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December 10, 2010
December 6, 2010
Interpreter Problems
Today I spoke with a kindergarten teacher who was concerned about a sign language interpreter in her classroom who interprets for one of my hard of hearing students.
She was concerned about the interpreter acting too much like a teacher. What she meant by this is that the interpreter will often 'tutor' and help the student with his class work and activities in addition to interpreting. She will often help or 'discipline' the other students in the class; the para-professional and teacher's jobs. In other words, she takes on too much of the other responsibilities that she is not required to do.
This can be a problem because the student has learned to depend on the interpreter to help him with everything. He will often look at her when he is having trouble with an activity. If something is difficult for him he will immediately give up and ask his interpreter to help. Sometimes the interpreter will just do it for him. How is he supposed to learn if he has everything done for him?! He needs to learn to be more independent and to try to do things on his own.
He also should learn to ask his teacher and others for help, not just his interpreter.
Her job is to interpret and help with any communication issues that come up. The interpreter needs to respect the teacher's wishes and let the teacher and para-professional do their jobs. In other words, she needs to back off some and stick to mainly interpreting.
One morning I observed the teacher evaluating the student on his writing. She just wanted to see how well he can write on his own. She told the interpreter this and emphasized the "on his own" part. I even stepped in and said, "We need to see if he can do this by himself."
Still the interpreter was a little too involved!! Sitting next to him, she practically told (signed to) the student what to write and what to erase. She even helped him a few times with holding his pencil. It was supposed to be an evaluation and the interpreter was interfering too much. All she had to do was interpret the instructions. Unfortunately, the student had to start over again. We explained to her once again that she should not be helping him during the test. She finally backed off.
It is hard sometimes to work with an interpreter in the classroom, especially in the lower grades.
~ Frustrated
She was concerned about the interpreter acting too much like a teacher. What she meant by this is that the interpreter will often 'tutor' and help the student with his class work and activities in addition to interpreting. She will often help or 'discipline' the other students in the class; the para-professional and teacher's jobs. In other words, she takes on too much of the other responsibilities that she is not required to do.
This can be a problem because the student has learned to depend on the interpreter to help him with everything. He will often look at her when he is having trouble with an activity. If something is difficult for him he will immediately give up and ask his interpreter to help. Sometimes the interpreter will just do it for him. How is he supposed to learn if he has everything done for him?! He needs to learn to be more independent and to try to do things on his own.
He also should learn to ask his teacher and others for help, not just his interpreter.
Her job is to interpret and help with any communication issues that come up. The interpreter needs to respect the teacher's wishes and let the teacher and para-professional do their jobs. In other words, she needs to back off some and stick to mainly interpreting.
One morning I observed the teacher evaluating the student on his writing. She just wanted to see how well he can write on his own. She told the interpreter this and emphasized the "on his own" part. I even stepped in and said, "We need to see if he can do this by himself."
Still the interpreter was a little too involved!! Sitting next to him, she practically told (signed to) the student what to write and what to erase. She even helped him a few times with holding his pencil. It was supposed to be an evaluation and the interpreter was interfering too much. All she had to do was interpret the instructions. Unfortunately, the student had to start over again. We explained to her once again that she should not be helping him during the test. She finally backed off.
It is hard sometimes to work with an interpreter in the classroom, especially in the lower grades.
~ Frustrated
December 5, 2010
Interpreters Suck Sometimes
Some of the interpreters here suck. I know interpreting is a tough job, but so is teaching. I am so sick of them misinterpreting what it is that I am saying. I may not be fluent in sign language, but I know enough to understand that sometimes the interpreter is not signing exactly what I said or meant. Like the time I pretended to be super emotional and hugged my student and said, "I'm going to miss my babies!" I swear the interpreter signed, "She just called you a baby." WTF?!
~ Ms. B
~ Ms. B
December 4, 2010
School is Boring
I am an itinerant teacher and I work with mainstreamed d/hh students.
