How my Deaf Role Model inspired my teaching journey
Ahead of Deaf Awareness Week (May 5 to 11), Bethan Ronan has told how Coleg Llandrillo lecturer David Duller gave her the confidence to become a sign language teacher
Sign language teacher Bethan Ronan has described how fellow Coleg Llandrillo lecturer David Duller inspired her to pursue her dream career.
Bethan said David gave her the confidence to believe she could work in education after they met at a local deaf club.
She now works alongside David teaching British Sign Language (BSL), helping learners develop the skills to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Telling her story ahead of Deaf Awareness Week (May 5 to 11), Bethan said: “I remember being just 13 or 14 years old, with the dream of becoming a teacher. My early passion was mathematics, as numbers and statistics fascinated me.
“However, my school teachers often warned me that teaching might be too stressful and demanding a job, suggesting I wouldn’t be able to manage the workload.
“Deep down, I started to believe them. Their doubts echoed in my mind, causing me to second-guess whether I truly belonged in a classroom.”
Bethan said support from her auntie as well as from David helped her prove the doubters wrong and achieve her dream.
She said: “Despite those discouraging voices, my auntie was always a positive influence. She saw something in me that the others hadn’t - she believed I would make a great BSL teacher.
“I wasn’t entirely convinced, but I remained curious. I visited a local deaf club regularly. This is where I first encountered my role model: David Duller, a teacher at Coleg Llandrillo.
“David approached me one day and spoke to me about becoming a teacher, encouraging me to pursue this as a career. I remember his faith in my potential still to this day. It felt both shocking and exhilarating to hear that someone who worked in education saw promise in me. This gave me the confidence I needed to become a teacher.”
Bethan began studying BSL through Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s community learning provision, before training as a sign language teacher at Coleg Llandrillo’s Rhos-on-Sea campus.
“With David’s support, I enrolled in Level 3 BSL at the Bay Learning Centre and continued on to Level 4,” she added. “Later, I went to Coleg Llandrillo to do my TSLT (Training of Sign Language Teachers) course, where David’s lessons and guidance were a huge inspiration.
“Today, I’m proud to say I’m a teacher for Coleg Llandrillo. Whenever I stand in front of a class, I remember my journey, David’s encouragement and my aunt’s faith in me. Their support helped me turn my dream into reality, and it reminds me that, with the right inspiration, you can achieve what others might think is impossible.”