College teacher dilemma

[J'explique]

I'm a 24 years old college student. I have many good teachers throughout my educational years. They understood my situation about being deaf and my very important needs when it comes to the classes. Of course, I must have an interpreter and most of times, note takers.

I've never had problems with teachers, interpreters, and my note takers till just a week ago. I think I have the worst teacher ever in my whole young life. Nobody told me bluntly through my interpreter, "Please look at the interpreter!". I was like what the hell? No one in my whole life said that to me. My teacher also said the exact same thing to another deaf student afterwards. We felt offended. The interpreter herself did not look comfortable when she was interpreting inappropriate statement, LOOK AT THE INTERPRETER in front of the class. I felt that it was downright rude.

The teacher obviously does not know too well about deafness and its needs. She initially thought we can still hear a little bit, but we're profoundly deaf, that means we can't hear anything at all. Completely deaf, duh, duh, duh. Then why we need our interpreters for?

Have you encountered any kind of problems with the authorities/other people who think they know about deafness but they probably know nothing about it?

 

[shel90]

I have experienced having people who think they know about deafness but know zip about it too many times to keep track. U are not the only one who goes thru this kind of situation.

 

[J'explique]

I have experienced having people who think they know about deafness but know zip about it too many times to keep track. U are not the only one who goes thru this kind of situation.

Yeah, but what about any of your teachers?

 

[shel90]

Yeah, but what about any of your teachers?

I grew up orally and mainstreamed..Practically all of my teachers told me what was best for me which really turned out to be worse for me. Like telling me to sit in front of the class thinking that I would understand them better...no difference or they would walk around the classroom talking so it just defeated the purpose of putting me in the front row. Stupid things like that which made my life in school a big struggle.

 

[morbid-mongoose]

I grew up orally and mainstreamed..Practically all of my teachers told me what was best for me which really turned out to be worse for me. Like telling me to sit in front of the class thinking that I would understand them better...no difference or they would walk around the classroom talking so it just defeated the purpose of putting me in the front row. Stupid things like that which made my life in school a big struggle.

I have teachers who do that. Ugh.


J'- I think that you, the interpreter, and the other deaf student should stay after class one day to explain your hearing status and the role of an interpreter in a classroom environment. If the teacher still doesn't listen, complain very loudly to someone higher up.

 

[Interpretrator]

I have a different perspective, as someone who interpreted in a class taught by a teacher like that. My team and I underwent many uncomfortable moments having to interpret idiotic statements and blatant errors.

In that case the deaf student took many opportunities to talk with the teacher after class. In one case the three of us (student and both interpreters, my team being very experienced) tried to figure out how to approach the teacher about not making the student do dictations, which are useless for non-oral deaf people and brutal for interpreters. During the conversation while the teacher was talking, she interrupted herself to ask the student "Why don't you look at me when I'm talking to you?" All three of us were amazed and I'm glad to this day it was my team who interpreted that because I think my hands would have just frozen. (To this day the stupidest question I've ever personally heard asked of a deaf person.)

Basically, we all made many attempts to educate this teacher but we made almost no headway, and I'm afraid she was the kind of teacher who would think negatively about all deaf people because one decided not to take her crap.

So in my opinion you can either just write this off as a sucky experience you have to go through because there are sooo many stupid and/or ignorant hearing people out there, and commiserate with the interpreter if you need to, or make it your goal to educate the teacher. It depends on how much of an effort you're willing to put out, and I don't mean that to imply I think you should do one or the other. Sometimes it's easier to endure sucky experiences rather than expend time and energy trying to change what will not be changed. Or maybe this woman might be open to a one-on-one chat and you can try to explain things to her.

Either way, good luck!

(The one good thing I can say about that teacher in my story is that her ignorance was equal opportunity -- she made fun of the foreign hearing students' accents as well. :roll

 

[J'explique]

I have teachers who do that. Ugh.


J'- I think that you, the interpreter, and the other deaf student should stay after class one day to explain your hearing status and the role of an interpreter in a classroom environment. If the teacher still doesn't listen, complain very loudly to someone higher up.

We had a meeting because we were very concerned about the lack of this teacher's knowledge about having deaf students in her class. She said she knew how to meet a deaf student's needs, but apparently the way she treated us, I think she didn't. She refused to listen to any of our concerns and feedbacks which led to a disaster.

 

[J'explique]

I have a different perspective, as someone who interpreted in a class taught by a teacher like that. My team and I underwent many uncomfortable moments having to interpret idiotic statements and blatant errors.

In that case the deaf student took many opportunities to talk with the teacher after class. In one case the three of us (student and both interpreters, my team being very experienced) tried to figure out how to approach the teacher about not making the student do dictations, which are useless for non-oral deaf people and brutal for interpreters. During the conversation while the teacher was talking, she interrupted herself to ask the student "Why don't you look at me when I'm talking to you?" All three of us were amazed and I'm glad to this day it was my team who interpreted that because I think my hands would have just frozen. (To this day the stupidest question I've ever personally heard asked of a deaf person.)

