I Feel Like a Creepy Stalker Sometimes

My job as an itinerant teacher makes me feel as if I am a creepy stalker sometimes.

• I often work behind the scenes and fly under the radar as I observe students and teachers.

• I will show up unannounced, paying students and teachers surprise visits.

• I often "run into" the students and teachers I work with in the hallways.

• I will call, text, and email administrators and parents several times, until I finally hear back from them. I just want to talk to them or meet with them, that's all. 

• Sometimes students and teachers will see me peeking in through the window or through the crack of the open classroom door. 

• Sometimes my students will turn around and there I am, scaring the living daylights out of them. 

• My students are always surprised at how much I know about them. They suspiciously ask me where I get my information.

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Worst Kind of Room For a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Person

The worst room for a deaf and hard of hearing person to be in, if they have to communicate with many others using their auditory skills, would be a non-carpeted large room with super high ceilings. It would be even worse if the room has large windows facing a busy street. Oh wait, it would be even worse if there was also a noisy air conditioner unit that comes on frequently acting as a giant white noise generator. Actually, the only thing I can think of that would be much, much worse would be a typical school cafeteria.

Why would high ceilings and no carpet (or rugs) be bad?

• Voices echoes in these types of rooms, distorting the way people sound, making it harder for those with hearing losses to follow.

• It would be much noisier as sounds bounce off the walls instead of absorbing into carpets, wall hangings, or any other type of good sound absorption materials

These are things to consider if you are going to set up a workshop, class, or project that requires many people to participate in, and you know that a deaf or hard of hearing person will be attending. If you did not know or if they did not contact you to let you know, don't feel bad, it is the deaf or hard of hearing person's fault. If they start complaining, even after you ask what you can do to help, tell them that they should have contacted you first.

I have learned the hard way by just showing up at random workshops or classes I signed up for. I often forget that it is best to try to contact the teachers or presenters beforehand to inform them.

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Related Post:

• School Cafeteria Noise

Bad Lip Reader Video. Watch! It is Hilarious.

My friend, Dan, shared this video on Facebook. It is from BadLipReading where they attempt to interpret music videos; failing miserably, producing hilarious results.

It is better if you mute it. It really does look like she is saying "chicken". 

Rebecca Black's "Friday":



You can find the original lyrics here: http://www.directlyrics.com/rebecca-black-friday-lyrics.html

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Communicating With the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

I think it is important for the general public to be aware of communication issues many deaf and hard of hearing people often deal with. I think it is so important, that I will include here a list of all the posts I have written that are about these issues.

I encourage you to leave comments sharing your experiences and thoughts.

• He Needs an Interpreter? But, He Speaks Really Well!

• Being Tired and Stressed Makes it More Difficult to Hear

• Conversational Delay

• It is Clarity, Not Volume, that Matters

• Don't Look at the Interpreter, Look at Me

• You Never Listen

• Oh, You Have a Hearing Loss? OK, WELL, AS I WAS SAYING. .

• Communicating in a Foreign Country

• People With Typical Hearing Can Learn a Thing or Two From People With Deafness

• Beat Them to the Punch

• I Am Not Ignoring You!

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Don't Strive to Be Perfect

Striving to be perfect all of the time can bring unnecessary stress, grief, and a sense of failure.

When I am with my students, I do not expect them to quickly answer the questions and get every single answer correct. Not because I am not grading them, but because getting all of the answers right is not very important to me. I only want my students to show me that they have a good understanding of the concepts taught to them. I want to see them take the time to think and ask questions. I want to see real learning take place, not just memorization.

I came across a website for home schooled high school students where a teacher did an excellent job explaining the importance of mastery of a concept, not perfection. She said:

When I subtract a purchase in my checkbook, I don’t always get the answer perfectly right.  Sometimes I slip up, get the answer wrong, and have to search until I find the arithmetic error so that it balances again.  And yet, I really do believe I have achieved mastery over subtraction!

