|
It’s the first day of class, and you know you have
deaf and hard-of-hearing students in your class, but you’re uncertain of
which teaching behaviors will work with these students and which will not.
Keep in mind that this entire web site provides strategies for dealing with
teaching/learning interactions that you will encounter as you work with
deaf and hard-of-hearing students; so don’t expect to be an expert on the
first day.
This particular section concentrates on teaching.
At the same time, we encourage you to read the other three “First Day
of Class” sections you’ll find in the listing above; we believe they
will be helpful as you face the first day of instruction.
You face a number of teaching issues.
What teaching strategies will you use with the
deaf and hard-of-hearing students?
How will you do the ‘simple’ things like calling on students and
preparing materials so that deaf and hard-of-hearing students learn from
your teaching?
How will you get the attention of these students?
The material below provides some direct answers
to teaching issues on the first day of class.
(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.)
On the first day of class you set the tone –
perhaps without realizing it – for the classroom teaching practices
for the whole term. If you are uncertain about how to handle each teaching
situation that arises on the first day, that’s normal and not a problem.
But if you are, or become, impatient, irritated,
or upset with situations with deaf and hard-of-hearing students, your behavior
is a problem. The first day of class is the opportunity to indicate to all
students that you want to include deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the
teaching and learning that will occur throughout the term.
The ultimate responsibility for all aspects of the
class is yours. You must lead the class by example, and perhaps by explicit
rules, regarding behaviors in class.
Finally, if there are problems on the first day
of class involving deaf and hard-of-hearing students, try to resolve the
issues privately with the students after class.
|
