If you have been following the blog, you may know that one of my main goals here in Gallaudet is  to develop my academic skills. Among them, I aim to improve my ability to conduct research and  present findings effectively, but also to enhance my teaching and communication skills. I believe  that acquiring knowledge is just the first step; it is equally essential to share it with other academics  and students, and giving back to the community, fostering a space for discussion, critical thinking,  and collective learning. 

During my first semester here, I attendeded different master’s and undergraduate classes, paying  close attention to the differences in both course content and teaching methodologies. I have found it  fascinating to observe how each professor has a unique approach to teaching. Some prefer the  lecture-based method, while others emphasize active learning, incorporating group work, case  studies, and practical examples, and also group discussions are also frequently used. They are all  good tools to explore different perspectives and methodological approaches, making the learning  process more engaging and dynamic, depending on our aims, students, content and topic… 

Each professor has their own teaching style, not only in the way they present content but also in  how they manage classroom interactions and guide student participation. For me, this has always  been a challenge, as my home university does not provide sign language interpreters for teaching,  which has prevented me from having the opportunity to teach. I have taught many courses online  and have been invited as a guest lecturer, but I haven’t been responsible for an official university  class until now.  

However, at Gallaudet a few days ago, I was finally able to overcome this issue and, for the first  time, teach a class, something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I taught a class session on  Deaf Women Studies, where I had the opportunity to give a brief lecture on Deaf feminism and  share insights from my research about this topic in Spain. The experience was extremely rewarding,  not only because I was able to present my work but also because it sparked a dynamic exchange of  ideas. There were questions from both sides, leading to an engaging discussion and mutual learning.  I received very positive feedback from the participants, which further motivated me to continue  exploring the field of teaching. Without a doubt, this experience reinforced my desire to develop my  academic career in this direction and to continue sharing knowledge in a meaningful way.