Mastery is different than perfection. Your child may demonstrate mastery by scoring 90% on an assignment (they may even have mastery with less than that, I suppose!)  They shouldn’t be required to be “perfect” though.  Now, to be honest, I did have my children correct all their math errors in their daily work.  When they got it wrong, they corrected it.  Like you, I was hoping that the tediousness of correcting would encourage them to be more careful in their daily work.  Being careful is a good thing, right?  Just don’t go from “careful” into “perfection.”  Striving for perfection can cause strife, and possibly rebellion.  Because we all know, intuitively, that we simply can’t be perfect.

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No Grading Here

One thing I really like about my job as an itinerant teacher is that I don't give out grades. I basically set a goal or more for each student and work with them until they are able to master it on their own. Some goals are about developing social and advocacy skills, some are academic, and some are about improving their language skills. I don't test them to see if they will get an 'A' or a 'B'. I am not looking for them to get 100%. If they accurately solve the problem 80% or more for a certain number of times or if it is obvious that they fully understand the concept taught to them, then they are ready to move on.

I like it because there is no pressure for the student to earn good grades and to compete with others for good grades. They know they have this goal we set for them and they just have to keep practicing until they master it. They can not move on to more challenging and interesting goals until they are able to master the basics.

However, I always wonder how well it is carrying over into class or even outside of school where there seems to be an obsession with grades and scores.

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I'm Stinky? What?

(Repost, as requested) 

I thought one of my students said, "You are a little stinky."

I thought to myself, "What?! I took a shower this morning! How can I smell bad?!" I inconspicuously sniffed my armpits and then asked her to repeat herself.

She said, "Glue on my little pinky." (Indicating that she got glue on her little pinky)

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Weird Phrases I Thought I Heard

When you have a hearing loss, you will often find yourself hearing the strangest things.

Here is a short list of bizarre phrases I thought I heard:

1. "Watch out for the Mexican drug lords."

      Actually said: "Watch for it next to the drug store."

2. "You are a little stinky."

      Actually said: "Glue on my little pinky." 

3. "I want to stuff diamonds up my nose." 

      Actually said: I have no idea, but I am sure this person did not say this.

4. "Brooms weird me out."

      Actually said: "Soon, we'll go out."

5. "This rotten shoe is yummy." 

      Actually said: "Chris often glued his money." (which is equally weird)

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Related Post:

I'm Stinky? What?

Finangle? You Must Mean Finagle

It is funny how I hear certain words pronounced. Usually, what I hear is wrong, especially if it is a word I don't often hear people use or if I don't see it in print.

The other day I was talking to a friend about trying to plan to do something with her that day.

I said, "Maybe we can finangle something."

She laughed and said, "You mean finagle?"

"Oh, like bagel?" I replied. 

I don't even know if how I used the word made any sense.

I Googled the word finangle, and found it on Urban Dictionary. It is obviously a made up word. I don't think you will find it in a traditional dictionary. But, it is funny that this word even exists. According to Urban Dictionary, it means something sexual. You can look it up there, if you wish to find out what it actually means.

For the longest time, I articulated the 's' sound of the word, Illinois. I did not know that the 's' is silent. I can't hear 's' sounds. Looking at how it is written, I assumed that one would sound out the 's'.

What are some words that you mispronounced for a long time, before someone finally corrected you?

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Shamrock Stickers + Hearing Aid = Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I completely forgot that it was Saint Patrick's Day today and did not wear any green. Other people, mainly students, pointed out this fact. This went on all morning as I traveled to different schools and visited different classrooms. Everywhere I went, I was constantly reminded that I was not wearing green. One of my students attempted to pinch me! I felt as if I was being harassed all morning.

So, I went out and bought some small Saint Patrick's Day related stickers and put them on my hearing aid and my teacher's badge.

Later on in the day, when others start to scold me for forgetting to wear green, I showed them my hearing aid so they can leave me alone.

