Dissertation Dedication and Acknowledgements

On December 9, 2022, I successfully defended my dissertation and became Dr. Givens. The title of my dissertation is "Self-Efficacy and Mentoring Experiences Among Administrators of Deaf Schools." Receiving my EdD has been a long journey, and so many people have supported me along the way. I thank them in my dissertation and wanted to publicly share it here. Thank you for reading!

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to my husband and children. Darrell, thank you for believing in me and supporting every outlandish professional dream I have ever had. I would not be the educator I am today if not for you! Thank you to my beautiful daughters - Maya, Brooklyn, Jasmine, and Savannah - for being patient whenever I had to take time away from them to focus on my career and doctoral journey. You are my light and my reason for wanting to do and be better. I am so proud to be your mom!

I also dedicate this to my current and former students and their parents. My students make me a better teacher each and every day. I would not be the educator I am today if not for them entering my life and inspiring me to give it my all every day. Thank you to their parents who entrust me with their children and allow me the opportunity to let their children shine. Raising a deaf child is not easy, and I appreciate being a part of your child’s life and helping to raise them together.

Finally, I dedicate this dissertation to the Deaf community for always challenging me to do better and calling me out when needed. My allyship will forever be a work in progress, and I continue to learn and grow each day because of you. I am honored and humbled to share the deaf education space with so many formidable deaf educators and deaf administrators. I tip my hat to you!

Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful to acknowledge those in my life who made this dissertation possible. First, thank you to my dissertation chair, Dr. Luke Smith, who guided me through this journey and answered all my questions along the way. Thank you to my committee - Dr. Scott Van Nice, Dr. Ryan Luke, and Dr. Karla Hargis - for providing your wisdom and guidance. And thank you to Dr. Joy Levine for respecting my request to have deaf representation on my committee and granting me a fourth committee member.

Thank you to my Twitter professional network, especially the deaf scholars. They have been incredibly supportive and helpful whenever I had questions, could not find a source, or just needed to vent. A special thank you goes to these deaf scholars who supported me through this journey: Dr. Jon Henner for providing guidance and recommendations for theoretical frameworks; Dr. Octavian Robinson for reviewing my history of deaf education section and providing valuable insight; and especially to Dr. Michael Skyer for being my informal mentor, reviewing my chapters, and answering 1,000 questions. I really could not have done this without you, Michael! Thank you, Lauren Maucere, Dr. Stephanie Cawthon, Dr. Leala Holcomb, and Dr. Julie Rems-Smario for providing critical feedback on the ASL versions of my recruitment letter and informed consent and to Dr. Jodi Falk for reviewing my recruitment invitation email from an administrator’s perspective.

            I am indebted to the deaf school executive leaders who saw my research's importance and granted their administrators permission to participate. A special thank you to all the administrators who took time out of their hectic schedules to participate in my study.

            Thank you to the parents who make the tough choice and sacrifice to send their children to deaf schools; to the educators, support staff, and administrators who work at deaf schools; and to the decision-makers who understand how critical deaf schools are to the education of deaf children.

Finally, thank you to the protestors who love deaf schools and fight for their future! Don’t ever stop fighting!

From Hearing Loss to Deaf Gain

These past few weeks, I have been learning about Deaf Gain because it is the overarching theoretical framework for my dissertation. If you are not familiar, Deaf Gain challenges the concept of ‘normalcy’ and seeing deaf people through a deficit lens. Under Deaf Gain, deaf is viewed as visual and cognitive diversity, as offering linguistic, cultural, and creative contributions to humanity. It forces one to think of all the good deaf people have done and will do in society, and to end thinking of deaf people as in need of fixing, of remediation.

One quote is notable and is one that we all in deaf education and in society at large need to reflect on and embrace.

"'Hearing loss' refers to the loss that hearing people experience by not being open to the benefits, contributions, and advances that arise through deaf ways of being."  (Bauman & Murray, 2014, p. xxxvii)

Just think about this quote.

Often, the term hearing loss is used as a PC way to identify a deaf person. However, it asserts that a deaf person has lost something, lost the ability to hear. It assumes that being able to hear is ‘normal’. Why? Who decides what is normal?

In the mid-1800s, scientists decided to categorize humans by their physical attributes using a bell curve. All those within the curve were considered normal. Everyone else…you get the point. This concept of normalcy is ingrained in our education system and in society.

Over the centuries, deaf people have been labeled by hearing society using deficit terms: deaf and dumb, deaf-mute, hearing impaired, hearing loss. ‘Deaf’ is even used derogatorily in many English phrases: fall on deaf ears, turned a deaf ear, etc.

It is us, hearing society, who embrace ‘hearing loss’ when we do not acknowledge deaf ways of being, Deaf culture, sign languages, deaf world. As a society, we need end impairing ourselves.

Instead of continuing to marginalize deaf people, let’s embrace them as whole beings, as humans without any deficits. They are diverse people who have a value equal to every hearing person on the planet. 

We all need to embrace Deaf Gain in our education system, in our diversity, equity, and inclusion work, in how we discuss intersectionality, in how we try to end discrimination.

