Do we need hearing teachers in deaf ed at all?

[flip]

I am reading a book about cultural differences, and it hit me that the biggest difference between a hearing and deaf teacher is what culture they belong to. Hearing people can become fluent in ASL, but they are still part of the american culture. Deaf teachers often belong to the deaf culture. Cultures have different ways to get to a conclusion. The mind simply works different in people belonging to different cultures, though results are the same. Everything from logical thinking, identy and understanding of time is different from culture to culture. The american mainstream culture is a "I do not belong to a culture, I am indepedent, what happens in the future?" culture, for example.

The nature of ASL and how content is expressed are influencing the deaf culture. With this is mind, wouldn't a teacher who do not understand how to make statements in the deaf way, and randomly gets puzzled at how students expresses themselves, have a big disability in educational settings? Deaf teachers would be superior?

 

[shel90]

My friend did some research and discovered that Deaf teachers are able to identify the gaps in the students' learning. I will have to ask her for it.

However, if u say that is the case, then what about CODAs becoming teachers? They were born using ASL ...just wondering.

 

[flip]

My friend did some research and discovered that Deaf teachers are able to identify the gaps in the students' learning. I will have to ask her for it.

However, if u say that is the case, then what about CODAs becoming teachers? They were born using ASL ...just wondering.

The term "hearing" and "deaf" is not very accurate, but to generalize and use similar traits in a majority I divide into deaf and hearing. CODAS often lack the experience of deaf school, the mother of modern deaf culture, or becoming adult with deaf friends, so it's not all the same. I am not saying that hearing teachers can't teach deaf students, but I am asking if it's possible to generalize to a degree, and say that deaf teachers are superior over hearing teachers in deaf ed? In the fifties everyone belived hearing teachers was superior in deaf ed, but perhaps it's the other way?

 

[flip]

My friend did some research and discovered that Deaf teachers are able to identify the gaps in the students' learning. I will have to ask her for it.

Wow, that sounds like a very important skill! Curious why hearing teachers can't identify the gaps?

 

[Hermes]

I am asking this to understand it better: Are you saying deaf teachers should teach ASL and related subject, or are you saying all teachers should be deaf regardless of the subject?

-

 

[shel90]

Wow, that sounds like a very important skill! Curious why hearing teachers can't identify the gaps?

I will have to ask my friend for that research so we can see what the reasons were..BTW..my friend who did the research is a hearing Deaf ed teacher and she even agreed with that research. Dang!

 

[jillio]

Wow, that sounds like a very important skill! Curious why hearing teachers can't identify the gaps?

Seeing it from a different perspective than the deaf, even though they are fluent in ASL. It is language combined with the experience of having been a deaf child.

 

[faire_jour]

What about deaf people who grew up oral or mainstreamed? They don't have the collective experience of a Deaf school, should they be disallowed as well? What about CI users? Late deafened?

 

[Daredevel7]

I just need to clarify. When you say Deaf Education, are we talking about classes that are taught in ASL only? I don't see the need for hearing people for this. I understand the concept of BiBi but am not sure about the specifications of it, as in is Biology in high school taught in ASL only and there is a class solely for speech therapy? I don't think it's possible for a deaf person to be a speech therapist or at least if the job involves correcting the speech, unless I'm missing something.

HOWEVER, I don't think it is wise to automatically dismiss a potential teacher based on the fact they can hear, because you are reducing the pool of people for Deaf Education. Deaf people are STILL a minority, so if they hire deaf people only, doesn't that reduce options?

 

[shel90]

I just need to clarify. When you say Deaf Education, are we talking about classes that are taught in ASL only? I don't see the need for hearing people for this. I understand the concept of BiBi but am not sure about the specifications of it, as in is Biology in high school taught in ASL only and there is a class solely for speech therapy? I don't think it's possible for a deaf person to be a speech therapist or at least if the job involves correcting the speech, unless I'm missing something.

HOWEVER, I don't think it is wise to automatically dismiss a potential teacher based on the fact they can hear, because you are reducing the pool of people for Deaf Education. Deaf people are STILL a minority, so if they hire deaf people only, isn't that scraping on the bottom of the barrel?

I agree..

 

[jillio]

I just need to clarify. When you say Deaf Education, are we talking about classes that are taught in ASL only? I don't see the need for hearing people for this. I understand the concept of BiBi but am not sure about the specifications of it, as in is Biology in high school taught in ASL only and there is a class solely for speech therapy? I don't think it's possible for a deaf person to be a speech therapist or at least if the job involves correcting the speech, unless I'm missing something.

