Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher

Posted by Seana on 12/02/07

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My principal this year is very good about it, he has said I can have
whatever I need, we moved a smart board into my room but
unfortuantely it isn't hooked up yet so I am still using the white
board. My principal last year refused to even try to look my
direction when talking to me making it impossible to speach read
accurately!

I find it much easier to teach when I have PowerPoint and a
projector at least as I am facing the class more and I can catch
more things. Unfortuntately I have plenty of students that just
cover their mouths so I can't see what they are saying and I don;t
have the residual hearing like you do to be able to catch the words
anyway.

I have tried over and over to explain to the kids about being
appropriate but they just don't get it, I am not sure if it is the
generation or the fact that for some reason I feel drawn to working
with more at risk populations of kids, last year I was at a better
inner-city type school and this year I am on Rez. I know eventually
I will be moving into Deaf Ed and probably moving to a residential
school, I was raised main streamed oral but I want to try seeing how
the other side lives.

I know that other teachers have a lot of problems with the kids abt
inapropriate actions and behaviors so I really don't think it is me,
they just see me as someone worse off so someone to take advantage
of. I am sure with ur hearing loss u know the feeling and get tired
of it too!

Good luck and I hope it gets better for u soon!

Seana


On 11/30/07, koala wrote:
> Seana,
>
> How does your principal take your disablity? I am hard of hearing
> since birth. My last principal made my life extreamly difficult to
> the point I quit. I also was teaching science. I have trouble
> hearing where sound are comming from so I don't always catch who
> is talking. How do you do youer lessons; do you use the ovehead or
> write on the board or powerpoint.
>
> On 11/05/07, Kadi wrote:
>> Hi Seana,
>> Sounds like you've done the right things in making sure they know
>> what to do & not do in communicating with you. Now it becomes a
>> discipline issue like any other.
>> Do you know which kids are starting the problem? Parent contact?
>> If "respect" is in your rules, there's the place to implement the
>> consequences.
>>
>> Your teaching experiences are fascinating - what a range - rural,
>> reservation, urban?!! Wow!
>>
>> Do you have a deaf community where you live? I had a deaf friend
>> in college who told me that the only relaxing part of her week
> was
>> Friday nights when a group of deaf students at Berkeley would go
>> out & could communicate without strain.
>>
>> I'm very lucky that where I live there is a large deaf community
>> as one of the two state residential schools is here. I've been
>> told there are 7,000 deaf people within a 30 mile radius of the
>> school. I've started attending a few deaf events - and wow, am I
>> tired at the end of each from trying to keep up! I would imagine
>> that you might feel a bit the same, though you're MILES & MILES
>> ahead of me in language skills to bridge the gaps.
>>
>> Hang in there, we're 1/4 done with the year! And Thanksgiving is
>> right around the corner:)
>> Kadi
>>
>>
>> On 11/01/07, Seana wrote:
>>> Hi Kadi,
>>>
>>> I teach 7-12 grade I am the only science teacher in a small
>>> school on rez. Last year I was at an inner city type school
>>> teaching 8th grade only.
>>>
>>> I go in at the start of the year and I explain to students
>>> about my disabilities (I have several unfortunately). I model
>>> for them good beahvior and bad behavior of how to deal with a
>>> disability.
>>>
>>> I have excellent oral skills (most people who do not know Deaf
>>> culture and Deafisms cannot recognize me as a Deaf person). I
>>> think it would be easier for my students to accept if I was
>>> only Deaf or if I sounded like a Deaf person. So the kids
>>> test and test me trying to see what they can get away with and
>>> trying to prove I can hear them and I am lying, I have no idea
>>> why they seem to think I would want to lie about that.
>>>
>>> Everytime I happen to look up or around or to infer what they
>>> were talking about from part of a conversation they say things
>>> like "See she can hear" and then they start all over again.
>>>
>>> The act in a very rude manner putting hands or other objects
>>> over their mouths so I cannot read their lips etc.
