Frenship teacher introduces students to deaf culture <\/p>\n
By Bobwilson | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL <\/p>\n
Friday, May 23, 2008<\/p>\n
Mike Collier considers being deaf a blessing. <\/p>\n
At the age of 18, he lost his hearing in a work-related accident. <\/p>\n
“I am deaf with a capital D,” he wrote in an e-mail interview. “That
\nmeans I embrace the deaf world as my world. My wife and I are deaf,
\nand all our interaction with the world is pretty much through our
\neyes. Becoming deaf was a blessing in disguise for me – not at the
\ntime, but in the years to come.” <\/p>\n
Collier is the American Sign Language teacher at Frenship High
\nSchool. The course started this school year and is among the
\nfastest-growing programs there. Collier shared the story with his
\nstudents about how he lost his hearing. <\/p>\n
He was working as a machinist, and a person straightening pipe behind
\nhis work station made a mistake that made the 20-foot metal pipe hit
\nCollier in the head. <\/p>\n
The accident didn’t knock him out, but immediately he was unable to
\nunderstand what people were saying. Four hours later, he couldn’t hear
\nthem at all. <\/p>\n
Collier’s doctor thought Collier had a concussion and that his
\nhearing would return – that didn’t happen. <\/p>\n
“I usually tell them that so they understand the reason I speak well
\nis because I learned language just like they did,” Collier wrote. “It
\ncan be very different for a person who never heard before. In fact,
\nmany deaf people prefer not to use their voice. I want my students to
\nunderstand that is normal.” <\/p>\n
Students said the class is having an impact on them. In addition to
\nlearning how to sign, Collier requires students to attend deaf events
\nto practice their skills and to learn about deaf culture. <\/p>\n
American Sign Language fulfills high school foreign language
\nrequirements, and students are learning about a large community that
\nresides in the United States – up to four of every 1,000 people have
\nbecome deaf at some point in their lives, according to the Deaf Action
\nCenter. <\/p>\n
In class, Collier has students wear ear plugs, which helps them learn
\nto depend more on their eyes. <\/p>\n
On a recent Wednesday, Collier’s classroom was silent, and all eyes
\nwere on a student who was standing up and using her sign language
\nskills to communicate with Collier and her classmates. At times, the
\nsilence was broken by laughter. <\/p>\n
“It is a real neat experience,” said Aurora Schmid, a freshman taking
\none of the six classes that Collier teaches. “It is different. Deaf
\npeople will hug you right away. They share everything.” <\/p>\n
Schmid said learning sign language has challenged her. For example,
\nthe sign for “mother” is a thumb to the chin, and it becomes
\n“grandmother” when you move the thumb forward. <\/p>\n
Collier said he wants his students to be able to communicate with
\ndeaf people, no matter where they end up after high school. <\/p>\n
He said he enjoys teaching. <\/p>\n
“A teacher is responsible for helping a student develop positive
\nattitudes, behaviors and character,” Collier wrote. “I also try to
\ncommunicate to my students to believe in themselves and be the best
\nthey can be. As a teacher, I try to model such behaviors.” <\/p>\n
Collier’s niece, Danni Beaudoin, is learning sign language this year
\nat Frenship. Beaudoin said it is great because she can talk to her
\nuncle and other deaf people in their language. <\/p>\n
“If I see a deaf person, I can just start up a conversation,” said
\nBeaudoin, a 15-year-old freshman. <\/p>\n
Tenth-grader Preston Cornwell said Collier’s class is one of his
\nfavorites. <\/p>\n
“It was kind of weird at first,” the 16-year-old said. “He is a great
\nteacher. I think he is personable.” <\/p>\n
For most students in the Frenship sign language classes, Collier said
\nhe is their first encounter with a deaf person. Collier got the job at
\nFrenship after he inquired about helping the school set up sign
\nlanguage classes. The school did a needs assessment and found there
\nwas a lot of interest in sign language classes. The district announced
\nthe position, and Collier got the job. <\/p>\n
Collier moved to Lubbock with his wife and two daughters from Austin
\nin 2006 to be an assistant professor of American Sign Language at
\nTexas Tech. The position ended in spring 2007 because the university’s
\nplans to start an American Sign Language major haven’t happened,
\nCollier said. <\/p>\n
As for sharing the story about how he became deaf, Collier hopes it
\nwill help others deal with barriers. He attributed great things in his
\nlife to becoming deaf, including the motivation to earn college
\ndegrees up to a doctorate. “I discovered that with God’s help we can
\nmanage anything that comes our way in life,” he wrote. “I’m not saying
\nlife is easy, because sometimes it is very hard. I am saying I
\ndiscovered that with God’s help we have a way to get through those
\ntimes. I met the sunshine of my life, my wife, who is also deaf. I
\nwould have not met her otherwise. My mother would tell you that she
\ncould not have hand-picked a better person for me herself. I agree.” <\/p>\n
Collier plans to return next school year to teach sign language
\nclasses, and he looks forward to watching the program grow. <\/p>\n
To comment on this story: <\/p>\n
bobby.wilson@lubbockonline.com<\/p>\n
766-8745 <\/p>\n
shelly.gonzales@lubbockonline.com<\/p>\n
766-8747 <\/p>\n
Link: http:\/\/www.lubbockonline.com\/stories\/052308\/liv_282011204.shtml<\/p>\n
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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…<\/p>\n