Basically, we all made many attempts to educate this teacher but we made almost no headway, and I'm afraid she was the kind of teacher who would think negatively about all deaf people because one decided not to take her crap.

So in my opinion you can either just write this off as a sucky experience you have to go through because there are sooo many stupid and/or ignorant hearing people out there, and commiserate with the interpreter if you need to, or make it your goal to educate the teacher. It depends on how much of an effort you're willing to put out, and I don't mean that to imply I think you should do one or the other. Sometimes it's easier to endure sucky experiences rather than expend time and energy trying to change what will not be changed. Or maybe this woman might be open to a one-on-one chat and you can try to explain things to her.

Either way, good luck!

(The one good thing I can say about that teacher in my story is that her ignorance was equal opportunity -- she made fun of the foreign hearing students' accents as well. :roll

Thank you, but no such luck. We had a meeting regarding the teacher last week. Another deaf student and I. Our counselor was in the meeting, too. The teacher refused to listen to any of our concerns and feedbacks. We were only to help and find another way to accommodate us as much as possible. We all were trying to find out what was the problem and why the teacher did say that to us in the classroom. Unfortunately, she refused any of our offers and called us liars. She also refused to meet eye-to-eye with another fellow deaf classmate of mine who tried to voice her concern. The teacher was out of control within 5 minutes after the start of meeting. Afterwards, I asked one of our interpreters who interpreted that rude statement to make sure that I saw what she interpreted right. I saw what I saw, I told her what I saw. I think she won't admit that we're right and she was wrong. This 64 year old adjunct teacher was trying to find excuses why she has autism and asperger's syndrome. Neither one of us think this behavior from the teacher was excusable. I know that she has disabilities, but she does not handle them very well, from what I saw last week. I think it's time for her to step down and retire.

 

[Bebonang]

I'm a 24 years old college student. I have many good teachers throughout my educational years. They understood my situation about being deaf and my very important needs when it comes to the classes. Of course, I must have an interpreter and most of times, note takers.

I've never had problems with teachers, interpreters, and my note takers till just a week ago. I think I have the worst teacher ever in my whole young life. Nobody told me bluntly through my interpreter, "Please look at the interpreter!". I was like what the hell? No one in my whole life said that to me. My teacher also said the exact same thing to another deaf student afterwards. We felt offended. The interpreter herself did not look comfortable when she was interpreting inappropriate statement, LOOK AT THE INTERPRETER in front of the class. I felt that it was downright rude.

The teacher obviously does not know too well about deafness and its needs. She initially thought we can still hear a little bit, but we're profoundly deaf, that means we can't hear anything at all. Completely deaf, duh, duh, duh. Then why we need our interpreters for?

Have you encountered any kind of problems with the authorities/other people who think they know about deafness but they probably know nothing about it?

I am wondering and thinking maybe your professor are saying out loud to the hearing students indicating looking at the interpreter. Maybe it is not about you, I guess. I have never had that experience with the interpreter that tell me to look at the interpreter like as if I might stray off from the interpreter and have to come back to pay attention to the interpreter when the professor is trying to teach us. Talk to your professor about that particular comment that she made to find out why she said that.

 

[Bebonang]

Oops, I have just finish reading the last article before my thread and you already had a meeting with your professor about that and boy, she is really rude all right. I am sorry about that problem. Yes, I think it is time for her to retire from teaching if she is not cooperating with our deafness and having a interpreter there.

 

[J'explique]

Oops, I have just finish reading the last article before my thread and you already had a meeting with your professor about that and boy, she is really rude all right. I am sorry about that problem. Yes, I think it is time for her to retire from teaching if she is not cooperating with our deafness and having a interpreter there.

Thanks. We can't do anything about her behavior. She was supposed to be a professional, but she wasn't. The department's chair and dean were in a meeting regarding my teacher. I am waiting for the words on this.

 

[kimpossible]

I can't say I've had any rude encounters with my instructors yet. But I'm a freshman at an art school in B.C. Canada, and the teachers haven't been very helpful (in more of an ignorant, oh-yeah-I-forgot kind of way). I was encouraged by our disability resources coordinator to fill out a Request for Accommodation form before classes started in September, which I did. The form was given to all my teachers/professors and they're required to follow what it says (guidelines like speaking clearly, making sure lips are visible, CC screenings, providing handouts/outlines, etc).

So far, no one has, without me reminding them 10 billion times. I also requested a TypeWell service/real-time captioning sort of thing as opposed to a standard student notetaker, but was told, "yeah, okay, but for now, a student notetaker will do, mhmm?" And when I complain that the notes for my 3-hour classes aren't sufficient if they are only half a typed page in length, they just tell me, "hmm I think you should consider getting an FM system."

