Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Heatwole

*Student Aid*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak

April 7, 2022

Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Debbie Heatwole! Mrs. Heatwole has been working in the Brooklyn City School District since 2005, making this year 17. Prior to becoming a student aid, she worked in a reading program called Ohio Reads for elementary children. Later on, she became a district substitute in the Brooklyn City School District and developed a love for working with children with special needs. Now, Mrs. Heatwole works as a student aid for special needs children and continues to make a tremendous impact in each and every one of her student’s lives. 

Q: What inspired you to work with special needs students?

A: “I have family members who are special needs, and growing up with them was really fun. When I first started off working in Brooklyn, I was a substitute, and one of the positions I really enjoyed the most was working in the resource rooms with the special needs kids.”

Q: What is your favorite part about Brooklyn High School?

A: “I like that Brooklyn has such a positive, community atmosphere.”

Q: What is your all-time favorite memory working with special needs students? 

A: “There are so many good memories, but my favorite would be taking a group of students to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Just watching them respond to the music and the experience was the best. It was also great watching how positive people responded to our group; it was a very uplifting experience.”

Q: What are some of your favorite activities to do with your students? What brings them the most joy?

A: “Having the Brooklyn Cafe was one of the best activities to do with them. The kids learned so much, all while having fun. They learned a lot of real-world work skills, and they got to interact with the customers, who were all the different people in the building. This experience gave the kids a lot of confidence.” 

Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests?

A: “I love to garden; I have a big vegetable garden. I also like to hike at the various metroparks, and I particularly enjoy reading books about primates!” 

Q: How do you spread kindness and positivity?

A: “In your day-to-day interactions with people, you can be a good listener, you can demonstrate being supportive to people, and you can also show people that you really value them.” 

Q: What is your favorite sport and favorite Cleveland sports team?

A: “My favorite sport is gymnastics, and my favorite Cleveland sports team would be the Monster’s hockey team.”

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?

A: “Bullying is definitely my biggest pet peeve.” 

It was a pleasure to interview you, Mrs. Heatwole. We appreciate your hard work and dedication to the Brooklyn City School District. You have such a rewarding job!