Living independentlyTeachers are often considered, by their students, as a second mother or a second father. Our job as teachers will be to not only teach students academics, but also to care for them and ensure that they are well-rounded. Teachers must prepare students for the future so that they can live independent lives as adults. Deaf students tend to have more difficulty living adult lives than their hearing counterparts. As teachers of deaf education, our duty should be to promote functional living skills, social interaction, and self-advocacy among students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is especially important for Deaf education teachers to encourage this, as the amount of support a deaf child receives at home may be minimal. In a class, there may be a student whose parents are deaf to guide him through his life. On the other side of the spectrum, there may be a deaf child whose hearing parents show no interest in interacting with their deaf child. Those who have deaf parents are more likely to develop a strong sense of independence because they have their parents as role models. Unfortunately, people whose parents hear do not have a real support system. There are many cases where hearing parents do not learn their own child's language and do not want to communicate with them. These children may have low self-esteem and little hope for their future. That's why, as teachers, we need to show we care by sharing our knowledge and promoting these skills, so these students know what the future holds. Most people are born into a family and a culture of which they automatically become a part. of. They learn the language, the customs, what is acceptable, what is not, and can get along with each other. Man...... middle of article ......journals/american_annals_of_the_deaf/v149/149.2johnson.htmlKnoors, H., Meuleman, J., & Folmer, J.K. (2003). Parent and teacher ratings of deaf children's communication skills. American Annals of the Deaf, 148(4), 287-294. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_annals_of_the_deaf/v148/148.4knoors.html Luft, P., and Huff, K. (2011). How prepared are transition age deaf and hard of hearing students for adult life? Results of the transition skills battery. American Annals of the Deaf, 155(5), 322-338. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_annals_of_the_deaf/v155/155.5.luft.html Scheetz, N. A. (1993). Cognition and intellectual functioning. Orientation to Deafness (Second Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon Scheetz, N.A. (1993). The educational environment. Orientation to Deafness (Second Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon