About
Welcome! I use sign language in my job every day, as a teacher of communications to DeafBlind people at the Helen Keller National Center. I have successfully taught sign language to many people, both kids and adults. I love teaching, and I tailor the lessons to each student's needs and desires. I teach with the goal of fluency, so my students can sign sentences and hold a conversation quickly. If you have a certain focus in mind, for example, education or the arts - we can concentrate on vocabulary for that area.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I teach via Zoom, unless the student lives within a reasonable commute from my home in western Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. I meet each student at their proficiency level and build from there. For beginners, we start with fingerspelling, move on to time concepts and family relationships, and then work with nouns, verbs and daily events to expand vocabulary. I teach the five parameters of sign language, common handshapes and how to set up a conversation in the signing space.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Master of Arts in Education of the Deaf, New York University
Interpreter training, National Interpreter Training Consortium
Previously certified Sign Language Interpreter
How did you get started teaching?
I first became interested in the field of deafness when a medication temporarily reduced my hearing at the age of 10. I learned the fingerspelling alphabet and some signs on my own at that time. My hearing fully returned after I finished that medication. Later, I became a certified Teacher of the Deaf. My early teaching jobs included speech therapy with hearing-impaired students in a public school system, interpreting for Deaf students at community college, and working with elderly Deaf residents in a mental health facility. I have interpreted
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with every age group from young school children through to senior citizens. I work with hard-of-hearing, Deaf and hearing students. I can teach in English as well as in American Sign Language.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Recently I was in a fast-food restaurant. I saw that a man in line ahead of me was wearing hearing aids. When he got to the counter, he had difficulty communicating his order to the counter person. I went up to him, and signed to him that I can sign, and asked if he wanted help. He was very grateful and signed to me what he wanted. I voiced his order to the counter person. The counter person had a few follow-up questions, which I signed to the customer, and he signed back to me. I voiced the answers back to the counter man. The counter man told me the total, which I signed to the customer. The customer thanked me, paid for his order, and left with his dinner.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Learning sign language helps to expand your mind and the way you think, in ways that no other language can - because sign language is a visual language. It helps you find new connections between words and concepts. This can help you in your daily life as well as any profession that you may be in now.
Check whether the teacher you're considering has the appropriate education and a good bit of experience before hiring them to teach you sign language.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Learning sign language takes practice and work - so consider carefully whether you have the time, energy and commitment before moving ahead.