Auslan

Showcasing Creativity: Auslan-Inspired Art Projects Across the Grades

Students have been doing a fantastic job with their Auslan-inspired art projects. 

The Prep students are learning to fold strips of paper to create pop-up hands. 

Year 1 and 2 students are crafting foil art using string and glue. 

Year 3 and 4 students are working on a large poster featuring 3D face, bubble wrapped arms, hands/gloves to demonstrate sign language; this project will take a few weeks to complete, and their work is already looking amazing. 

Year 5 and 6 students have been given the freedom to express their creativity with their own unique projects, which will be a surprise even for me! We look forward to presenting all of the students’ work at the end of the term.

A delicate dance to social survival!

While interacting with people, I find myself orchestrating a delicate dance between extroversion and introversion. With my Deaf friends who are fluent in sign language, there are hours of animated chats, and often, we are the last to leave the venue.  This is where I am the extrovert extraordinaire, thriving on lively banter. 

Yet, there are those introverted days, where conversations feel like puzzle pieces scattered about, and the struggles to keep up is real. Do I nod and pretend to understand with a smile, or stand there, stone-faced? It’s a social dilemma. Smiling and nodding can feel deceptive, but it often seems better than appearing rude. Large-group socials become a lip-reading spectacle without comprehension.

It is not mental slowness; it’s the intricate art of connecting conversational dots. Once I’ve finally deciphered the code, I often find the topic has already sailed away. 

Now, if I were to hire a full-time interpreter, it would feel like entering an identity whirlwind. Suddenly, I’d find myself and hearing people completely relying on the interpreter, which is not the bonding experience I seek with those I want to communicate with directly. While many Deaf people prefer this, it isn’t for me, and I know other Deaf people who feel the same. Instead, it stresses us out. As someone who loves peace and quiet, I value the moments of solitude and direct communication. When not interacting with others, it is a challenge to relax with the interpreter present, as I feel the need to be polite by constantly engaging with the during gaps. Hearing people can relax their eyes and bodies and look down, but I don’t have that luxury.

So, I opt for the middle ground, not recruiting interpreters all the time because I cherish personal conversations where people talk directly to me, and I can embrace the luxury of spacing out when the mood strikes. But…throw in a dash of spoken language, and suddenly people think I’m the linguistic chameleon, expected to blend seamlessly into the conversation jungle. Less information does come my way, as oppose to those who have access to interpreters, full time.