Hi,
I'm profoundly deaf and a cochlear implant recipient. I'm very interested in pursuing a Masters in Education to become a teacher, but however, I want to find out first if schools would hire me as a math or science teacher for the regular classroom of hearing students? Most schools could see me as burden because if they hire me, they would have to provide an interpreter or an assistant. So who would hire me over another candidate who's not deaf?
It's very discouraging because it is one of my greatest desires to teach. I could always go into Deaf Education but most teachers for the deaf have to be prepared to teach a wide range of subjects to a variety of kids over a range of age and various disabilities. As much as I respect and adore teachers for the Deaf, I want to teach my passion which lies in math and science and don't think I would have the patience to teach other subjects and be able to adjust my teaching style for every lesson to ensure every child has the appropriate material.
On a side note, I taught swimming for seven years at the YMCA in my hometown. While I know this is different from being in the classroom, it was challenging, but I loved it! I didn't have an interpreter but my boss was wonderful to work with. She was always helpful in situations with the parents if I couldn't catch on. It also helped with the lifeguards being there to have your back.
Thanks!
Not sure why you mentioned CI, how does that factor in? You said you would need an interpreter or assistant - they are two entirely different roles. An interpreter is usually certified (hopefully since not required in some states in k-12) whose sole role is to provide direct translation /transliteration. The assistant would assist in the instruction of the course, etc. If you requested an assistant, this is not necessarily required by the ADA however the provision of an interpreter would. Your best bet is to not mention an interpreter during the application process and if they call you for an interview, they at least have some interest in your academic knowledge and ability to teach that makes the provision of an interpreter seem secondary. You may want to consider Montessori -types of schools since they are more open to diversity. Best of luck, d
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm deaf and also a CI user. I too wonder about working in a regular school setting, and find the thought scary. However, as evident by some previous postings from this blog, it is possible.
ReplyDeleteThat said, yes teachers in deaf schools may switch around positions, but not always. I am teaching in my second deaf school. From my observations, math and science teachers tend to stay put and do not move around as much as other teachers. As a matter of fact, all of the math/science teachers in all of the schools I have taught have only taught their subjects. I believe that the main reason is because it's so hard to find replacements for these teachers; not many teachers are skilled or qualified to teach those two subjects.
At my school right now, (I teach middle school language arts), both my MS science teacher and the math teacher have only taught their subjects. Science has been teachine for 10 years and math for 20. The high school science teacher has been teaching science for over 20 years. In my other school, the high school math teacher has been teaching math at that school for about 10 years, and she has taught everything from basic math up to calculus, trig, and what ever is beyond that!
Other non-math/science teachers tend to move around because these skills are usually interchangable and therefore can teach other subjects. Even in a regular school, you would have to be able to be flexible and teach to a wide range of abilities and disabilities. The math teacher at my previous school taught math at a regular school for a few years before she moved to the deaf school. She said she prefers the deaf school because classrooms are smaller and she is able to have more one-on-one time with her students. In the regular schools with 30-40 students in a classroom, and over 100 students combined, it's not possible.
My recommendation for you is to do student teaching in both settings; a deaf school and a hearing school. I did both; both were interesting experiences. I actually liked the hearing school better than the deaf school during my student teaching, but the only reason why was because the hearing school was private and prestigious; the students were extremely bright and challenged me. The deaf school was a different experience; more of a culture shock for me. It actually turned me off of teaching in deaf education for a while, and I resisted teaching K-12 deaf ed for a long time. I recently returned (to a school that I did NOT student teach in) and it was much better. I love my students, and I love being able to be a role model for them. My school has very few deaf teachers, and my students feel a bond with me; I understand them because I have been there.
Good luck figuring out what you would like to do!
Janel Kisner
Suggested read: http://www.tc.edu/news.htm?articleID=5015
ReplyDelete-Sean
Unrelated topic:
ReplyDeleteI've nominated your blog for the Leibster award on my blog at http://speakuplibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-award-and-announcement.html.
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Happy Holidays,
Sarah