Working with a Sign Language Interpreter and a Deaf Student in Your Classroom

1
Working witha Sign Language Interpreterand a
Deaf Studentin Your Classroom

• Middle School
• August 2008

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Interpreters Name

• Years of experience as a professional sign
  language interpreter
• Years at each level (elem, middle, high)
• Education (college or how you learned to
  interpret)
• Certifications (if any)

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Deaf Student

• Name
• Age
• Type of Deafness
• Assistive Listening Devices
• Interests
• Reading skill

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American Sign Language Interpreting
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Sign Language Interpreting

• The function of the interpreter is to facilitate
  communication among the participants.
• convey all auditory information to the deaf
  participants
• convey all signed information to the hearing
  participants

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A Model of Interpreting

• Today we are going to talk about the rules in our
  suite.
• These rules are for your safety, the safety of
  your friends, and the safety of everyone.
• The first and most important rule is no
  horseplay.

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A Model of Interpreting
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Code of Professional Conduct

• Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential
  communication.
• Interpreters possess the professional skills and
  knowledge required for the specific interpreting
  situation.
• Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner
  appropriate to the specific interpreting
  situation.
• Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.
• Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues,
  interns, and students of the profession.
• Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.
  
• Interpreters engage in professional development.
• from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

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American Sign Language
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Sign Continuum
ASL CASE SEE

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Distinct grammar including word order
• Does not allow for a word-for-word translation
• A true and complete language capable of
  expressing any concept
• Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE)
• Uses concept appropriate signs to approximate
  word-for-word translation
• Not a language
• Signing Exact English (SEE)
• Used in Reading and Language Arts class
• Can allow for word-for-word translation, but not
  as easily understood by many deaf students
• Not a true language

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American Deaf Culture

• American Sign Language
• Deaf History
• Deaf Art
• Rules of interaction
• Rules for group membership

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An Interpreter in Your Classroom
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Interpreting

• Speak naturally speed and volume
• 1st 2nd person vs. 3rd person pronouns
• Time lag opportunity to answer
• Demo

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Classroom Logistics

• Interpreter Placement stand, sit, dance
• Multimedia Presentations (captioning)
• Absences Student or Interpreter
• Interruptions distractions
• Interrupt to clarify a point, repeat something
  not heard
• Interpreter as student distraction

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Teachers Role

• The teacher functions as he or she normally would
  in the classroom.
• Teaches disciplines as normal, even the deaf
  student
• Lesson Plans
• Least one week in advance of the lesson
• Include goals, assignments with page numbers,
  videos, handouts
• Please notify the interpreter of all schedule
  changes field trips, assemblies, room changes,
  morning announcements

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A Deaf Student in Your Classroom
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Considerations

• Speak at a natural pace and volume, facing the
  class as much as possible (lipreading)
• Multimedia Presentations captions, lighting,
  seating
• Eye/mind fatigue
• Environmental noise
• Seating
• Walking around while teaching

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Teaching a Deaf Student

• Write assignments and announcements on the board
• Write proper names, vocabulary, formulas,
  equations, foreign terms on the board
• Try to repeat or rephrase questions to and from
  the class before responding
• If students are expected to take notes in class,
  find someone who has good notes to make copies
• Some activities require modifications

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Modifications/Accommodations

• Sign Language Interpreter
• Preferential Seating
• Provide copies of material/notes
• Extended Time (assignments tests)
• Abbreviated assignments concepts
• Study guide
• Read/Sign test items
• Calculator/manipulatives

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Signs to Learn
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Spelling Name Signs

• INTERPRETERS NAME SIGN
• STUDENTS NAME SIGN

Signs on this and the following slides taken from
Clip and Create CD-ROM.
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Necessities

• WORK
• LUNCH

• WATER
• BATHROOM

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Manners

• PLEASE
• THANK YOU

• GOOD
• BAD

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Emergency

• FIRE
• HURT

• DONT
• FINISHED

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Deaf Awareness Quiz

• 10 Questions
• American Sign Language
• American Deaf Culture

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American Sign Language is used by Deaf people in
which countries?

• Choose All That Apply
• a) Canada
• b) United States
• c) Mexico
• d) England

Choose All That Apply a) Canada b) United
States
Answers A B
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What percent of Deaf people have Deaf parents?

• 10 percent
• 25 percent
• 50 percent
• 75 percent

• 10 percent

Answer A
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Most children learn ASL Deaf Culture from

• Family
• Deaf adults in the community
• Residential Schools for the Deaf
• Sign Language Teachers

• Residential Schools for the Deaf

Answer C
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The role of facial expressions, head movements
and eye gaze in ASL is primarily

• Grammatical
• Stylistic
• Emotive
• Attention getting

• Grammatical

Answer A
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While watching another person sign, it is
appropriate to focus on the signers

• Hands
• Chest area
• Face

• Face

Answer C
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To get the attention of a Deaf person who is
looking the other way, you should

• Yell as loud as you can
• Tap him/her on the shoulder
• Wave in his/her face
• Go around and stand in front of the person

• Tap him/her on the shoulder

Answer B
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If your path is blocked by two signers conversing
with each other you should

• Go ahead and walk through

• Wait until they stop talking before you pass
  through
• Bend down very low in order to avoid passing
  through their signing space
• Go ahead and walk through
• Find another path

Answer C
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Which of the following are considered rude by
Deaf people?

• Choose 2 answers
• a) Touching a person to get attention
• b) Looking at a signed conversation without
  indicating you know Sign Language
• c) Describing a distinctive feature of a person
  to identify him/her
• d) Talking without signing in the presence of
  Deaf people

Choose 2 answers b) Looking at a signed
conversation without indicating you know Sign
Language d) Talking without signing in the
presence of Deaf people
Answers B D
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In general, the least effective communication
strategy between Deaf and hearing people is

• Speech and lip-reading
• Using Sign Language
• Writing back and forth
• Using interpreters

• Speech and lip-reading

Answer A
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Other than the word Deaf, a culturally
appropriate way to identify Deaf people would be

• Deaf and dumb
• Deaf mutes
• Hearing impaired
• All of the above
• None of the above

• None of the above

Answer E
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Additional Information

• TSD www.tsdeaf.org
• Tennessee School for the Deaf
• RID www.rid.org
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
• NAD www.nad.org
• National Association of the Deaf
• NETAC www.netac.rit.edu
• Northeast Technical Assistance Center
• PEPNet www.pepnet.org
• Postsecondary Education Programs Network

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Contact Information

• My supervisor (for praises, complaints, absences,
  etc.)
• phone number, email

Please include Suite/team phone number!