Learning by Love
Noah Lazerwitz is a five-year-old explorer.
"He’s so very lovable," insists Kathie Lazerwitz, who gets quick agreement from her husband, Jim. Both grandparents think Noah’s smile is contagious. And smiles are all he wants in return.
An Inspiration
Noah’s personality, which inspired Kathie and Jim to create a new scholarship for IU School of Education students, is best seen in one of his grandmother’s favorite photos.
"In it, he’s just climbing all over me," Kathie says. "He knows what love is. He can feel it."
But Noah is also a "special needs" child. It’s a label that doesn’t do him justice. Sadly, it will define Noah in far too many people’s eyes. Kathie and Jim fear some will never look past their grandson’s condition to learn how special he is.
A week after his first birthday, Noah was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, a rare and complex genetic disorder. Its symptoms include developmental delays, movement and balance disorders, and an overly happy demeanor characterized by frequent laughter or hand flapping.
Other symptoms vary from case to case, and diagnosis is often difficult. In Noah’s case, it took six months of testing before doctors broke the news to his parents, David Lazerwitz and Alyson Sinclair. Kathie and Jim focus on one symptom in particular: Noah will never be able to speak.
Reading Love
"He’ll never be able to say ‘daddy’ or ‘mommy,’" notes Kathie. "Still, he can read. He can read the faces of his parents and his teachers. He can see love in their eyes."
That is why Kathie and Jim have funded a scholarship to help students who aspire to teach children with special needs. The couple hopes to encourage not just skill, but also the love and care they believe every child deserves from his or her teacher.
"Noah has great teachers and caregivers," Kathie says. "He can see care and love in their faces. And the most consequential thing teachers do is to make children feel they are important."
Respect and Hard Work
Kathie knows how to teach children. She spent 15 years helping young learners read in the Gary public school district. She taught mostly African Americans, and that is where Kathie discovered that labeling a child should not dictate how you teach that child.
"I told my students, ‘I will never look in a folder,’" she says, referring to evaluations included in their school records. "I promised them that if they respected me and worked hard, they would leave my class reading at a higher level than when they entered. And they always did.’"
That’s effective teaching—the kind Kathie and Jim hope their grandson will enjoy throughout his life. It’s the kind of teaching their scholarship will ensure.
