Who, What, How? Everything I ever wanted to know about having a sign language interpreter in my classroom, and a few things I never thought to ask.

Who are we? Colleen McCormick Staff Interpreter at Midway High School Esther Derington Staff Interpreter at Woodgate Intermediate School

Disclaimer: This training does not replace the student’s IEP. Please make sure you are familiar with and carry out the IEP agreed upon by the student’s ARD committee.

What is the role of a sign language interpreter in my classroom? Facilitate communication in the classroom Between dDeaf student and classroom teacher Between dDeaf student and peers Between dDeaf student and written text

How do I communicate with the dDeaf student? Maintain eye contact with the dDeaf student – not the interpreter. The dDeaf student will look at both you and the interpreter and receives information from your face that normally comes from voice inflection. Speak directly to the dDeaf student – not the interpreter. (Never say “Tell him,…”)

What do I need to do to prepare my students for the presence of an interpreter in my classroom? Introduce the interpreter to the class. Let students know there is a dDeaf student present in our class, and the interpreter will facilitate communication for everyone. There is no need to introduce the dDeaf student as the dDeaf student. It will be obvious during normal classroom introductions. Remind students to speak directly to the dDeaf student – not “Tell him…”

Will the interpreter sign everything I say? If you speak loud enough to be heard by the other students in the classroom, the interpreter will sign what you say even if you are having a conversation with one student, another adult, or on the phone. If you are speaking quietly enough that the other students cannot hear you the interpreter will not sign what you say.

Will the interpreter voice everything the student signs? The interpreter will voice: – Comments or questions during class discussion. – Comments or questions directed at the teacher whether polite or rude. – Comments or questions during conversations with peers. The interpreter will not voice: – Greetings between the interpreter and the student before class begins. – Questions or comments directed at the interpreter during the interpretation of written materials.

What does the interpreter need from me to successfully facilitate communication? Prior to beginning the course – Textbook Prior to beginning a unit – Lesson plans – Goals for the unit – Key vocabulary words Prior to lessons – Copies of handouts and visuals (overheads, charts, etc) – Reading assignments from textbook or other sources – Videos (which must be captioned) will add link

How will an interpreter affect the real estate in my classroom? The interpreter will need a seat positioned so that the interpreter, the teacher, and any visuals will be in the dDeaf students field of vision. The interpreter will also at times stand and/or move around the classroom to connect visuals or key words on the board to the interpretation.

If the dDeaf student is off-task or misbehaves, who is responsible for discipline? The interpreter facilitates communication. If the interpreter were to take on the role of disciplining the student, true communication would be shut down. If students are in danger, the interpreter will intervene. Otherwise, discipline should be carried out the same way it would if there were no interpreter present.

What if the dDeaf student is absent? The student is responsible for asking about missed work and the same policies apply as to hearing students. The interpreter will interpret the conversation.

What if the class is taking notes? The interpreter is not responsible to take notes for the student. The student is not able to take notes while attending to the interpreter. You must supply notes for the student prior to the lesson.

The classroom teacher is responsible for knowing and following the student’s IEP.