Counselors: The Unsung Heros

 Every teacher, regardless of public, charter, private, Deaf school, etc. has at least one story where a student's outbursts caused a disruption to learning and distracted others. Outbursts do not only mean academic, but can be emotional (home life, insecurities, stressed) or the the extent of putting themselves and/or others in harm. In my experience, teachers do have the initial responsibility of deescalating the situation.  However, counselors are the ones responsible for checking in after and "talking" the situation out.

Two different people hands holding 

Teachers are responsible for multiple students at the time, so the one on one intimacy counselors can provide is desperately needed sometimes. Counselors have a role to work out matters. In a way, they could be defined as problem solvers. If a plan needs to be decided in order to limit or completely erase (the goal) outbursts in the future. It is on their hands to communicate this with the teacher(s) working directly with the student in discussion. 

Unfortunately, in my experience, it is limited to see a counselor uplifting their role as needed. Teachers spend the most time the student and can understand their needs and intentions better sometimes. Mental health is an important matter at all ages. Children can hide their true feelings far too well. They might be experiencing trauma that they are unaware of at the time. Therefore, having active counselors that work with students in so incredibly important. However, an even better counselor works with the teacher as well. In order to provide aid to minimize the disruptions so class can continue as desired. Just the extra body, eyes, listening ears, and open heart can make the world of a difference in a school environment. Because of these reasons counselors are critical and deserve the upmost respect. 

Hearing Age Equivalency in Mainstream Schooling

Hand hold a hearing aid

 Standards and curriculum are an important factor within any classroom and any age. There is a pressure on both the teachers and students to meet and exceed all expectations associated with grade levels. However, how does this work with students who started hearing devices later in life compared to someone born with hearing ability? This is where it is important to learn and consider hearing age. In order to understand how to be properly accommodating, one must be familiar with the term speech language pathologists use. Basically, hearing age is the actual age of a child minus the year(s) hearing assistance was introduced. For example, if a student does not start using either a hearing aid or cochlear implant until they are two years olds, once they start Kindergarten (around 5 years old), their verbal language development status expectations are the same as a 3 year old.  It is important to take into consideration this in order to not overstimulate. But to also balance and ensure they are on track at the same time. 

To me, this mature is incredibly personal. There are not many conversations circling in the education community about this topic. While it is absolutely a possibility that not every Hard of Hearing child I encounter will run into this issue, some might be impacted. ELL are taken into heavy consideration and met with specialists independently during class time to maintain learning both English and being on track. However, in my experience, I have not seen this extra attention drawn into a classroom with HOH students. Perhaps it is lack of resources, lack of need, etc., but conversations regarding hearing age need to be considered in order to properly accommodate. To bring back the example provided earlier, a 3 year old is not expected to write or read fluently, but TN state standards do insist a level of this with Kindergarten. Therefore, it is important to approach Hard of Hearing students similar to English as a second language students. Some might be with ASL being the home the language as well. 

The Importance of the Physical Classroom Set-up

 

Many teachers spend not only money, but also time setting up their classroom. Some classrooms have a color scheme or a theme, which is seen across all grade levels- not just elementary school ones. High school history teachers have posters, flags, etc. related to the subject material. While an elementary school classroom could have an "owl" or "forest" theme to connect the course material all together. The look is important to set to demeanor of the environment. However, that is not the only importance with the physical layout. Every table, the rug, curtains are all purposely placed for reasons that are not obvious to the consumers. 

Elementary students sitting in chairs in a circle 
learning from their teacher as she stands in front of the class

Children are loud; it is no secret. According to Julie Beeler, a Deaf education professor at the University of Tennessee, both curtains and rugs help with the acoustics within a classroom. With my hard of hearing or hearing elementary students, it is beneficial to have physical materials that can absorb sounds and vibrations to limit distractions. Another important physical aspect is seating. Every 6 feet away the teacher is from the students, around 6 dB of sound are lost. This is not a concern for the students using ASL in the classroom, but those with cochlear implants and hearing aids can be impacted greatly. By being 24 feet away from the teacher, 18 dB are lost. Distance contributes to the ability to learn the material for all students. 

As a future teacher of the Deaf and/or hard of hearing, finding ways to manipulate sound distractions are important to make the classroom more beneficial. If a student has recently been introduced to hearing assistance technology [cochlear implants, hearing aids, FM systems, etc.], it can be a sensory overload especially with the long hours at school. School can contribute to many emotions at hand, so being an accommodating teacher is a priority. The emotional side is very important to consider and should be taken into consideration always. However, if there are physical ways to make the environment not only seem less hectic but also more enjoyable to learn, they must be done. Placement is critical for my future classrooms. Students can never have their back to one another if ASL is their language of communication. Circular tables are an easy way to incorporate this ideology without overthinking it. While if a student is bilingual (English and ASL) sitting closer to the teacher helps their hearing journey, which in the long run helps with their education one as well. To me, this feels personal to keep in mind and establish early in my career. As well as incorporating the other physical aspects mentioned above.