Making tiny adjustments creates a more favorable learning environment for all learners. We can minimize background noise and improve classroom acoustics to enhance clear communication and understanding.
A Community, Shared
Like others with hearing loss I still sometimes have to fake being able to fully hear, but I have gained much more confidence and do not hesitate to ask people to recognize my hearing loss and make accommodations. I stay current on the newest technology for hearing loss and look forward to receiving this magazine to catch up on the HRP’s research efforts and each year’s new Emerging Research Grants scientists.
Making Sound More Visual for Students With Hearing Loss in Your Virtual Classroom
Due to COVID-19, most classrooms will look different this fall. Some will exist in person with social distancing measures in place, while others will be entirely virtual. Many will be a hybrid of both face-to-face and online instruction. As always, there will still be students ready to learn and caring teachers eager to take on the curriculum.
Teaching by Example
I am open with my students about my hearing loss. I want them to be as comfortable with it as I am, and understand it requires some adjustment on their part, just as it does on mine. In order to hear them I have to ask for silence in the classroom when another student is speaking, because background noise is a killer when I am trying to listen to someone individually.
Restoring Teachable Moments
Terry Harris, who lives with a severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss, teaches special education in Glenview, IL. His life and profession changed dramatically when he experienced three months of total deafness — prompting him at age 40 to undergo cochlear implant (CI) surgery to restore his access to sound.