Team Interpreting with ASL Village – Part 3
Transcript: Hello and welcome to the 3rd video in this series. This one is going to focus on what happens when you are actively working with your team interpreter. We’ll cover what that looks like, what you may need to know as you work together. One idea is to discuss taking notes, which is a bit funny to me as I am checking my own notes as I am signing this. If an interpreter is in the hot seat, is the other responsible for taking notes on what is happening? How does that work for your teaming sessions? If you do take notes what is typically included with them? Names? Acronyms? Terminology? Pronunciations for when you are working into English? What other information should be included here?
One of the ways that I like to use notes is by making a map of speakers as they introduce themselves so I can keep track of the name of who is speaking. This allows the Deaf consumer to either look at who is speaking directly, or get the names from me after glancing at my paper. This also just helps me remember who is speaking too.
If you are in the “feed seat” (and I know that this can go by many other names, but my preference for the other interpreter who is not in the “hot seat” is “feed seat”), what are you responsible for? Will you be taking notes? Or just looking for reasons to criticize your team interpreter based on their sign/word choices? Or are you busy making grocery lists instead? Or just engaged with your phone? Of course, the hard thing about using your phone is that it is hard for others to tell if you are mindlessly scrolling social media, or looking for/accepting work, receiving updates about the current job, etc. It could be that you are perusing a book instead of being engaged in the feed seat. I can recall a few times that this has happened to me when a team took out a book and when I went to look for a feed, they simply weren’t ready to support me. Another instance can be having side conversations from the feed seat which makes it difficult to get a feed while in the hot seat.
What do you need to keep in mind in terms of adaptability while working as well? In my experience in both college classrooms and hospital settings, the setting is dynamic and you never know what changes might come. It doesn’t matter if you are in an art class, or being taken for an exam – it is always important to be able to take stock of where you are and where you need to be as the situation changes. It could be that you need to be ready to grab your bag and be on the move on a second’s notice. I’ve often taken it upon myself when I have been in the feed seat and we suddenly need to move to a new location that I will grab my bags and my team’s bag or drinks so we can all move along as the situation is actively changing. It’s just part and parcel of it for me and is an easy way to support my team!
It’s important to discuss how to be flexible together, and what your strategy will be for switching as well. It could be as simple as taking about how to indicate when it is time to switch, and if you will physically change seats, or just visually or physically indicate to one another that the hot seat has shifted. I’d love to see what else you have in mind, so please leave a comment below about how you best work together while interpreting as a team.
ASL Village offers mentoring, workshops and presentations for sign language interpreters (at all levels) who seek to improve their skills or gain certification.
Team Interpreting with ASL Village – Part 4
Transcript: Hello there! It should be no surprise to you by now that the last video in this series is focused on what happens with your team after the assignment is done. We’ve already talked about what happens when interpreters switch one another out, what can be discussed before you start working together, and what happens during the interpreting process as a team. Some interpreters might bail before you can have any further discussion, while might make a more polite goodbye. Some may choose to talk about the assignment and where to go from here. I’d love to know if you typically ask for feedback in a debrief. I’m typically more comfortable asking for feedback than offering it right away. I would never want to have feedback come across in a negative way for my team. I recognize that some teams really enjoy feedback, while others are not that interested, which I respect as well. I would never want to overwhelm someone with my thoughts about the assignment, but that’s just me.
You may also consider what next steps need to be taken, including potentially reporting back to the agency if there was an issue on site, an early discharge, or if the ending time has changed in some way. Being released early may mean you are capable of accepting additional work elsewhere if needed. This could also be useful if there was any information that seems it would be needed later by the agency if they need to resolve any billing issues, etc.
One good way to introduce feedback is by starting with only positive comments including mentioning how a sign that they used was such a good fit. You could mention that you liked it so much you will have to keep it in mind for the next time it comes up. This is a good place to start with feedback so it doesn’t have to devolve into hurtful criticism or personal attacks.
Do you take the time to talk about any patterns that you have noticed in each other’s work? Is this something that you have already brought up in the pre-interpreting phase where you ask your team to be on the lookout for specific patterns you’ve seen in the past? Sometimes opening up that door on your own makes it a safer place for constructive feedback.
Another idea is that if something comes up while you are working together or perhaps writing back and forth during the job, this can be a good time to share whatever information or resources that you have available. This can also occur during lunches or other breaks as well.
Breaks are also a great time to check in with those around you. If you wait to check in after the day is done, it’s hardly possible to make corrections to your work! If you are instead able to check in periodically (without just seeking constant validation for your work) this will make for a better teaming situation. You can look for visible feedback, and also ask in your notes if you are doing alright, or if there is anything you could be doing better or any additional support you could be giving. This is my typical approach.
I’d love to know more about what you think of when it comes to teams. Is working together a more collaborative effort, or simply two individuals who happen to be at the same assignment at the same time? I can’t wait to see what you have to say. Thank you so much for watching and for helping me get a feel for standards in the field for this!
ASL Village offers mentoring, workshops and presentations for sign language interpreters (at all levels) who seek to improve their skills or gain certification.
