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MiamiHerald.com | 09/24/2006 | Class bridges language barrier between hearing and deaf in families
A TEACHER AT THE PARENT ACADEMY HELPS HEARING PUPILS UNDERSTAND DEAF CULTURE AND THEIR RELATIVES
JohnPaul Jebian raises his hands and waves them back and forth, as if he were taunting a crowd. Instead, he is teaching students at G. Holmes Braddock High's Parent Academy how deaf people clap.
''You guys have great facial expressions,'' Jebian told his class. ``Facial expressions are very important when you are signing so people can understand what you are talking about.''
''If not, you might as well have a piece of paper in [front of] your face,'' he added.
Jebian, 35, is a deaf instructor who teaches American sign language and the culture of the deaf community. The classes are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday nights through Dec. 19 at the high school at 3601 SW 147th Ave.
Although being taught by a deaf teacher can be a challenge because he often has to explain himself over and over, his students believe it is an asset to have him lead the class. Jebian usually has an aide who interprets what he is signing and it is often his niece, Jennifer Kilzi, a junior at Braddock.
''It is usually harder, but that's the best way,'' said student Dina McAndrew, who began taking Jebian's class when he taught at Miami Dade College and followed him to Braddock. ``If there were a country you could be completely submerged in the language, that would be great. But since there isn't a place like that, the next best thing is learning from a deaf teacher.''
Most people in the class are learning because they want to communicate with a family member or friend.
Sitting eagerly in the front row is Lucy Seife, of West Miami-Dade, her sister Consuelo Hidalgo, her father and nephew. Seife's deaf niece, Carolina, 19, wants her family to learn how to sign. Carolina Hidalgo was the first deaf student to graduate from Braddock.
Although Seife knows how to sign by spelling out letters to words, she does not know the signs for words.
''My communication is bad,'' Seife said. ``Caro gets bored because she can't communicate with us when we are together.''
''I'm learning for her,'' she added.
Gianfranco Chacon, 10, has a cousin in Costa Rica who is deaf.
''I only know a few words,'' he said. ``And, plus, it's fun.''
Whatever their personal reason for attending, Jebian hopes to make a difference by being a role model for deaf children and deaf parents.
''I owe everything I have done to my parents,'' Jebian said. ``When I was a baby in Venezuela, they labeled me as mentally retarded, but my parents believed in me.''
''They dropped their business and came to the United States with nothing to help me get an education,'' Jebian said.
Jebian said it is unacceptable that 97 percent of parents in the United States don't know how to communicate with their deaf children. Through his class at the Parent Academy at Braddock and teaching Braddock students during the day, Jebian mentors deaf parents and deaf children.
''Since he works as a teacher at Braddock he recognized the need and brought it to our attention,'' said Sandy Moise, dean of the Parent Academy at Miami Dade County Public Schools. ``He's very energetic and very passionate about helping children and their parents.''
In addition to teaching expressions, the alphabet and words, Jebian teaches his students about the deaf community. Jebian said there are many stereotypes about the deaf community.
His biggest pet peeve is when someone calls him hearing impaired.
''We are not impaired; we are deaf,'' he said. ``And although we are deaf, we are not mute, sound does come from our mouth.''
''I have my way of talking and you have yours,'' he said.
If the class continues to have high attendence, the Parent Academy will consider adding a class in the north end of the county.
''We've been getting calls from north end of the county that it is too far for them,'' Moise said. ``I'm pleasantly surprised with the amount of interest.''
If you are interested in the class, send an e-mail to jjebian@dadeschools.net or visit the The Parent Academy.
A TEACHER AT THE PARENT ACADEMY HELPS HEARING PUPILS UNDERSTAND DEAF CULTURE AND THEIR RELATIVES
JohnPaul Jebian raises his hands and waves them back and forth, as if he were taunting a crowd. Instead, he is teaching students at G. Holmes Braddock High's Parent Academy how deaf people clap.
''You guys have great facial expressions,'' Jebian told his class. ``Facial expressions are very important when you are signing so people can understand what you are talking about.''
''If not, you might as well have a piece of paper in [front of] your face,'' he added.
Jebian, 35, is a deaf instructor who teaches American sign language and the culture of the deaf community. The classes are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday nights through Dec. 19 at the high school at 3601 SW 147th Ave.
Although being taught by a deaf teacher can be a challenge because he often has to explain himself over and over, his students believe it is an asset to have him lead the class. Jebian usually has an aide who interprets what he is signing and it is often his niece, Jennifer Kilzi, a junior at Braddock.
''It is usually harder, but that's the best way,'' said student Dina McAndrew, who began taking Jebian's class when he taught at Miami Dade College and followed him to Braddock. ``If there were a country you could be completely submerged in the language, that would be great. But since there isn't a place like that, the next best thing is learning from a deaf teacher.''
Most people in the class are learning because they want to communicate with a family member or friend.
Sitting eagerly in the front row is Lucy Seife, of West Miami-Dade, her sister Consuelo Hidalgo, her father and nephew. Seife's deaf niece, Carolina, 19, wants her family to learn how to sign. Carolina Hidalgo was the first deaf student to graduate from Braddock.
Although Seife knows how to sign by spelling out letters to words, she does not know the signs for words.
''My communication is bad,'' Seife said. ``Caro gets bored because she can't communicate with us when we are together.''
''I'm learning for her,'' she added.
Gianfranco Chacon, 10, has a cousin in Costa Rica who is deaf.
''I only know a few words,'' he said. ``And, plus, it's fun.''
Whatever their personal reason for attending, Jebian hopes to make a difference by being a role model for deaf children and deaf parents.
''I owe everything I have done to my parents,'' Jebian said. ``When I was a baby in Venezuela, they labeled me as mentally retarded, but my parents believed in me.''
''They dropped their business and came to the United States with nothing to help me get an education,'' Jebian said.
Jebian said it is unacceptable that 97 percent of parents in the United States don't know how to communicate with their deaf children. Through his class at the Parent Academy at Braddock and teaching Braddock students during the day, Jebian mentors deaf parents and deaf children.
''Since he works as a teacher at Braddock he recognized the need and brought it to our attention,'' said Sandy Moise, dean of the Parent Academy at Miami Dade County Public Schools. ``He's very energetic and very passionate about helping children and their parents.''
In addition to teaching expressions, the alphabet and words, Jebian teaches his students about the deaf community. Jebian said there are many stereotypes about the deaf community.
His biggest pet peeve is when someone calls him hearing impaired.
''We are not impaired; we are deaf,'' he said. ``And although we are deaf, we are not mute, sound does come from our mouth.''
''I have my way of talking and you have yours,'' he said.
If the class continues to have high attendence, the Parent Academy will consider adding a class in the north end of the county.
''We've been getting calls from north end of the county that it is too far for them,'' Moise said. ``I'm pleasantly surprised with the amount of interest.''
If you are interested in the class, send an e-mail to jjebian@dadeschools.net or visit the The Parent Academy.