Question for HS ASL teachers or past students

T

TeacherK8

New Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2014
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Hello,

I am teaching my first high school level ASL class and I have a question. I am not sure if I should allow the students to use my name sign (basically my first name) or if I should just have them use my Mrs. ___________ name.

Anyone have input or experiences that can help? The class I am teaching starts in 2 weeks.

Thanks!
 
I graduated from a deaf school, we, students usually call this math teacher "Mrs. Frances Brown" as "French Brown (sign for brown color)", and that teacher did not like that name sign. There's nothing she can do to stop us. Other than that, most of us call teachers abbreviated name like MP, Tao (Teacher's last name), JP, etc.

It is up to teacher's preference to tell students to call him/her a name sign. Students in your class will follow and spread to other students. If you really have a funny last name, I strongly encourage you to not use that as your name sign. :lol: I know my teacher's last name was Butts, you know how it roll with students? Old times. :laugh2:
 
authentic said:
I graduated from a deaf school, we, students usually call this math teacher "Mrs. Frances Brown" as "French Brown (sign for brown color)", and that teacher did not like that name sign. There's nothing she can do to stop us. Other than that, most of us call teachers abbreviated name like MP, Tao (Teacher's last name), JP, etc.

It is up to teacher's preference to tell students to call him/her a name sign. Students in your class will follow and spread to other students. If you really have a funny last name, I strongly encourage you to not use that as your name sign. :lol: I know my teacher's last name was Butts, you know how it roll with students? Old times. :laugh2:
Click to expand...

Lol. I have a very standard last name, not much to find funny about it. My name sign is just the letter K and the number 8, K8. But, that's what my friends call me and I kind of want a level of respect that comes with being a teacher. These students are all hearing, so I don't even know if it matters that much...
 
I've taken ASL at all levels. HS and college and if the prof was Deaf we used a name sign and usually contacted them by their first name. If they were hearing they went by Mrs. _______. Hope that helps.
 
TeacherK8 said:
Lol. I have a very standard last name, not much to find funny about it. My name sign is just the letter K and the number 8, K8. But, that's what my friends call me and I kind of want a level of respect that comes with being a teacher. These students are all hearing, so I don't even know if it matters that much...
Click to expand...

If they're hearing, are they oral, as well? If so, why not just say it out loud? Like "Miss Smith" or "Mrs. Frances" or whatever your last name is.
 
MattB said:
If they're hearing, are they oral, as well? If so, why not just say it out loud? Like "Miss Smith" or "Mrs. Frances" or whatever your last name is.
Click to expand...

Most ASL classes are (and should be) voice-off, so that's why she's asking about how to sign (and not speak) her name.
 
TeacherK8 said:
Lol. I have a very standard last name, not much to find funny about it. My name sign is just the letter K and the number 8, K8. But, that's what my friends call me and I kind of want a level of respect that comes with being a teacher. These students are all hearing, so I don't even know if it matters that much...
Click to expand...

I think it does matter. You do want to be respected as a teacher, so I very much get your concern. I'm not sure what the K8 stands for, but how about teaching them to sign "Ms. K8" The "Ms." part will be the more professional part and not just calling you by your first name.

(Only thing I would otherwise change here in my answer is if your first name is Kate because that's what K8 sounds like, so maybe you want to change the K8 part too ..)
 
Some teachers prefers what they are called, " spelling my name or sign name." One teacher said, " call me ken." :dunno2:
 
AlleyCat said:
I think it does matter. You do want to be respected as a teacher, so I very much get your concern. I'm not sure what the K8 stands for, but how about teaching them to sign "Ms. K8" The "Ms." part will be the more professional part and not just calling you by your first name.

(Only thing I would otherwise change here in my answer is if your first name is Kate because that's what K8 sounds like, so maybe you want to change the K8 part too ..)
Click to expand...

My name sign is K8, because my first name is Kate and when I worked at a group home with SED D/deaf teenagers my partner who is deaf gave me the name sign.
 
TeacherK8 said:
My name sign is K8, because my first name is Kate and when I worked at a group home with SED D/deaf teenagers my partner who is deaf gave me the name sign.
Click to expand...

And absolutely keep the name sign. I was saying maybe go with a different sign for your ASL students if you don't want them calling you by your first name.

Suggestion: I don't know your last name, but maybe whatever initial it is, teach them "Ms. X" and shake the "X" or whatever you'd like to do with the "X" so they still have a sign name for you, but aren't forced to spell out the entire last name. It still feels like a sign name for them.
 
