deaf teacher in mainstream education

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Clairet2006

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I have had a severe to profound hearing loss since birth, and have attended mainstream schools and university. I have always wanted to stay in education by becoming a teacher, and I am currently completing a training course which finishes in May, which will allow me to lecture in further education colleges.

Although I love teaching, it is difficult not to worry that being deaf may have a negative impact when looking for full-time employment, and dealing with a number of different classes. However, when I have tried to find reassurance from resources and information about other deaf teachers who work within mainstream education for advice, I can't find anything! I wondered if there is anyone else who is currently in the same position, or is deaf and has worked within mainstream education who can offer advice, or knows of any useful books/websites??

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
 
That would depend on you. How is your speech and lip-reading?

I am latent-HoH and was a teacher in both special ed and general ed settings for nearly a decade (until I became a homemaker until my youngest enters school full time).

There was another HoH teacher at the last school I taught at.

The only problem I ever had was hearing the school PA (public announcement) system. Usually, the teacher next door would come and tell me whenever there was an urgent announcement or fire drill. Otherwise, the office would send a messenger to my room.
 
There is a teacher at my kids school who is very hoh. Three of my kids have had her and I've never heard of any problems. She reads lips mostly but I know she can hear well enough out of one ear to tell if the fire alarm is going off. The kids tell me it's an incredibly loud bell. I think they rely mostly on the kids to give her info on announcments because I know my daughter has had the job before.

Good luck with your search!!
 
I was a teacher's aide for a mainstreamed program. I worked mostly with the deaf and HOH students there so there was no problem but when it came to meetings with other teachers or dept meetings, it was when my deafness had a negative impact cuz the school hired interpreters with minimal signing skills. Didnt help me at all.

Now, I am a teacher and I work at a deaf school but since we are changing our program to include more spoken English into the curriculm to meet the needs of the CI students. That is where I am concerned about the day that comes when I am required to use spoken English. I can speak fine but listening is other matter.

When looking for jobs in the public schools, make sure that the school district hires certified or at least interpreters who have good signing skills. Are u planning on working with deaf/HOH kids or any kids in general?

Good luck!
 
The schools are not going to want to hire someone that is going to cost them an exorbident amount for additional interpreters for everyday purposes.
 
One of my teachers at MSSD used to be a science teacher in public school. She doesn't speak really well and the school hired a terp for her. That's quite a change from having a terp for students!
 
I think you'd find that most mainstream dhh teachers, are hoh, and tend to have very minmal support needs.Or are you talking about "mainstream" programs where there's a dhh program in the school?
Why not try working with dhh kids? This is a population that REALLY needs good quality teachers.
 
Eve said:
The schools are not going to want to hire someone that is going to cost them an exorbident amount for additional interpreters for everyday purposes.
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In that program where I worked as an aide, there was a teacher who was deaf that worked there. She fought with the school all the time for her rights to have a qualified interpreter during the meetings but she got the underqualified interpreters and as a result, she missed out a lot of important features of the agenda and wasnt aware of a lot of things that was happening at the school. She gave up and quit cuz she got fed up.

So that means the schools wont give teachers who are deaf or hoh the support they need? That is sad cuz it is like devaluating our presence and our input.
 
deafdyke said:
I think you'd find that most mainstream dhh teachers, are hoh, and tend to have very minmal support needs.Or are you talking about "mainstream" programs where there's a dhh program in the school?
Why not try working with dhh kids? This is a population that REALLY needs good quality teachers.
Click to expand...

That is one reason that I am wary about working in a public school but if for some reason, my school shuts down and I have to work in a mainstreamed program, I will bug the school to get the support that I will need if it is not already provided.
 
I knew two of them, both teach at public schools. One is now at mainstream near here and other one was my old teacher but he now teaches at regular class. Both are deaf even they speak well. U can do it. :)
 
There was a teacher at Granada Hills High school who taught regular ed math to hearing students as well as deaf students. I believe that she may have had an interpreter in her class, but I'm not 100% sure. I didn't go to that school.

I don't think it'll impact your job opportunities -- if you shine, you'll get what you want, and if you don't, you won't. So kick some ass out there as a teaching assistant and other teaching related activities and you'll get the teaching job you want.

I forgot one other school that had a fairly high number of deaf students but also employed quite a number of deaf teachers teaching mainstream courses with hearing students. That would be University High School in Irvine, CA. University High School
 
Thanks for all your replies so far and words of encouragement, I speak and lip-read well, so wouldn't require an interpreter. I would be looking at working with groups of about twenty hearing students, aged between 16 and 18.

I hope to work with dhh students in the future, but I have only just begun to learn to sign (I get level 1 in May) and I need at least a year of experience in teaching before I can take on the diploma for the education of hearing impaired students. It is great to hear that so many of you know of deaf teachers, do you know how they introduced their disability and needs to the students? A friend of mine suggested a Powerpoint presentation, but I don't know if that seems a bit much?

There is something that niggles me, as all the recruitment sites for teachers of the deaf, such as Batod, claim to want and encourage applications from deaf individuals, but they require a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and one years experience before you can complete the qualification that allows you to work with deaf students..... which you can only get by working within mainstream education!! Not really a great way of encouraging deaf people I don't think, particularly those who rely heavily on sign, who could make excellent teachers of the deaf but would struggle in mainstream education.

What do you think??
 
Deaf ed link

Here's a link that I used for research before I finished school two years ago. I think they have a message board. Best of luck to you.

Deafed.net Homepage
 
Clairet2006 said:
Thanks for all your replies so far and words of encouragement, I speak and lip-read well, so wouldn't require an interpreter. I would be looking at working with groups of about twenty hearing students, aged between 16 and 18.

I hope to work with dhh students in the future, but I have only just begun to learn to sign (I get level 1 in May) and I need at least a year of experience in teaching before I can take on the diploma for the education of hearing impaired students. It is great to hear that so many of you know of deaf teachers, do you know how they introduced their disability and needs to the students? A friend of mine suggested a Powerpoint presentation, but I don't know if that seems a bit much?

There is something that niggles me, as all the recruitment sites for teachers of the deaf, such as Batod, claim to want and encourage applications from deaf individuals, but they require a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and one years experience before you can complete the qualification that allows you to work with deaf students..... which you can only get by working within mainstream education!! Not really a great way of encouraging deaf people I don't think, particularly those who rely heavily on sign, who could make excellent teachers of the deaf but would struggle in mainstream education.

What do you think??
Click to expand...

I didnt need a year's worth of experience in mainstream education to get my job as a deaf education teacher. The school where I work at doesnt have that requirement.
 
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