I'm a teaching assistant here

bumpsy

bumpsy

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While I never set out to become a teaching assistant, the job has managed to find me more than I found it. Regardless of that, I have found so many flaws within the system of teaching deaf children in a mainstream environment.

My current job in which I've been employed in since the new year is working as a TA/CSW in the classroom to a deaf boy. The school also has a deaf unit in which they go to twice a day for on.

But the teacher for the deaf is one that looks upon the children as 'poor little things' and it does frusterate me to the core! I'm the first deaf employee in the school to work there as a TA, and also a role model since the child is having issues with acceptance of his deafness.

I no doubt think I will have many challenges to face with this type of employment and I would like to hear from other TA's on here if there are any

Bumpsy
 
I am a teacher of the deaf myself and I am deaf. I have working in TC, oral and bilingual programs. I will share my experiences later cuz right now I am so tired from teaching all day. When I am more clear-minded, I will get back to u. I agree with u that the mainstreamed programs really do not meet the deaf children's needs most of the time.
 
have found so many flaws within the system of teaching deaf children in a mainstream environment.
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I'm thinking about writing a lit journalism book about classic disabilites in the mainstream.
My current job in which I've been employed in since the new year is working as a TA/CSW in the classroom to a deaf boy. The school also has a deaf unit in which they go to twice a day for on.
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Well at least they have a deaf unit. One of my friends didn't even get that! But it does suck that the teacher is so "oh poor wittle helpless deafies".....an ex-friend (not dhh, but wheelchair user) got that (in the mainstream) and now he's very......helpless.
 
Its funny really because I went through mainstream school absolutely fine and had one teacher of the deaf once a week at home to help with homework and that suited me (sadly enough back when I went to school I would have been embarrassed about having help, but then .. yes you can guess.. I had acceptance issues of being deaf)

To pinpoint a few issues within the job other than the one I have spoken off, I would like some advice on how you think I should approach the subject (bear in mind I would still like my job after!! lol)

* The children are taken out mid lesson for 'department time' and taken back in at some point in the lesson so therefore both the child and the TA haven't a clue what's been going on and have missed out numberous parts of the curriculum throughout the year

* The child that I look after is badly behaved, this stems from home. Examples of the behaviour would be thrashing the school because he didn't want to go to class, threatening to punch, wandering around the school as and when he feels like it

* Once he has been naughty, you would automatically think he will be punished the same as other children. I am advised to take him to department for punishment, yet on arrival I'm told to calm down (all I'm doing is explaining to 'Mrs X' (we shall call her) and the boy is told by Mrs X that he can go in the other room and play with lego or toys and relax for the afternoon. And then she will start saying along the lines of 'I feel so sorry for him, he doesn't know how to express his anger, he's in a world of his own' and so forth

Understandably (or I hope) you can see why it frusterates me to the core!! I think it's fantastic that they have a unit, there are only 5 - 6 children in the school to use it, however the structure of how they use their time with the children is more of an advantage for them not the children themselves!

When I first met the boy it took a while for him to bond with myself, he had already been through 3 other TA's in 2 years. Now we've got a bond, and he is more open with me, I've managed to get him full marks on a spelling test, and while this is such a small achievement to one of his hearing peers at the school, its a massive achievement for both him and me. It was his first time he had done it and it took a week of using different methods to get him there.

Gosh I'm rambling on..... and on... and on... sowwy :)
 
I will become degree B.A and Master with math Education. I have no idea. I will find out. ;)
 
* The children are taken out mid lesson for 'department time' and taken back in at some point in the lesson so therefore both the child and the TA haven't a clue what's been going on and have missed out numberous parts of the curriculum throughout the year
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Oh lord yes.......I didn't even have a TOD or Deaf services, but I had a bunch of other sped services....I still have NO IDEA how I managed to fit everything I needed in (resource room time, PT, speech etc)
 
I find it truly ironic that the push for mainstreaming has, as its misguided intent, improvement of educational services offered to deaf/hh kids, but the techniques used to accomplish it actually restrict the amount of classroom time and interfere with the educational process. Mainstreaming works in theory only. In actual practice, it is a huge failure.
 
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