In just his second year as a teacher, Joseph Albanese is learning to build the ASL program at GlenOak High School while adjusting to life in the classroom. Throughout his short time teaching, he has been discovering the challenges and rewards of taking the responsibility of helping students connect with a difficult language rooted in Deaf culture.
Despite his aptitude for American Sign Language, Albanese originally wanted to study Latin or French when he was younger.
“It wasn’t my first choice. I actually wanted to take Latin, but my school got rid of it. I then switched to French, but it filled up, so ASL was the only option left. Then I kind of fell in love with it,” Albanese said.
Through his original indecisiveness on which language he wanted to pursue, Albanese always wanted to be a teacher, and remained consistent in his desire of becoming one. With the help and encouragement of his own high school ASL teacher, he decided to take ASL seriously and carry it toward a career in education.
“My teacher convinced me to go to Kent State to become an interpreter, so I did that for a year and got the job,” Albanese said. “I thought it was an interpreting position but it turned out to be a teaching job, and I was just like, ‘Oh, might as well try and see what happens’.”
Now that he’s officially gone from a student sitting in a classroom learning American Sign Language to the educator up front teaching it, he’s learning to navigate the job and adjusting to the certain things that he finds to be either challenging or rewarding when in the classroom. Being new to the career, he naturally finds some things are difficult to enforce in the classroom and that things aren’t always easy.
“Well, there’s struggles in everything, but sometimes freshmen can be a little more challenging to teach since they’re still learning to adapt from being in middle school,” Albanese said. “Sometimes they just need some adjustments.”
Along with the things that can be difficult, Albanese also finds that teaching ASL can be very rewarding, especially as he gets the privilege of watching students fall in love with the language just as he had, and gradually become more confident in using it throughout the school year. He loves how knowing American Sign Language comes with constant surprises, and sometimes he finds himself learning along with his students and going through things together.
“It’s a lifelong learning experience,” Albanese said. “It’s the same as English, you never actually stop learning.”
As a newer teacher, Albanese said he has relied on the support he has received from fellow ASL teacher Nicole Kelly, who is deaf and has played a significant role in guiding him through his time at GlenOak High School. He said her experience, kindness and credibility have been valuable and have helped him grow as he continues to find and develop his teaching style. Albanese said that working closely with Kelly has given him a deeper understanding of Deaf culture while also providing encouragement throughout his first and second year in the classroom.
“She’s fantastic. I feel bad sometimes because I’m kind of the only person that truly gets to know Mrs. Kelly,” Albanese said. “If I ever need anything, I can always just walk over there.”
For Albanese, teaching goes beyond just the classroom. His goal as an educator is to help students understand the broader impact of American Sign Language and the opportunities the spread of it creates within the Deaf community.
“I just want people to be able to realize that there are so many opportunities in the Deaf community and to encourage them to continue sign language later on in life,” Albanese said.
Albanese’s approach to teaching reflects his focus on student growth and cultural understanding by introducing students to a visual language while also emphasizing the importance of using it in meaningful ways. He aims to help students build knowledge, confidence and awareness through education, making him a wonderful addition to the American Sign Language program.
