Ah, readers. You’ve come through for me in the past. I’m working on a post describing what it’s like to be a hearing impaired person teaching in a virtual school. Here’s my draft. Let me know what you think. Since I hit copy and paste, I’ve already made three changes. Five. Now I’ve lost count.

I entered the teaching field armed with a music degree, two teaching licenses, and two powerful hearing aids. The degree and teaching licenses got me hired; the hearing aids helped me thrive. My condition is a progressive loss, one that has worsened with time and will continue to change as I grow older. This loss is due to nerve damage, and hearing aids are the correct and only treatment. As my hearing loss worsened, I looked for an alternative to a traditional classroom setting, and Wisconsin Connections Academy attracted my attention. I was fascinated by the variety of families enrolled, the unique program, and the commitment to learning, and the enthusiasm for technology in education.

My hearing loss is only one part of who I am as a teacher. Sometimes I need small modifications, or reasonable accommodations as the law calls them. This was easy for WCA; all of the headsets are hearing aid compatible. My students and my coworkers take my hearing loss in stride.

At one time I taught students with hearing impairments – not as a specialist, but as their regular classroom teacher. The presence of a role model, a professional with the same disability they had, motivated these children more than any lesson I could teach. I hope that my current students see my disability, when they think of it at all, as an example that they, too, can succeed, no matter what challenges lie ahead.

Well, readers? I feel like it’s still rather stiff, rather bland. Help me out, please?