Meet Our Interpreter- Sophia M.

Hello, my name is Sophia Miller and I work with LAF SLS. 

What I enjoy most about working with students?  I do love the educational atmosphere. I’ve worked in a medical, I’ve worked in legal, and I have worked community based, but I always come back to school, to the educational setting.

When I see them, a deaf child nodding as if they understand what I am interpreting, they give that nod of understanding or they can raise their hand and participate, answer a question, participate in the class, in the classroom discussion then I feel like, “OK. I'm doing my job!”

Some tips to help if you working with a deaf person for the first time person in the classroom setting: include the deaf person in classroom discussions.  Include them in the class.  Don’t exclude them.  Don’t leave them out. 

If you're asking a question for the whole class answer, ask the deaf person, your deaf student also.  Include them in.  If they have their hand raised or maybe the won’t raise their hand, but if you can see their expression and maybe they have something to share, invite them to share their comments too.  Invite them to be a part of the classroom so they don't feel left out.

They may already feel different if they are the only deaf person in the classroom amongst a classroom of hearing people. They may already feel excluded and left out, but the more you can include them into the classroom and into classroom discussions, then the more comfortable they will feel and also the interpreter.