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ChelEler

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How do you feel when someone (with no experience w/ deaf/HoH) come up to you and ask you questions about your deafness? Do you feel insulted, or helpful, or glad that that someone's learning/curious about you and other deafies?

If someone else know very little sign language and s/he want to communicate with you in sign language, are you willing to help that person out, or ignore that person? What if that person is really motivated to learn more sign language, are you willing to help or not? Do you feel a lot of patience in yourself by teaching that person same sign over and over or do you feel frustrated?

How do you feel when someone asks you "How does your deafness affect your learning process?" One of my students asked me that and I wasn't sure how to answer that because I grew up deaf and went with the flow in learning almost everything I can learn about. I didn't feel like that the deafness is affecting me at all.
 
I have countless questions in my mind, that my students have already asked me. These questions are the toughest ones I have heard, and I'm curious about what your responses are.
 
Originally posted by ChelEler
How do you feel when someone (with no experience w/ deaf/HoH) come up to you and ask you questions about your deafness? Do you feel insulted, or helpful, or glad that that someone's learning/curious about you and other deafies?
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It doesn't really insult me. I like it when people are curious about my deafness. However, it would also depend on the situation. If they came up to me at the wrong time, I would probably feel awkward. If they asked it the wrong way and I feel that it was given inappropriately, I won't answer. Otherwise, I'd be happy to explain to them.
Originally posted by ChelEler
If someone else know very little sign language and s/he want to communicate with you in sign language, are you willing to help that person out, or ignore that person? What if that person is really motivated to learn more sign language, are you willing to help or not? Do you feel a lot of patience in yourself by teaching that person same sign over and over or do you feel frustrated?
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I have a lot of patience when it comes to teaching sign language. I'd gladly help anyone if they had as much patience as I have.
Originally posted by ChelEler
How do you feel when someone asks you "How does your deafness affect your learning process?" One of my students asked me that and I wasn't sure how to answer that because I grew up deaf and went with the flow in learning almost everything I can learn about. I didn't feel like that the deafness is affecting me at all.
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I'd be a bit offended. That is like asking, "If you're deaf, does that mean you're slow?" I might answer them and clear it up... but most of the time, I'd be like, "Eh? Nah, if it affected my learning process, would I be in this class with you?"
 
Interesting answers, Vamp.

I have never thought that the question "How does your deafness affect your learning process?" as "If you're deaf, does that mean you're slow?" Umm... maybe I can give my student some time to write down what they think of that question before I actually answer it. Will that sound challenging? Help me out some more, if you can? I'll appreciate that.
 
Originally posted by ChelEler
Interesting answers, Vamp.

I have never thought that the question "How does your deafness affect your learning process?" as "If you're deaf, does that mean you're slow?" Umm... maybe I can give my student some time to write down what they think of that question before I actually answer it. Will that sound challenging? Help me out some more, if you can? I'll appreciate that.
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That sounds like a better idea. That is probably the most offensive question anyone can use. On the other hand, you can answer it like he asked you. If it's a stupid question, give a stupid answer. If someone asks you that question, you can say "you're here with me, aren't you?"
 
My friend started a lesson on ASL for his class, and a person asked him "So, are deaf people drug users?" Sometimes ppl can be so stupid. I have had ppl ask me "You can drive?! But... howwwwww?!"

I think that would be an excellent idea to have the students write their thoughts about questions, and to share with the class. Important thing to do: do not imply anything in an accusatory tone. Just discuss things in a calm manner, nobody likes being accused.

You can always bring videos to the class or guest speakers, to make them see the differences. Like they cant stereotype deaf ppl based on their impressions from you. You can also ask about hearing ppl, like if "how does your hearing affect your learning process?" They will just be quiet and be like I dont know. Then you can say "That is the same way how I feel, I never really thought about my deafness affecting my learning process." I sometimes turn the table on the question back to them, to make them learn about their own identity too.
 
I have had some guest speakers up already and the class seemed to enjoy that very much. I even showed them videotapes of different signers and they noticed that not everyone is the same (I hope).

Thank you for your feedback, and I welcome more if anyone have any more thoughts. Thanks again.
 
