Challenge

Deaf and hard-of-hearing students are conversing among themselves during your lecture. They are using sign language, so they are not making noise. However, they are creating a visual distraction and they are not paying attention to your lecture.

Or perhaps a single deaf or hard-of-hearing student is simply not paying attention.

These situations bother you; and you wonder what you should do. Some instructors tell us they feel awkward intervening in a signed conversation; this is normal, but it is nonetheless important to act.

(NOTE: If these problems are persistent, you may need to intervene with more serious actions than those described below. We encourage you to take stronger actions, as you would with any student, if a deaf or hard-of-hearing student is not ‘connected’ to the course, is not doing homework, or is not coming to class.)

Strategies

NOTE: The handout at the left provides you with a simple note you can print and give to students who are talking in class.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing students talk with each other for the same reasons as hearing students, and you should respond to them in the same ways. Most faculty members we have spoken with say they ask the hearing students if they have a question, or they ask them to pay attention, or they ask them to hold social conversations until after class. (You may wish to place your expectations regarding talking in the course syllabus.) These responses are all equally appropriate for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Now, how do you get their attention?

• In a small room, flip the lights off and on again. This will alert deaf and hard-of-hearing students that you want their attention; they will look at the interpreter, captionist, or you. Then you can continue with the same response that you would have for hearing students.

• Also in a small room, you can knock on the desk or take some other visual action that will attract attention.

• In a large lecture hall, it may not be possible or appropriate to turn lights off and on. An alternative is to ask another student to tap the inattentive student on the shoulder, motioning for them to look to the front of the class. Or stop talking; the pause will usually result in students looking at you. Then you can proceed.

• Sometimes simply approaching the students is enough to get their attention and they will stop conversing. Other situations may require more direct intervention. For these cases, consider preparing copies of a written note before the class with wording like the following and give it to students to read when they are disruptive.

  Are you talking about something related to the lecture? If so, please share that with the entire class. Or see me later so we can address your question. If you are not talking about course material, please wait until after class to talk with your friends.

• If these techniques fail, ask these students to remain after class. Then after class explain your concerns and your preference that they pay attention in class and ask questions directly to you.