HOWEVER, I don't think it is wise to automatically dismiss a potential teacher based on the fact they can hear, because you are reducing the pool of people for Deaf Education. Deaf people are STILL a minority, so if they hire deaf people only, isn't that scraping on the bottom of the barrel?

It would narrow the choice, but it wouldn't be scaping the bottom of the barrell. That is an idiom meaning "the worst of the worst."

But I agree that no teacher that is qualified and able to educate a child should be turned down because of their hearing status. Deaf or hearing.

 

[shezzbeav]

From my experience, I've had hearing teachers ALL my life. I only had Deaf teachers teach my class for a day or a couple hours - that wasn't long enough, but I was able to gain access to various Deaf role models, and to this day, I still look up to them

Anyways, back on topic...

When I was on teaching practicum, my supervising teachers noticed that I was able to identify student's strengths and weaknesses quickly - they said that surprised them as the previous practicum students took a while to identify. What you guys have said above is true.

A hearing teacher can be a ToD as long they have a prior knowledge of Auslan (in my case, as I'm from Australia), the deaf culture and is involved with the Deaf community - that's what I strongly believe. If a hearing teacher has none of those valued knowledge, then how would he/she be a good ToD?

I work at a high school part time as an Auslan Language Model (similar to language assistant), and there is a CODA who is a ToD - she is an excellent ToD and has extensive knowledge of Auslan, deaf culture and deaf community. She would be an excellent example to all other hearing ToDs.

 

[shel90]

It would narrow the choice, but it wouldn't be scaping the bottom of the barrell. That is an idiom meaning "the worst of the worst."

But I agree that no teacher that is qualified and able to educate a child should be turned down because of their hearing status. Deaf or hearing.

Ooopss..so I agreed that I am the worst of the worst when I agreed to that statement. I was distracted by my son when I replied and didnt realized the meaning of scratching the bottom of the barrell. Yea, that is not how it goes.

 

[Daredevel7]

Ooopss..so I agreed that I am the worst of the worst when I agreed to that statement. I was distracted by my son when I replied and didnt realized the meaning of scratching the bottom of the barrell. Yea, that is not how it goes.

I think you guys know that's not what I meant.... I'll change it. I meant reduced options. I didn't know that it meant for least efficient people.

 

[shel90]

I think you guys know that's not what I meant.... I'll change it. I meant reduced options. I didn't know that it meant for least efficient people.

No offense taken. I figured that wasnt u meant.

I have many hearing coworkers who are good teachers in Deaf ed...as long as they recognize that deaf children are like any children and do not need special education services designed for children with cognitive processing disorders. Just need more visual representatives of the lessons that's all.

 

[ClearSky]

I knew a girl who did not have good oral skills at the time, but she did not know sign language. We were an oral class, and some of use would sit around the table to discuss a paper or story we wrote. The girl would talk to the hearing teacher about the paper. The hearing teacher had a hard time understanding her while I understood what the girl said.

 

[shel90]

I knew a girl who did not have good oral skills at the time, but she did not know sign language. We were an oral class, and some of use would sit around the table to discuss a paper or story we wrote. The girl would talk to the hearing teacher about the paper. The hearing teacher had a hard time understanding her while I understood what the girl said.

I have noticed the same as well...when we get new students in our program who do not know ASL and have poor speech skills, the hearing teachers struggle to understand them but most of the deaf staff do not. I think it is cuz hearing teachers do not read lips and rely on solely the auditory input and with their speech not being clear, of course, they will struggle to communicate with these students. For us, deaf staff, we are so used to lipreading different kinds of mouth movements, we do not have struggles.

I forgot about that issue...interesting, isnt it?

 

[jillio]

I think you guys know that's not what I meant.... I'll change it. I meant reduced options. I didn't know that it meant for least efficient people.

I was correcting you in a teasing manner. Shel and I knew what you meant, but someone else might not. Didn't want you to get into trouble with anyone for using that phrase at another time like that.

 

[jillio]

Ooopss..so I agreed that I am the worst of the worst when I agreed to that statement. I was distracted by my son when I replied and didnt realized the meaning of scratching the bottom of the barrell. Yea, that is not how it goes.

Yeah, I got a chuckle out of it when I read your post, cuz I know you wouldn't agree to being the worst of the worst!

 

[Juana29]

hi guys, great thread by the way... I'm sorry I don't write to much because I'm still learning about Deaf Culture and education. For me it is very interesting all the things that you say because my goal is to become someday teacher for deaf kids... I am hearing and english is not my first language, I'm in my second month learning ASL. Eventhough I am a preschool teacher with almost 10 years of experience, I believe I have to learn much more about deaf ed. and how to become the best teacher I can... keep going with this kind of threads, It is very helpfull!!