Teaching Philosophy

My approach to teaching – immersive, interactive, encouraging peer learning, and using authentic texts – is one I’ve cultivated since my earliest American Sign Language (ASL) teaching experiences in 1981. I believe in providing students with multiple ways to demonstrate their mastery of the subject matter, including standards-based goals and objectives and clearly-defined rubrics for assessment while creating an environment for learning that is safe, distraction-free, and uplifting. Some students have even accused me of trying to make learning fun.

Immersion. I begin cultural and linguistic immersion on the first day of class. In Deaf culture, groups arrange themselves in circles so that everyone can see and be seen, and students in my classes see the chairs and desks arranged in a circle when they enter. “No Speech Zone” is written in large letters on the white board, and introduces the students to the idea that 90 – 100% of the class will be taught in the target language of ASL. For novice-level courses, I suspend the “No Speech Zone” rule on a limited but regular basis in order to clarify class policies and assignments, provide brief instruction in grammar, or allow in-class discussion of particularly difficult concepts related to Deaf culture.

Interaction. Constructivists emphasize the role of the student in learning, as do I. In my classes, students earn points for volunteering to answer questions and participate in activities. A typical lesson plan begins with modeling a cultural or linguistic feature within a functional context, followed by engaging students in whole-class games or activities in which I can monitor their understanding and linguistic production. I then employ small group or peer-to-peer exercises that require students to use what they have just learned to interact with each other. During these activities, I assume the “guide on the side” function, coaching students as needed. Even when students undertake individual activities, such as homework assignments or quizzes, I make them as interactive as possible by providing prompt feedback or offering them opportunities to revise based on feedback.

Interactivity is critical on the course web site as well, since the site is an extension of the classroom. I post new ASL videos and announcements on a weekly basis, and use functions such as discussion boards and online surveys to promote student interaction outside of class.

Peer learning and self-directed study. I ask students to take charge of the teaching and learning experience by requiring a different small group to present a vocabulary review each week. In-class activities such as interviews, games, and naturalistic conversation in simulated real-life situations involve students in the essential ability of making themselves understood to each other in ASL.

Understanding Deaf culture requires understanding the politics of linguistic minorities, a history of both achievement and oppression, and grappling with concepts such as colonialism, privilege, identity politics, audism, and deafhood. Students help each other learn about Deaf culture through online discussion board exercises, building collaborative timelines and concept maps, and through occasional, timely classroom discussions.

Self-directed study, where students take responsibility for selecting material, determining methodology, and self-evaluation, is another key component for learning. In my class they are required to report on at least one hour of practice outside of class each week. Until now I’ve used an online form to gather student reports, but I am considering the use of blogging or tweeting so that students can share study ideas with each other. I have developed a series of online video vocabulary flashcard modules that students may opt to use on their own time.

Authentic texts. With the emergence of video in the 1970’s and the Internet in the 1990’s, we are now living in an era of easy access to texts produced by native signers. ASL literature is readily available. ASL poetry offers ample opportunities for students to learn about its phonological building blocks: hand configuration, movement, location, palm orientation, and grammatical facial expression. Traditional ASL storytelling exposes students to morphological and syntactic complexities while imparting historical and cultural meaning. News reports, academic papers, and vlogs in ASL enable students to practice their skills with texts that are of real, immediate interest to them. In addition to motivating comprehension, authentic texts provide the opportunity to study grammar in context as an aid to understanding.

I frequently bring Deaf and native signers to class so that students are exposed to multiple language models, and have the opportunity to use what they have learned about ASL, Deaf culture, and etiquette. Students have told me that they treasure these encounters, often (for beginning students) the first time they have met a Deaf person. I also encourage them to attend Deaf community events, and remind them that the best possible way to learn ASL is to spend time with Deaf people and other signers.

Assessment. In my classes, assessment is an ongoing process in which students are asked to understand and reflect on their own learning. Evaluations are standards-based (currently ACTFL standards, but eventually I hope to adopt standards under development by the ASLTA), and assignments are accompanied by clear rubrics.

Twice each semester I ask students to formally reflect on their performance in class and make plans for improving or maintaining it. Following ACTFL guidelines, I measure students’ interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational performance using a variety of methods: quizzes and exercises (interpretive); class activities and an exit interview (interpersonal); and recorded or in-class presentations (presentational). Cultural competence is measured through performance in essays, online discussions, and collaborative tools such as timelines and concept maps.

In the future I would like to explore the use of student portfolio-building as a way of further involving students in monitoring and measuring their own progress.

The learning environment. Community colleges are unique in providing learners with a diverse cohort that is likely to represent a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and educational goals. At all times I try to remember the considerable effort and sense of vulnerability that is inherent in the learning process, and strive to provide students with a safe space in which they can stretch their individual capacities to acquire new skills and concepts. In my experience, an atmosphere of respectful inquiry and order, leavened with humor and tolerance for honest mistakes, can help to turn a classroom of individual students into a community of scholars.

Kelly Stack, Ph.D.
January 12, 2012