Is it OK for an ASL teacher to be Hearing?

Well, I am teaching a Baby ASL class to hearing parents of hearing children. My only qualifications, I have home schooled 7 children for 20 years, taken 6 ASL classes, and met my husband due to my very first ASL home work assignment. (and he was hearing at the time we met, just hoh now,lol, not that he'll admit it) Anyway, I know how to teach babies. That is the main qualification I bring to this class. The subject just happens to be ASL. The purpose of the class is to show parents creative ways to help their child acquire the concept of language as early as possible in order to boost their childs cognitive abilities. We had 23 in the class last Tuesday! (Not bad for a small town library.) So, need I be fluent in ASL to teach this class? I hope not! You could never tell I've had 6 ASL classes to observe my receptive skills! Especially if I'm upset! The people are loving the class and I'm enjoying teaching it. Though I readily admit my limitations in this language at the begining of each class.
 
My ASL instructor is hearing, but teaching ASL is only a small part of what she does. Her main job is being a 'terp... daily assignments, and also on call for emergencies. While she teaches us ASL, we are also being taught Deaf culture. Some classmates might think it's too much, but SHE KNOWS we can't learn ASL without knowing Deaf culture. I have gained a lot of great stuff from her classes.
 
I've had hearing (non-CODA and CODA) and Deaf ASL instructors. I was glad to have the variety.

Just as an aside; my HS Latin language teacher wasn't a Roman, my HS German language teacher wasn't a German, and my college French language teacher wasn't a Frenchman. My childhood Greek language teacher was a Greek Orthodox priest, American-born Greek descendant. So? :dunno:
 
I think it is different in Canada... All the instructors of ASL are deaf... except one! He has Deaf parents (a CODA) and he is a certified interpreter. Before he took the job, he talked to the Deaf Community to make sure they were ok with him teaching ASL.
 
Is it okay for an American teacher to teach Spanish? I don't see the difference. If you know your language well, then I believe it's no problem. After all, you still have to get exposed to different people to progress in whatever language you want to learn. However, I don't think it's right for hearing ASL teachers to act like they know the deaf community or the deaf people more than you and the same for interpreters.
 
Buffalo said:
I know an ASL teacher who volunteers teaching ASL. At least, you persisted in learning ASL... You impress me.

Why don't you hang out with other Deafies to get rid of that complex of yours? Please!!
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They have that kind of program at RIT.

Every Wednesday night at 10 pm, volunteers (deaf or hearing) can show up and be teachers while the rest are students learning sign language.

They have 3 or 4 different groups. The first group focuses on the alphabet and numbers, then colors, etc. Next group focuses on harder words like family members, majors, sports, weather, etc. The last group focuses on full communication.
 
VamPyroX said:
They have that kind of program at RIT.

Every Wednesday night at 10 pm, volunteers (deaf or hearing) can show up and be teachers while the rest are students learning sign language.

They have 3 or 4 different groups. The first group focuses on the alphabet and numbers, then colors, etc. Next group focuses on harder words like family members, majors, sports, weather, etc. The last group focuses on full communication.
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I used to volunteer for it. I taught Beginner II. I think there are 6 levels plus the advance ASL class taught by a hearing interpreter.
 
We have 4 ASL/Deaf Culture instructors at my college. The head of the dept. is Deaf: she teaches advanced classes and culture classes. The second is a CODA: she teaches lower level and intermediate levels, as well as classes dealing with specialized vocab, and some of the terp classes. She is also a certified terp. The 3rd is the same as myself: she has a severe toprofoundly deaf son the same age as my son, and has been signing since he was an infant. She has also worked as an educational terp. She teaches lower level classes. The 4th is an educational terp, and she also teaches lower level courses. All 4 have ASLTA certification: my school requires it.

Unfortunately, it has not always been the case here. The head of the dept. prior was hearing, was not a terp, had minimal contact with the deaf community, and was teaching PSE rather than ASL. She was also desemminating some very incorrect information regarding culture. After numerous complaints (I have to admit, several of them came from me!) an outside agency was brought in to assess the program, and that is when it was revised to the standards it now holds. Also of note is that fact that the team that performed the assessment was headed by a deaf woman. I am very happy to report that the dean took both the complaints and the assessment findings very seriously and immediately took steps to correct the deficiencies found.

This is just another example of the ways in which advocacy can help to make changes for the better.
 
Why wouldn't it be? If he or she has the qualifications and credentials why not? I heard though that from asl 201 and beyond the teacher needs to be deaf.
 
Buffalo said:
I used to volunteer for it. I taught Beginner II. I think there are 6 levels plus the advance ASL class taught by a hearing interpreter.
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There are actually over 20 volunteers for that workshop. :)
 
Bebonang said:
Hey, nobody is perfect with teaching the ASL language. Jillio is right that no matter who is teaching whether they are hearing, Deaf, or HOH. It is all accounts of how to teach properly. I try to teach the hearing students in the small college and I don't think I am that good a teacher but they are interest in learning to sign. So I gave my job as a teacher to help them understand ASL and also discuss about Deaf culture and Deaf communities. Some of them are not that interest while other students are interest. It is not a sign language class. It is more of a general class like Math, English, Study Skills, Computer Lab Studies and ASL. I only give them fifteen minutes between class times. My teacher love it and she learns a lot from me. :cool2:
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Good teachers are hard to find. If you are blessed with one, count yourself lucky. I am writing in general terms- deaf, hearing, whatever. Having a real teacher conduct your class is like finding buried treasure or winning the lottery jackpot.

