Frenship teacher introduces students to deaf culture
By Bobwilson | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Friday, May 23, 2008
Mike Collier considers being deaf a blessing.
At the age of 18, he lost his hearing in a work-related accident.
“I am deaf with a capital D,” he wrote in an e-mail interview. “That
means I embrace the deaf world as my world. My wife and I are deaf,
and all our interaction with the world is pretty much through our
eyes. Becoming deaf was a blessing in disguise for me – not at the
time, but in the years to come.”
Collier is the American Sign Language teacher at Frenship High
School. The course started this school year and is among the
fastest-growing programs there. Collier shared the story with his
students about how he lost his hearing.
He was working as a machinist, and a person straightening pipe behind
his work station made a mistake that made the 20-foot metal pipe hit
Collier in the head.
The accident didn’t knock him out, but immediately he was unable to
understand what people were saying. Four hours later, he couldn’t hear
them at all.
Collier’s doctor thought Collier had a concussion and that his
hearing would return – that didn’t happen.
“I usually tell them that so they understand the reason I speak well
is because I learned language just like they did,” Collier wrote. “It
can be very different for a person who never heard before. In fact,
many deaf people prefer not to use their voice. I want my students to
understand that is normal.”
Students said the class is having an impact on them. In addition to
learning how to sign, Collier requires students to attend deaf events
to practice their skills and to learn about deaf culture.
American Sign Language fulfills high school foreign language
requirements, and students are learning about a large community that
resides in the United States – up to four of every 1,000 people have
become deaf at some point in their lives, according to the Deaf Action
Center.
In class, Collier has students wear ear plugs, which helps them learn
to depend more on their eyes.
On a recent Wednesday, Collier’s classroom was silent, and all eyes
were on a student who was standing up and using her sign language
skills to communicate with Collier and her classmates. At times, the
silence was broken by laughter.
“It is a real neat experience,” said Aurora Schmid, a freshman taking
one of the six classes that Collier teaches. “It is different. Deaf
people will hug you right away. They share everything.”
Schmid said learning sign language has challenged her. For example,
the sign for “mother” is a thumb to the chin, and it becomes
“grandmother” when you move the thumb forward.
Collier said he wants his students to be able to communicate with
deaf people, no matter where they end up after high school.
He said he enjoys teaching.
“A teacher is responsible for helping a student develop positive
attitudes, behaviors and character,” Collier wrote. “I also try to
communicate to my students to believe in themselves and be the best
they can be. As a teacher, I try to model such behaviors.”
Collier’s niece, Danni Beaudoin, is learning sign language this year
at Frenship. Beaudoin said it is great because she can talk to her
uncle and other deaf people in their language.
“If I see a deaf person, I can just start up a conversation,” said
Beaudoin, a 15-year-old freshman.
Tenth-grader Preston Cornwell said Collier’s class is one of his
favorites.
“It was kind of weird at first,” the 16-year-old said. “He is a great
teacher. I think he is personable.”
For most students in the Frenship sign language classes, Collier said
he is their first encounter with a deaf person. Collier got the job at
Frenship after he inquired about helping the school set up sign
language classes. The school did a needs assessment and found there
was a lot of interest in sign language classes. The district announced
the position, and Collier got the job.
Collier moved to Lubbock with his wife and two daughters from Austin
in 2006 to be an assistant professor of American Sign Language at
Texas Tech. The position ended in spring 2007 because the university’s
plans to start an American Sign Language major haven’t happened,
Collier said.
As for sharing the story about how he became deaf, Collier hopes it
will help others deal with barriers. He attributed great things in his
life to becoming deaf, including the motivation to earn college
degrees up to a doctorate. “I discovered that with God’s help we can
manage anything that comes our way in life,” he wrote. “I’m not saying
life is easy, because sometimes it is very hard. I am saying I
discovered that with God’s help we have a way to get through those
times. I met the sunshine of my life, my wife, who is also deaf. I
would have not met her otherwise. My mother would tell you that she
could not have hand-picked a better person for me herself. I agree.”
Collier plans to return next school year to teach sign language
classes, and he looks forward to watching the program grow.
To comment on this story:
766-8745
766-8747
Link: http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/052308/liv_282011204.shtml
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