00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:19 Because sometimes my teacher talks too fast
00:22 and I can't really understand what she's saying.
00:24 I have a hard time kind of discerning what she's saying.
00:27 And I can't learn without an interpreter.
00:30 That's why I need an interpreter,
00:32 and also because I prefer to understand
00:36 what my teacher is saying.
00:39 And they all help me because they want me to use my brain.
00:44 They want me to think and help me to learn on my own.
00:47 So they kind of guide me to that.
00:49 Sometimes, I communicate with hearing kids a little bit.
00:52 I understand them.
00:53 Sometimes I don't really understand them.
00:55 So I have to ask my other friends, who's hard of hearing.
01:00 And she comes over, and I'll say, what did they say?
01:02 Can you tell me what they said?
01:03 And sometimes she kind of interprets for me
01:07 and tells me with the hearing people saying, just
01:10 Mrs. Poteet.
01:13 My role in the classroom is as interpreter.
01:15 And that means that I sign everything the teacher says
01:19 and voice everything the student signs.
01:22 I take what the teacher says, sometimes
01:24 rephrase it if there's not a complete understanding
01:26 for the student, take time to ask questions of the student,
01:29 and make sure that I understand exactly what they're
01:31 wanting to say.
01:32 First thing that you need to do--
01:33 [STUDENT INTERRUPTS]
01:35--when you have a number line--
01:37 It was kind of scary have the interpreter in there at first
01:40 because she interprets every single thing I say,
01:42 and she interprets everything that the other students
01:44 are saying.
01:46 So a lot of times, I would just have
01:48 students yelling out answers.
01:49 And you really can't just have lots of students yelling out
01:52 at one time.
01:53 You have to make sure that just one person's talking at a time
01:55 because the interpreters can't interpret
01:58 have five different students talking at one time.
02:01 At first, it was a little hard, but I got used to it
02:03 really quickly.
02:06 I am strictly there for communication purposes.
02:09 I don't step in and teach.
02:11 I support her in helping expand on maybe
02:15 with the students' needs are.
02:18 I write and monitor the IEP goals for the student.
02:21 Mrs. Legg is in charge of planning the lessons
02:25 for the general ed curriculum.
02:28 I'm the one who keeps data on everything that they're
02:31 doing in the classroom.
02:33 We talk about the students.
02:34 I am responsible for taking what she is doing and modifying,
02:38 or accommodating, so that my students
02:40 are able to achieve at the same level
02:42 as everyone else in the classroom.
02:43 She's in there to help with the deaf students,
02:45 but then, she would also sometimes help my other kids
02:48 as well.
02:48 I look at her lesson plans and see
02:50 what skill she's targeting and reading and writing
02:52 for the weekend.
02:53 And I incorporate them into my lesson plans.
02:55 I have to make sure that I stop my lesson at a certain time
02:58 so that she could pull out her students.
03:00 Because there are there are times when I'm like,
03:02 I want to extend this lesson a little bit
03:04 longer but I know I can't because her students
03:06 are leaving. And I don't want them to miss it.
03:08 So I have to make sure that I kind of slow down
03:11 when I'm teaching.
03:12 I try to use a lot more visuals.
03:14 Deaf students cannot take notes and listen at the same time,
03:17 or watch an interpreter at the same time.
03:19 So be aware that if you're asking them to write,
03:23 then hold off on what you want to say.
03:25 Sometimes a lecture style can be overwhelming,
03:27 all of that auditory information coming in
03:30 can be overwhelming for the students.
03:31 So they might not always get every piece.
03:34 So I'll go to the board, and we'll look at the visuals,
03:37 and I'll break it down for them some more so
03:39 that I can make sure that they're getting the concepts,
03:41too. There's just so much curriculum that we
03:43 have to cram into the one year.
03:44 So we have some intervention time.
03:46 So during that time, I can pull some groups of students
03:49 that I feel really need some extra support.
03:55 Our role is not to come in and take
03:58 notes on mistakes or things that are said in the classroom
04:01 and report back to anyone.
04:03 We are strictly there as a member of the educational team.
04:06 We want the same things for the students that the teacher does.
04:09 If there's something that needs to be
04:11 addressed in the classroom, I let the teacher address that.
04:14 Really, I feel like the interpreter, Mrs. Legg and I,
04:17 we're all a team, and we all communicate with each other.
04:22 Even though I was super nervous at the beginning,
04:24 I actually would prefer having her in my classroom.
04:27 I picked up a little bit of sign myself-- a little bit.
04:30 So it's actually been a great experience.
04:33 [CHATTERING, MUSIC PLAYING]