My opinion is it's up to you and your comfort level with your name sign. If you don't want them to use your name sign because it's too familiar to your first name, make up a class name sign for them to use. Some ASL teachers I know use the first letter of their last name while doing the sign for "teach" with one hand.
 
AlleyCat said:
And absolutely keep the name sign. I was saying maybe go with a different sign for your ASL students if you don't want them calling you by your first name.

Suggestion: I don't know your last name, but maybe whatever initial it is, teach them "Ms. X" and shake the "X" or whatever you'd like to do with the "X" so they still have a sign name for you, but aren't forced to spell out the entire last name. It still feels like a sign name for them.
Click to expand...

Creating my own name sign in this situation is okay? I'm not deaf and none of my students are deaf.
 
Some would say no because it's not following the so called "cultural rule" that a name sign has to be given by a Deaf person. You would have to decide whether or not that "rule" has to be followed. If you do then you give them your name sign. K8.

I happen to think you can have any name sign you want to use. Just as people can change or use oral nicknames of their choice, why can't name signs be the same? No one says you have to accept or use a name sign just because a Deaf person gave it to you. It's your name sign, you get to decide if it works for you. Just my opinion.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that this is a class for high school students, not adults. I would say this could depend on the school policy for addressing staff members. Have you cleared it with them to use a less formal address?

As an interpreter in various schools, I've noticed that most deaf students refer to their teachers in the classroom by signing TEACHER or pointing. Who knows what they call them outside of the classroom? :lol:

At this school, are there any deaf students?

The name sign "K8" is cute, and was given to you by a member of the deaf community, correct? Just as a matter of linguistics, that is not a name sign that follows the traditional rules. K8 represents the sounds that form "Kate." That is more of a personalized license plate or texting name formation.

In the classroom setting, I doubt that the students will be using your name that often, one way or the other. Therefor, I don't think it would be too onerous for them to spell your title and then your initial, such as "M-R-S +X."

Do make sure that you explain to them the cultural significance of sign names and how naming is done.

In lieu of sign names for the students I would suggest initials as temporary ID's. That's acceptable.
 
Reba said:
One thing to keep in mind is that this is a class for high school students, not adults. I would say this could depend on the school policy for addressing staff members. Have you cleared it with them to use a less formal address?

As an interpreter in various schools, I've noticed that most deaf students refer to their teachers in the classroom by signing TEACHER or pointing. Who knows what they call them outside of the classroom? :lol:

At this school, are there any deaf students?

The name sign "K8" is cute, and was given to you by a member of the deaf community, correct? Just as a matter of linguistics, that is not a name sign that follows the traditional rules. K8 represents the sounds that form "Kate." That is more of a personalized license plate or texting name formation.

In the classroom setting, I doubt that the students will be using your name that often, one way or the other. Therefor, I don't think it would be too onerous for them to spell your title and then your initial, such as "M-R-S +X."

Do make sure that you explain to them the cultural significance of sign names and how naming is done.

In lieu of sign names for the students I would suggest initials as temporary ID's. That's acceptable.
Click to expand...

It was given to me by a member of the Deaf community, yes. And not for the sound of my name but my signature. In the job I was working we often had to sign that we read information or completed tasks, I got tired of signing my whole name or initials so I signed K8. So thats why he gave it to me, because I kept signing K8 on all the documents.

thank you for your input
 
AlleyCat said:
Most ASL classes are (and should be) voice-off, so that's why she's asking about how to sign (and not speak) her name.
Click to expand...

Doh, I should've known that. It makes sense. I wish I took ASL classes when I was growing up. No idea why none of the adults had me take any.
 
In the Middle School (and now HS) where I work, the name signs for teachers are standardized. Basically, it's a fingerspelled "Mr(s)+First letter of last name" over the heart when in that teacher's class. Outside that particular classroom the entire last name is fingerspelled since there would be many duplicates. The students may have their own specific name signs for each teacher but they aren't used by the terps.

On a related note; I introduce myself with my full name and then my name sign which the students use, but I'm the school's computer tech and not a teacher. And for hearing students I typically go by (Mr) Dan because they mispronounce my last name anyway. So in the end it's pretty even for me. The Deaf kids use my namesign (based off my first name) and the hearing kids use my first name too but with "Mr" added
 
Back
Top