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ASL students adjust to new instructor

By Erin Lowe
<elowe@hilite.org>

It’s not often that students have to cope with a new teacher toward the end of the year, but that is exactly what happened to students in American Sign Language (ASL) classes last semester. When former ASL teacher Gina Coleman was killed in a motorcycle accident, students were devastated. According to the students in new ASL teacher Joseph Wheeler’s classes, the transition has been smooth for the most part.

“I think I have coped with this really well, although it was weird walking into the classroom and seeing the change in decoration and the new teacher,” Bethany Poorman, ASL student and senior, said. “But other than that it has been a good change. I think it was very hard losing Gina and (instructional assitant) Richelle (Daley, who left this school after last year) but I really like the new teacher. He is nice and easy to talk to.”

As for Wheeler, he said the transition has been smooth for him, too.

“Students have been positive about starting with a new teacher and continuing their ASL studies, and I’ve had opportunities to listen to their stories about their former ASL teacher,” Wheeler said.

In addition to replacing Coleman, Wheeler has had to deal with transitioning to a new school as well. But, there, too he said, the move has gone well.

“The Carmel High School staff and administrators have done so much to welcome new teachers. They have been wonderful about providing the things we need, and answering our questions,” Wheeler said.

According to world language department chairperson Angelika Becker, the students have dealt with transition pretty well. “From what I hear, (the students are coping),” she said. “There is no (spoken) English and no teacher’s aid, which the students are not used to. Mr. Wheeler is totally immersing them into the deaf culture.”

Although most students take a foreign language like Spanish or French, Becker said that ASL is a good class for students. “It’s just a totally different class,” she said. “There are a lot of motions. It helps us in the hearing world get a glimpse into the deaf world. It’s interesting.”

Wheeler said,“I’ve been signing a little slower than normal and am always open to repeating, signing slower, or clarifying anything. I do realize that every signer has his (or) her own style, just like any speaking individual has a different voice and tone.”

Wheeler said that not only students had to make an adjustment to him but that he had to adjust to the school as well.

“The only difficult part was adjusting to a two-day rotation schedule as opposed to a daily schedule at my old high school in Arizona,” Wheeler said.

As for Becker, she said she saw an easy adjustment. She said, “The transition was pretty smooth. It’s always difficult to adjust. He did pretty well. He’s a very likeable person, great sense of humor. The communication will get better with time.”

As for Poorman, while the adjustment to Wheeler has gone smoothly, memories of Coleman still linger. “I think losing Gina, in general, has been the hardest part because many students became very close to her and I know we all miss her greatly,” she said. “I think the hardest part is adjusting to the change in the way Mr. Wheeler teaches opposed to the way Gina and Richelle taught us. We are forced to learn faster because we do not have an interpreter.”

“The thing I like most about my job is being able to communicate with more people in sign language, and seeing them grow as individuals. I look forward to having a Level 3 class open next year,” Wheeler said.

Becker said,“I’m learning too. I’m practicing.”

Story updated on 9.15.08

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