Don't stop talking, laughing in class

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deafsqrrl

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I teach ASL class. I am deaf and my class is hearing. Several times I ask my class NO VOICE, NO TALKING. I write on the whiteboard and I turn back behind my class writing something. I knew some students would not cooperate. I ask please no voice. Well one student came to me and gave me a note stating that she is leaving for tonight because it was not fair and for the class that the # people on the corner don't stop talking, laughing... they don't have respect for their classmates..and even for me. She asked me to do something.
This is a community college.

Any advice?

Thanks.
 
I experienced this when I took ASL as an undergrad. It was really disruptive to those of us who were trying to learn.

I have a sneaky and possibly unfair idea, but I would definitely run it by your supervisor first. If there is a student in your class who is willing to help out, she could keep track of who is causing the disruption, and then you could talk to those students privately. Appeal to their better nature (if they have one!) by explaining about respect for you, for your language, and for your culture, but add that you will be deducting points every time they talk.

You might not be able to find a student willing to "tattle" on her classmates, but I'll tell you what, I would have done this in a second if the teacher asked me. I thought it was incredibly disrespectful and I really wanted them to stop.

I've also served as a proctor in ASL classes with deaf teachers where the students were likely to cheat during tests. I was the "Silence Cop" and you better believe there was no cheating while I was there! But it's not really feasible to have someone in your class every day of course.
 
deafsqrrl,

I don't post here very much. I am a late deafened adult(lost my hearing about 10 yrs ago) and I have been studying ASL, Deaf Culture, Fingerspelling, etc at my local community college. I also attend some ASL classes at my local library, where the teacher is deaf, and her situation sounds very similar to yours. This woman is responsible for what is known as a "Deaf WOW Moment' in my life. I can think of no greater courage than a Deaf woman teaching hearing people ! WOW! ...What she usually does when she turns from writing on the board and finds people talking, laughing, etc ( which I'm sure you will have that opportunity).....
is:.......... She signs to them, with what voice cabilities she has............
Yes !....please help explain to the hearing people....maybe you can do better than me.....Thank you for your help!
Click to expand...
......sort of a strategy of let it roll off.... like water off a duck's back.
Always seems to work for her :giggle: ..............

Point is....those that laugh, talk, disrupt your class, will pass.....those that wish to learn will be enlightened by your efforts and you will have made a mark on a world that sorely needs your help....my respect & support to you........
Please hold to your beliefs..............

Bobby
 
You are teaching it the right way and If your students can not respect that than fail them. This language is a visual language and if they want to talk then they should take spanish or french. I was taught my fist 4 years of ASL in a spoken enviroment and now that I am in Community College I am taking an all silent class and I am learning more this way than I have EVER learned. I seriously think you need to just fail the people who arnt willing to follow your rules, this isnt high school anymore, kick them out or fail them. Thats what I would do but I am mean. :D
 
Ask them to leave the reminder of the class for the day and not to come back until they can respect your rules..also remind them and the class why the 'rules" are in place, it is for their benefit after all. Zero tolerance for disruptive behviour, be a tough ass, I think you will get what you want very quickly. I guess you have to catch them first, have another supervisor or someone you trust sit in on a handful of classes...their sole job is to catch the rude ones and report it to you say on the break??? Maybe?? Good luck! Hugs!
 
I agree with the other AD members. That is very rude and disrespectful of them to do that. I took ASL classes at ASU under deaf professors (I am deaf myself too) and noticed the same thing with my classmates.

I am a teacher for the deaf now and u guess what? I have seen deaf/hoh kids take advantage of the teacher's deafness by banging on their desks to annoy the other students who can hear with HAs or CIs whenever the teacher turns around. My class tried that on me but with my HAs, I caught them all the time and held them back from recess so they stopped doing it. Oh boy!!! GRRRR!

But adults should KNOW better so there is no excuse!
 
Bring a taser-gun, whenever someone disrespect your rules, feel free to shoot at them. J/K

If I were you, I'd say; If you are motivated to learn ASL, please stay. If not, feel free to leave.
 
Interpretrator said:
I experienced this when I took ASL as an undergrad. It was really disruptive to those of us who were trying to learn.

I have a sneaky and possibly unfair idea, but I would definitely run it by your supervisor first. If there is a student in your class who is willing to help out, she could keep track of who is causing the disruption, and then you could talk to those students privately. Appeal to their better nature (if they have one!) by explaining about respect for you, for your language, and for your culture, but add that you will be deducting points every time they talk.

