TEACHING MAINSTREAMED STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS

VIDEO SUMMARY OF TEACHING MAINSTREAMED

STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS
BY STEVE THOMPSON
INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION/2484
INSTRUCTOR: JEFF JONES
JULY 16, 2015

TEACHING MAINSTREAMED STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS

The video Teaching Mainstreamed Students with Hearing Loss by Zina Jawadi
is very informative and covers several best practices when giving a lecture or
teaching a lesson to students; especially for students with hearing loss. The many
challenges that the students with hearing loss face is beyond what I would have
ever imagined. The social bias and academic rigor that people who are deaf go
through each day is enough that they should have everyones respect and
admiration.
I feel that social bias or judgement toward someone who is deaf occurs for
them every day; especially for those that walk into a public school setting. I began
to watch this video and the first thing I thought about Zina was that I am not going
to be able to understand this girl. That was an automatic bias or judgement on my
part before the first video frame was finished. It was wrong to begin with this kind of
thought about a person who has worked hard to overcome speech difficulties. Yet
each and every day Zina walks into the classroom and sits down with students and
teachers who really dont know her struggles (or in the beginning they didnt know).
The social issues that come up are many. For one, feeling like an outsider has
to be tough to get over without some support. The fact that you speak in a
different way and do not pick up on subject matter as quickly as most of your
fellow students can be tough to process mentally. Especially if you start out with
very few friends to speak to about those feelings. This coupled with
misunderstandings that may occur on the part of Zina not hearing while the student
or teacher views her as being rude or refusing to respond can be a social hardship
also. However, because she has found a support group and knowing how to
advocate for herself this has given her social acceptance and a positive self-image.
The Harker School has given her opportunities for success. The teachers and

TEACHING MAINSTREAMED STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS

counselors are very much in Zinas camp and are there to help her succeed. Their
work in mentoring and coaching, and the fact that she has peer buddies, are all part
of a well thought out plan. It is encouraging to know that Zina can go to school
every day and be successful socially.
This social success has also helped Zina become a successful student. The
instructors that were on the video made it clear that they have made all kinds of
adjustments in how they teach in order that Zina has opportunities to excel in her
work. The very fact that keeping your face forward and visible, and that if you are
moving it is a good idea to stop talking until you come to a stopping point again, is
critical for better communication in a persons world who is deaf. The teachers
speak a bit slower and articulate words so that learning can take place. They slow
the pace of the lecture down and try and get students to slow down when asking
questions. The teachers often times take a students question and repeat it. The
other part of the equation is observing and if there is a look of not understanding
then it is time to repeat, rephrase, or paraphrase the information. A good way to
keep the understanding going is to transition between main points and always
repeat main ideas.
The other concept in keeping understanding and academic success going is
providing written information. Many of the teachers provide written notes or review
sheets prior to the start of class to help students follow the lecture and concentrate
on the important parts of the lecture. They also allow the student to take notes. It is
important for Zina and other hard of hearing students to get copies of articles early
in the week if they are relevant to a testing situation later in the week or following
week. The more time given to study the material the better. It is also important to
write on the board what you are covering in todays lesson. Another important

TEACHING MAINSTREAMED STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS

thing to do as an educator is write directions, instructions, and due dates on the

board. The classroom becomes a learning environment for all students when these
practices are available to them.
Classroom strategies that also promote better learning for Zina have to do
with seating arrangements. The seating arrangement for Zina and those who are
deaf come down to three strategies: 1) A student usually will sit in the front of the
classroom or close proximity to the teacher., 2) Wherever there is the least amount
of background noise is where this student should be located., and
3) Usually the student will sit to the right or left depending upon which ear is better
at picking up verbalization. There will be individual differences, but the important
part of this seating arrangement is to remember it is due to medical necessity.
Psychoacoustics plays a role and if the student has a fair amount of sensorineural
hearing loss, the poorer the students speech discrimination (Exceptional Lives,
Turnbull, et. al. 2013). It may be important at times to use circular seating
arrangements so the student has the best accessibility to teacher and students.
Accessibility is often times better using an FM system which transmits directly
to a hearing aid. It can improve hearing the lecture up to 95% from 70%. This FM
system is important to understand. The way it is used and how the microphone
could be passed around to students when questions or comments are being made is
actively involving the students. The teacher could also just walk toward students
who may be asking questions or repeat the question.
In closing it was good to see how Zina set up this video project and that so
many teachers had a role in it. Im sure the Harker School staff is very proud of Zina
and her accomplishments. I think she is a very smart young lady who has worked

TEACHING MAINSTREAMED STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS

extremely hard to accomplish her academic success. Hearing loss is tiresome and
takes up so much more energy from an individual trying to process information in a
school setting. I know the next time I meet someone who speaks the language
differently, I will think of Zina and know that in many ways this person has worked
harder than I will ever work to accomplish their goals.