Resources for Participants

Guiding questions

1. Identify 3 strengths in your interpreting work. This could be anything from ethics and theory to on-the-job work.

2. Identify 3 areas you’d like to improve in your interpreting work.

3. Where do you see your career and work 1 year from now?

4. Where do you see your career and work 5 years from now?

5. Consider testing requirements in your state. Do you have plans to complete any of these tests in the near future? Do you need support on these tests?

NOTES:

*If identifying goals/areas to improve feels like a daunting task, try narrowing it down. Perhaps ASL to English is more comfortable for you – it might be a great time to focus these 6 weeks on English to ASL in that case.

*Your 1-year vision can help create short-term goals for your career. Whether it is focusing on an upcoming test, shaking free of your nerves, or simply growing more comfortable with your language use, a short-term goal focusing on something tangible and specific can be very helpful!

*Recording a sample can be helpful for your partner to work with you on identifying strengths and areas of improvement.

Topics

  • How the concept of professionalism is changing

  • DCS (Demand Control Schema)

  • Foundations methodology

  • Microaggression 101

  • Antiracism 101 and why it directly applies to our work

    • White fragility

    • White superiority

    • White supremacy

    • White exceptionalism

    • White silence

  • What is an IEP?

  • What is a 504?

  • Older signs

  • Newer (slang) signs

  • Basic drawing skills ( this is a great skill for an interpreter to have when working with diverse consumers)

  • Business jargon

    • (e.g. RFP, procurement, deficit etc.)

  • Tech support

    • Google Doc 101

    • Zoom 101

    • How to check your internet speed

    • How to update your computer

    • Excel 101

    • Photoshop 101

    • Google Hangout 101

    • Meeting To Go 101

    • What tools can I use on my iPhone to draw?

    • What apps can I use for large print text?

    • Screencastify/Loom

    • Captioning

    • Any state or city signs

  • What native land MA is on/ history of that tribe

  • State house

  • Government 101

  • Government jargon 101

  • LGBTQIA+

    • What is the difference between nonbinary and gender nonconforming? Etc.

    • Why are pronouns important

    • What does AFAB/AMAB mean?

    • History of LGBTQIA+ rights/oppression

    • Ways that you can support your LGBTQIA+ peers

  • 100 important Spanish words (and other languages)

  • Conflict management

  • Leadership

  • How to work in teams

  • English skills

  • ASL skills

  • How to work with a Deaf interpreter

  • Specializations in the field

    • Medical

    • Audiology

      1. Different kinds of hearing aids and CI

      2. BAHA, Headband vs. Bone anchored etc.

    • Education (PhD, K-12, Vocational)

    • Community work

    • Sports

    • VRS

    • Platform

    • Deaf-Blind

    • STE(A)M

  • Invoicing/ Record keeping

  • Math (number practice)

  • Car mechanics

  • Cultures

  • Self-care (yoga, stretching, boundaries, work-outs)

  • Time management tools

  • Action steps (calling government, writing letters, holding tough conversations)

  • Resources for information regarding SJ, Antiracism (books, podcasts, movies etc)

  • Accessibility

    • Crash course on DB, Blind accessibility

    • ADA

  • MA specific orgs jargon

    • MCDHH/WCI

    • Advocates

Resource: RID Code of Professional Conduct