Don't get me wrong, I love Saint Patrick's Day. If I were in NYC, I would be watching the parade. Instead, since I am nowhere near NYC, I will celebrate in my own way drinking green soda while watching the silly Leprechaun horror movies I love so much. They crack me up.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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*Stickers from Hallmark, 'The Simpsons'

Related Post: 

• Leprechaun Hearing Aid Wishes You a Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Think About How You Like to Learn

I recently took a sewing class where I learned to use a sewing machine. I had a really hard time with it and made a lot of mistakes and was slow to understand certain concepts. But, the teacher was very patient and caring and made the process less frustrating for me. If she was annoyed with me, she never showed it. I really appreciated that. I try to remember this as I work with my students helping them learn new concepts or skills.

When teaching a student a new concept, think about how you like to be taught. It helps to think about what it must be like for him or her. Don't forget that every student is different. They have different abilities, personalities, backgrounds, and families. Realize that some of them may be going through a tough time. Some of them may not be as quick as others to grasp certain concepts. Some may have special needs.

It helps to think about trying to learn a new concept and how you would like it taught to you, depending on your abilities, personality, and situation you are currently in.

Let's say you need to learn how to make an apple pie, because you would like to be a pastry chef one day. So, you decided to take a class about apple pie making.

Before you actually participate in learning how to make an apple pie, do you think it would be useful for you to acquire an in depth knowledge of the history of pie making? Would it be interesting to you to have to memorize dates and important people and events involved with pie making, particularly apple pie making? What if you had to take tests and quizzes on apple pies, not on how to make them, but on mundane facts surrounding the act of making apple pies? Would learning these facts prepare you any better to make apple pies? Probably not. Sure, to some people learning about the history of apple pies would be interesting, but it will most likely not make them any better at making apple pies. Just like how it would not be any more helpful to learn the chemical make up of apple pies.

Imagine being yelled at or reprimanded because you look bored or you are having trouble paying attention to the teacher lecturing you about the history of pie making, when all you want to do is learn how to make an apple pie and practice doing it.

Imagine receiving the instruction through a sign language interpreter.

If you are hearing, and you only understand English and the lesson is being taught in Spanish, imagine receiving the instruction from a translator.

Imagine, when you finally get to participate in making an apple pie, someone standing over you criticizing every move you make. "No, that's not right. No, do it like this. Ok, try again. You are still not doing it right. Geez, here, let me do it." Or worse, the teacher gets angry at you for making many mistakes and for not getting it fast enough.

Imagine that you never had a chance to use and practice the skills taught to you via lectures, watching videos, watching the teacher do it, and reading about it. Basically, the teacher did it all for you as you attempt to learn how to make an apple pie. Even though you were able to touch the dough and smell the apples, you never had a chance to actually participate in making the pie, because the teacher, para-pro, or interpreter stepped in too often and did it for you. They just could not bear to see you make a mistake.

Imagine you have a significant hearing loss, and the class has thirty or more students in it, consisting largely of lectures and discussions, and yet you are seated in the back near the loud air conditioner vent.

Imagine that you could not get any sleep last night because you were hungry, because once again there were no food in the house and you did not have the means to buy any food and make dinner. On top of this, in the middle of the night, your mother loudly stumbled into your bedroom drunk again, upsetting you with her crazy rants.

These are just some things to think about when working with students or children in teaching them a new concept. You need to ask yourself if your students are able to relate to the material you are teaching them. You need to ask yourself, "What is the point of this lesson?" If you want your students to learn how to make apple pies, you should probably do away with expecting them to memorize various dates or know the chemical make up of apple pies.

But, how in a world does a typical teacher of twenty six or more students effectively teach every single student in the way they would like to be taught or in a way that makes sense to them?

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"I Am So Glad That You Have A Hearing Loss"

I cannot begin to tell you how appreciative many of my students' parents are about the fact that I am hard of hearing. These parents have told me that they can see the potential in their own children in me. Some have said that they feel that I can understand what their children are going through better than most people.

A father once told me, "I don't mean to offend you, but I am so glad that you have a hearing loss. I think it has been a tremendous help that you have a better understanding of where my son is coming from than most people." Then he added, "I prefer that he is around more deaf and hard of hearing people he can look up to and learn from. I guess what I am trying to say is that I prefer that he has a teacher who is actually deaf or have a hearing loss, like you. It makes more sense. Like, it wouldn't make sense if a person who does not speak fluent Spanish or understand its culture teach Spanish to young kids."

