Season 2, Ep. 9 – The Teaching Interpreter: What are you Responding to?

Watch in ASL

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Episode Title: What are you Responding to?

In this episode of Talking About the Work, Amanda explores one of the most essential — and often overlooked — skills in interpreting and teaching: discernment.

We’re wired to act quickly — to fix, to respond, to help. But what if growth comes not from faster solutions, but from better seeing?

Through real-world examples and reflective prompts, Amanda unpacks how pausing to ask “What am I responding to?” changes everything — from the feedback we give to the choices we make in the moment.

You’ll walk away with practical ways to slow down, notice more deeply, and respond from clarity instead of habit.

“Reflection isn’t hesitation — it’s grounded action.”

If you’re enjoying these conversations, I would love to stay connected beyond the podcast. When you join my email list or follow me on Instagram, you’ll get a peek behind the scenes. Get a chance to see my notes, my reflections, and some of the questions I sit with as I create new trainings and offerings.You can go to arsmithstudios.com and click the newsletter button in the upper right hand corner to subscribe to my newsletter. Or you can find me on Instagram @arsstudios27.

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📑 Highlights

• In this episode, you’ll explore:
  
  • 💡 Why interpreters and educators often rush to fix before they understand
    
  • 🧭 How “problem setting” builds clarity and confidence
    
  • 👀 Simple observation tools to separate data from assumption
    
  • 🪶 Reflective questions that strengthen discernment in the moment
    
  • 🌱 How to model curiosity and reflection when mentoring or teaching
    
• Reflection Prompt:
  Before you react, pause and ask: What am I responding to?
  Notice what data — not just feelings — informs your next move.

Are you an interpreter educator looking for support, fresh ideas, and a community that gets the real challenges of your work?I’m opening the wait list for a new offering called the Connected Interpreter Educator Circle. It’s a group coaching ex. Experience where you will gain confidence, spark creativity, and connect with peers who are on the same journey. Space is going to be limited ’cause I wanna keep it small. So grab your spot on the wait list today and start transforming the way you teach and lead.ou can check it out at arsmithstudios.com, and there’s a yellow banner that will take you to the page to tell you a little bit more about it and for you to sign up. For the wait list.

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Share the podcast, leave a review, and join the conversation on social media. If you have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about, head over to the episode notes where you’ll find the link to the Google form and you can let me know what is on your mind. As always, I would love to know how this podcast landed for you today, particularly around our reflective questions of what connected you to your care about the work that we do as educators and interpreters.

What sparked your curiosity and drives you to find out more? What activated your creativity and is there something that you’re gonna experiment with? Today or this week, I would always love to hear from you. You can email me at arsmithstudios@gmail.com.

If this episode resonated with you, download my free Reflective Dialogue Toolkit — a guide to talking about the work with curiosity and confidence.
It’s filled with reflection prompts, conversation scripts, and “data lens” tools you can use right away in your classroom, mentorship, or personal practice.
👉 http://subscribepage.io/bfI1ov