When the Alarm Isn’t Enough: School Emergency Communication for Deaf Teachers

School safety plans often begin with a sound: a fire alarm, an announcement over the intercom, a whistle on the playground, or a voice givin...

Why I Teach My Students Sign Language as a Deaf Teacher

My students know that I am deaf and use cochlear implants. They also know that a classroom can get noisy. If someone calls to me from across...

Yom Kippur: Remembering the Silence and Choosing to Move Forward

Yom Kippur asks us to pause. It asks us to look honestly at where we have been, where we are now, and how we want to move forward. For me,...

Listening Fatigue Is Real: How Deaf Teachers Can Protect Their Energy in the Classroom

Most people understand that teaching requires energy. We stand, explain, redirect, answer questions, solve problems, and make hundreds of small decisions. For a deaf teacher, there can be another layer that is easy for others to miss: the energy required simply to follow speech throughout the day.

I use bilateral cochlear implants. They give me access to sound, but access is not the same as effortless understanding. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders explains that cochlear implants do not restore normal hearing. My brain still has to interpret the signals it receives, especially when voices compete with classroom noise.

That extra work can lead to listening fatigue. It is real, and it deserves more attention in schools.

What It’s Really Like to Teach With Cochlear Implants

I teach in a hearing classroom, but I do not hear the classroom the same way my students do. I am deaf and use cochlear implants. They give ...

Deaf Teacher: Happy as a Clam

Update, September 2026: I am writing again as Professor Jeff, Deaf Educator. My newer classroom post explains the listening challenges and a...