New Teaching Frontiers
So, I stepped into my classroom this morning and found two amplifiers had been screwed into the wall since yesterday. Rock on, I mused, I have a sound system this year. But then finding a plastic box with other assorted technical stuff in it, it reminded me that the Gr. 4 teachers had told me in June that I was going to have one, possible two, boys in my class this year with hearing difficulties.
Sure enough, about an hour later during our staff meetings, the special education consultant on impaired-hearing from the school board arrived to train me on the technology I'd need to help these boys this year. Actually, he was only aware of one hearing-impaired boy in my class, and was somewhat puzzled by the amplifiers on the walls as the system he had brought to train me on was different than the one set up in my classroom. I may need to wait until the first day of school to see if I need to learn that technology, too (luckily, the consultant plans to be in my classroom that morning).
The boy who is on the consultant's list was diagnosed as needing hearing aids in both ears last spring. The hearing aids need extra technology for him to be able to hear me when I teach in the classroom. Each morning when he comes into class he has to get two "boots" from me, little receiver devices that attach to the bottom of his hearing aids. I'll be carrying a small receiver box, too, with a tiny microphone attached to my shirt. Any time I teach a full-class lesson or do one-on-one work with him I need to turn on my microphone so that a direct frequency sends my amplified voice into his hearing aid. Any other time (talking one-on-one with other students, speaking with other teachers in the hall) I have to remember to turn the microphone off. I spoke to the Gr. 4 teacher today and she says it takes next to no time to take the system for granted, you just get used to it. Both she and the Gr. 3 teachers used headsets to amplify their voices, but the system I have at present just involves the mini-mic (that might change next week if I have a second student needing hearing aid).
Mike Mitchell, the hearing consultant, was a wealth of knowledge and I asked him tons of questions while we sat around putting "hush ups" on the legs of all the chairs in the classroom. "Hush ups" are essentially glorified tennis balls slit open and put on the legs of the chairs to muffle sound in the class and make it easier for this boy to differentiate sound. Mike will be spending 30% of his week at St. Joseph with the boy in my class, so it's good to know that resource will be close at hand. He'll also help me with modifying the class program as needed and report cards for these boys.
Adds another interesting angle to next week, learning how to use this new technology in action. Teaching's always an adventure.
Update on my newspaper profile: A teacher who reads the Richmond Hill Liberal regularly told me today that the colour photo that accompanies the profile of the week in each copy of the Liberal is always featured on the front page, with a smaller photo and the written profile on a page inside the paper. Eep. How 'bout that? Didn't know I'd be front page news.
Sure enough, about an hour later during our staff meetings, the special education consultant on impaired-hearing from the school board arrived to train me on the technology I'd need to help these boys this year. Actually, he was only aware of one hearing-impaired boy in my class, and was somewhat puzzled by the amplifiers on the walls as the system he had brought to train me on was different than the one set up in my classroom. I may need to wait until the first day of school to see if I need to learn that technology, too (luckily, the consultant plans to be in my classroom that morning).
The boy who is on the consultant's list was diagnosed as needing hearing aids in both ears last spring. The hearing aids need extra technology for him to be able to hear me when I teach in the classroom. Each morning when he comes into class he has to get two "boots" from me, little receiver devices that attach to the bottom of his hearing aids. I'll be carrying a small receiver box, too, with a tiny microphone attached to my shirt. Any time I teach a full-class lesson or do one-on-one work with him I need to turn on my microphone so that a direct frequency sends my amplified voice into his hearing aid. Any other time (talking one-on-one with other students, speaking with other teachers in the hall) I have to remember to turn the microphone off. I spoke to the Gr. 4 teacher today and she says it takes next to no time to take the system for granted, you just get used to it. Both she and the Gr. 3 teachers used headsets to amplify their voices, but the system I have at present just involves the mini-mic (that might change next week if I have a second student needing hearing aid).
Mike Mitchell, the hearing consultant, was a wealth of knowledge and I asked him tons of questions while we sat around putting "hush ups" on the legs of all the chairs in the classroom. "Hush ups" are essentially glorified tennis balls slit open and put on the legs of the chairs to muffle sound in the class and make it easier for this boy to differentiate sound. Mike will be spending 30% of his week at St. Joseph with the boy in my class, so it's good to know that resource will be close at hand. He'll also help me with modifying the class program as needed and report cards for these boys.
Adds another interesting angle to next week, learning how to use this new technology in action. Teaching's always an adventure.
Update on my newspaper profile: A teacher who reads the Richmond Hill Liberal regularly told me today that the colour photo that accompanies the profile of the week in each copy of the Liberal is always featured on the front page, with a smaller photo and the written profile on a page inside the paper. Eep. How 'bout that? Didn't know I'd be front page news.