164 Mentoring and Evaluation Sampler

Mentoring and Evaluation Sampler

by Janice A. Nishimura, CSC, SC:L, CI and cr. OlC: VIS, OlC:S/V, B.A.

Vice-President & Co-founder, Sign Language AssociatesByron W. Bridges, M.A., Coordinator, Professional Education ProgramJana Owen Beckford, CI, CT, Manager, Mentorship Program

This presentation is a summary of highlights taken/rom three of Sign Language Associates'(SU) most popular worksJwps. The procedures discussed herein have been developed forinternal use by SLA in its Mentor Program and repruent philosophies and experiences thatdrive this program,

Evaluation

A founding premise of SLA is that each interpreter is a unique individualwith his/her own strengths and abilities. ASL and interpreting skills areimportant, yes, but so too are the myriad of other characteristics which com-prise a professional working in a human service arena. In placing an inter-preter on an assignment, we seek to maximize the potential for success. Inorder to do so, we must become better acquainted with those working with usand understand the needs, character and culture of our clients.The task of evaluating interpreters is by no means an easy one, particular-

ly when one is striving for a holistic view of the individual. Examination ofindividual qualities and skills, however, proves well worth the effort. TJ:1eadvantages of doing so prove beneficial for both the interpreter and theagency. The agency gains a more personal understanding of the interpreter,guidance in making appropriate placements, and a sense for what training isneeded by staff. Interpreters obtain information needed for setting profes-sional and skill goals.

Interpreters are evaluated by SLA for a variety of reasons:• applicants for part-time employment• applicants for full-time employment• applicants to the Professional Development Mentorship Program• full-time employees establishing their baseline videotapes,setting their professional and skill goals

• individuals seeking diagnostics on their interpreting skills

Evaluations for employment consist of three components - pre-interviewtests, personal interview, and skills assessment.The pre-interview tests are written and include a English vocabulary test

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and a situational ethics test. The English test focuses on vocabulary takenfrom an SAT preparation guide. Questions are multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and paraphrase in format. The ethics test describes a variety of situa-tions and interpreters are asked how they would respond and why. These testsgive us an idea of the interpreter's command of English, their use of writtenEnglish, and their understanding of the interpreter's role and function. Alltests, by the way, are field tested with SLA staff before becoming a part of theevaluation process.The personal interview is conducted by staff and administrators. In addi-

tion to the content of responses given, attention is given to the interpreter'spresentation, demeanor, command and use of spoken English, and interactionwith the interviewers.The interpreting skills component is videotaped with just the videograph-

er and the interpreter in the room. Interpreters are given stimulus materials forvoice-to-sign,and sign-to-voice interpreting. They may choose whichever tar-get language they're most comfortable with for voice-to-signinterpreting/transliterating. The emphasis from the videotape reviewers ismessage and content clarity, not necessarily language chosen.If an interpreter is applying for a part-time position, their test results may

be given to them immediately and a contract for employment may be offered.At the same time, a form is completed describing that interpreter's abilitiesand recommendations for placement.If an interpreter is applying for a full-time or mentorship position, the

videotaped skills assessment is judged by a separate panel which includesdeaf staff members. Input on the interpretation - message clarity, messageproduction, ease of understanding - is sought. Scripts and scoring sheets areavailable for all stimulus materials.Full-time interpreting staff are expected to maintain a baseline videotape

of their skills. Every year, new stimulus material is developed for staff to usewhen adding to their baseline. Their interpretations are reviewed by peers,senior SLA staff and Deaf staff to help them decide their skill goals for theyear (See Attachment E). Information collected from all staff reviews is alsoused to develop training courses to be offered under the ProfessionalEducation Program (PEP).Many interpreters come to SLA seeking feedback prior to taking the RID

test. For those individuals, we collect self-generated language samples as wellas the interpreting skills assessment. The language use samples give us anidea of their command of language (for both ASL and English); the interpret-ing skills assessment will give us insight on their ability to use the languagethey have, and their ability to process information.In its continuing quest to provide quality interpreting services, SLA has

conducted these further evaluations, and has experienced a measure of suc-cess in identifying qualified professionals and encouraging staff development.

