Why bother?

Setting: High school history class
Deaf Student: not paying attention
You: interpret anyway
Hearing student who sits behind you: "He ain't even looking at you, Miss. Why you keep doin' that?"

Your options--
1. agree and quit interpreting
2. explain role in idealistic terms
3. chat with hearing student
4. ...what would you do?

I hate my agency!

Your team goes on and on about the interpreting agency that placed you both on your current job. You share a few choice experiences you have had with the agency.

+Was it really appropriate to dis on your agency?
+What would have been another option?
+How can you be empathetic to your team while still remaining loyal to your agency?

Been there, terped that

You interpret for a college class with a team. The professor tends to repeat himself, saying the same concept over and over. You play with the various ways the professor explains concepts interpreting one concept in different ways. After one concept has been discussed at length, your client looks down to text and you decide not to interpret the last sentence of the thoroughly debated concept. After all, client isn’t looking and the information was already provided. Your team feeds you your un-interpreted sentence.

--Do you go ahead and interpret the fed sentence?
--Do you ignore your team's feed?
--Do you say, I've got it?

I can see

You are team interpreting in a college class on-going. You are in the off chair providing support, when necessary. If the client looks down, your team turns to you and signs, “looking down, reading”. If the client is texting, your team signs to you, “texting.” You can see what your client is doing. You don’t need your team telling you the client is not paying attention.

--Do you let your team know you don't need to be fed the client's actions?
--Do you ask your team if they want the same information when they are in the off seat?
--Do you let it go; chalk it up to teaming idiosyncrasies?

I teach too!

You are subbing for a college level math class. Your team starts as she is in the class every day. While interpreting, you notice she is adding quite a bit of background information about math. Finally she stops interpreting the teacher's lesson and gives the student a private teaching lesson. Then she turns to you and signs, "I used to be a math teacher. And because I can explain this in a better way, I feel I'm within the bounds of ethical interpreting. After all, the most important thing is for the student to understand the information."

+How do you respond?
+When you are on, do you interpret? Or do you teach?
+Do you tell the agency anything?
+Do you talk to your team?

My Ex Sucks!

At the end of your assignment your team offers you a ride home. Thankful not to have to wait for public transportation or call someone for a ride, you accept. On the drive home, your team voices her frustration regarding her impending divorce. Her ex-husband is also an interpreter. You're not super good friends with either of them, but are "facebook friends" with both.

Do you:
+smile and nod. You don't want to get in the middle of it.
+readily take her side. She is offering you a ride home.
+tell her you'd rather not know. You may have to work with her ex one day.

+What are the short term ramifications of your decision?
+If you will want a ride from her again but don't want to be drug into her personal saga, how will you avoid the topic of her ex?
+How can you remain supportive but still distanced?

Can I leave early?

You team the last period of a high school class. You are the 2nd team on and half way through class you come in to relieve your team. After the team leaves your student signs, “You can leave. There is nothing happening today.”

Would the following circumstances inform your decision:
1. The student never pays attention and you feel that is disrespectful.
2. They are doing group work and you know the student communicates well with his group.
3. You want to get some shopping done on your way home and would like to leave early.
4. You have nothing else to do and are paid to stay.

Consider the situation with the above variables. What would be the ethical options? What are the practical options. What would you do?