>>>
>>> I didn't have these problems when I worked as an Aide and Sub
>>> in small ranching type community and I didn't expect to have
>>> the problems when I went into teaching.
>>>
>>> I am just very tired of the kids taking advantage of me. I am
>>> also tired of the game play. It is very hard to try and keep
>>> up with even my small classes (14 kids max) that I have here
>>> with them constantly playing these games with me.
>>>
>>> I just get tired and frustrated living in the hearing world
>>> sometimes. I was born hearing and lost it in the toddler
>>> years, I was mainstreamed without services for all of my
>>> schooling only learning ASL and using interpreters once I got
>>> into college.
>>>
>>> I think that next year it will be better cause they will have
>>> gotten this out of their system (at least I hope they will
>>> have) and if not then I will step up my plans to get my Deaf
>>> Ed endorsement (maybe just get the endorsement first worry and
>>> the MA later) and move into Deaf Ed where the kids will
>>> appreciate having a teacher who understands their perspective
>>> on the world.
>>>
>>> Good Luck learning the ASL.
>>>
>>> Seana
>>>
>>> On 10/28/07, Kadi wrote:
>>>> Hi Seana,
>>>> I'm not deaf, but am a Spanish teacher who happens to be
>>>> studying ASL. (It's a language I've always wanted to learn:)
>>>> So, I was lurking around this board hoping someone might
>>> post...
>>>>
>>>> I hope you don't mind that I'm not deaf, but I have taught
>>> for
>>>> 17 years, so I'll offer a few questions...
>>>>
>>>> How old are your students? What have you tried already?
>>>>
>>>> Do you think the students really don't get it? Do you think
>>>> they would respond to specific coaching & modelling? Role
>>> play
>>>> a student getting your attention appropriately & role play a
>>>> student getting your attention inappropriately. Have
>>> students
>>>> practice & reward polite behavior. Do this at the beginning
>>> of
>>>> each class until they're good at it & don't need the
>>> reminder.
>>>>
>>>> OR, is this a behavior issue, with students deliberately
>>>> disrespecting you? In which case, it's a violation of class
>>>> rules & should be handled as such, with warning, parent
>>>> contact & referral if it continues.
>>>>
>>>> The most important thing is to zero in on which kids are
>>>> "ringleading" (perhaps have a trusted colleage sit in on
>>> class
>>>> to observe without interfering from the back of the room) &
>>>> then once you know who is primarily responsible, bring them
>>>> into line either by coaching or by discipline... I had a
>>>> class once that made me crazy. I dreaded each day, but when
>>> a
>>>> mentor watched, it turned out to be only 3-4 kids leading the
>>>> 32 & once I got them managed (seating changes, individual
>>>> conferencing, parent contacts), the class turned out to be
>>>> okay. And I think the "good kids" were relieved the 3-4 had
>>>> some limits placed on them.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. I'm sure your
>>>> thoughts will be helpful to others in your situation.
>>> Wishing
>>>> you a good week--
>>>>
>>>> Kadi
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 10/27/07, Seana wrote:
>>>>> OK I am hoping that maybe someone else will find this site
>>>>> that is also Deaf and teaching hearing students.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am getting very frustrated with the hearing students I
>>>>> am teaching. They get mad that I can't hear them so don;t
>>>>> respond when they call my name over and over and over
>>>>> again. I have told them I am Deaf but due to excellent
>>>>> oral skills they do not believe me and are constantly
>>>>> doing things to try and prove I can hear them and getting
>>>>> mad beacuse I don;t respond when they talk to me when I am
>>>>> not looking at them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is this happening to anyone else?
>>>>>
>>>>> Any ideas??????
>>>>>
>>>>> Seana

Posts on this thread, including this one

• NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 10/27/07, by Seana.
• Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 10/28/07, by Kadi.
• Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 10/29/07, by Tizzy.
• Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 11/01/07, by Seana.
• Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 11/05/07, by Kadi.
• Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 11/30/07, by koala.
• Re: NOT ASL Teacher, Deaf Science Teacher, 12/02/07, by Seana.