Why We Must Make Our Work Visible
As a teacher of the deaf, I know what I’m looking for when I observe in a classroom. I’m tuned in to how my student is responding and interacting, and I’m always taking notes both mentally and in my...
Helping my Students Set #FriendshipGoals
It’s that busy back to school time! As I’ve shown up for many first days at various schools over the past two weeks, the sights and sounds are familiar. Students rush through the halls decked out in smiles, new sneakers,...
Summer Break!
Like the students we work with, Hear Me Out is on summer break! Check out my latest EdWeek contribution...
Tiny Office Living
Tiny homes, with an average of less than 500 square feet of living space, have become a trend. Living a minimalist lifestyle with only things that “spark joy,” thanks to a popular Netflix show, has also become trendy. As an...
Wrapping Up!
“I have a FIELD TRIP!” my elementary student excitedly announced as she ran into our room. “And it’s a walking field trip! We’re gonna walk there! And they have animals!” I asked her when this field trip was happening, thinking...
“I Can’t Do This!” Advocating for Closed Captions
It was right before February break. Vacation was so close! At this point in the year, routines are in place. Relationships with teachers and other school professionals are established. Consultations focus on modifying or fine-tuning instruction in anticipation of upcoming...
The Lunchbox
I went snowboarding over the weekend. When it was time for lunch, I went into the lodge and pulled out my bright green Phonak lunchbox from a past Clarke Mainstream Conference that proudly announces to the world that I work...
“I’m Not Using That.”
I walked into a junior high classroom. I’d been called in to consult about a student who was suddenly refusing to use his HAT (Hearing Assistive Technology- formerly referred to as FM) and had even begun taking out his hearing...
Hearing Loss Doesn’t Discriminate
As an itinerant, I see the entire spectrum of education. I work with students in some of the poorest school districts in Massachusetts as well as some of the most elite private schools. As a parent mentioned to me the...
How Much Time?
We’ve all had the experience of having to fight for services for our students. Sometimes districts refute the recommendation for our direct services, sometimes they try to cut consult, and far too often, they try to cut TOD/HOH hours altogether...
