cady75
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- Feb 25, 2005
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Hi guys!
I'm a deafie, from Gally and everything. I don't speak and lipread very well. I am fluent in ASL. I teach ASL at a hearing school. My students are high school students.
Why is this important? Because I want to see if there are any other deafies like me! Are there any other deaf ASL teachers out there who have the same experience as I do? I am the first and only deaf teacher at that school, and there are some frustrating and very rewarding parts of the day.
We all know it is different for hearie ASL teachers. People act differently towards you, especially students. I'm not saying that it is good or bad, but that is part of the experience.
I just started work and there is a lot of things and stuff I need to talk about that only other deafie ASL teachers would understand. If you're out there, let me know, and we can all talk about issues.
There are many issues that I have a hard time with-
-Do you worry that parents will have a problem with you being Deaf? That somebody will use it as an excuse against you? Say, if a student fails a test, what do you do if she says it's because you're Deaf and she can't understand you?
-Do you have students that use being Deaf against you? Like talking about you in front of you, and you know, but you can't prove it?
-Do you sometimes feel like you have to work harder to be nice to people because if you freak people out, you can forget about getting a chance to talk to them again?
-How do you get the hearie teachers to open up to you more? And not be so afraid to try to talk to you?
-Do you have an interpreter for important meetings and stuff?
-How do you make sure that the other teachers and staff don't try to depend on the hearie ASL teacher to talk to you?
Those are just a few of many issues I have!
Right now I am having a lot of trouble with two students who always backstab me (with their voices) in front of my eyes and after class they go out and spread gossip about me and blame me for their behavior. I don't take it personally, but it is very frustrating. I can't kick them out just for talking. SOME talking is allowed in my class, when I am not lecturing, and also students are allowed to talk a little during work, so they can work on their signs and grammar and stuff. So what do I do? I can't prove it! I can't say, "I heard this person say that about me". ARGH!
In the past I set up a no talking rule, but this has NEVER worked. So now I allow students to talk a little bit when I am not lecturing. But when I turn my back, and look back, those girls are whispering again, and from the way thye look at me, I KNOW. And also other teachers have told me they backstab me in their classes. The nice thing is that the other teachers told me that other students have yelled at those two girls for being mean to me.
I am dealing with those two students through the Dean and everything, but how do I deal with this, with my feelings? It hurts, you know! I am very cool, and I don't let students see me lost my temper but deep inside, I just want to *bitchslap* their ass! (but I won't!!! I'm a good teacher. I promise!)
Sorry to post such a looong entry, but anyway, hope someone has advice, even if you aren't a deafie teaching ASL..
Oh, and one more thing. PLEASE don't tell me hearie teachers have the same experience. They don't. Students are assholes to them too, yes, but in a different way.
So, hope to hear from u guys!
I'm a deafie, from Gally and everything. I don't speak and lipread very well. I am fluent in ASL. I teach ASL at a hearing school. My students are high school students.
Why is this important? Because I want to see if there are any other deafies like me! Are there any other deaf ASL teachers out there who have the same experience as I do? I am the first and only deaf teacher at that school, and there are some frustrating and very rewarding parts of the day.
We all know it is different for hearie ASL teachers. People act differently towards you, especially students. I'm not saying that it is good or bad, but that is part of the experience.
I just started work and there is a lot of things and stuff I need to talk about that only other deafie ASL teachers would understand. If you're out there, let me know, and we can all talk about issues.
There are many issues that I have a hard time with-
-Do you worry that parents will have a problem with you being Deaf? That somebody will use it as an excuse against you? Say, if a student fails a test, what do you do if she says it's because you're Deaf and she can't understand you?
-Do you have students that use being Deaf against you? Like talking about you in front of you, and you know, but you can't prove it?
-Do you sometimes feel like you have to work harder to be nice to people because if you freak people out, you can forget about getting a chance to talk to them again?
-How do you get the hearie teachers to open up to you more? And not be so afraid to try to talk to you?
-Do you have an interpreter for important meetings and stuff?
-How do you make sure that the other teachers and staff don't try to depend on the hearie ASL teacher to talk to you?
Those are just a few of many issues I have!
Right now I am having a lot of trouble with two students who always backstab me (with their voices) in front of my eyes and after class they go out and spread gossip about me and blame me for their behavior. I don't take it personally, but it is very frustrating. I can't kick them out just for talking. SOME talking is allowed in my class, when I am not lecturing, and also students are allowed to talk a little during work, so they can work on their signs and grammar and stuff. So what do I do? I can't prove it! I can't say, "I heard this person say that about me". ARGH!
In the past I set up a no talking rule, but this has NEVER worked. So now I allow students to talk a little bit when I am not lecturing. But when I turn my back, and look back, those girls are whispering again, and from the way thye look at me, I KNOW. And also other teachers have told me they backstab me in their classes. The nice thing is that the other teachers told me that other students have yelled at those two girls for being mean to me.
I am dealing with those two students through the Dean and everything, but how do I deal with this, with my feelings? It hurts, you know! I am very cool, and I don't let students see me lost my temper but deep inside, I just want to *bitchslap* their ass! (but I won't!!! I'm a good teacher. I promise!)
Sorry to post such a looong entry, but anyway, hope someone has advice, even if you aren't a deafie teaching ASL..
Oh, and one more thing. PLEASE don't tell me hearie teachers have the same experience. They don't. Students are assholes to them too, yes, but in a different way.
So, hope to hear from u guys!