Advocate For Deaf Culture Transforms Learning At Los Angeles School
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When Joe Rivera was in high school, part of his daily routine was spent helping out a deaf student whose interpreter was always late getting to class. Rivera had only a limited knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) but the experience proved to be pivotal, sparking his passion for working with the deaf and focusing his desire to help kids and make a difference. Could teaching be far behind?
A Patient Teacher, a Passionate Outlook
Fresh out of school himself, Rivera landed his first job as a middle and high school teacher for the Los Angeles-based Marlton School, which serves the needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing and those with additional special needs, such as cerebral palsy and autism. Marlton is the only school within the Los Angeles Unified School District that provides a full day's educational curriculum utilizing ASL in the classroom. To make pick up and drop off easier for families, hearing and typically developing kids also attend general education classes at the school. Many of these are siblings to the kids who are deaf.
Rivera's teaches math, science, health and life skills to kids with special needs from sixth to 12th grade. In his first teaching job, Rivera brings fresh ideas, optimism and a breath of change to Marlton.
"Joe is my daughter's teacher. He has created innovative strategies to help the students with autism and deafness, communicate effectively through sign. He is patient, and has a passion for education," says Eraina Davis-Ferguson.
Davis-Ferguson is not alone in her praise.
The Marlton kids and their families gravitate to the young educator both during and after class. Rivera has made a difference to the small Marlton Community and its culture and he's done it without fancy programs or added bells and whistles.
Real Life Strategies and Solutions
"I'm about taking everyday situations and turning them into learning opportunities," says Rivera. "For example, yesterday we discussed electricity. It just so happened that the projector wasn't plugged in. That gave me the opportunity to turn the situation into a life skills lesson as well as an inquiry into energy sources."
Consistently relating the classroom back to the real world is Rivera's greatest strength.
"We assume students will automatically generalize the information we teach and that is not really true," he adds. "Talks can be abstract. Real life experience makes it real. For my students, I'm all about taking what we're learning from the book and the classroom and making those connections to their own lives at home with their families."
Teaching Skills and Providing Safety
Math is part of everyone's life and can be challenging for deaf kids negotiating real life situations, yet this is a skill they must master if they are to shop and live independently without getting taken advantage of.
"There is a student store on campus. One student in particular has a generous grandma that gives him $10 a day. He is learning to exchange money for goods. We practice in the classroom with common items the kids find in the store, like Goldfish crackers and bottled water. This way, the kids can have a safe experience and learn the value of a dollar or a quarter," explains Rivera, who believes in helping his students learn to know what they don't know in a safe and nurturing way. "It's all about independence ultimately. I keep that at the forefront of my mind when I'm teaching. Little things mean a lot. I let them know they can carry a cheat sheet so they don't rely on other people. They are learning how to accommodate for their learning disabilities."
Rivera also never forgets the intense language delays the children have in addition to deafness, due to the language barrier between themselves and their hearing parents.
Working with the Whole Family Creates a Whole Child
The majority of deaf students at the school are born to hearing parents, many of whom already feel at a disadvantage because English is not their native language.
"Many people think ASL is English, but it's not. It is a language all its own, with specific grammar, variances and puns. I understand that families may not feel ready to deal with taking on learning ASL, so many kids are not exposed to it when they are three or four. That's a lot of lost years of language skill acquisition they have to make up, plus then also learn math and other subjects. It can be challenging," says Rivera, who spends much of his time working with parents who can't speak English and can't sign. "We have to constantly come from a place of compassion and understanding. They have to learn English, plus ASL, plus deal with a whole additional culture – deaf culture."
Pride in Deaf Culture
Rivera works with families and serves as a constant reminder to them that their kids are bright and smart. He also has learned to hear what they have to say through both a practical and compassionate lens.
"They have to go to work and provide for their families. They have to deal with transportation and a low income, plus other concerns. It's a big conversation. But I just keep bringing it back to the goal and the family's shared goal of success for everyone, including their son or daughter who is deaf," he says.
Marlton offer ASL to parents and family members once a week so that the children are provided consistent language exposure. This helps support pride not only in their child but in their child's deaf culture.
"We do a lot of work with ASL on stories, deaf stories the community creates from 1-10 or A-Z using hand shapes. I incorporate games that people who are deaf might play. I tell them all the time to feel proud of being deaf," says Rivera. "Deafness may not seem like something great, because it's harder to participate at home, like at the dinner table; but they are learning the distinction between being a person who is deaf and being a deaf person with a capital D. They are not defined solely by that one thing. There are so many different parts of us. Being deaf is not the same as being disabled. Being deaf simply means you are part of a linguistic minority."
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
