The Secret Deafie is a series of anonymous columns written by different writers.
This dates back to years ago when I was in a main stream primary school. I had one of the loop systems whereby I wore the loop and the teacher had the microphone. I absolutely hated it! I remember saying that I felt like a robot.
I was in year 5 and was being taken out in a small group to do some literacy or maths catch up; before I left, the LSA taking us asked me to get the microphone from the teacher.
I begrudgingly said that I would. Unfortunately for me that day the teacher was a rather nasty supply teacher, we did not get on.
I walked up to join the queue at the desk, ( I am nothing if not polite!) there were three or four people in front of me. Anyhow, when it was my turn she announced to the class that we all needed to sit down as the person in front of me had asked a rather excellent question (it wasn’t). So, I sat down and then when that was dealt with re-joined the queue.
I do not know how three or four other people got in front of me again, all I can say is that they were super fast or super needy. So, patiently I wait.
Finally it is my turn, but once again the teacher announces that we all need to sit down as the learner has asked another good question (better but not great). Back to my chair I go, by now I am panicking a bit as I really wanted to catch up on literacy.
Finally, I made it to the front. However, before I can say anything the teacher makes yet another announcement to the class “********* is being a big baby. This is the third time she had been up to my desk, she obviously cannot do the work by herself!”
Everyone watched as I went bright red (I was shy then and I still am now) I timidly asked for the microphone and ran out of the room. She never even apologised.
I am a LSA myself now, I love my job and I like to think I am a lot more understanding and helpful than the teacher.
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Darren
June 6, 2014
The law now would say that’s direct discrimination and therefore illegal! did you ever report that teacher to the school head? so unbelievable how they got away with that – but inspiring you turned it around to help future schools not to do that again. If only the law was introduced back then – I had subtle discrimination in my time at school from teachers and pupils – intact, i was told years later by a school mate I’m still in touch with that before i arrived (i joined later than most people from another county) that my arrival and the fact that I was deaf was announced in assembly!
Andy, not him, me
June 6, 2014
I remember having my face smacked because the teacher didn’t like my tone of voice. At the age of 8 I was a hearing aid user and had no idea what tone of voice was.
I was in a hearing class as part of the activities of the PHU I was with. We would have some lessons with hearing teachers and others in our own PHU classroom. At one of these classes I came across a teacher called Mr ******. I thought he was rather nice and he was very witty After the class finished I had a question to ask him and so I went up to him to ask the question. I don’t know what happened but somehow I rubbed him up the wrong way and he snapped “Don’t use that tone of voice to me!”. I had no idea what he meant so I just said “No sir.”. And then he slapped me across the face.
I was very shocked and angry. I had never been hit before and I had no idea what the problem was. So I went back to the PHU and told the teachers what had happened. I was surprised at the reaction.
The PHU teachers were very sympathetic and later a senior teacher came round. They made it look as if he was just on a casual visit but he had a long talk with me and I told him what happened.
I never heard any more about it but years later my mother told me that the PHU staff had made a complaint to the head of the hearing school. Also the deaf children were placed in hearing classes less often than before. I think there was a breakdown in trust. This was I believe one of the earliest experiments done in integrating deaf children into hearing schools. I don’t think it was right that we should have been used as experimental guinea pigs but actually nobody ever asked.
Em Aris
June 6, 2014
Bad teachers can be very cruel and petty – I’m sad you had to go through that experience when you were so little – it’s so easy to crush a small child emotionally. My son also wore a hearing loop at junior school and when he first started wearing it at 6 he thought it was cool and he looked like a secret agent! The first time he had a maths class with the loop the teacher told my son he didn’t really need to wear it and if he concentrated a bit more he’d be able to hear! I think the teacher didn’t want to wear the mic. My son felt embarrassed in front of the whole class and told me later didn’t the teacher know secret agents always pay attention! I bet your experiences have made you a really great LSA.
Natalya Dell
June 6, 2014
I used to hate having supply teachers in primary school when I was supposed to use a radio aid. Supply teachers often refused to give me the transmitter/microphone when I asked for it and would wander off to the staffroom with it. I’d then have to go to the staffroom and ask another teacher if it had been left on a shelf somewhere cos I knew I’d get into trouble if it went missing.
Although one time the regular teacher left the radio aid on while she went to the staffroom at break and went to the toilet… My friends and I totally listened in and when the teacher realised what she had done and reprimanded me later (in front of the class) I said it was her responsibility to turn her end off. She tried whining to my mum about it and my mum independently said exactly the same thing and thought it was hilarious! Now when my partner uses my radio aid transmitter she makes cracks about “turning it off now for the toilet!” 😉
Even as an adult radio aid user who didn’t use it for highschool or university I still don’t GIVE the transmitter to people very often. I usually use it on conference mic mode on the desk cos I have a reluctance to GIVE strangers that much control over my assistive technology… The radio aid is MINE, not for you to comment on, fiddle with or wander off with.
cats
June 7, 2014
Had a gym teacher do that trick on me once. I wasn’t bothered that I didn’t ever get my go on the trampoline… I was bothered that a middle aged man could be such a child.