An Interview With Ms. King
Daniela Diaz
Kelly King, A Brilliant ASL Teacher
Observations
Ms. King teaches 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Description of classroom environment-
Ms. King's classroom had no desks, only chairs. I believe this was to make it easier for students to communicate with each other. There were many ASL posters around her classroom. The day I observed her class she had a very small class (only 10 people!). The entire class communicated with sign language, so the entire class period it was completely silent. There was a lightbulb on top of the door that lights up at the same time as the bell. The thing that interested me the most about that class was that everyone understood and was very involved.
Classroom Management Techniques-
She would tap on the board or desk to get people's attention; she would also wave her hand. People put their backpack's towards the entrance of the classroom so they wouldn't be distracted during the class. She also has an updated calendar in front of the classroom so everyone's always aware of what's happening when.
Teaching Strategies Used-
Ms. King would wait until everyone looked up at her before she started signing. I believe they were discussing sentence structure, so she would constantly write on the board and refer to what she wrote on the board. She only signed during the class period. The class had very interactive class discussions. She allowed students to correct her when necessary. She would let students discuss things among themselves and figure stuff out on their own.
Hours Per Week-
Outside of her regular classroom hours, she spends about 30 hours working at home.
Biggest Challenge-
Ms. King's biggest challenge is reaching students who are only in the class for the credit.
Biggest Rewards-
Her biggest reward is "seeing light bulbsgo off from passion".
Motivation-
Ms. King's answer to the question "On a scale of 1-10 being the highest, how much self-motivation is needed in this job?" was 10.