American Sign Language teacher Tarold Gallien

American Sign Language is more than a form of communication. It’s a culture.

That’s what Lake Charles native and LaGrange High School graduate Tarold Gallien teaches his students at both Westside High School in Houston and Houston Community College.

“ASL is a community with a culture that has a rich history and it’s impossible to learn the language without learning the history of deaf people, of their struggle, of why things are signed the way they are,” he said through an ASL interpreter. “Learning about deaf culture, deaf behaviors, comparing between deaf signers and hearing signers, there’s even Black sign language. You have various dialects of sign language and it’s tied to cultures and that demographic.”

Gallien said in order to learn the language, one must learn its culture.

“I had the opportunity to study Mexican sign language and after eating, breathing and sleeping that language for weeks, you really do take on the culture and the feel of the people when you learn the language,” he said. “It’s not just sign after sign after sign, there’s so much involved and that’s what I try to instill into my students. If you want to learn, that’s what you’re expected to do.”

Gallien’s own journey as a deaf person has equipped him with a unique perspective on life that he said he uses to help his students — both hearing and non-hearing — gain confidence in their own learning abilities.

“When you read a book you don’t study one word at a time, you take the text as a whole. That’s what I try to convey to my students. Don’t focus on sign after sign after sign, focus on the context and the message,” he said. “When we’re trying to sign using nonverbal communication we use our body as a means to communicate as well  — like your facial expression and the shape of your hands,” he said. “For example, the word ‘ball.’ There is a sign for it, but the way your face is expressed, you can express joy. You don’t want to be stoic signing word for word. It’s hard to communicate that way. The message would come across, but there’s no flavor, so to speak. Signing ‘ball’ with an excited face adds more to the language and depth. Rather than communicating words, you’re communicating thoughts.”

Though he’s found himself in a profession he’s passionate about, Gallien said he initially hesitated when he considered teaching as a career.

“I remember when I was younger being voted ‘Most Likely to Become a Teacher’ and I always thought that was interesting,” he said. “That’s not something I initially sought out to do but as the years went by and I went to college the idea crossed my mind and I thought maybe I would go into education. But then I thought, ‘No, I’m going to take a business class and go into accounting. Maybe I’ll pursue another field.’ But the more I tried things out and took other courses I realized that business wasn’t for me, it wasn’t something that suited me.”

Gallien said he changed his field of study to interior design, which he said “suited his style” but ultimately didn’t leave him as fulfilled as he had hoped.

“I tried out social work and it was great because I worked with people and it’s similar to a teaching profession, but I felt like I lacked the motivation or the drive to continue,” he said. “Social workers have so many responsibilities and the job can be so stressful and I asked myself if this was something I wanted to commit to.”

It wasn’t.

“I found myself in the communication field and that’s when I decided that was my passion and I’m going to follow my gut and it seemed to be going well,” he said.

During his senior year at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., he completed a three-month internship at Black Entertainment Television and after graduation he relocated to Austin, Texas, and worked as a dorm counselor at a deaf school.

“I was looking at my environment and watching the teachers and seeing what they do and I noticed I had this internal dilemma — I loved communication studies but out in the real world it’s a tough profession. I tried a few things and bounced around from job to job, struggling to find something that suited me.”

He decided to return to his home state and the Louisiana School for the Deaf — a school he once attended himself.

“I didn’t have my certification at that time, but I was able to get a feel for it and see if teaching would be something I enjoy and I did,” he said. “I worked there for six years and that was kind of like my sabbatical. I was looking for myself and by the end I was able to decide on teaching as my profession, specifically geared toward deaf education.”

He said in social work he dealt with pre-existing problems, but in education he found he was teaching his students how to get a jump start on those problems and develop the skills and education necessary to solve them.

“As soon as I got certified and got my degree I started working and I never looked back. I’ve been an ASL teacher for 21 years, I’ve also worked as a teacher in deaf education and I’ve also worked in high school with hearing students. It’s a challenge, but over the course of my career and especially in these last five years working with hearing students and teaching them ASL I really enjoy seeing students succeed and being a good role model to show students my perspective.”

He said his favorite experience so far is working with deaf students to help them gain confidence in their learning ability and seeing the moment when things click for them.

“Drawing that out of students has been a highlight,” he said. “I like helping students to not be complacent and to do more and to do better. I feel like when I compare the different roles I’ve had the privilege of having, I feel like this is the most fulfilling.”

Gallien said when he was a student, his communication options were limited.

“Times have definitely changed,” he said. “I really wish I had texting on my side to be able to help me communicate; I had pen and paper.”

He said he’s also wise on the type of pranks his students try to get away with.

“I was a silly boy once, too, and I tried some of those things myself. They’ll ask, ‘How did you know?’ and I’ll say, “Oh I know, I know.’ I’ve learned to be more aware and I feel like my own experiences at school and my own learning experiences in the world  have taught me to be more savvy, so to speak.”

Gallien said during the pandemic, he felt the world had turned upside down.

“We were preparing for spring break and then all of the sudden everything is remote and we’re preparing for virtual learning,” he said. “That was a big challenge, transitioning to everything being on a computer and my thoughts were, ‘How am I going to connect to the students through a screen?’ There were a lot of challenges but I took it slow and I made sure I communicated with the students and I made sure their cameras were on during class because we needed to see each other to connect. We were able to find some sort of groove and I utilized what I had. We made it work, but I’m glad to be back teaching in person.”

Gallien said he loves being able to bridge the gulf between the deaf and hearing communities.

“Life is about being open-minded to embrace new culture and experiences and to be amenable to change,” he said. “That’s what I share with my students and my life is very fulfilling.”