At an April 2004 Mombasa workshop, Peace Corps Volunteer Jesse Guberman (2002-2004) offered teachers six main ideas in how to improve their teaching.

First, stop talking.

The ministry may advocate total communication-signing and talking at the same time-but expecting teachers to effectively speak two languages at the same time puts a major burden on the teacher and often results in confusion for the students. By putting an emphasis on one language, teachers can concentrate more on what information they are actually giving all of their students, not simply pretending that since the words have been spoken. It is the child's responsibility to learn. Speaking another language only distracts teachers as they sign-a distraction that teachers with low proficiency in sign language cannot afford.

Secondly, fingerspell more.

Don't be afraid to fingerspell to deaf children. It demonstrates to children the importance of accessing other languages to obtain new, different, or more complete information. Most children need to be exposed to a word 30-35 times before they are able to remember it and use it. Through constant fingerspelling, we are increasing the exposure our students have to other languages and improve the likelihood that they will retain the information we expect of them.

Third, use the signs you know to explain ideas or concepts.

Many Kenyan teachers of the deaf become frustrated when they don't know the signs for the subject matter they are supposed to teach. KSL will always be a second language to these teachers and instead of being frustrated by that, they need to learn how to operate within that limitation. Pictures and other teaching aids are useful, but concepts will be best explained through KSL. With appropriate planning, you can use basic signs to communicate powerful ideas. Teachers also need to be willing to learn from the students. What signs do children use to discuss this topic?

Fourth, build on previous knowledge to refine understanding of any given topic.

As mentioned under the question about "abstract topics," the key is to not be overwhelmed and steadily build up to the information you want them to learn. It may be more difficult for them to understand some information because they lack so much background knowledge, but as a teacher you have both the capability and responsibility to provide that information.

Fifth, realize you are teaching in a multilingual class.

Children often juggle between three different languages in any given day: KSL, English, and Swahili. Each of these languages is important to students for different reasons. As teachers we must constantly acknowledge the role each language has in our classroom. We use KSL for direct communication, but we write in English or Swahili. All subjects should expose a child to each of these languages.

Restricting English to a one-hour time period will never allow students to properly use and understand the language. We must constantly incorporate written language into our classroom activities and teaching materials. Everything in the classroom should be labeled, and children should constantly be encouraged to use and experiment with written languages.

Sixth, be prepared to be unprepared.

Be ready to change your approach to teaching at any moment. Always "think on your toes." If something doesn't work, don't force it. Try a different approach.

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