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Lessons from a hearing special ed teacher & sign language interpreter | Teachers' Lounge Podcast

Jill Kelly

On a brand-new Teachers’ Lounge, Jill Kelly! She’s a hearing itinerant teacher -- a special ed teacher who teaches deaf and hard of hearing kids at the Huntley Community School District.

She’s also been a sign language teacher and interpreter for decades -- and she’s interpreted everything from political speeches, dog obedience, swim meets and karate classes.

We talked about how she learned sign language in the first place, and what a hearing itinerant teacher actually does -- from technology to self-advocacy.

And, as we talked about in the episode, it might be a good idea to know a bit of basic sign language. Here's a video on some of the basics Jill described.

If you’ve never listened to Teachers’ Lounge before, our show is based on an idea -- we’ve all had teachers in our lives who shaped who we are. And we want to hear about the teachers who inspired you or deserve a spotlight in your community. Every educator we have on this podcast, whether teacher, coach, counselor or professor, is nominated by our listeners.

So, tell us about the person who comes to your mind. Shoot us an email and nominate an educator at teacherslounge@niu.edu and they could be on the podcast! And please subscribe to our Teachers' Lounge newsletter right here where you can stay up to speed on the show and share stories you think we should cover!

Also, Teachers’ Lounge is on the radio! Catch the show as an hour-long radio program every month LIVE on 89-5 FM and streaming at WNIJ.org. We have multiple guests, stories, and exclusive segments. Tune in on the last Friday of the month at noon for future episodes. Our next episode airs on Friday, August 25th at noon and then the next day, August 26th at 6 a.m.

SHOW NOTES

Educator in this episode:

Jill Kelly

Stories featured in this episode:

College grad explores the economics and people of agriculture on the 'Back Roads of Illinois’

Music: Our show's theme music is from the northern Illinois-based band "Kindoves" and their songs "Popn," "Origins" and "Quiche." You can find more of their music on their Soundcloud page. You can also listen to the episode of WNIJ's own Sessions from Studio A where they were featured.

Teachers! People who know teachers! People with stories about teachers! Send us an email and be part of the show! Also, send us your topic recommendations: teacherslounge@niu.edu

Peter joins WNIJ as a graduate of North Central College. He is a native of Sandwich, Illinois.