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| this is a long one....
I feel absolutly terrible.. and it really made me feel like i was a not a good teacher... let me explain..
i had a deaf student in class the other morning.. this was my second time ever teaching with a deaf student attending. the first time was fine.. this time much different experience.. the start of class the student came up to me and said that she was deaf and that she can read lips and that she would prefer that I keep the curtains open (they open to mirrors) i said no problem.. they were 4 other students in class.. so i began as normal and i do more walking around and adjusting then demonstrating but since she was there i was demo'ing a little.... need to be attentative to the other students.. well i continued and half way through she stopped and was like - i cant hear you i am deaf please show all the poses... so i did.. and then about when we were lying down for svasana - she got up and left - and didnt look back to say thank you or anything...
i felt that i did the best i could being there were other students there and i felt bad that i wasnt attentitive to them - becaise as you demo - u cant adjust and i saw some really back alignemt... its was frustratng for me.. but then i felt terrible that she left (looking annoyed) what would you have done.. and what can i do if this happens again.
the last thing i would want would someone leaving class annoyed..... |
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| i have only had two deaf students in my classes consistantly thus far.
in both cases, i 'partner' them with an experienced student and i explain to them that i walk around and give adjustments. i put them in a position where they can see their partner, and i make sure to come up to them and give alignment cues (by light touch and pointing) and lots of smiles and encouragement. after class, i ask if this was a good method.
for the most part, this works really well. i do teach mixed-level classes, which helps, because there is always a very experienced student there who encourages and keeps an eye on any special needs (or even regular new) student. it seems to work well for us.
you did the best you could, and so i wouldn't be too hard on yourself. |
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| zoebird - 2007-07-16 10:57 AM
you did the best you could, and so i wouldn't be too hard on yourself.
Yes, you need to balance the needs of ALL the students, not just the person with a particular issue. The fact that she got up, part way through a class, and didn't give you a chance to adjust your teaching is HER bad, not yours. Just because she's deaf doesn't make her automatically right, or even right in this case. |
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| Once in my class, there were around 15 to 20 students. And, one black girl who was exceptionally beautiful was in that class. Now, all of you know my being Indian, Bald Headed and weird. However, this girl was around 1 ft from me throughout my class. Generally, no body dares or likes to come that close to me. So, I told this student clearly that she has to be away from a Hindu Brahmin. (Actually, I was scared as she was exceptionally beautiful! You know what I mean.) On 4th class, she told me that she was deaf and she has to be very close to me to hear me.
Then I told her: I shall teach her differently, and I actually made her max distance from me and others in the very corner of the room. She became my close (not very close) friend later.
There are two solutions: a) Deaf student should not come to a group class with non deaf student. b) Teacher must teach Deaf student differently. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Well, let's hope she was feeling annoyed with herself for not being able to keep up. I have had one deaf student who came for an entire beginner's series and she was delightful. Luckily at that time I was training to teach, so we had the advantage of one person teaching the class and me assisting. I could quickly go to her if she looked like she needed help. I also know a smattering of sign language (up, down, in, out, good, stop, wait, happy...little kid words  ) which came in very handy. What I found was that she was an excellent observer and a great student. She knew to come out of savasana when she felt the floor moving from others getting up. Now, she had been deaf since birth and I would expect (and my experience form older folk who are starting to lose their hearing) is that they get frustrated and impatient with themselves very easily, so if your student fell into the category, that may be the real issue. It will be interesting to see if she returns...
PS - what was your old screen name? |
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| I've actually had this happen. Almost the same way you describe.
It was a woman who thought she had cared for herself in class by getting into the front row so she could see. I suspect her expectation was that the teacher would "DO" the practice on the mat with the class as some teachers oddly enough seem to.
But I do not teach in that fashion.
She did wind up leaving in a bit of a huff.
Keep in mind that deaf culture is unique. It is not the same as hearing culture. I sya this based on my experience as a collegiate coach with the students and administration at Gallaudet in D.C. So who knows who she was ticked at, if she was ticked at all.
I would handle my teaching a bit differently today. I would stop class and call the group up to the front for a demo. And either I would demo or I would use a student. In this way the deaf student could read my lips and see the pose. Then have class return. This way I would be able to provide alignment assistance to other students without interference from a demo. The deaf student can, of course, look at other practitioners to follow when this isn't enough.
Any way you slice it, it's a difficult situation.
But it does not indicate you are a poor teacher.
Edited by purnayoga 2007-07-16 3:39 PM
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| thank you all for your supportive advice.. it made me feel a lot better.
oh ps tourist - my old screen name was zenergy |
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deaf student