I am just really happy that these parents and their children seem to understand the importance of having more deaf and hard of hearing role models that they can learn from. I don't get it when some schools seem to prefer to hire hearing teachers over deaf and hard of hearing teachers (even if they have similar degrees and qualifications).

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Related Post:

• Why Don't More Schools Hire More Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers? 

Games Deaf and HOH People Will Probably Not Enjoy

Growing up, like most kids, I participated in various games with friends and in school. Many of them involved the ability to listen. For me, this meant utilizing my better ear with or without my hearing aid. I did not particularly enjoy these types of games, especially when I could not wear my hearing aid. Not surprisingly, I was never very good at them. Now I know why my friends loved playing Marco Polo with me in the swimming pool, because they always won. I think they were just as clueless as I was about why they were so good at this game when they played with me. When I was a child, I never gave it much thought as to why I did not enjoy and do well with these types of games.

From the comments some of my readers left in another post, I realize that I am not alone in this. 

JK shared: 

When I was 11 or 12 and mainstreamed in middle school, I took one class which was about self discovery or something silly like that. One day, the teacher had each student draw a piece of paper; on that paper was a nursery rhyme. We then had to HUM the rhyme that we picked, and then go around the room and guess what each person was humming. It's virtually impossible to lipread a humming person!

I told the teacher that I didn't know the rhythm for the one I picked since I always read to myself, so I couldn't hum it, and I wouldn't be able to dicipher any of the other rhymes anyway because it was too noisy with everyone humming.

"Just try," she said. (I HATE when people say that!)

"But, I can't hear!"

"Do it anyway!"

"But, I'm deaf! I can't hear!" I burst into tears, and ran to the girls' bathroom, bawling.

I have never, ever defied a teacher, stood up for myself, or ran out of the classroom before. Afterwards, I went to the principal to complain since I knew I would get in trouble by the teacher anyway (which I did) and the principal was always supportive of me. (What kid voluntarily goes to the principal's office?!) I didn't care though; I knew even at 11 that she was completely wrong and insensitive. I think she wanted to give me detention or something, but when I told my mom and the principal what she did, it was dropped.

From Anonymous:

My music teacher decided to play the gossip game. (I guess something happened to him or someone that made him have this activity because it didnt have anything to do w/ music) what he did was circle the whole class and said something like this"i am going to whisper something to this person ear and she should repeat it to the next person in a whisper, the last person should tell the class what I whispered" well when it got to my turn i couldnt hear the whisper so i just went like this "blah, blah, blah" lol... of course the last person said blah blah blah lol he decided to play again but only this time i raised my hands and told him i couldnt play this game. So he let me out of the circle and i had to wait patiently. Anyway the moral of the game was gossips tend to to get twisted or changed or something like that. 

Although these games can be very fun and hilarious for some people, for most deaf or hard of hearing individuals, these games can be a nightmare.


I thought it would be helpful to create a list of games, commonly played by others that would require the ability to listen, that most deaf and hard of hearing people would not be so eager to join in and play:

• Telephone or Gossip

• Marco Polo

• Simon Says

• Hum that Tune, The Humming Game, Guess That Tune

• Musical Chairs

• Freeze, Stop Dancing (requires ability to hear music) 

If you are going to have a deaf or hard of hearing child or student participating in any of these games, please show some consideration. Think of other games they can play that does not require listening or hearing sounds and music. But, if you insist that they play some of these games, you can always modify them by adding visual cues or even sign language without singling out the deaf or hard of hearing child.

But if you are going to be a jerk about it and insist that they must play these games, like everyone else, because it is your party, at least have a giant pinata at the end of the party that the deaf or hard of hearing child can beat the hell out of in frustration.

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Don't Expect D/HH Students to Eagerly Participate in Listening Activities

A few days ago, some teachers wondered why a hard of hearing student in their classroom did not seem interested in listening to stories being told on a CD player.

