Hope I'm in the right place!

deafbajagal

deafbajagal

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Hey, alldeaf.com folks!

I'm a newbie to this site. I'm a teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and happen to be Deaf myself. I started out at a deaf school using ASL, then my parents decided to put me into a mainstreamed program (oral), then I ended up back in a deaf school (and back to ASL). Because of my personal experiences, my views on oralism can be bitter even though many people swear that my speech is "near-perfect" and "just like a hearing person with a little accent." (Which totally annoys me). I perfer ASL any day.

I realize the field of deafness isn't black and white (though there are people who try really hard to make it so) - by that I mean, there's a good shade of gray in many areas. I think it's very important for me not only professionally but personally to keep an open mind and be considerate of everyone's views (not matter how stupid the views, and believe me, there are flat out stupid ones in this world).

I hope this is a right place for me to join to learn stuff - I was looking around earlier- you guys have some good stuff going :).
 
Welcome, Deafbajagal. Your background is interesting. Frustration with status quo always makes for good teachers. I've already learned a great deal here, as I was convinced being disappointed in the way deafies are treated was more my fault than the jerks who treat me shabbily. Anyway, you'll find all kinds of opinion here: black, white, and lots of gray in between.
 
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:welcome: to AD!

I am a teacher for the deaf and I am deaf myself. :) My experience growing up was oral and mainstreamed all the way and I have bitter feelings and memories of my upbringing. I learned ASL at 25 and became fluent in it around 28 years old and never looked back since then.
 
Hi Deafbajagal, :welcome: to AllDeaf forum. Yep, you are in the right place here. You can talk anyway you like on the forum, only that there is no fighting too much as we like to argue over oralism and ASL. I am deaf myself too. I was mainstream in both elementary school and high school in United States (Minnesota) long time ago during the middle 50's and middle 60's. I was not allow to have interpreters and ASL in the regular classrooms. After I graduate, I start to learn ASL from the deaf pastor from the Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That was in the old days and I dread having the oral trying to creep into the schools again today. Today we are getting less interpreters for important like doctor's office, court, meeting, and some entertainment like theater. Not sure what is happening. :dunno:
 
:welcome: Welcome to AD! Think you will find some good topics to expound your point of view or even elaborate to us on.
Ya know, I got that same line a couple times "where are you from" I say deaf land. :giggle:
 
Hello and welcome to Alldeaf! I do hope you'll gradually get the feeling of being here a warm and friendly one! Also, enjoy your stay here as well-- ;)




:wave:
~RR
 
Where's my memory? Did I left it in some zzland, no?
 
I was too shy to ever introduce myself. But I will say hello to you on your second time.:welcome:
 
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