brinley

Hello all.

I am a college student and trying to learn ASL. I think I am a serious student and I really want to apply to a interpreter training program this year when I finish my degree. So far I have all A's in my classes, I socialize with Deaf people, and I am really making an effort to learn ASL and Deaf culture. This semester I am having trouble with one teacher who seemed to hate me the first minute he met me. He will ask me a question then tell me I am wrong before I have a chance to even answer. He criticizes me but doesn't offer corrections although he will show other students how to sign something correctly. He just tells me I am wrong. I am afraid to ask questions in class because he rolls his eyes at me. He tells me to "go home" during class, that I am not a good student, and that I am ruining his class even when I am not doing anything wrong. No matter what I do he just hates me. I don't know what to do. I would like to talk to him but in high school when faced with teachers like this, I learned that having a rational conversation with some people is impossible. I think it might piss him off more if I asked him what his problem is.
I do not play "the race card" but I have noticed that I am the only African American in the pre-interpreter classes at both schools I attend. Could this be a factor in his attitude with me? There are probably 75 students total but I am the only brown one. Are there any interpreters who have had a similar experience? Are there any African American interpreters who have been the only brown person in their class for several years? Did you feel isolated or feel that teachers treated you different? I have met African American interpreters and they seemed very nice and skilled. But do any Deaf/Hard of Hearing people believe African Americans should not be interpreters?

Thanks. Brin.

Deafness

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authentic

I have met a lot of African American interpreters everywhere, even in videophone, real-life events, among others. I think your teacher should get serious warning from the college administrations for his dumb-ass actions.

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jillio

I agree with Authentic. Report this teachers behavior to administrators. There is something going on with him that has nothing to do with you, specifically, but with his attitude. Terps come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Don't let him discourage you.

RDC_girl

Brin... I think you need to talk to instructor... I know it can be intimidating but for anything to improve you must talk to him. Be truthful, tell him how you feel.

Good Luck

RDC_girl

Once you talk to him, and if things do not change then you can go above him and talk to administration.

Reba

I'm sorry that you're having this problem with your instructor. I wish that you could have resolved this earlier in the semester. It's kind of late now. Not too late but sooner would have been better.

Despite this instructor's attitude, you are carrying an A average in his class?


That's pretty bad. I hope you aren't getting too discouraged.

Can you talk to your academic counselor or the department head about the situation?


I sure hope that's not the problem. If a professional is still behaving in a racist manner in this century, I don't know if there's much hope for him.

There is a great demand and recruitment for interpreters "of color" right now. You might be able to get some guidance from other terps who've "been there, done that" at Welcome to the National Alliance of Black Interpreters, Inc. Online .

You might be the only "brown person" in your class locally but believe me, you're not the only one in the interpreting field, and many of your future clients will be all shades of tan, brown, and black.

It might help if you can find a mentor to help you through this.

Hang in there. If you can make it through this rough spot, you'll be in fine shape to take on the interpreting world.

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Interpretrator

Careful -- I'm sorry you're going through this and definitely should not have to be, but don't jump to the conclusion that it's because of your race, like this. You don't sound like you're automatically making that assumption and I'm also not saying not to look out for it, but there could be any of a number of other, equally poor reasons this teacher's on your case.

VamPyroX

Have you tried talking to your teacher's boss? If you have a few friends in that class that can back you up, that would be great.

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Aleser

Report him from whereever you are to somewhere far, far away. A teacher's job is to.. shock of shocks, teach their students. If he's clearly not treating you like he would any other student, racially motivated or not, he isn't doing his job.

BTW, one of my old SSPs was black... it's just the colour of your skin, nothing more. Outside of the rare jerk like him, nobody will care... unless you decide to wear brown shirts, in which case there may be a mob.

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omegaman

First, you should try find out about his background; whether he is a difficult teacher to get along with, etc. As an A grade student, I am sure your past teachers would be interested in how well you are coping, etc. And, if a lot of students find him difficult, then you should all lodge a complaint against him. A teacher should not be telling you to go home anyway, especially if you are trying.

Alternatively, no other students have any issues against him, then you should talk to your mentor teacher, if you have one.

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Chase

Brinley, Just another approach from a former teacher. College procedures for difficulty with instructrs differ from high school. Talk to your student advisor and read your student handbook and syllabus as soon as possible. They give you specific procedures.

Most colleges and universities detail the procedure for dealing with an instructor. Most are that you make an appointment with him and outline the problem, in writing if necessary. In many institutions, you only delay results and possible sabotage your case by not following prescribed procedure (unless of course you are dealing with sexual harassment or the like).

I agree with Interpretrator. You say you aren't playing the race card, but you have certainly told others here that it's in your hand ready to be played. I can tell you from long experience that unless you have good documentation of the race issue that it will only muddy the waters.

Good luck. I hope you receive fair treatment and this unpleasantness is the worst you encounter in your college career. I had an instructor who seemed to hate me on sight. I managed to scrape through her class with a B-, less than my A average, but I was so glad to put her behind me that I felt lucky. From then on, when I felt any such vibes (twice in eight years of college and grad school), I dropped one class immediately and followed procedures on one I couldn't drop. In that case, the animosity disappeared.

Again, good luck and stay careful. Life is full of people who make life hell.

RDC_girl

Hey Brin any update?

authentic

I think you're talking to wrong person?

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Interpretrator

Um...no?

I know a couple of African-American interpreters; I can ask them about their experiences if brinley is interested.

SCBassist

I've seen this before, I don't think its due to your racial characteristics. Do you tend to dress as a "rapper" or "gang" type? There are teachers out there who stereotype based on lifestyle.

Reba

Any updates?

AmyCy

you need to report this guy. no matter what his reason is for acting that way, he still shouldnt act that way. He's a teacher- he should teach you, help you- not belittle you and tell you to go home.

If you have classmates who has noticed his behavior, talk to them. So, you can have people back you up.

CrzyMeg

I had an interpreter who is african american in my high school, and she was very nice. Anyody can be an interpreter!

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ClearSky

I had a substitute black woman interpreter. It was cool having someone different. She was nice, and I liked how she respected my space as a teenager.

I don't look for people's skin color. I look for them to treat me like anyone else and respect my space. As long as you follow the code of ethics, I respect you.

I had two terps that were nosy and in my space so much it got me angry with them. They were both white people.

I hope you have resolved the issue. If not, just grit your teeth and do good. Maybe he doesn't realize how he is affecting one of his students with his behavior.