1. Address the Deaf student directly. It is standard to speak as you would if there were no interpreter present—there is no need to say, “Tell him/her that I want…”

2. The student needs to maintain a clear sight line. Allow the Deaf student and the interpreter to sit (or stand) where there is a clear sight line from the interpreter to the focus of attention.

3. If you write on the board often, it often helps for the Deaf student to be seated on the same side of the room as your dominant hand—when you face the board. If you tend to move about the room, the Deaf student may want to sit somewhere in the middle of the class (allowing them to scan the room quickly for the focal point).

4. Work with the interpreter and the Deaf student to make use of extra lights (if necessary), or special placement when using media.

5. The interpreter needs process time. The interpreter will always be completing your messages anywhere from 5-8 seconds behind you. When asking questions, it will sometimes seem as if the Deaf student is hesitating or is asking a question about a topic you have moved on from. Actually, the Deaf student is still receiving the last part of the message. In discussions, this “message processing” time can become a barrier to the Deaf student participating fully. It helps the Deaf student feel better about participating if you periodically acknowledge that the class needs to allow the interpreter to finish.

6. Only one message at a time can be interpreted. If there is more than one speaker, the interpreter will have to make the choice of which speaker’s message is interpreted or interrupt and ask for repetitions. In addition, since all comments are fed through the same interpreter, in lively class discussions, it is sometimes difficult for the Deaf student to keep track of who is speaking. The Deaf student may ask from time to time, “Who said that?”

7. The interpreter will need to prepare. In order to make sure the Deaf student receives an accurate interpretation of your course; the interpreter will need to prepare ahead of time. Materials such as the course syllabus, outlines, notes, handouts, and the course textbook, etc. are invaluable tools for the interpreter.

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