Between moving and my son having surgery over the past few weeks I have completely had my attention drawn in other directions, there are too many to even try to recap without recreating the stress that I have all so recently experienced. Yet, I am thrilled to be able to say that it has seemingly returned back to normal and the fact that I find myself sitting here at my computer desk with time to update my sign language mentor/mentee blog shows that I am for the most part back to my normal schedule. Phew!
I have found that through my interpreting jobs usually after I'm walking to my car I have been approached by someone who is interested in finding out more about sign language, possibly looking in to making this their new career. I have exchanged my number and of course extended my help in any way they needed be it to get them to the right resources or to help guide them to the right direction. In reflection of these situations I realize that at any stage of the interpreting career field or in a broader view of life in general we all have a mentor and we are all mentors to someone else. It is the cycle that keeps our communities, culture, and more directly to us our profession a strong, professional, and joined together creating a family type feeling between us. It just emphesizes the importance of this program to me and how we and many people in our career field will benefit from the research that comes out of this program.
The focus of my #2 question with was how to feel more confident and knowledgeable about the subject when I go to a job. Recently a completely different and unfamiliar situation than I have ever experienced before on a professional level came up. Of course I was a little apprehensive but also excited about the idea of a challenge to my interpreting. What I did to help prepare was to look on line and get some great web sites with things that were related to the type of job I was going to. Then I practiced signing those words, if there was a sign I wasn't familiar with I looked it up and then started again. With the practice and new confidence I was able to interpret with much more clarity and a knowledge base that helped me to interpret the meaning behind the words to ASL. Now with any new situation with any unfamiliar subject matter I will try to read an article or get some related information on the topic to give me some background information or if possible talk to a teacher/person involved before hand for related material. This is vital to be able to convey the message well, and for a new interpreter who is just starting to learn about all these medical, college, and life terms it is very important for me to be able to give the best interpreting possible for the Deaf person I am interpeting for.
I have found that through my interpreting jobs usually after I'm walking to my car I have been approached by someone who is interested in finding out more about sign language, possibly looking in to making this their new career. I have exchanged my number and of course extended my help in any way they needed be it to get them to the right resources or to help guide them to the right direction. In reflection of these situations I realize that at any stage of the interpreting career field or in a broader view of life in general we all have a mentor and we are all mentors to someone else. It is the cycle that keeps our communities, culture, and more directly to us our profession a strong, professional, and joined together creating a family type feeling between us. It just emphesizes the importance of this program to me and how we and many people in our career field will benefit from the research that comes out of this program.
The focus of my #2 question with was how to feel more confident and knowledgeable about the subject when I go to a job. Recently a completely different and unfamiliar situation than I have ever experienced before on a professional level came up. Of course I was a little apprehensive but also excited about the idea of a challenge to my interpreting. What I did to help prepare was to look on line and get some great web sites with things that were related to the type of job I was going to. Then I practiced signing those words, if there was a sign I wasn't familiar with I looked it up and then started again. With the practice and new confidence I was able to interpret with much more clarity and a knowledge base that helped me to interpret the meaning behind the words to ASL. Now with any new situation with any unfamiliar subject matter I will try to read an article or get some related information on the topic to give me some background information or if possible talk to a teacher/person involved before hand for related material. This is vital to be able to convey the message well, and for a new interpreter who is just starting to learn about all these medical, college, and life terms it is very important for me to be able to give the best interpreting possible for the Deaf person I am interpeting for.
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