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Above all else the first day of class in a new term
will undoubtedly be busy.
If you have never had deaf and hard-of-hearing students
in your course before today, it would be quite normal for you to have a
number of questions, and emotions, about that coming experience.
The “Introduction” page of the “Support
Services” section of this web site includes very brief basic information
on the variety of support services that may be available on your campus.
This section deals with the use of support services.
At the same time, we encourage you to read the other three “First Day
of Class” sections you’ll find in the listing above.
On the first day you may face many challenges, and
may ask yourself a number of questions about support services.
What support services are available on campus?
How do I ensure that my students have the proper
support services available?
When a support service provider appears in my
class, what are my responsibilities?
How do I know if the support services meet the
needs of my students?
(NOTE: The next few paragraphs are repeated in slightly
different forms at each of the other three “First Day of Class”
pages on this web site.)
There are a variety of strategies that center on
the first day of class. It’s often said that ‘people who are deaf are
just like anyone else, except they cannot hear;’ however, you are going
to have to make accommodations and take actions to ensure they have access
to your instruction.
While it’s important to get it right on the first
day, that may be an unrealistic expectation, so flexibility is important.
Last minute scheduling issues often interfere with the smooth provision
of support services. Students often change classes during the first days
of the term, requiring time to realign support services to meet their need.
With this in mind, here are a number of strategies
that may be helpful on the first day of class.
Learn as much as possible before the first day
about the support services provided on your campus. Contact the individual
or office providing coordination of services. Learn what the practices are
on your campus. While your expectation may be that you should be contacted,
you should be prepared to take the initiative as you are ultimately responsible
for the students in your class.
Keep in mind that your actions – and the
attitude you display – toward the deaf and hard-of-hearing students,
and the support service providers, are observed by all students in the class.
Create an environment in which everyone in the classroom is welcomed and
supported.
Arrive at class early on the first day. This will
allow you time to meet and welcome deaf and hard-of-hearing students and
support providers, and in the process establish rapport and set a positive
tone for the term. Offer to meet separately with those students if needed.
Since some of the students may be new to the campus, make sure they are
aware of available support services.
It will also provide you with time to respond to
any issues regarding support services. Deaf students or the interpreter
or the captionist may not arrive on time, perhaps because of scheduling
or other issues. Be prepared to deal with these interruptions in a positive
way, assuming they were unavoidable. At the end of the class, inquire about
the tardiness, and as needed communicate your expectations directly to all
involved.
Because hard-of-hearing students without
an interpreter or captionist must have line of sight to you in order
to speechread you, seating will be in important issue to discuss and
resolve with those students. Allow hard-of-hearing students to have
access to seats at the front of the class.
Because deaf students must have line of
sight to interpreters, be prepared to talk with deaf students and
the interpreter about appropriate student seating and positioning
of the interpreter. Allow deaf students to have access to seats at
the front of the class.
If a notetaker is present, after class request
a copy of the notes, review them as needed, and provide feedback to the
notetaker.
After the class, speak to the deaf and hard-of-hearing
student(s), and the interpreter, captionist, and notetaker, to solicit feedback
on the provision of support services. Ask for suggestions. For example,
if the interpreter or captionist frequently interrupted you, ask why –
there may be ways to improve communication in the classroom.
Be patient and flexible. No matter how frustrating
for all involved, and no matter how competent and hard-working the support
service providers are, it may simply take several classes for all support
issues to be resolved.
Finally, introduce the support service providers
to the class on the first day. This will indicate your support for these
individuals, and explains their purpose to the hearing students in the class.
If appropriate ask each to briefly explain their purpose and invite interested
students to question the support service providers after class.
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