About Me
My name is Rogelio Contreras, but I go by Profe. at TSAS. My wife Diane and I have two beautiful children, Isabela and JoaquĆn. I have been teaching Spanish and American Sign Language at TSAS for 5 years. I love watching college football, dancing salsa, playing golf (recent hobby), reading, politics, traveling, trying new recipes, learning about different cultures, and spending time with family and friends.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from The University of Texas at Brownsville
- Masters of Science Deaf Education from Lamar University
- Postrado ReadaptaciĆ³n Deportiva from La Universidad de Barcelona
Why I Teach
I teach because being part of a profession that helps young people become critical thinkers, productive members in the world, improve their quality of life, and help open up opportunities for them is a job that I am proud to do and be a part of. I teach, but also learn how to become a better teacher and person everyday from my students and colleagues.
Currently Available Courses
American Sign Language I
This course introduces the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) and is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. Students will focus on learning the ASL alphabet, basic vocabulary, grammar structure, fingerspelling, commands, and ASL questions. Students will be given the opportunity to develop both receptive and expressive skills in order to hold a beginning-level conversation with deaf/hard-of-hearing native users of ASL. An awareness of the history and culture of deaf people, as well as information on deaf role models, are included in the course.
American Sign Language II
This course is designed for students to expand their understanding of the grammar and vocabulary of American Sign Language studied during the first level course. Students are given the opportunity to continue to develop both their receptive and expressive skills in order to communicate effectively with deaf individuals. An awareness of the history and culture of deaf people, opportunities to interact with the deaf community and information on deaf role models are included in the course. Students also study different sign language systems in existence.
Spanish I
This course assumes no prior Spanish knowledge and teaches students to listen, speak, read and write Spanish on an elementary level. This is accomplished through activities, projects, and lessons from a variety of sources and experiences that focus on these four skills.
Spanish II
This course builds upon the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing learned in Spanish I through activities, projects, and lessons from our curriculum (''Avancemos II'') and other sources that focus on these four skills.