I reminded them that while he can hear pretty well with his hearing aid, he still relies on lip reading and looking at the speaker's face for visual cues to help him understand what is being said. One of the teachers said that she did not think about this and that it never occurred to her that this could be the reason why he usually does not seem interested in listening to stories being told on the radio or CD. I also spoke to them about how listening requires concentration and effort which can be very tiring for some deaf and hard of hearing people.

I thought that I have spoken to them before about his hearing loss and that they understood what it means. I assumed that they would automatically understand that they probably should not expect him to participate in listening to a CD recorded story. 

I also spoke with the student explaining to him how important it is that he advocates for himself. I told him that he will have to let the teachers know when he is unable to fully participate in a class activity due to his hearing loss.

For the most part, I think that sometimes people simply forget that someone has a hearing loss, especially when the hearing loss is not very obvious. It helps if the deaf or hard of hearing person advocates for him or herself or reminds others that they have a hearing loss. Although, I know how irritating it can be to constantly have to do this with some people.

Even some people who know me really well will forget that they should not attempt to have a conversation with me when they are in another room.

But, just about everyone I know always remember to stand or walk on my right side when talking to me. :)

This experience with the teachers taught me that I need to be more proactive about educating the teachers about their students' hearing loss and how they should deal with them. I have got to be in constant contact with the teachers and make sure that every activity they choose to do in the classroom is appropriate for their deaf or hard of hearing students.

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Related Post: 

• Advocating For Myself

Asking a Student About His Hearing Aids

Q: Why do you sometimes not wear them in the mornings?   
A: I forget.

Q: Are they too loud?      
A: No

Q: Too quiet?             
A: No

Q: Annoying?           
A: No

Q: Are they uncomfortable? 
A: No, they feel fine.

Q: Are you embarrassed by them?  
A: No, not really. I just don't like it when people see them, people I don't know real well, because they will sometimes ask me questions about them. I don't want to keep explaining to others what they are. It is annoying and I am bored by it.

Q: Do you wear them at home? 
A: Sometimes I do. When I watch TV or listen to music.

Q: When do you like wearing your hearing aids?
A: At school and when I watch TV.

Q: When do you not like wearing them? 
A:  When there is a bunch of people around, especially kids, that I don't know.

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Why Do You Have A Sign Language Interpreter?

I was curious about how a student really feels about sign language and her interpreter, since she does not use or depend on sign language herself. She prefers to listen and talk, which I think is typical for someone with a mild-moderate hearing loss. Originally, they added interpreting services two years ago because she is language delayed (for various reasons) and I guess they thought that giving her an interpreter would help her develop language. It was also not clear if she was going to prefer sign language or oral/aural methods. It is obvious that she prefers the latter.

I verbally asked her many different questions, such as, "What is sign language?" "Why do deaf people use sign language?" "What do you like about sign language?" "Do you use sign language?" "Do you use sign language at home?"

She provided many interesting answers. She mostly spoke about how she uses Spanish at home and English at school. One of the most amusing was her answer to "Why do you have a sign language interpreter? Why is she there with you in class?"

Her answer, "I don't know. Maybe she practice all week. All week she practice to better at sign language?"

Interesting. She thought that her interpreter was there for herself, to improve her sign language skills!

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Larger Classes Would Not Help

With all of the issues with mainstreaming deaf and hard of hearing students I have come across and mentioned here, it would make things worse if the typical class size were to increase by 4 or 5 more students, right?

This is what Bill Gates proposed. In an article from Washington Post, he discussed how smaller classes do not seem to be producing enough student achievement and that instead we should give the best teachers the larger classes. Bill Gates believes that "the single most decisive factor in student achievement is excellent teaching" (Washington Post, 2011).

Here is what he proposed:

One approach is to get more students in front of top teachers by identifying the top 25 percent of teachers and asking them to take on four or five more students. Part of the savings could then be used to give the top teachers a raise. (In a 2008 survey funded by the Gates Foundation, 83 percent of teachers said they would be happy to teach more students for more pay.) The rest of the savings could go toward improving teacher support and evaluation systems, to help more teachers become great. (Washington Post, 2001)


I think Bill Gates is forgetting the long hours and hard work teachers face when managing a classroom of at least twenty different students. Throw in students with special needs and the teacher will face even more challenges as she or he try to properly educate every student with different needs and ways of learning. Even if the teacher is known to be excellent, adding more students to their classroom might make them less effective. They will have to spend more time grading papers, catching up on extra paperwork, holding parent conferences, attending IEP meetings, managing a larger classroom, and etc.

