Teachers share challenges of hearing loss
Mr.Macias and Mrs.Chandler stand next to each other. Both are hard of hearing in the right ear.
By Kayla Rudd |
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to teach while being hard of hearing? Some teachers know that feeling of teaching while either being hard of hearing or being part deaf. It’s not always an easy thing to cope with as a teacher.
Both Chemistry/Forensics teacher Sarah Chandler and AP Economical teacher Mateo Macias are hard of hearing in their right ear. Chandler found out she was hard of hearing about five years ago and found out about two weeks after his 30th birthday.
“It makes it a little harder to teach because the students get away with more conversations, but I feel I still teach effectively,” Macias, who was just named Social Studies dean, said.
Both teachers don’t know who is talking to them if their back is to them and Chandler wears a hearing aid.
“It makes teaching slightly harder for me because, when students are whispering or there is lot of excess noise I can’t always hear them,” Chandler said.
These teachers enjoy what they do and are there for their students and do anything they can help them if they need it even if they have a slight disadvantage in their own life. Students recommend Chandler’s classes to each other even.
“I enjoy this class a lot because my original field of study was going to be forensic science and I heard she was an amazing teacher,” senior Jamie Hacker said.
Though Macias will be losing his afternoon classes to his new Dean position, he will still retain his morning classes for which some students are very grateful.
“I like how throughout the class period he makes jokes about things or even the lesson we are on right now,” senior Casimiro Saenz said.