Welcome to the Modern Classrooms Project Podcast. Each week we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to better serve their learners. In this episode, Toni Rose is joined by Tiffany Dreher to discuss the unique challenges faced by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students.

Here are three key takeaways from this podcast episode:

• Language as the Currency of Schools: Tiffany highlights the fundamental importance of language in education, describing it as the "currency of school." This underscores the significance of communication and language accessibility for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students.

• Shifting the Focus to Student-Centered Learning: Toni Rose and Tiffany express their desire to shift from teacher-centered approaches to student-centered learning. They emphasize the need to foster closer relationships with students, facilitate joy in learning, and rethink grading practices to truly center learning over scores.

• Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity: The conversation underscores the importance of embracing diversity, not only in terms of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students but also considering all abilities, identities, and backgrounds in the educational environment. Tiffany and Toni Rose emphasize the need for responsive, relevant, and equitable teaching practices. Toni Rose shares, "Our students are incredible. They do amazing things, and when they feel like the teacher supports them, when they feel like their teacher actually likes them as human beings, they're so magical."

This dialogue encourages educators to reflect on their teaching methods, embrace student diversity, and work towards more inclusive, student-centric classrooms.

Discussion questions for PLC and PD: 

• How can educators actively prioritize language accessibility and communication for all students, especially those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, in their classrooms? What strategies can be implemented to ensure language truly becomes the currency of the school for everyone?

• The conversation highlights the need to shift from teacher-centered to student-centered learning approaches. How can educators transition their teaching methods to foster stronger relationships with students, promote joy in learning, and rethink grading practices to focus on learning rather than scores? What challenges might they encounter during this transition, and how can they overcome them?

• Inclusivity and diversity are central themes in this discussion. How can educators create a classroom environment that embraces and supports students of all abilities, identities, and backgrounds? What steps can be taken to ensure teaching practices are responsive, relevant, and equitable for a diverse student population?

Our Host

Toni Rose taught MS English for 10 years and will forever identify as a teacher. Toni Rose strives to be the teacher that she never had growing up, so she focuses on anti-bias, anti-racist work and wants to create a brave space for everyone around her. As a queer Filipinx, she understands just how important it is to be represented, be valued, and belong. She especially loves being a thought partner for and celebrating teachers.

Our Guest: Tiffany Dreher

• Connect with our guest via email tiffany.dreher@gmail.com, Facebook, or Twitter 

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