Hello my name is Ayisha Knight-Shaw, and I grew up in Oakland, California to a white Jewish mother and a Black and Cherokee father. I’m very fortunate because I grew up being exposed to a multitude of different cultures, and all of these experiences I took to heart with a mutual respect and understanding. While I grew up with my own cultural identities, others around me had a variety of different labels for me. I’ll explain more about myself. I’m a proud Deaf artist, photographer, actress, and American Sign Language Teacher.
I had a balance of positive and negative experiences within the classroom setting. After graduating from High School, I took a year off from school and traveled around the United States before entering the University of California at Santa Cruz. Although my major was in the theater arts, I started teaching Deaf Latino children in Watsonville, CA. Their parents were primarily farm workers who worked in the fields near the school. It was such a profound and wonderful experience for me that I decided to continue my career in education.
After receiving my Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts, I went to Gallaudet University and got my Masters degree in Sign Language Education (MASLED). I learned many teaching techniques, and taught at the Maryland Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) before moving to Boston, MA. Since arriving in Boston and making my home here, I have been teaching in a multitude of settings from colleges and Universities to Deaf schools, adult education and hospitals.
My clients range from Deaf infants to senior citizens, encompassing several different cultures. My goal is to teach Deaf children and see them thrive with their ASL skills for generations to come.