Hearing Aider

I once had a hearing pre-school student in my classroom at the beginning of the school year. She eventually was sent to Oral, non-signing, class along with the other deaf pre - school students. It matches to her grade levels.

However, this is a really funny yet true story about this particular hearing student. A few weeks after she was sent to Oral class, she noticed she was different from her classmates. The difference is that she did not have any hearing aids nor wearing a Cochlear Implants, a popular fad for the hearing parents of deaf child. She had requested her mother to purchase a hearing aid. Have you ever thought about a hearing child wants a hearing aid? It cracked me up. Without saying no to this child, the mother had an idea. The mother of a hearing child ordered a Plush hearing aid from the Build A Bear Workshop Store online. It was only two dollars. (This will be interesting when it arrives, seeing her wearing a plush hearing aid, and reacting from her and the other deaf students.)

Not only requesting by providing her a hearing aid, she also pleaded to go to the speech therapy because all of her deaf classmates go to speech therapy. She raised her hand, "Me too, I need to have a speech lesson!" Who ever thought about liking to go to a speech therapy? She was one of the unique children who would request for a speech therapy. I did not like attending speech therapy until I was in high school due to wanting to practice for my Key Note Graduation. But I thought this is one of the funniest stories I have ever had in my teaching years.

Elizabetian Collar

A week after we adopted two kittens, Star and Moonlight. We noticed one of our kittens, Star started having eye infection. This time it did not charge us when we took him for an examination except for the medication. The vet had decided to put him Elizabethan Collar on for two weeks. This may be the reason for having an environment changes. For the past three days, we noticed all of the infections are coming out of his eyes. It was due to taking oral antibiotic medication.

As soon as two weeks pass by, he will return to a normal kitten. He deserves it because we enjoy feeling him purring constantly no matter with our without Elizabethan Collar. I will post the picture as soon he is fully recovers.

School Name

Since two schools (Vista Square and Maryland Avenue Elementary Schools were closed to downsizing students) became one BIG program, we all had to create the school name. We, the staff, had to avoid political for both signing and oral students and parents by creating the school name.

At first, we planned on naming the school: I. King Jordan, the first Deaf Gallaudet President in 124 years. But knowing it would be extremely difficult because Gallaudet is a deaf and signing school. We did not want to give the parents the wrong impression while they are favoring their child to be in oral program.

By the time I got home from staff meeting, I had a deliberation with my husband. He gave me several pin points of why we should be naming the school, "Davila Day School." I then immediately e-mailed to my boss. From that point, she e-mailed all of the staff to vote either: I.K. Jordan, or Davila Day School.

Here are the reasons we are naming the school, "Davila Day School":

1. Robert Davila became deaf at the age of 8

2. He was president of CAID

3. He was vice president of Gallaudet for 20 years.

2. Was a former secretary assistant Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in the U.S. Department of Education (1989 - 1993) He was one of the highest federal ranking deaf individuals.

3. Was superintendent of the New York School for the Deaf in White Plains (93-96)

4. Was selected to be the President for National Institution for the Deaf (96-06) until he retired.

5. Was a temporary replacement after I. K. Jordon, left Gallaudet University. (07)

6. He can speak and write Spanish fluently-- even has developed a clear speaking voice as well as a confident signing. –

**6. He was born San Diego and attended California School for the Deaf Berkley (now Fremont.)

The result of the vote was "Davila Day School." I honesty can say I am pleased because I would certainly think that would be appropriate. Now, we are exciting to put the new sign, "Davila Day School." And more importantly, we, the staff, all are anxious to invite Robert Davila to welcome the offically new program: Davila Day School.

Adopting Kittens

Can you believe David, my husband, kept his words to get us a kitten after we got back from Disney Cruise? It had been years since I have had a kitten. I have always like Black and White kitten/cat because I have had them while I was growing up.

Just yesterday, David announced that we would be going to Animal Human Society to get a kitten. Boy, don't you know getting this wonderful news made us exciting? By the time, we got there, we ended up getting two kittens for the same price as for one kitten.

Actually, our kittens are seven months old. They both are very outgoing people instead of the black and white kitten that we saw at the Human Society. The Black and White kitten was too shy and exciting. We had to think of a long term about the kitten's personality. Thus, we ended up getting gray and white, and orange and white kittens.


After they spent the night with us, we finally come to the conclusion on naming our two kittens: Star and Moonlight. Star is an orange and white cat. Moonlight is gray and white. The reason why we chose their names were they came from a universe.

Update Classroom

It has been a month and a half working for San Diego County Department of Education as a Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher. I actually enjoyed my job very much to work variety of students from age six to nine years old (first through fourth grade.) Working variety of grade levels are not easy to do. In fact, I had to break into three groups in order to get their instructional lessons from me and the aide. One of the groups get an independent lesson for a few minutes. Then, I routine the group. For instance, one of the groups will be keeping themselves busy by practicing their skills from the Writing Center. Each student has their name in the box.

This is the first time in a long time, I have to work lots of paperwork over the weekend because of high demanding parents. In a way, it is good to see many students have supports at home than I had in years. Thus, I had to keep my work up over the years, including using the practice book from the curriculum books at all subjects.

