Meet Dewey Gottlieb. Educator extraordinaire. Hometown boy made good. Those are a few of many ways to describe the 30-something Hawaiian I met in May. We came together not by chance. As often happens, I had received a story “tip” and I thought it was“Applause” worthy. An already acclaimed mathematics teacher was set to be among only 100 recipients nationwide of the 2004 Milkin Family Foundation National Educator Award. All of them would head to D.C. to accept their prestigious prize along with $25,000 at an event dubbed the “Oscars of teaching.”
Although all of that was impressive, what caught my interest was why he had been singled out. As luck would have it, Dewey and I were in D.C. at the same time and we scheduled an interview for the day after the ceremony. Even post-hoopla fatigue could not suppress his enthusiasm when I asked about a primary reason for his award.
It all began about six years ago when two deaf students were assigned to his class. Then as now, everyone mainstreamed at Pearl City High School, his alma mater, goes to “Mr. Gottlieb” for math. He teaches way more than the numbers to all of them but with the deaf students, he soon realized he needed some extra tools.
They had the assistance of an interpreter and the desire and ability to do well but Dewey felt the deaf students were having difficulty with mathematic concepts. They felt the communication gap too – or maybe they just wanted to get to know their likable teacher a bit better. Their solution? They offered to teach him signs during their free period.
Dewey took them up on it. Being able to communicate more directly with them soon paid off. By the second semester, the students soared. Dewey enrolled in night classes in American Sign Language (ASL) and continued until he was proficient and beyond, completing interpreter training. Over time, he has evolved into his district’s teacher liaison with the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) Program.
Dewey challenges all of his students to take academic risks and apply math concepts to problem solving. He requires the D/HH students to participate fully in class, never allowing them to use hearing loss as an excuse. About being able to communicate directly through ASL, he says, “it has allowed me to make the transition from delivering math content to engaging my students, creating an opportunity for them to develop broader life skills.”
Dewey will use the $25,000 to earn a Ph.D. but has no aspirations to move out of the classroom. Lucky for his students. This inspired teacher also received the 2002 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from the National Science Foundation and is currently Leeward District Teacher of the Year. There’s no stopping this ambitious innovator with an open mind, eclectic style and big heart.
For more about the Milkin Family Foundation’s support of educational excellence, visit www.mff.org or call 310.570.4785.