I had a class last Spring, Psychology of Perception. The professor was discussing on how people use their ears to determine where specific sounds were coming from. She would have various students come sit at the front of the class with their eyes closed and make noise while that student would point out where the noise was coming from. The professor then said, "Any of you 'deaf NTID students' want to come up to the front?" Jeez, we're RIT students! Secondly, it's considered an insult for many of us.
 
my answer

I will very glad if someone asks me about deadness...that's very important...that people know about deafness...

someone wanted that I would teach him sign language (of Israel), I was happy to teach him sign language, actually, this was very fun!
:boink:
 
Originally posted by ChelEler
:evil: That's not very nice of the professor. Why did s/he do that for?
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She's asian and from Asia. She is the Dean of the Psychology Department and I'm shocked that someone of her status acts like this.
 
How do you feel when someone (with no experience w/ deaf/HoH) come up to you and ask you questions about your deafness? Do you feel insulted, or helpful, or glad that that someone's learning/curious about you and other deafies?
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I dont feel insulted. I feel helpful and glad that they want to learn from us. Its good to have ppl that are interesting in us. Aint that right?

If someone else know very little sign language and s/he want to communicate with you in sign language, are you willing to help that person out, or ignore that person? What if that person is really motivated to learn more sign language, are you willing to help or not? Do you feel a lot of patience in yourself by teaching that person same sign over and over or do you feel frustrated?
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Yea im willing ot help that person. As long they dont something bad to others with it. Hey Im a patience guy. I feel more glad to help that person to get it right. Ill teach them what I know. (still trying to learn some more :o unless you all willing to teach me) :)

How do you feel when someone asks you "How does your deafness affect your learning process?" One of my students asked me that and I wasn't sure how to answer that because I grew up deaf and went with the flow in learning almost everything I can learn about. I didn't feel like that the deafness is affecting me at all.
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Hmm thats kinda insult but Ill accept it and say that it doesnt effect me at all. I learn like you hearies do. We are like you but one problem we cant hear. We accept the challenge. Try covering your ears with tissue and go around trying to understand what the teacher say. We go thru that but we learn how to understand. Cool aint it? (told my nephew's friend and they said "man you guys go thru all that? Thats hard) :)
 
Maybe I should make these students wear a glass helmet all the way to the neck and sealed (with air pumping in to breath) and then have them communicate with each other... see how they feel being deaf... (you can see through glass, but you can't hear through glass concept). ;) Maybe that should help them understand how I feel about being deaf. :dunno: What do you think?
 
What's wrong with kids asking questions? Except if they're annoying like repeating why over and over.

They just want to learn...so do those hearing people...be grateful that you could have the correct information to provide instead of letting them guessing what it's like. Remember when you were a kid...if someone ignored your questions....you would tend to make up your own misleadign informations which could be corrected in later life. But for those hearing people...those corrections would be tough to break through what they have already figured out.
 
Originally posted by ChelEler
How do you feel when someone (with no experience w/ deaf/HoH) come up to you and ask you questions about your deafness? Do you feel insulted, or helpful, or glad that that someone's learning/curious about you and other deafies?

It greatly depends on situation. In response to their sarcasm, I would just walk away and ignore those ignorants. In their sincere desire to know why, I would have explained how I became deaf.

If someone else know very little sign language and s/he want to communicate with you in sign language, are you willing to help that person out, or ignore that person? What if that person is really motivated to learn more sign language, are you willing to help or not? Do you feel a lot of patience in yourself by teaching that person same sign over and over or do you feel frustrated?

It greatly depends on their attitude and motivation. I often warned them that it do take practice and patience. I would start teaching alphabet as a "Trailer" in analyzing on how desirable they wanted to learn, then to determine whether I should continue or not. As to repeating the teaching, I have had a lot of patience because I know how hard it is to learn a new language, not sure which one is right one or not.

How do you feel when someone asks you "How does your deafness affect your learning process?" One of my students asked me that and I wasn't sure how to answer that because I grew up deaf and went with the flow in learning almost everything I can learn about. I didn't feel like that the deafness is affecting me at all.

I often answered "How did you learn to read?" then support with second statement "I learned the same way."
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Originally posted by SilenceGold
What's wrong with kids asking questions? Except if they're annoying like repeating why over and over.

They just want to learn...so do those hearing people...be grateful that you could have the correct information to provide instead of letting them guessing what it's like. Remember when you were a kid...if someone ignored your questions....you would tend to make up your own misleadign informations which could be corrected in later life. But for those hearing people...those corrections would be tough to break through what they have already figured out.
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FYI: Some of my students are much older than I am. :o Some of them are college students, some of them are local/surrounding residents who are interested in taking ASL to learn to communicate with these people who knows sign language in community.
 
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