Mentoring Relationships In The Interpreting Field

Mentoring in the professional sense has traditionally been seen as a rela-tionship in corporate America between an older, white-collar male to ayounger, white-collar male. With changes in the workforce, workplace, andemerging professions, the definitions and practice of mentoring are beingbroadened and redefined. How will mentoring occur in the interpreting field?Opinions vary as to what mentoring is - many see it as being akin to ateacher, counselor or coach. Others may view it on a more esoteric level,including the idea that political or social causes may serve as mentoringevents. We can readily see the benefits to mentoring; we know we want it forourselves, we know what we want it to feel like, but what should we be con-sidering as we seek mentoring relationships?In her book, Women. Mentors and Success. Joan Jeruchim defines the var-

ious roles in the work environment - coach, guide, boss, sponsor, peer andmentor - and which needs each of these roles may satisfy. The mentor maybe seen as the pinnacle of these relationships; the only one to offer a visionand calculated risks. Mentors must have a love for and excitement about theirdisciplines.Linda Phillips Jones, in her Mentoring Program Coordinator's Guide,

offers that: "MENTOR, broadly defined, is an experienced person who goesout of his/her way to help you reach your important life goals."Mentoring may be formal or informal. An informal mentorship would con-

sist of unplanned exchanges and interactions occurring among experiencedand less experienced individuals. These individuals would meet and focus onhelping the less experienced person succeed. The arrangement may never bedefmed as menroring.A formal mentoring relationship is based on a common understanding and

agreement as to what mentoring is and the mutual goals. It is establishedbetween experienced persons and less experienced persons. Mutual respectand trust are vital in order for the relationShip to succeed - the mentee mustfeel the mentor has enough status, skill or power to help himlher; the mentormust have a positive attitude and belief in the mentee. The duration of therelationship must allow for an appropriate quantity and quality of mentoringto occur.

The mentoring relationship is dynamic and will go through various stagesas participants interact more with each other. As a word of caution, mentorrelationships are likely to emulate other relationships in one's life, so bothparties must be sensitive to the potential for issues from those other relation-ships influencing the mentoring relationship.Many organizations are establishing formal Mentoring Programs to enable

mentoring relationships to occur within the organization. These programsmay include an application, selection and matching process, written goals,

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training for the mentors and men tees, defined length of mentorship and pro-gram evaluations. The sponsoring organization must be clear about the goalsof the mentorship program and support its activities. Mentors within organi-zational programs must be aware of personal as well as corporate values andbeliefs as these are often imparted to the mentees. If the mentor is assigned tothe men tee, clear selection and pairing criteria must be articulated with theability to change mentors/mentees if needed. Individual learning styles andbackground must be taken into consideration. Resources need to be identifiedand made available to the mentee.In practice, mentoring is not a new concept in the development of inter-

preters. Before the establishment of Interpreter Preparation Programs, leadersin the deaf community and established interpreters guided and shaped futureinterpreters. With the advent of IPP's, the field changed. Greater numbers ofinterpreters now receive their basic education through formal programs andexpect their training to be sufficient to allow them entry into the profession.These interpreters may not have the same intimate knowledge of the deafcommunity and interpreting needs as did the early interpreters whose class-room was the community.What challenges face the interpreting profession as individuals seek men-

toring relationships? Professional ethics and confidentiality cannot be com-promised. The profession is developing; the interpreter role is constantlybeing examined as new areas of need are identified. Those who would bementors seek mentors for themselves and guidance in becoming a mentor. Asa female dominated profession, mentoring becomes a women's issue com-pounded by the traditional female nurturing role. We are individuals at differ-ent stages of our lives, mentoring or being mentored by those who may be atdifferent stages. We are just learning to be mentors; we are just becomingaware of diversity issues in the field (including issues of gender, age, ethnicorigin, lifestyle preference).The interpreting field, in actively seeking mentoring relationships as a

means by which to promote the profession, is embarking on a new, develop-mental phase. Mentoring will occur in a variety of forms, each as varied as thepractitioners, aspiring to quality, and suiting the individual and communityneeds.

SLA Professional Development Mentorship Program

Since 1983, the SLA Professional Development Mentorship Program hasbeen offering Ii safe and comfortable atmosphere to interpreters seeking tohone professional skills, practices and understanding of the field under theguidance of a Mentor Interpreter. What started out as a simple program withmodest goals has evolved into an international program with long-lasting andfar-reaching effects.

September 15, Engineering class at SU

Exerpts from Ken's Journal(Mentor's responses added in italics)

5. Final impressions - saying good-bye to instructor andconsumer, bringing closure to the assignment.

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4. Relationship with student- opportunity for catch-up/clarification before class? Exchange phone numbers in casestudent/interpreter need to talk between classes?

