Today happens to be "Talk Like a Pirate" Day. Winch opened class with a hearty "Arrrgh!," with the teacher resting her bent knee on a plunger to simulate a peg leg.

She always welcomes students to their school day by channeling Robin Williams' character in "Good Morning, Vietnam."

"Good morning to South!" she yells.

It's hard to tell if Winch's students find her amusing because they suffer from multiple severe disabilities. They're nonverbal, in wheelchairs, and some are both visually impaired and deaf.

Still, Winch is always "on."

She reads aloud books such as the Harry Potter series, cracks jokes and sings songs to 12 students who range in age from 16 to 22.

"She has a passion for these . . . students," said Jordan Valley Principal Rita Bouillon. "She's very creative in her approach."

Winch - she was named Educator of the Year by the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council - spends her days working with some of Jordan School District's most severely disabled students. Out of 82,000 students, 270 of the most-disabled attend Jordan Valley.

"She's so incredible," said DeeAnne Dailey, a member of the four-person team that works with Winch's class. "What a gift. She's so fun and creative."

Winch has worked at Jordan Valley for 20 years. Sometimes she takes her work home. Twelve years ago, Winch adopted one of her students - Willie Winch, who is now 18.

"I wanted a chance to be a mom, and I was getting older," Winch explained. "I found out he was available for adoption. We were a good fit."

Winch plans to raise Willie, a fan of "Bill Nye the Science Guy" and Animal Planet, for the rest of her life.

She has a very simple goal for her students: to communicate "yes" and "no." She works for years trying to accomplish this.

Many of Winch's students have limited control of their bodies and may never be able to learn to convey "yes" and "no." Others - Willie included - are able to blink or move an arm or leg to communicate. She wants her students to live life as comfortably as possible.

"The kids always come first with her," said instructional assistant Kathy Papach. "She treats them like the young adults they are. She knows there's a lot that they understand."

Working with kids with multiple disabilities is the first thing that Winch became "really passionate" about.

"It captured my heart," she said. "Even though it takes a long time, the stuff you teach them is really meaningful in their lives."

ndicou@sltrib.com