Captions Are On—but Are They Right? A Deaf Teacher’s Classroom Checklist

Seeing the “CC” button is a start. It is not the finish line. I’m a deaf public-school educator, and I use bilateral cochlear implants. My...

Please Face Me: Small Communication Habits That Help a Deaf Teacher

“Could you say that again?” should be an ordinary part of a conversation. I want the answer to be another chance to understand. I’m a deaf ...

When the School Phone Becomes an Accessibility Barrier for a Deaf Teacher

To hear calls on the school phone, I need speakerphone. That helps me hear the caller. It also means my students can hear the caller. That ...

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,...