Hearing ASL Teachers

Hey all you hearing ASL teachers! It's not our language or culture! Respect that and get out there and keep learning!

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• ASL
• teachers
• hearing
• opinion

[aslnikki]

Kudos to you for setting up this premise that to qualify to teach ASL, the person MUST be involved in the community somehow. however, I feel this is not good enough. That person must contribute something positively to the Deaf community. I just made a video and its uploaded today.

[obriensign]

@aslnikki Have you considered that my students skills are my contribution to the Deaf community? I have had so many Deaf people tell me they go into restuarants and stores in the area and are so excited when they find an employee who is one of my students and can communicate with them in ASL. I have a number of students who have gone on to major in Deaf Education, ASL, Deaf Studies, audiology, speech pathology, and other services for the Deaf Community that they learned in my classroom.

[trainerlife]

I really enjoyed your vlog. For someone who is hearing and a teacher, your ASL was very clear. Very clear for me means I immediately understood about 90% of what you signed. My lack of receptive skill, not yours. I would be honered to learn ASL from you. But you are right, we are still hearing and must respect the fact that no matter how good we get, we are not native signers. All ASL teachers MUST be absolutely fluent.

[13SuperKings]

@trainerlife I am an ASL 2 student hearing student. What level are you at.

[DaveASL]

awesome vlog, enjoyed it very much. Totally true

[CBCASL]

Hi obriensign~

Fun to see your vlog!

Yep....I have my students do "Outside Activities" each quarter...required to get out in the Deaf community, attend an event, observe an interpreter working, interview a D/HH person..use ASL with D/HH/DB people. Take care!! Shelllium

[connierc1]

Not enough Deaf Teachers / Professors to help us TRY to understand the complexities of both the language and the culture. Text books and the internet can not replace a live person who is excited to teach, qualified to teach, and willing to put in the effort above and beyond.

Don't know how this will be resolved, in your case in point, or for adult students wanting to become ASL Interpreters.

TY for your post, great signing, I would enjoy YOU being my teacher! Hope things work out!! PEACE

[connierc1]

so, now my quandry is WHERE do I go to learn? This is an affordable college ... yes, IF I can get financial help, I might be able to go to a private college/university, tho they are pretty far away from my home, long commute.

Your concern of not having enough qualified ASL teachers for children is incredibly important... as it is also important to have qualified ASL teachers to teach Hearing college students to BECOME teachers or Interpreters. I live in MA - lots of Deaf people, but...

[connierc1]

(cont'd) in order to at least have any REAL understanding of what it means to be Deaf and how the language is essential to the culture.

On the topic of Hearing / Deaf teachers. As a student, I want Deaf teachers. Who know how to teach! Who want to teach, and also reach out to the students, perhaps sharing a bit of their lives with us, as they are our first introduction (for many) into the Deaf World. Due to budget cuts, this college has lost their Deaf teachers, as well as Hearing ones.....

[connierc1]

(cont'd) with the Deaf Community in Boston, with the Boston Deaf Professionals Happy Hour. I made up fliers for my classmates and posted on the Deaf Studies main board. Not a single person from my class was there, at least by the time I left, at 10pm. WOW, it was an incredible night, met wonderful people, and had chance to use what I've learned, and gain more knowledge by seeing so many different native ASL users.

Yes, one HAS TO be involved with the Deaf Community ... (cont'd)

[connierc1]

When I was studying before, 8 yrs ago, there was not this total dependence on technology to teach us. The "kids" in the class of course have grown up with this, so don't really know the difference. For me, after studying this language off and on since High School (adult ed classes after school, by a HORRIBLE hearing teacher, sadly), I see that there is NOT as much social interaction either in the classroom or out of it. This past weekend was an excellent opportunity to socialize (cont'd)