Now I have a test on Friday that covers the material we've learned over September.... or should I say the material THEY'VE learned. Supposedly the test will ask us what happened in the last few classes and I'll have to tell them, "I sat down the appropriate distance from the teacher's chair, but the teacher got up and paced around the class in circles and spent the majority of the time standing behind me." I still don't even know what the purpose of this class is or what it's about -- my first college experience isn't exactly running smoothly. I already missed an assignment for a Drawing class because I wasn't aware there was one (and we only have one class per week, so they figured that was enough time for me to find out from a friend or the prof if they'd given us an assignment. Which I suppose is true, I should have asked)... am I supposed to be this frustrated?!!

 

[J'explique]

You've got your own rights in the classroom. It is not fair for you to get less information than the hearing classmates of yours. Talk to the Office of the Students w/ Disabilities, or what is called in America. I'm not sure what it's called up there in Canada.

I don't know but I haven't been there before but what I am trying to say that if your teachers decline to follow the rules and/or procedures, you have the entire right to file a complaint or whatever. I honestly don't know what it will lead to but in hope you will get a break there.

We deaf students in mainstreamed classes in college deserves the equal opportunity to learn as those hearing students.

 

[jillio]

I'm a 24 years old college student. I have many good teachers throughout my educational years. They understood my situation about being deaf and my very important needs when it comes to the classes. Of course, I must have an interpreter and most of times, note takers.

I've never had problems with teachers, interpreters, and my note takers till just a week ago. I think I have the worst teacher ever in my whole young life. Nobody told me bluntly through my interpreter, "Please look at the interpreter!". I was like what the hell? No one in my whole life said that to me. My teacher also said the exact same thing to another deaf student afterwards. We felt offended. The interpreter herself did not look comfortable when she was interpreting inappropriate statement, LOOK AT THE INTERPRETER in front of the class. I felt that it was downright rude.

The teacher obviously does not know too well about deafness and its needs. She initially thought we can still hear a little bit, but we're profoundly deaf, that means we can't hear anything at all. Completely deaf, duh, duh, duh. Then why we need our interpreters for?

Have you encountered any kind of problems with the authorities/other people who think they know about deafness but they probably know nothing about it?

Report this teacher to your disability services office, please.

 

[jillio]

Thank you, but no such luck. We had a meeting regarding the teacher last week. Another deaf student and I. Our counselor was in the meeting, too. The teacher refused to listen to any of our concerns and feedbacks. We were only to help and find another way to accommodate us as much as possible. We all were trying to find out what was the problem and why the teacher did say that to us in the classroom. Unfortunately, she refused any of our offers and called us liars. She also refused to meet eye-to-eye with another fellow deaf classmate of mine who tried to voice her concern. The teacher was out of control within 5 minutes after the start of meeting. Afterwards, I asked one of our interpreters who interpreted that rude statement to make sure that I saw what she interpreted right. I saw what I saw, I told her what I saw. I think she won't admit that we're right and she was wrong. This 64 year old adjunct teacher was trying to find excuses why she has autism and asperger's syndrome. Neither one of us think this behavior from the teacher was excusable. I know that she has disabilities, but she does not handle them very well, from what I saw last week. I think it's time for her to step down and retire.

If she's an adjunct, she is jsut trying to hold onto her job. If disability service cannot offer you a solution, go to the Dean of the college, and let him/her know that you are prepared to make the state board of education, post-secondary division, aware of the problems.

 

[J'explique]

Report this teacher to your disability services office, please.

I'm sure they did. We have already covered the interpreting issues.

 

[J'explique]

If she's an adjunct, she is jsut trying to hold onto her job. If disability service cannot offer you a solution, go to the Dean of the college, and let him/her know that you are prepared to make the state board of education, post-secondary division, aware of the problems.

Yeah, but her time is really up. The department is already aware of this situation.

 

[Buffalo]

Practically all of my teachers told me what was best for me which really turned out to be worse for me. Like telling me to sit in front of the class thinking that I would understand them better...no difference or they would walk around the classroom talking so it just defeated the purpose of putting me in the front row. Stupid things like that which made my life in school a big struggle.

Just like hearing people who made decisions for the deaf population. Oral only education, for example. :roll:

J' - Is it possible for you to change teachers?

 

[jillio]

Yeah, but her time is really up. The department is already aware of this situation.

if they're aware of her inadequacies, chances are she won't be around much longer.

 

[J'explique]

if they're aware of her inadequacies, chances are she won't be around much longer.

There could be a chance that she would be let go. The dean has passed on the information to the Vice President of my college. It must look serious enough to warn the higher level of authority. I am eager to know what the VP got to think and say about this. This behavior from my teacher is not acceptable at all.

We did what we could to protect the other students and change the paths from this point on. I don't know why none of this terrible situation has been addressing until now. Maybe she did not snap till we politely asked her to address our needs? Honestly, I don't have any ideas why she would snap at us like that. I like to compare her to a dormant volcano ready to erupt any time.