Teacher's Perspective on Hearing Loss and Implications for in the Classroom
Challenges with Interpreters - Having an interpreter in classroom would be one of the ways in which students with hearing loss can be accommodated, but one of the challenges that teachers face is whether the interpreter is able to explain what the teacher is teaching, such as students in the higher grades. How would an interpreter be able to explain such things as biology or chemistry to the student(s) they are interpreting for. Another challenge would be for teachers to not push all the teaching on the interpreter as the interpreter may not know the curriculum and so isn't qualified to be teaching the material.
Challenges with Learning Processes - When teachers have a student with hearing loss in the classroom, they have the challenge of including the student in the actual learning process. When it comes to exceptionalities in the classroom, teachers may not think they have the time to relay the question to the student with hearing loss, so the student may not hear the questions and the answers that are given during class. Students may also hear the wrong answer and assume it is the correct answer. Students with hearing loss may also be afraid to answer since they may give the wrong answer, so encouraging all students to answer questions, whether or not the answer is right, will engage the student with hearing loss into the learning process in the classroom.
Challenge with Communication - There are many challenges when it comes to communicating with a student who has hearing loss. With students that have mild/moderate hearing loss one of the solutions would be that the student would have hearing aids, but even with hearing aids, students may still be having a hard time hearing in the classroom. That is one of the challenges that face teachers with student(s) who have hearing loss, how do they make sure that they can hear? Some ways to accommodate would be talking directly to the student so that they can read their teacher's lips. Talking clearly and projecting their voices in the classroom is another, as well as having the student sit closer to the front of the room, so they are closer to the teacher. However, these become difficult when the teacher has to write something on the board, thus turning their back on the student, or the teacher moves somewhere else in the classroom. Peers of that student will also have a hard time communicating with the student in class or during discussions. One of the best solutions would be to have a FM radio system and a microphone. This device would be wired to the students hearing aid allowing them to hear much clearer and it can be passed around from student to student as well.
Another communication challenge ties in with the interpreter section above with a student who have a severe hearing loss. Sometimes the interpreter does not give a cue when it is time to ask questions, so the student may be left not being able to ask their questions. Another scenario can be when the interpreter does not translate exactly what the student is asking or saying to the teacher, and vise versa, which means that something could be lost in translation. A solution for this issue may be for the teacher to learn some simple sign language signs so that he/she could be able to use them in class to give the cues that the student needs to know that they can ask questions. The teacher can also ask the student if they fully understand what they are saying, or if their question has been answered fully before moving on. The teacher also needs to keep in mind to talk directly at the student and not to the interpreter. This way the student feels as though they are important and just someone in the background.
Challege with Bullying - What some teachers may not understand is that even children with special needs like students with hearing loss can also be bullied. Maybe even more so since they are seen as vulnerable people. If a student is being bullied, having the student comfortable and able to talk with the teacher is always a good avenue, so having that approachable nature while in class will allow students to feel as though they could go to their teacher for help is a good way to handle bullying. For a way to prevent bullying from occurring, having a lesson about hearing loss and what it is like will get the students to understand just what it is like to have hearing loss. It will show them that the student with hearing loss is no different from everyone else, they just have a harder time hearing. Teachers can then have a discussion about what they could do as a class to help the student hear easier and find ways to include them instead of exclude them.
Challenges with Learning Processes - When teachers have a student with hearing loss in the classroom, they have the challenge of including the student in the actual learning process. When it comes to exceptionalities in the classroom, teachers may not think they have the time to relay the question to the student with hearing loss, so the student may not hear the questions and the answers that are given during class. Students may also hear the wrong answer and assume it is the correct answer. Students with hearing loss may also be afraid to answer since they may give the wrong answer, so encouraging all students to answer questions, whether or not the answer is right, will engage the student with hearing loss into the learning process in the classroom.
Challenge with Communication - There are many challenges when it comes to communicating with a student who has hearing loss. With students that have mild/moderate hearing loss one of the solutions would be that the student would have hearing aids, but even with hearing aids, students may still be having a hard time hearing in the classroom. That is one of the challenges that face teachers with student(s) who have hearing loss, how do they make sure that they can hear? Some ways to accommodate would be talking directly to the student so that they can read their teacher's lips. Talking clearly and projecting their voices in the classroom is another, as well as having the student sit closer to the front of the room, so they are closer to the teacher. However, these become difficult when the teacher has to write something on the board, thus turning their back on the student, or the teacher moves somewhere else in the classroom. Peers of that student will also have a hard time communicating with the student in class or during discussions. One of the best solutions would be to have a FM radio system and a microphone. This device would be wired to the students hearing aid allowing them to hear much clearer and it can be passed around from student to student as well.
Another communication challenge ties in with the interpreter section above with a student who have a severe hearing loss. Sometimes the interpreter does not give a cue when it is time to ask questions, so the student may be left not being able to ask their questions. Another scenario can be when the interpreter does not translate exactly what the student is asking or saying to the teacher, and vise versa, which means that something could be lost in translation. A solution for this issue may be for the teacher to learn some simple sign language signs so that he/she could be able to use them in class to give the cues that the student needs to know that they can ask questions. The teacher can also ask the student if they fully understand what they are saying, or if their question has been answered fully before moving on. The teacher also needs to keep in mind to talk directly at the student and not to the interpreter. This way the student feels as though they are important and just someone in the background.
Challege with Bullying - What some teachers may not understand is that even children with special needs like students with hearing loss can also be bullied. Maybe even more so since they are seen as vulnerable people. If a student is being bullied, having the student comfortable and able to talk with the teacher is always a good avenue, so having that approachable nature while in class will allow students to feel as though they could go to their teacher for help is a good way to handle bullying. For a way to prevent bullying from occurring, having a lesson about hearing loss and what it is like will get the students to understand just what it is like to have hearing loss. It will show them that the student with hearing loss is no different from everyone else, they just have a harder time hearing. Teachers can then have a discussion about what they could do as a class to help the student hear easier and find ways to include them instead of exclude them.
Videos
Below are two videos that have the perspective of the teacher when it comes to the inclusion of students with hearing loss.
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