Michael Cooper

Michael is a Deaf educator who is passionate about sharing his language and culture with his students. Deaf from the age of 1, American Sign Language (ASL) is his first language, though he is multilingual, fluent in English and studies in Spanish.

Michael has been teaching ASL for over 20 years at both high school and college levels. He has a Master of Arts Degree in Sign Language Education from Gallaudet University, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Government from East Carolina University. He has taught and lectured at many regional colleges, including Bellevue College and the University of Washington. He currently teaches at North Seattle College and Nova High School.

His hobbies are reading comic books, going to the gym (when he can), and watching Netflix.

Teaching Style & Approach

Michael explains his teaching philosphy: "Like all languages around the world, the only way to fully learn a language is to also explore the culture from which it grows. My goal is to offer my students opportunities to learn about Deaf culture, cultivating knowledge of, and empathy for, a marginalized community which has so much to offer our greater global culture.

"Through practice, reading, watching, participation in the Deaf community, and critical thought, I hope for each student to come away with an appreciation of not only American Sign Language, but the innovations, art, and remarkable contributions of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing throughout history and today."