We need to give deaf people a seat at the table. 

Better yet, let’s give the Deaf community the seat at the head of the table!

(Yes, in this post I use ‘deaf’ as an umbrella term to refer to and respect all deaf individuals regardless of hearing levels, language and communication preferences, and cultural differences)

Information from this post came from the following articles:

Bauman, H. D., & Murray, J. (2009). Reframing: From hearing loss to deaf gain. Deaf Studies Digital Journal, 1(1), 1-10.

Bauman, H. D. L., & Murray, J. J. (2010). Deaf studies in the 21st century: “Deaf-gain” and the future of human diversity. In M. Marschark, & P.E. Spencer (Eds.). The Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language, and education, vol. 2. (pp. 210-225). Oxford University Press

Bauman, H. D. L., & Murray, J. J. (Eds.). (2014). Deaf gain: Raising the stakes for human diversity. U of Minnesota Press.

Murray, J. (2016). Deaf gain. In G. Gertz, & P. Boudreault (Eds.), The sage deaf studies encyclopedia (pp. 187-189). SAGE Publications, Inc, https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346489.n65

 

Make Joining Twitter Your #DeafEd New Year's Resolution

Last October, I had the privilege of writing an article for the ebulletin Raising and Educating Deaf Children: Foundations for Policy, Practice, and Outcomes. In this article, I described how teachers of the deaf (ToD) have been turning to social media in order to grow professionally and to collaborate with others. The article can be found here http://www.raisingandeducatingdeafchildren.org/2019/10/04/using-social-media-for-professional-growth-and-collaboration/

Although I am a member of many Facebook groups that focus on deaf education, I find Twitter to be my preferred connection to other educators and professionals. The hashtag #DeafEd is one that I search for regularly. I love seeing what other ToDs are doing in their classrooms and what new resources they found or made. I enjoy reading snippets of the latest linguistic and brain research. I feel connected to Deaf advocates from across the globe fighting for equal rights.

Every day I get on Twitter and learn something new. Recently, I engaged in a rich conversation with a few Deaf linguists about language, Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills, and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency. You can read the archived conversation here https://wke.lt/w/s/1VWhaR

Why are you waiting to start using Twitter? No more excuses. Your professional growth depends on it. I'll wait right here as you open a new tab on your computer and join Twitter...

Now that you signed up, what do you do? Start following people. Who should you follow? Look for like-minded professionals, those that are in your field, those who share the same interests, those who discuss topics that are of relevance to you, your students, and your profession. Do what I did when I started - find one person to follow, then look at who that person is following. You will find a treasure trove of potential people to follow. You can follow me! @HeidiGASL

If you want a few recommendations of who to follow to get you started, check out this list. These are people/organizations that I follow that I think everyone in #DeafEd should follow. It is not an all-encompassing list, and just because I do not include someone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow them. I just can’t list everyone. These are top-notch highly engaged folk on Twitter. Also, many schools and programs for the deaf have Twitter accounts. Feel free to search for them too!

Once you feel comfortable with Twitter, consider participating in our monthly #DeafEd Twitter chats. Happening the second Thursday of every month, 4:30pmPT/7:30pmET, it is a fantastic way to learn from colleagues about various topics pertinent to deaf education. For information on how to participate in a Twitter chat, check out this informational video by Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of Deaf Communities here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lJ9YRAwOj4

I can't wait to see you on Twitter soon!

In no particular order...

Deaf Education Specific

@laurenmaucere @tcsamaripa @transformdeafed

@treejam7 @ThisisNYCarlos @rafnarr

@AtomicHands @michaelskyer @NRSCenter

@NationalDeafCtr @CEASD1868 @CAIDOfficial

@sarahlovesears @wyattehall @TerynceTeaches

@SuptNYSD @FSDB_PD @DeafKidsCode

@KymPMeyer @jrscoyote @Caledorg @jmhenner

Education in General

@tolerance_org @ClearTheAirEdu @NatGeoEducation

@alicekeeler @christienold @brewerhm

@TheJLV @teacher2teacher @sevenzo_org

Advocacy

@behearddc @talilalewis @DisVisibility

@CouncildeManos @DisSolidarity

International

@Sarah_albuzaid @DeafTechF @skymazef3

A Decade of Accomplishments

Can you believe we have just entered the 2020s? It seems like only yesterday we were getting ready for the 2010s. 

So much has happened to me personally and professionally during this past decade. After seeing others share on social media what has happened to them, I decided to write down all my accomplishments (well, most of them) here. This will serve as a reminder to myself of the good I have done and as a way to make the next decade even better for my family and for my profession. I chose not to list the publications or presentations I have done over the years. I’m not writing a book or a CV! :)

As teachers, we don’t give ourselves enough credit for all the great work we do. We don’t toot our own horns or share what we do. Many of us don't even hang our degrees in our classrooms just as other professionals do. We need to! It’s not bragging; it’s showing the world how much of an impact every teacher has. You don't have to have awards or other accolades in order to celebrate what you have done this decade. Every single teacher makes an impact on the lives of children every day. That should be celebrated. My list below does not mean I am better than a teacher who is a master teacher in their own right and a leader inside their classroom. That person deserves all the celebrating too!

