Mandi Isom

ETEC 424
Professor Wolfe
April 25, 2019
Learning strategies for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Growing up in a Deaf house hold has not always been easy. I had always been the
interpreter for my parents and it turned me away from ever wanting to be a teacher or interpreter
for the deaf. I was burned out from signing, I had been doing it since I was a little girl. The thing
is though, life works in mysterious ways and the “nevers” turn into “cans”. I graduated from high
school and went straight into my profession now, a deaf interpreter for my home district. It was
the best decision I have ever made and I cannot wait for my future as an educator. I know this
culture like the back of my hand and that gives me an advantage to help these children to the best
of my ability. I know their strengths and weaknesses. I understand how they process information
and how to modify it to fit their needs.
A learning strategy is a tool that is used to help assist a student to complete an
assignment. “You are not expected to lower standards to accommodate students with a disability,
but rather are required to give them a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate what they have
learned (Ferris State University).” The strategies I will use is visual lectures, being brief, and
doing hands on activities. These strategies best fit my students because they are visual learners.
They rely on their vision a ton to help them understand. I will be short and quick when
explaining instructions so that they do not get confused and can keep up with what I need them
to do. Lastly I will be doing hands on activities because I have seen it do wonders for my
students when they touch and manipulate the assignment. It grasp their attention and motivates
them to learn. I plan to use these strategies plus others. I will do whatever needs to be done to
make sure my students succeed.

Field of Study: Deaf Education

Strategy Description Teacher Learner
Visual lectures are I will be sure to The students will
Visual lectures that have incorporate look for my visual
added visuals such something visual cues to aide them on
Lectures as pictures, into every lesson I their assignments.
drawings, table, and teach. I will create They will reference
graphs. These can a PowerPoint that the material and use
be placed on any has more pictures it to their benefit.
PowerPoint or than words. When I
smartboard. do lesson on the
smart board I will
have a visual as well
for them to refer to.
I will provide an
easy learning
experience.
 A hand out is a I will make sure to The students will
Hand Outs paper that has the make copy of my keep these papers
lesson or lessons and and study them as
assignment on it. It assignment. I will they watch the
can be used for hand them out to the interpreter. They
referencing. This students so they can will use these to
helps them to not look at it if needed refer to when they
take notes and to but can keep their are completing the
have their eyes on eyes focused on my assignments.
their interpreter at signs.
all times. Even
without an
interpreter they
need to be watching
the instructor’s
mouth to know
what is going on.
This is a strategy If I notice that my The students will go
Small Group that allows the student is falling to a table or room
students to be a part behind and truly not that has a few other
Discussion of a smaller group understanding the students in it. They
of students. This work then I will pull will complete the
helps achieve more them for small work with
one on one learning group. This helps assistance from a
for the students that me to be more one teacher and receive
are behind or on one with them. I more help focused
simply need more can help tackle their toward the problem
assistance with problems and have they are facing.
assignments. them reflect on what
they learned.

This is a seating I will place the desk The students will be

Circle arrangement that in a circular shape able to collaborate
allows all the desk and keep them like and understand each
Seating to in a circular this all year. I will other better. They
Arrangement shape. This allows
the students to be
make sure the
students enunciate
will read each
other’s lips or sign
able to look at every and make their lips to communicate
person in the room and signs visual. effectively.
and lip read better.
 Captioning is I will be sure to The students will
Captioning wording that is enable captioning use the captions to
added to a video or in all videos and follow along in the
presentation. It lectures. If they are lesson. This will
provides the reader not provided the also help to catch
with whatever the lesson will be them up if they fall
video is saying and signed regardless behind and cannot
helps them to keep and if need be I will understand the
up with what is create my own speaker or
going on. captions. interpreter.

Teaching Strategies for Hearing Impaired Students. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2019,
from https://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/university/disability/faculty-
staff/classroom-issues/hearing/hearing-strategy.htm