Oh my god, school is so boring. No wonder most of my students are not motivated to do any work. I sat in on a high school art class thinking it would be interesting--boy was I wrong! The teacher spoke in a monotone voice discussing the importance of making lines or something. I was nodding off within 5 minutes. We did not even paint or draw!! He managed to make the history of the Great Pyramids (which is fascinating stuff) a snooze fest. My student looked so attentive, but only because she has to look at him to understand most of what he is saying (mainly because I was there to make sure she was doing this). My poor student! Now I understand why she complains about this class--it is soooooo boring!!! I never thought that anyone could make art so boring until now.
~ ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Oh my god, school is so boring. No wonder most of my students are not motivated to do any work. I sat in on a high school art class thinking it would be interesting--boy was I wrong! The teacher spoke in a monotone voice discussing the importance of making lines or something. I was nodding off within 5 minutes. We did not even paint or draw!! He managed to make the history of the Great Pyramids (which is fascinating stuff) a snooze fest. My student looked so attentive, but only because she has to look at him to understand most of what he is saying (mainly because I was there to make sure she was doing this). My poor student! Now I understand why she complains about this class--it is soooooo boring!!! I never thought that anyone could make art so boring until now.
~ ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Poor Signing Skills
I don't know how much more I can take of teachers (mostly hearing) inflicting their poor signing skills on the young kids at the school I work at. We are supposed to be their language models, right? I know that most of these kids usually go home to parents or families who sign poorly or do not sign at all with them.
I commend the teachers for trying, though. What are we supposed to do when qualified teachers who sign fluently are not lining up to teach here?
- Ms. J
I commend the teachers for trying, though. What are we supposed to do when qualified teachers who sign fluently are not lining up to teach here?
- Ms. J
December 3, 2010
I Hate to Say This, But. . .
Sometimes I wish some mothers would get their tubes tied. Sterilization would not be a bad option either.
I have to wonder why some of them keep having truck loads of children when they are dirt poor, unable to or unwilling to learn how to communicate and work with their deaf or hard of hearing child at home, when they have seven different kids from three different fathers, or/and when they are unable to provide the basic necessities (clean, comfortable, and safe home, nutritious food, clean appropriate clothing, and love and attention).
Then they get mad at the teachers and wonder why their child isn't doing as well as they should. The worst are the ones who seem to not care or have given up.
~ D/HH Teacher
I have to wonder why some of them keep having truck loads of children when they are dirt poor, unable to or unwilling to learn how to communicate and work with their deaf or hard of hearing child at home, when they have seven different kids from three different fathers, or/and when they are unable to provide the basic necessities (clean, comfortable, and safe home, nutritious food, clean appropriate clothing, and love and attention).
Then they get mad at the teachers and wonder why their child isn't doing as well as they should. The worst are the ones who seem to not care or have given up.
~ D/HH Teacher
How Many Times Do I Have to Tell You?
How many times do I have to tell everyone that I can't hear very well?? Why do some of the teachers I work with and see on a daily basis act surprise when I did not hear them? "I have been calling your name a 100 times, and you did not respond!" one would say. I wanted to tell her so bad, "Well, my back was turned to you and you were on my deaf side, stupid!" When I try to explain to them once again how I hear and how they should communicate with me, they usually seem distracted and will say, "Uh, huh. OK." or they exclaim, "Oh, really?!" as if I have never told them before.
No matter how many times I tell them about my hearing loss and how to communicate with me, they seem to forget. It worries me how they must deal with some of their deaf/hh students. Do I need to explain to them again that these students are deaf or hard of hearing?
~ Irritated Itinerant Teacher
No matter how many times I tell them about my hearing loss and how to communicate with me, they seem to forget. It worries me how they must deal with some of their deaf/hh students. Do I need to explain to them again that these students are deaf or hard of hearing?
~ Irritated Itinerant Teacher
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