You might not be able to find a student willing to "tattle" on her classmates, but I'll tell you what, I would have done this in a second if the teacher asked me. I thought it was incredibly disrespectful and I really wanted them to stop.

I've also served as a proctor in ASL classes with deaf teachers where the students were likely to cheat during tests. I was the "Silence Cop" and you better believe there was no cheating while I was there! But it's not really feasible to have someone in your class every day of course.
Click to expand...

Excellent solution.
 
I remember in my ASL class that people who would not be quiet were sent from the class and marked as absent. Most colleges have a portion of the grade as attendance, but at TTU, you cannot miss more than two weeks of classes with even one unexcused absence. Since it was marked as absence for talking in class, that is unexcused. For TTU, only two or three times is all that is required to keep them from interrupting.
 
authentic said:
Bring a taser-gun, whenever someone disrespect your rules, feel free to shoot at them. J/K

If I were you, I'd say; If you are motivated to learn ASL, please stay. If not, feel free to leave.
Click to expand...

Would you do with Taser gun??... heh I know, you don´t. *wink*

anyway
I agree.. I have been teaching DGS class before. They are total respect. I have no problem with them all. I still love teaching to them, because they has motivation. we have been secound DGS class, had fun.
I have no idea, why is happened with Deafsqrrl teach to students there? so I think Deafqrrl was not fault. maybe their students has no too much to get experience about that.
which do have motivation? most of Women than men.

 
it is your right as a teacher to ask them to leave. I agree with talking to them first in private... and if that doesnt work do it publicly. Can you tell when they are talking? If you can, and you notice them, tell them they are not welcome in class if they do not follow the class rules

Side Note: I took up ASL at university and there were some girls in my class that thought they were better than everyone else. They would talk non-stop in sign. Finally the teacher turned to them and said in sign "Do you mind? I am trying to teach! If you need to continue your conversation, there is the door" It was awesome. I had never seen her mad before, and I hope never to see her mad again lol. She was some scary woman lol.

I am now her TA and in the beginner class I have to remind students not to say what she is signing because it stops the learning of others.
 
i think the majority that students take asl class is to get their foriegn language credit into their college goals.

the students probally want to take asl class because they think its way too easy to learn and easy 'A' grade so they take that class..

i've notice this everywhere, they just take it and they're not really interested in ASL just take to get a easy grade.. however many of them find out they're totally wrong about this.

but for ur sitution i'm sure u can just have a honest assistant telling you who is talking while u're writing on board or test or whatever.
 
Do you think maybe they're laughing because they're having a great time learning sign language?....
 
You could look for a volunteer assistant.

At RIT, there's a volunteer program called No Voice Zone. The title speaks for itself.

The program begins at 10 pm and ends at 11 pm. No voicing or noise is allowed in any way during the program. Everyone is split up into groups of 10 (give or take a few) and assigned to parts of the room where volunteers will teach depending on the level they are learning. During that entire time, they may not talk or make any noise at all. There might be times when a few will whisper usually to help each other with signing, other than that... no one talks. As soon as the class is over, everyone can talk again.

I also went to a retreat called Silent Retreat. There, no one could talk either. If they talked, they got a pin on their shirt. Who ever had the most pins at the end of the weekend would be punished in a funny way. :)
 
Could you make talking part of their grades? You could say, "When you are in this class, you may not use your voice."
 
DeafSCUBA98 said:
i think the majority that students take asl class is to get their foriegn language credit into their college goals.

the students probally want to take asl class because they think its way too easy to learn and easy 'A' grade so they take that class..

i've notice this everywhere, they just take it and they're not really interested in ASL just take to get a easy grade.. however many of them find out they're totally wrong about this.

but for ur sitution i'm sure u can just have a honest assistant telling you who is talking while u're writing on board or test or whatever.
Click to expand...

That was what some of my former classmates at ASU who took ASL told me. That they thought it was easy until ASL II or III when they realized that it wasnt as easy as they thought. Interesting thing was that because they discovered ASL wasnt as easy as they thought, they became much more interested in it and Deaf culture. Yes, there are some that quit after level I or II but at least it gets people some exposure to it. Better than nothing. :)
 
I used to teach ASL at university. My students knew they couldn't use voice bec I was wearing hearing aids and I could bust them. If they use the voice. They ll have to pay 5 cent each time use the voice. By the end of semester, I collected the coins and buy the desserts and drink for them for their working so hard. Next semester, I had the same students, there were less coins, less voice and more sign. It went great! It worked for us.
 
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