For the deaf or hard of hearing students, more students in the classroom would make it more challenging for them.

How are they to keep up with everything being said in a classroom of 30 or 35 students? There would have to be a lot of accommodations provided and hard work from the teacher and student to ensure they are getting the same type of education as everyone else. For example, ideally, the desks would be arranged in a circular or U shape, so that all the students can face each other, making it easier for the deaf or hard of hearing student to see everyone. This would be hard to accomplish with 25 or so students, especially if the classroom is small.

How will the teacher be able to attend to the deaf or hard of hearing child? If they do not have a para-professional, I ask teachers to observe the student and make sure he or she is understanding everything, to double check with the student, to make sure their hearing aid or FM systems are working, or if they have an interpreter, to make sure that the interpreter is doing what he or she is supposed to be doing and to make sure the student is utilizing the interpreter appropriately. How would this be possible for even an excellent teacher to do all of these things I ask of her or him, when they have to manage a large class of 30 or so students? The deaf or hard of hearing student will often not be the only student in the classroom with special needs. In reality, teachers without para-professionals or teacher aides do not have the time or energy to check on the deaf or hard of hearing student and to make sure his or her needs are met. I often hear from teachers, "Well, I don't remember because I was busy trying to manage the rest of the class (29 3rd grade students)." "I wish I could tell you, but I have been so busy trying to get all of the other things everyone else has asked me to do." "I think her hearing aid is working, I asked her and she said---Jason! Do not pull on her hair like that! Uh, I gotta go." "She seems to be fine. She is very quiet, keeps to herself, gets all of her work done." Some teachers are tired, overwhelmed, or unwilling to really check on the deaf or hard of hearing student because of all of the other demands they are asked to meet. Sometimes they are vague in their answers, as if they just don't have the energy or patience to deal with the deaf or hard of hearing student's hearing needs. I can't say that I blame them, especially if their class size were to increase by 4 or 5 students.

If I were to be at a meeting of twenty eight people, I can't begin to tell you how exhausting it would be for me to try to keep up with everything that is being said. I lean in, strain my neck, stay focused trying to read lips and to look at each speaker's facial expressions. CART could help some, but I don't want to have to look back and forth at the person and the words on a screen. Imagine if the meeting were to increase to thirty-three people. Then imagine if I were told that I will have to sit in and listen and pay attention to what is being said for at least six hours throughout the day. It would not be fun.

Please read this article called An Open Letter to Bill Gates: Higher Class Size Will Drive Teachers Out. The author does an excellent job explaining why this would be a bad idea.

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Interpreted Education

I came across this term "interpreted education" (http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/reviews/EIrevw2.html).

It refers to deaf or hard of hearing students receiving information from their teachers and peers via sign language interpretation. Therefore, it can be said that they are receiving an interpreted education or an education that is translated by someone else other than the teacher.

What does this mean to you? Do you think deaf and hard of hearing students with even highly qualified interpreters have full and equal access to education like everyone else in the classroom (who instead receive the information auditorally and instantly)?

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Concerns I Have With Interpreters in Mainstream Settings

So far, the main issues I have with mainstreaming a deaf or hard of hearing student surround sign language interpreters.

From what I have seen and experienced so far, I believe that some students who have interpreters are going to have a tougher time in a mainstream education setting than those who do not. Some students will unfortunately have unqualified interpreters, will never have been taught how to utilize interpreters, or will become too dependent on interpreters.

Based on my experiences with this and what I have heard, it seems that it would be more ideal for a child to attend a school where the teachers and their peers are fluent signers. It is not an ideal situation for a child to depend on sign language interpreters among dozens of other peers who do not sign or use sign language interpreters. But, sometimes this can be the best option for them, depending on the situation and where their schools are located.