I arrived for the job later than I expected due to the layout of the universi-ty, the hassle of finding the right parking lot and not knowing where I wasgoing. (Amazing how huge that campus is, huh? What could you have done tohelp plan your travel?) By the time I found the classroom, I only had 10 min-utes to meet the instructor and consumer before the class was scheduled tobegin. (How did you spend those ten minutes?) Unfortunately, the consumerdid not arrive until right before the lecture began. The information wasextremely technical and mathematical. The presenter talked fast. He was theauthor of the book, so he knew the material inside and out and didn'l do a verygood job explaining. (your opinion?) These academic types aren't very sensi-tive - he should know that if there's an interpreter in his class, he shouldslow down and give good explanations. (Is this for YOUR benefit? vs gener-al teaching techniques) Also, Jan decided to observe me and that threw meoff; I could have done much better if she didn't make me nervous. (Let's talkabout reactions to external circumstances and how we control our behaviors.)Logistics were difficult. I put a chair in front of the room, like I'm sup-

posed to. I was between the door and the teacher's desk. (Was there anotherway to set up the interpreter position?) Students kept walking in front of meto get to their seats and that was distracting. I'd forget what the teacher wassaymg.Because I didn't understand the teacher, I tried to sign everything he said.

I'm not sure that was a good idea because the less I really thought about theinformation the less I understood it. Itprobably would have been better for meto search for the meaning (and possibly patterns) and not worry so muchabout quantity of signs. I'm not sure. I guess I could have referenced theblackboard more, since the teacher was writing so much. (YES!! Referencingthe board is easier on the eyes, too). I was concentrating so hard on the words,I forgot about the board.Deaf person was nice, but not very talkative, I don't know if he understood

me or not. He probably did because he's already working and if he went to

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RIT, he probably is used to interpreters, (Assumptions?)I don't ever want to go back into a job like that again.

(Let's analyze this job into its basic components. What could you have doneto prepare for this job? What controls could you have exercised on the phys-icallayout? Can every job be interpreted "]OO%"?)

I. Setting up the work situation

Intemreting Issues

4. Reaction of other students during class lecture - bewildered.

Mentoring and Evaluation Sampler

Prepared by: Jan Nishimura

a. deciding where to sit; constant interruptions ofstudents walking in late and having to walk betweenthe interpreter and Joe to get to their seatb. would it have been better to stand, since lots ofreferencing to the board

Notes on ObservationTuesday, September 15

I. Environment of SU - college classroom in suburban DC. Building andclassroom difficult to find. Students in this class seem to be engineering types,graduate level. This is the third week of class. Students are varied in theirdress - some are dressed in jeans, others in business attire. Not a lot of chitchat prior to the start of class.

Interpreter: Ken Smith

172

2. Teacher (Mark Nicholson)'s style - blue jeans. Spoke rapidly, highlytechnical information, frequently referenced the board or overhead projector,lots of pronouns (this, that, here ...), was one of the authors of the textbook hewas using. Did give a copy of the text to the interpreter for reference.

Setting the Stage:

I :00-3:00 p.m.Engineering DesignState University

3. Consumer, Joe Lane, is an employee of Computer Company. His employ-er is paying for him to take this class. He graduated from RIT. Did not pro-vide signs for vocabulary. Arrived to class just before it started. Friendly dur-ing break. Hard to get a sense of what communication style he preferred. Hedidn't use his voice; sign syntax was English with ASL spatial characteristics.Seemed willing to smile and commiserate with the interpreter during inter-preter processing breakdown/overload. Not much feedback from him as towhether he understood the interpretation.

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2. Interrupting teacher for lost information or for clarification or just to get abreather in.

3. Inventing signs - based on conceptual meaning or visual representation

4. Dealing with the test review - interpreter seated next tostudent, works with student on his copy of test, using ahigh tech technique known as "pointing."

5. Indicating questions and who's asking the question.

6. Trying to quickly grasp a concept from the context given.

7. How much study time of this material should be expectedfrom the interpreter?

8. What assumptions did you make about the sophistication or educationlevel of the consumer? How did that change after the break when he told youhe was professionally employed and graduated from RIT? Did that informa-tion change your opinion of your own performance?

Recommendations for the next time

I. Pre-conference with instructor

a. establish rapport so interpreter needs during classwill be more readily receivedb. get an idea of what will be covered in class,what does it all mean?

2. Increase use of visuals

a. handoutsb. text, especially for terminology and trying to understand lecturec. instructor's writing on the board

3. Be more assertive with needs

a. sitting/standingb. interrupting, asking for repeat or clarification!letting it go

c. getting copies of handouts

4. Prepare for the RID written test

Mentorship Period: September I - December 15

5. Join national and state RIDs and associationsof the deaf

Date

Mentor: Jan Nishimura

Mentoring and Evaluation Sampler

Ken SmithInterpreter

6. Understand administrative aspects ofcoordinating interpreters

Jan Nishimura DateMentor

Background: • B.A. in Psychology, State University• 3 years, nursing assistant, mental health hospital• 2 years, assistant administrator, nursing home• Informal interpreting for deaf friends; lives with

four deaf roommates• Little formal training in ASL or interpreting• Strong interpersonal skills

