As Melody Stark prepares to retire from her role as Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, she leaves behind a legacy of compassion, advocacy, and unwavering dedication to the students she calls “her kids.”
Stark’s career began in 1996 in Owen County, where she worked as a FMD Teacher at the high school. The next year she taught special education at the upper elementary level. After two years, she found her way to Carroll County in 1998, where she spent the next 11 years supporting students with hearing impairments. When her position was eliminated, Stark transitioned into the classroom, teaching second grade at Winn Elementary for seven years and later music for three years.
“The classroom is not for me, but I love music even though I can’t sing,” Stark admits with a smile. “I did a lot of sign language with the music. I really liked getting to work with every single kid in the building.”
Stark’s ability to adapt and connect with students shone in those years, whether through music or one-on-one support. She fondly recalls the joy of seeing siblings come through her classroom, even teaching a pair of sisters whose dad and uncle she’d taught years earlier. “They’re like my own kids,” she says.
Her day-to-day schedule was as varied as the students she served. She started most mornings at the high school and Cartmell Elementary, checking on hearing-impaired students, ensuring their hearing aids worked, and advocating for their needs with teachers. Then it was off to the middle school, where she worked one-on-one with students, helping them meet their IEP goals. She’s even working with one student in the MSD room on sign language and is expecting to pick up another young learner at Head Start.
“I love the little ones,” she says warmly.
But Stark’s work was never just about the logistics of hearing aids and lesson plans. Her greatest passion has been empowering her students to understand their own hearing loss and advocate for themselves. This year, she introduced a new unit where students learn about the anatomy of the ear, the source of their specific hearing loss, and how to read an audiogram. After learning how to test hearing, students even get to test Stark’s own hearing as part of the lesson.
“It has been the most fun thing I’ve done,” she says. The unit culminates in a project where students explain their hearing loss to their teachers for the next year—ensuring they leave Stark’s care with the confidence to speak up for what they need.
“It’s very rewarding,” she reflects. “It’s a struggle to help families find places close by to get hearing aids. Most of my students have high-frequency loss, so they have to learn to ask for repetition and clarification. I teach them to advocate for themselves because I won’t always be there.”
That advocacy work, and the relationships built over the years, have been the most meaningful parts of Stark’s career. She still hears from students she taught 20 or 25 years ago, and she treasures those connections.
“I’m thankful for the job I have, and I’ve worked with some amazing people,” Stark says.
Though she’s retiring, Stark isn’t ready to leave the world of education entirely. “I’d love to work half days. It’s a really hard spot to fill,” she says. “I’m ready to work part-time. I’m excited.”
Outside of school, Stark stays busy with her family. Her son, 21, works full-time and lives at home, while her 16-year-old daughter is active in multiple sports.