There will be those few who have the ability to appropriately utilize an interpreter in education settings and to be assertive enough to talk about any concerns they may have with the interpreter or using an interpreter in the classroom. These children are most likely self confident and fluent in sign language and the language used by the majority (English if you live in America and other English speaking countries). But for the average child, the child who is not fluent in language, the child not comfortable with using sign language, or the child with weaknesses in certain areas such as language acquisition, it may not work out for them so well.

Overall, I am most concerned about interpreters who participate in creating a sense of 'learned helplessness' in students, whether they mean to or not.

What is learned helplessness?

According to http://www.terptopics.com/ModelsService.htm, learned helplessness can happen with an interpreter exhibiting mainly "Helper Model" tendencies:

To help is to change for the better, give relief to, or offer a remedy (to fix).  The implications of the Helper interpreting service model are unsettling; even oppressive and destructive.

 

Sure, everyone appreciates a helping hand now and again.  However, when someone is early on and consistently helped when help is not needed, learned helplessness can result.  

 

The effects of learned helplessness are insidious, far-ranging, and self-fulfilling (cyclic).  If I believe that I need help (when I do not), I will continue to expect, seek, and accept it -- and I will view myself as unable and dependent.  If you believe that I need help (when I do not), you will continue to offer it -- and you will view me as unable and dependent. read more.

 

Hands and Voices also has an article on their site that discusses this issue:

In order to achieve synchronization of thought within the educational team, we should first be able to recognize the symptoms of learned helplessness. It manifests itself in many forms, but is often apparent in detectible symptoms including low self-esteem, a lack of motivation and poor problem solving skills. A student may demonstrate a lack of initiative or persistence; thus, they may be afraid to try a new task, so they look to someone else to "do for them," or they give up on a task too quickly. Others refuse to try a new task independently until they have had adult prompts and examples. They also are reluctant to make choices without looking to an adult to tell them which choice is "right." Some students with learned helplessness even become depressed or withdrawn. The language of learned helplessness can include noticeable language patterns that the deaf student uses such as, "I can't because I am deaf," or "this is too hard for me." read more.

Some educational interpreters will lend a helping hand often to the point that they do everything for the student they interpret for. Learned helplessness is a serious issue. The point of education is to teach students the set of skills that they need to learn and then to have them practice and use the skill themselves until they understand what they mean and how to use them.

What good does it do to teach the child that he cannot learn to do things by himself and that there will always be someone there to hold his hand and do the work for him? What are we teaching the child when we let her look to her interpreter for help without first attempting to try to solve the problem herself?

I always tell the classroom teachers to please keep an eye out for too many prompts or help provided by the interpreter. I tell them that it is fine for them to step in and tell the interpreter, "Let's see what Johnny can do. I want to see what he can do by himself." 

Some interpreters do an excellent job of backing off when needed while doing their job interpreting conversations in the classroom and facilitating communication. Interpreting is a tough job, no doubt. Why add to it by also acting as the student's teacher and parent?

But, some interpreters seem to have trouble knowing when to back off and when to not help or "teach" the student. It can be very hard for some to understand their place in the classroom, especially with the younger students. I know it is very hard for some to sit back and watch the student fumble and make mistakes on their own. But, making mistakes is part of learning, and they will never learn if they always have someone there to correct them.

Is there anyone who had an educational interpreter while in school? How was the experience for you? Have any of you experienced something similar where the interpreter acts more as your helper?

I will end this post with a quote from Educational Interpreting: How it Can Succeed (2002), which is from the perspective of a student:

"Let me make my own decisions; do not make choices for me, coddle me, or discipline me." (Winston, 2002)

That about sums it up.

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Related Posts: 

• Issues I Have With Mainstreaming 

• Deaf & HOH Students: To Mainstream or Not

References and Citations:

Winston, Elizabeth, Editor (2002) Educational Interpreting: How it Can Succeed, Gallaudet University Press

Hands and Voices: Preventing Learned Helplessness

Terp Topics: Interpreting Service Models