2. Focus on educational interpreting (post-secondary)a. build fluencyb. consistency of consumer and environmentc. understand subject matter

I. Exposure to a variety of assignments, consumersand interpreters

3,Formal training in ASL and interpreting(workshops, seminars, classes, independent study)

Interpreter: KEN SMITH

Program and Professional Goals

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Mentoring and Evaluation Sampler

Interpreter Skills Assessment/Goals

171

Interpreter:Reviewer:

Ken SmithJan Nishimura, Mentor

English to SignStrengths:• Conceptual signing• Completeness of presented thought• Use of space• Affect• Non-manual markersaffirmation, negation, topic/comment, question indicators

• Characterization and role-taking• Use of gestures to convey information• English vocabulary base

Needs:• Expand sign choices• Expand language register• Clear up sign productionmovement - completeness of signs; size of signs;handshape - flat palm/curved palm; location of thumb

• differentiate narrator and character states• attention to the use of eye gaze• attention to the use of listing

Sign to VoiceStrengths:• Comprension of message• Voice clarity and inflection• English grammatical structure• Nice English word choices

Needs:• Watch weakening phrases - "like" "you know" "sort of'• Differentiate between character and narrator• Improvement in reading fingerspelling and numbers• Represent information from inflected signs

Jan Nishimura DateMentor

Ken SmithInterpreter

Date

At the heart of each Mentorship program session is a relationship betweenan interpreter and a more experienced interpreter. At the end of each session,after the shared experiences and conversations, comes professional awarenessand camaraderie. Experience is now showing those relationships last; theymay be manifested differently, but the trust and respect remain.Interpreters participating in the program vary with respect to background

and education. For those coming from a training program, the mentorship isa segue between the theory leamed in an academic setting, and the skills,knowledge and abilities needed for the "real world." For those coming from acommunity base, the mentorship provides the framework, principles and ter-minology needed to look at interpreting professionally. For those who havebeen in the field for a while and may already be certified, the mentorship isan opportunity to focus on specialized skills.Interpreters go through an extensive application and evaluation process.

Mentorship slots are limited. Once accepted, each interpreter is assigned aMentor and a Peer Advisor. A Mentor is an SLA staff person who has heldRID certification for at least five years and has worked successfully in thefield. A Peer Advisor is an SLA staff interpreter who has previously partici-pated in a mentorship and can offer advice on getting the most out of the men-torship. In addition, there are 4-6 interpreters participating in mentorshipsduring anyone session and these interpreters constitute a natural peer group.

A mentorship session typically runs 12-14 weeks with an option to extend.Early in the program, skill goals and program goals are identified. All pro-gram activities are carefully chosen based on the abilities, goals and profile ofthe interpreter. In this way, the session is tailored to the individual. During amentorship, the interpreter is expected to observe, to be observed, to interpret,to engage in skill building activities, to learn the administrative aspects ofSLA, to attend SLA Professional Staff functions, and to participate in activi-ties within the community. The interpreter maintains a dialogue journal whichis submitted biweekly to the Mentor; this is an opportunity for the Mentor tosee how the interpreter is progressing and to respond to any issues brought upin the journal. During meetings with the Mentor, the interpreter discusseshis/her experiences. The Mentor helps define the focus in the experiences andmay put those experiences into other perspectives,Mid-way through the session is a review wherein Mentor and Interpreter

chart the progress of the interpreter, discuss activities of the program, revisitprogram and skill goals, and affirm or act on the appropriateness of theMentor-Interpreter pairing, By this time, the interpreter is also more familiarwith SLA's different programs and may be interested in becoming involvedwith one or more of the programs.A mentorship session always ends with a program evaluation and exit

interview. This is an opportunity for the interpreter to reflect on how he/shehas benefitted from the program, suggest changes, and discuss future plans.

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For many interpreters, these plans include continued affiliation with SLAeither through part-time or full-time employment.

SLA MENTORSHIP PROGRAMTailored forKEN SMITH

Mentorship period:

September I

Sept I -Sept 15

Sept I -Dec 15

September 1 - December 15

Welcome to SLA!Orientation to the MentorshipOrientation to SLAGetting acquainted

Skill reviewDiagnosticsGoal setting

ObservationsTeam interpretingFlying solosBeing observedTraining opportunitiesProfessional Staff meetingsMeetings with mentorSessions with advisorsActivities in the communities

Meetings with Mentor

Special Datesto Note

September ISeptember 5September 12September 26October 3

October IOctober 17Nov 17-23

October 17October 31November 14November 28December 12 (exit)

State RID ConventionState AD WorkshopProfessionals Convention

MentorAdvisor

Jan Nishimura 703/941-6798Jana Owen 202/588-5310