Blog #1: Tape Our Mouths Shut, HUH?

***THIS POSTING IS FOR WEEK #2****THIS CLASS WILL ONLY BLOG/VLOG ON EVEN WEEKS

As all of you know, students have a very difficult time not speaking during ASL class. It is hard not to understand, I get that. In reality though, this is considered very rude and disrespectful to Deaf people. I have struggled with this since I began teaching in 1998. I have always worked hard to make my students feel comfortable and at ease in my classroom and outside of it. Part of this is out of habit. Daily, I need to accommodate the hearing world and make them more comfortable with me. I want students to feel free to ask me anything and everything and by forcing them to sign only, students do not come to me. However, this is an ASL classroom and I am Deaf! Most importantly, you are here to learn sign. Students should be able to give an hour of themselves three days a week when Deaf people are often forced to fit into the hearing world 24/7. Furthermore, they should be signing so that when they need to communicate with other Deaf people they are ready to do so. Embrace your frustrations, it is not even a grain of what a Deaf person deals with every day all day. Learn from it. It will make you a better communicator.

For this vlog I want you to express one idea that you have to enforce our policy of strictly using ASL only in our classroom. Find support as to why this is considered rude, offensive, and disrespectful in the Deaf community and how it will enhance your learning. I want you to comment on your thoughts and other ideas you have that may help students get the message. I also would like to hear your comments on how I can work to establish this all sign rule and still have students coming to me when they need to talk to me about personal things or class concerns.

The past summer, a former student came to me to express her feeling with me about her classroom at St. Paul College. She is in the interpreting program there. Students in her classes continue to take advantage of the instructor (talking when her back is turned, answering their phones, sighing, and continuous conversations when she is not looking. She is appalled by their behavior and not sure what to do. What would you suggest?



Your response needs to be signed. Please post a link to youtube so everyone can quickly access it. Select a student that you do not know to comment on. Good luck!