Truly, teaching requires the talent to communicate clearly the subject being taught; sadly, few do that right.
 
ASL class « This Momma Wore Army Boots


The above link is a copy of a news article about the ASL class I taught to hearing parents for hearing children. I had a blast. Now that its over my kids and I are getting back to studying our cued speech. So much to study and learn! The world is our classroom!
 
AquaBlue said:
Good teachers are hard to find. If you are blessed with one, count yourself lucky. I am writing in general terms- deaf, hearing, whatever. Having a real teacher conduct your class is like finding buried treasure or winning the lottery jackpot.

Truly, teaching requires the talent to communicate clearly the subject being taught; sadly, few do that right.
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Amen to that, I think the world need to stop too much discrimination in today world. :cool2:
 
For me to accept a hearing person to teach ASL, they will have to impress me greatly, and strongly refrain from using their voices at all in class.
It is rare for a hearing person to be truly qualified to teach ASL. I know a lot of hearing people teach ASL, and its not truly ASL, I've met some 'teachers' of ASL who signed in SEE. I wished and KNEW I could take their job right then and there, but I need a degree first.

Just ask yourselves this.. Would the ASL department at Gallaudet University, the world's leading authority on ASL EVER hire a hearing person to teach ASL/Deaf Studies? I strongly say no. It would be a SLAP IN THE FACE to the deaf students of Gallaudet. Anywhere else is different.


Edit: Cued speech? what the hell?
 
Dr. Strangelove said:
For me to accept a hearing person to teach ASL, they will have to impress me greatly, and strongly refrain from using their voices at all in class.
It is rare for a hearing person to be truly qualified to teach ASL. I know a lot of hearing people teach ASL, and its not truly ASL, I've met some 'teachers' of ASL who signed in SEE. I wished and KNEW I could take their job right then and there, but I need a degree first.

Just ask yourselves this.. Would the ASL department at Gallaudet University, the world's leading authority on ASL EVER hire a hearing person to teach ASL/Deaf Studies? I strongly say no. It would be a SLAP IN THE FACE to the deaf students of Gallaudet. Anywhere else is different.


Edit: Cued speech? what the hell?
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All of my ASL teachers at Arizona State University (4 of them) were deaf. :)
 
Dr. Strangelove said:
For me to accept a hearing person to teach ASL, they will have to impress me greatly, and strongly refrain from using their voices at all in class.
It is rare for a hearing person to be truly qualified to teach ASL. I know a lot of hearing people teach ASL, and its not truly ASL, I've met some 'teachers' of ASL who signed in SEE. I wished and KNEW I could take their job right then and there, but I need a degree first.

Just ask yourselves this.. Would the ASL department at Gallaudet University, the world's leading authority on ASL EVER hire a hearing person to teach ASL/Deaf Studies? I strongly say no. It would be a SLAP IN THE FACE to the deaf students of Gallaudet. Anywhere else is different.


Edit: Cued speech? what the hell?[/QUOTE]

:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2:
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Dr. Strangelove said:
For me to accept a hearing person to teach ASL, they will have to impress me greatly, and strongly refrain from using their voices at all in class.
It is rare for a hearing person to be truly qualified to teach ASL. I know a lot of hearing people teach ASL, and its not truly ASL, I've met some 'teachers' of ASL who signed in SEE. I wished and KNEW I could take their job right then and there, but I need a degree first.

Just ask yourselves this.. Would the ASL department at Gallaudet University, the world's leading authority on ASL EVER hire a hearing person to teach ASL/Deaf Studies? I strongly say no. It would be a SLAP IN THE FACE to the deaf students of Gallaudet. Anywhere else is different.


Edit: Cued speech? what the hell?
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Sorry, was a continuation of thought on another thread. Cued speech is on my home schooling program this year for reading comprehension, but had to put it on hold in order to teach ASL class. My kids were helping me teach the ASL class so something had to give this semester. I'm not organized enough to keep that many items on their study list.
 
I have been really lucky with my ASL teachers. The first one was Deaf, but she moved to teach at Berkley. She is still a friend and we email. She was about 30 years old and a lot of fun, and very patient with us hearies. My second teacher was hearing, but she disallowed voice for ninety percent of the class time. That was in the first year. She had been all over the world working with the Deaf for most of her life, and she worked with the peace corps over seas with Deaf children. She loves the Deaf community and taught us a great deal about Deaf culture by sharing her own mistakes,, which were usually hilarious. My teacher now is Deaf, and her other job is to advocate for Deaf rights. She takes me to bonko games and such, and sometimes we just hang out. She about 53. She is wonderful and I love her, but she is so darn fluent, that her hands sometimes fly so fast that nobody, not even another Deafie can understand her. Many times at a Deaf gathering people will tell her to slow down. The one thing all of my teachers had in common was great ASL skill and love. I think that those are the most important ingredients to any teacher of any subject. Proficient skill and love for all people. Just my opnion.
 
ASL teacher must learn to turn off the voice and enforce silence of noises.

Only noises we should make is... PAH!

That will give them a true understanding of culture as whole.

That way the students will not cheat with sound from teacher and actually learns in classroom or anywhere.
 
Yup, it's ok for hearing people to be ASL teacher, even if school district cannot find deaf ASL teacher or can't get one then hearing ASL teacher would be other options.

It's better than nothing.
 
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