that they too can reach their dreams and contribute to society.

            Much of my education was delivered through the mainstream and inclusion model with resource until my sophomore year of high school when my parents agreed with my desire to finish my high school degree at a residential school, Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. This new avenue in my life was priceless. I would very much like to teach in a residential deaf school environment. I feel there is so much for children with deafness to learn and so little time to learn it. They must develop emotionally healthy lives and advance to their full potential in communication, socialization, and academic skills.

     My greatest asset is twofold. First, the fact that I am deaf and have accomplished so much in my life and have found great happiness within myself can be shared with children. I can guide and encourage them. I can help develop their self esteem which I feel is of utmost importance. Second, my love for mathematics is contagious. My students will love coming to math and seeing different ways to incorporate math in their lives.

     Children and animals have always been a great interest of mine. I have always been amazed watching them grow and learn. When I went to Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, I was inspired by my math teacher. He encouraged me to be a teacher in the future because he had a  gut feeling that I would be a good math teacher. He has a great faith in my abilities. I decided to enroll into the Education Department at Gallaudet University a  few years back, and then I found my calling when I took the Math Methods course under Florence Vold. This course opened my eyes widely and taught me different ways to make learning more fun for students. I decided that I wanted to teach math the fun way. During the Spring of 2009, my practicum at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School began as a very unique experience as a student teacher the very first day. This day, my heart burned with passion as my fifth graders really enjoyed and learned from my creative math activity which incorporated art.

     After obtaining my Master’s of Arts Degree at Gallaudet University, I will enter into the world of education and begin molding the lives of our nation’s children. I realize that life will provide me with many more challenges along the way, but I welcome them and will become a wonderful teacher.