Therefore, after you read, take some time to reflect on your own successes no matter how great or small. If you share it publicly, please let me know so I can read yours too!

2010 

• Permanently added a third child to our family with the adoption of Brooklyn (Our second child, Jasmine, was adopted in 2009).

2011

• Permanently added a fourth (and final) child to our family with the adoption of Savannah
• Co-founded the Kentucky Educators for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Became a National Board Certified Teacher
• Represented KY at the Multi-State Standard Setting Study Panel for Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Praxis exam

2012

• Transitioned from classroom teacher to itinerant teacher
• Selected as Kentucky Elementary Teacher of the Year

2013

• Selected to serve on the Kentucky Commissioner of Education Teacher Advisory Council. Served until 2016.

2014

• Attended the inaugural Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) Kentucky convening
• Selected to serve on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council. Served a two year term. During this time, attended and served on planning committees for several national, state and regional ECET2 convenings.

2015

• Received Director of Special Education certification
• After participating in a Twitter chat end-of-semester project for RIT/NTID students, collaborated with the professor to co-found the monthly #DeafEd Twitter chat, still going strong today

2016

• Selected as a Hope Street Group Kentucky State Teacher Fellow. Served for one year
• Transitioned to administration. Separated from my family and moved to Frankfort to serve as the Director of Student Services for Frankfort Independent Schools

2017

• Co-chaired ECET2 CA Deaf Education
• Wrote and was awarded $225,000 in grants for early childhood for Frankfort Independent Schools

2018

• Enrolled in a program to pursue my principal certification, to eventually earn my EdD in educational leadership, and continue to learn and grow
• Provided consultation to Kentucky State University's School of Education
• For the first time, served as an independent evaluator of a university grant
• Returned back to teaching as a teacher of the deaf for Fayette County Public Schools
• Watched my first born, Maya, graduate high school and be admitted to the University of Kentucky
• Chaired ECET2 Deaf Education Central

2019

• Returned back home and accepted a teaching position as teacher of the deaf for McLean County Public Schools
• Jasmine made her middle school volleyball team
• Celebrated my 20 year wedding anniversary
• Selected to serve on the inaugural National Geographic Teacher Advisory Council
• Began working with CEASD as their social media manager
• Began consultant work with the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
• Lost 75 pounds!!!

An HBCU Embraces ASL and the Black Deaf Community

On January 24, 2018 Kentucky State University took a huge step - it was the first day of their new American Sign Language 1 class. Yes, KSU has offered ASL in the past, but this time is different. The adjunct professor is Black Deaf.

You may ask, why is this such a big deal? Deaf individuals teach ASL as a foreign language at colleges and universities across the country. And yes, there are Black Deaf professors teaching ASL throughout the U.S. However, KSU is an HBCU - a Historically Black College and University. I know there are some HBCUs offering ASL classes, but how many have a Black Deaf professor teaching those classes? That is definitely something to look into.

Need
Earlier this school year, KSU President Dr. Christopher Brown stated at a faculty meeting that he would love to see ASL offered on campus. The School of Education chair Dr. JoAnne Rainey and KSU Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Ron Chi jumped at the idea - with a tad bit of help from me (wink). It was very clear to us that in order for this course to be at the same caliber as other university ASL classes, it must be taught by a native signer with the pedagogy and experience to teach. Additionally, to fully represent what an HBCU is all about, the professor must be Black.

After searching high and low, we found an amazing Black Deaf professor who has a wealth of experience teaching at various universities but never at an HBCU. Finding the right person was not an easy task. As our new professor so eloquently explained, just because someone is an expert in computers does not mean he has the skills to teach someone how to use a computer. It takes strategy and pedagogy to be able to teach someone. The same is true with ASL; just because one is Deaf and is a fluent signer does not mean they know how to teach ASL to others.

Vision

Founded in 1886, part of KSU’s vision is to “create an environment where:

• Diversity is valued, understood and respected.
• Diverse, motivated and talented students, staff and faculty are actively recruited and retained”

“We strive to create an environment that values the unique backgrounds, perspectives and talents of all our students and provide them with the academic, leadership and social tools to help them grow as responsible, knowledgeable and creative global citizens.”

Dr. Rainey, Dr. Chi and I recognize that in KY (and nationally), there is a lack of People of Color in professions that work with the Deaf community (ex. Teachers of the Deaf, Interpreters, Therapists, Rehab Counselors, Nurses, Police Officers, etc). KSU, as an HBCU, has the unique opportunity to be the leader in Higher Education that focuses on increasing the number of Black professionals in these fields. In addition, KSU has the opportunity to develop world class education for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing students at an HBCU.

Offering ASL by a Black Deaf professor this spring is the first step towards creating programs and building relationships with other universities, agencies, business, and industry. KSU is on the trajectory to design courses and programs that increase the number of People of Color working with the Deaf community.

We welcome members of the Black Deaf community who are interested in being a part of this work.