While I have high demanding parents, I came up lots of visual aids and hand-on activities. For instance, I had students created their Geography diorama: Desert, Forrest, and Mountain in time for the Open House. Another thing I have done was having each students making Earth after they had learned recognizing 4 oceans and 7 continents.

Since I kept the class under the control yet keep them motivation at the same time, I came up with the ideas of positive rewarding the tickets. Earning a ticket or two are for: having positive behavior all week, reading five books per week, doing all of the homework from the spiral book, and getting 80 % or better on Quiz/Test. At the end of each month, we do the prize drawing. THEY LOVE it!

Not only students loving my ideas, my BIG boss from the County expressed to me, " I am SOOO thrilled to have you here. I always get exciting whenever I walk in your classroom. You are a good teacher." Don't you know how I feel when I see that statement from my BIG boss from the County?" It inspired me.

Collections

Do you remember you collect things while you were growing up? If so, what did you collect? I did collect several things: rocks, shells, pennies, and owls.

Both of our boys like to collect things as hobbies. It was a good thing because they can earn their badge for having a hobby. Dylan started out collecting Pez. As of right now, he has 74 Pez. His destination is to get over 1, 3000 Pez. Do you think he will make it? He also collect shells after he liked the idea from his brother, Ryan. Not only collecting shells, they collect the quarter states. Didn't you know it is also include Puerto Rico?? I sure was stunned to see this one.


Ryan started liking shells when we were on our lastDisney tour, Cast Away. He did find some of the amazing things: the smallest white squirl shell on the beach. From that moment, he wanted to collect more. Lucky, he was able to get it more from my mom's work. She works at the Sea Shell Store. It was perfect for him to collect new things he likes. In fact, Ryan was so happy to get it more shells from my mom. He got the biggest shells which made Dylan envy. But I had a pin point to him that he has lots of PEZs. He settled himself down. Not only collecting shells, he only likes Snow Globe that I got him from the Disney store. He will get it more on Christmas.

Since both of the boys like to collect shells, it means we will have to change their bedroom theme. It is a matter of time because they are growing up like a weed.

Update of My New Classroom

As some of you already know that I got a teaching job for San Diego County Department of Education, it is relatively new program for all six teachers, speech therapist and few other important people for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program.

When I first returned to work from a long two weeks of vacation, I was amazed how much storage I have had in my classroom. The other six teachers had the same thing, too. It helped a lot to hide the junk stuff in the cabinets. However, I had a difficult time to setting the classroom up because I was assigned to teach Pre K- third grades or able to create the class assignments at once.

Instead of pushing myself too hard on the first day of returning to work, the matter was putting everything away in the classroom before the students arrive. I had an aide and a volunteer helping me with only 29 boxes to put things away (Just remember: I was forced to give all of the coolest things back to the previous district.) The teachers had more than 100 boxes to put them away. But even though I only had 29 boxes, I still had a difficult time thinking on how to create the lesson plans when teaching with the wide age groups in my class: Pre K- third grade.

Since I have had a volunteer and the aide setting the classroom up, they both made my room more welcome. I was very fortunately that they both are brilliants with the ideas and arts. The teachers love my classroom instead of making it look like they are in the residential school.

For the last two weeks, I have tried to manage to deal with variety age groups by splitting into three groups. I found it was impossible for two reasons: there was no computers and no curriculum books. I could come up with the lesson plans with the curriculum books for temporary. But it was impossible to keep my younger kids: Pre K and Kindergarten on-going hands on activities while I have two other older groups in my class. Truthfully, I did want to give it up on teaching until my co -worker, who we work together last year, told me not to; otherwise she will find me.

Despite of being difficulty creating the plans for two weeks, I had the parents obligate about the age group to the boss. I sort of was glad because it made senses that working and teaching students in ASL all at once. ( I could not image how the teacher taught students from K-12 back in 1800's in one big class room.) The parents were not complaining about my teaching, but was complaining about the age ranges. After that, my boss and I had a very good talk; she had a very good relationship. She admitted that she will move the younger kids to another class and hire a seventh teachers. Also thanks to the speech therapist who begged for the seventh teachers.

The County staff are currently in the progress on interviewing the teacher over the Video Relay Conference. It happened to be one of my friends from California State University of Northridge. This will be an exciting moments if they hire her. Hiring her will relieve for all of us, especially my class.

Once it settles it down, this will make difference for students' education. My boss knows and understands my destination: impact for each student's education with a smaller classroom. This will make parents happy. Who doesn't blame them? For those of the parents who came to observe me as a hawk, later admitted that they were glad to hear this will work it out by hiring another teacher. Also, they admitted they are happy to have their child placing in my class (two of them) because I am the only ones who is skilled in American Sign Language besides the certified interpreters.

Now, we just finally got the computer and the curriculum teacher's manuel and textbooks two days ago. From that point, we can proceed to write our standard lesson plans. It was so awkward not to have any valid lesson plans. Let's hope this will make difference for all of us: especially for each student.