The Clyde-Savannah Central School District is a unique place with unique offerings. The District has its own coffee shop, a daycare for employees’ children, and is in the process of constructing state-of-the-art music and tech spaces for students. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the District now offers its students American Sign Language (ASL) as a way to fulfill their language credit.
Enter Genevieve Callejo, Clyde-Savannah’s new ASL teacher. If you pop your head into one of Miss Callejo’s classes, you’ll see her teaching is infused with her enthusiasm for ASL with a dash of thrown in for good measure.
“She’s very silly and theater-like,” said 9th grader Maddison Reeves. “It’s the highlight of my day.”
According to Callejo, “ASL is performative,” a notion she takes very seriously given her background in deaf theater. In a gap year she took after completing her Bachelor’s degree in ASL and deaf studies at Keuka College, Callejo found herself at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) helping with their deaf theater program while she worked odd jobs.
It was there that she met her mentor, Luane Davis-Haggerty, an ASL interpreter specializing in theatrical work. Callejo and Davis-Haggerty worked together on several theater productions while forming a bond that’s had a lasting impact on Callejo. During the gap year, Davis-Haggerty encouraged Callejo to pursue teaching, which led her to get her Master’s degree in deaf education from RIT.
After becoming a certified teacher for the deaf and in ASL, Callejo worked at several schools, finally landing on the Clyde-Savannah Central School District website. The District had advertised both Spanish and ASL teaching positions, and thankfully Callejo answered the posting.
“Like many small rural schools, Clyde-Savannah has faced challenges in finding certified world language instructors,” said Director of Curriculum Holly Drahams. “According to RIT, the Rochester region is home to one of the largest Deaf communities in the United States, with a rich history of Deaf culture. That fact, combined with strong student interest in learning ASL, made offering the course to meet the NYS World Language graduation requirement a natural fit.”
At Clyde-Savannah, she’s teaching six classes and around 65 students, most of whom are in grades 9, 10, and 11. It’s a chance for her to pass on the love for ASL and deaf culture she found at a similar age when learning Spanish wasn’t working for her. Due to her dyslexia and difficulty with auditory processing, Callejo struggled in Spanish class. Her mother, a special education teacher, suggested she try ASL. Callejo found herself mesmerized by the ASL teacher who “didn’t talk, she just signed.” The teacher was speaking English but in a kinesthetic, embodied way, something that clicked with Callejo.
“ASL is a great option for students who may have struggled with traditional spoken languages,” said Drahams. “Because it is visual and spatial, relying on hand movements, facial expressions, and body language, it often resonates with visual learners and those who find pronunciation or auditory learning challenging. The emphasis on expression and interaction helps students stay engaged, build confidence, and experience success in meeting their language requirements.”
Now, Callejo gets to bring her love for ASL and her passion for theater together in the classroom every day. Class begins with what she calls “bell work,” a chance to warm up and take the temperature of the class before diving in. After bell work, the class does a breathing exercise together where they “breathe in the positive, let go of the negative.”
Seats in the classroom are arranged in a horseshoe shape so she can see everyone as they practice signing together. “It helps the kids break out of their shell,” said Callejo, something that feels near to her heart.
Some of her more timid students are the ones she works with the most, helping them feel more comfortable as they learn the language.
“Miss Callejo takes it slow,” said 10th grader Patrick Brink. “When we ask her to slow down, she actually does.” This is something Callejo takes pride in.
Not only does she slow down in class, but she spends the last period of each day offering help and support in the learning center.
“I try to be accommodating,” said Callejo. “I like seeing the kids learning and enjoying the lessons.”
“When you meet Genny,” said Drahams, “it’s immediately clear that ASL is not just her language but her passion. Her expressive communication style brings energy and authenticity to the classroom. That passion sets the stage for the future of ASL at C-S, where we’re excited to expand learning opportunities and continue building a strong, dynamic program for our students.”
As for how the students feel, the consensus is overwhelmingly positive.
“We get to learn new signs every day,” said 9th grader Madyson Pullen. “Miss Callejo is an amazing teacher and she should stay here.”
