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Returning to teaching after sudden hearing loss.

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Hi. First post.

I suffered a brain injury (skull fracture, brain bleed) in October ‘25 and although most my resultant difficulties are improving, it seems my hearing is likely to remain compromised.

I have been fitted with Phonak Naida L 70 m with ear molds in both ears by the NHS. I’m working hard to get used to using these hearing aids.

My question is, are there any teachers on here with tips on how I might successfully return to work as a teacher after sudden bilateral hearing loss? I’m a class teacher in upper KS2 (9-11) where I teach a class of 30. I’ve not been able to return to work yet because of difficulties caused by the brain injury, but at some point I hope to be able to.

Currently I’m struggling to follow conversations with more than a small group of people in a quiet setting. The fear is I won’t be able to manage a noisy class of 30.

However, I can’t be the only teacher or similar to have experienced sudden hearing loss so any ideas from this community would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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Hello @RedGlen Sorry to hear of your hearing loss, and other difficulties due to your head injuries! ATW (Access To Work) might be of assistance to you for any classroom environmental equipment (’s, Assistive Listening Devices) should you decide to return to work, Phonak make many of these specifically for the classroom environment, consult your Union Rep, as reasonable adjustments have to be made for your new found disability… It will not be easy to adjust, it just takes time, but eventually you will adapt to the new you… I was never a teacher, but I did tutor people on how to effectively communicate with deaf fellow workers, in an almost classroom setting, were there is a will, there is a way! ATW, should be able to assist, I think the school would be expected to pay half of the environmental equipment or ALD’s… Good Luck, cheers Kev :wink:

Thanks kev. I have put in for an acces to work grant in case they can fund anything. Not sure if mics will work because of the number and age of the children but Ill have a look.

Edited

I feel sorry about the accident.

  1. What’s your in quiet percentage (Word Recognition Score)? With each ear separately and with with both?

  2. What’s your bone conduction ? And ? Perhaps you have only/also conductive hearing loss?

  3. Have you had -based fitting? REM - Real Ear Measurement, where put very soft and long 1-2 mm diameter silicone probe into your ear canals.

  4. There are some rehabilitation apps:

  • free, but only for PCs/iOS:
    http://angelsound.emilyfufoundation.org/3

  • Hearoes for Android

  • some apps are described in different topic

  • paid (~$330 with discount code from YouTube channels like HearSoundly or DrCliffAuD):
    LACE Pro

  1. What diameter of vent do you have in your earmolds?

I haven’t experienced sudden hearing loss, but I have taught classes of various sizes. If possible, push to get an induction loop system installed with mics in the ceiling. This is the very best, and can also be used by any students with . If your school can’t provide that, the Roger mic is pretty amazing. I have used it quite successfully in smaller classrooms (15-30 students). It’s not cheap, but access to work should be able to help with it.

Any solution will have a learning curve, though…

@Hildegard said:

If possible, push to get an induction loop system installed with mics in the ceiling. This is the very best, and can also be used by any HOH students with telecoils.

This is a bit problematic, because we live in the twilight of in favor of Bluetooth , which is easier and cheaper to install.

However, I admit that OP’s Naida Lumities 70 don’t support that Bluetooth Auracast standard.

Does even address the two-way communication that a teacher needs? An induction loop system does, and is available technology with the OP’s current hearing aids.

In reply to @Bimodal_user

Thanks. I’ll certainly look into those apps. Im afraid I never had any of those tests you are referring to (NHS) although it was confirmed it isnt conducticve. Maybe I can ask about them when I next see the audiologist (although that will be months)

In reply to @Hildegard

Thanks. The Roger mic was mentioned by my audioligist. Maybe one on each nest of tables? But although I can see this working for meetings and things I’m not sure it would work with 30 ten year olds chatting and giggling (i cant expect them to be silent all day) in a dynamic classroom … but I have no experience of this at all so I dont know. When I’ve taught children I’ve worn a mic around my neck which has gone directly to the child’s so they can hear me but obviously I cant have all the children wearing these so that I can hear them.

So sorry about your accident. But welcome to this forum I see you’ve had a number if responses so hope something helps you figure out how to return to your classroom.

In reply to @RedGlen

The ideal way of handling kids around the room is an induction loop system with microphones in the ceiling. The Roger mic can be aimed at individual students, or you can set it on the table and choose the directions you want it to pick up from. You could chain several, but you might not need more than a couple for a room of 20-30 students. I get by with one for a class of 30.

I had a somewhat similar experience many years ago, having survived a head on collision and accompanied by sudden hearing loss. I did have hearing aids soon after. But my experience was so long ago, that any advice I can give about specific ’s is not applicable. However, I would encourage you to be very upfront with your students. Explain what happened and how they can help, such as by looking right at you when speaking and speaking loudly. You can’t hide your hearing deficit from students.

Good wishes.

Perhaps, just thinking out loud here @RedGlen as you are no doubt very aware, kids are like sponges, they love to learn… So maybe, encouraging them to learn alongside yourself on how to use better deaf communication tactics, with a little sign language, mime and simple iconic signs would greatly improve your “In Class” contextual information, perhaps make it a class project… The wonderful thing about any “Sign Language” it greatly improves confidence, basic sign language, isn’t very difficult, for instance, a raised clenched fist represents your head, nod it forward twice means “Yes”, shake it sideways twice, that means “No”… Here in the Scottish Highlands, (British Sign Language) is part of the primary school curriculum, for all the Highlands schools, I believe? Perhaps going to BSL classes yourself would greatly enhance your own confidence @RedGlen also “Lip Reading Classes” would help! BSL does become complicated as you move up the different levels, but, beginner, intermediate, and level 1 is fairly straightforward simple sign language, and great fun to learn! Level 2, Level 3, Level 4/Interpreter involves many hundreds of hours of learning, very few people ever attain Level 4, simply because the “Profoundly Deaf Examiners”, are so strict & stringent! All these exams are video’d, and sent to Durham University (University for the Deaf) to confirm a pass or failure… Anyway, it’s an idea, you may or may not think it’s feasible? Good Luck, cheers Kev :wink:

Thanks. This feeds into an idea I was having. The school wanted to teach instead of French as our modern language. The deaf community however told us it was unacceptable for it to be taught by non hearing impaired teachers, which of course our staff are.

I have considered now training my self up to teach it since I probably now would be acceptable. It would be very basic. One lesson a week for each class from ages 8-11. I am 54 so could afford to go back to work part time and it would take the pressure off me in terms of the rest of the curriculum which it may now he harder for me teach (you wouldnt believe how results driven even primary school is).

Yeah it’s a strange one, there are no grey areas in Deaf Culture, it’s either black or white and never the Twain shall meet… But, another anomaly here, Deaf Culture needs Interpreters, (There is a massive shortage) they are for obvious reasons, and must be also hearing, in order to translate speech, Level 4 Interpreter is extremely difficult to reach, hand shape must be perfect, alongside facial expression, In conjunction with mime and placement, lip speaking must also be in perfect coordination to the hand signs and gestures, perfecting this, takes many year’s practice… Very few have these skillset, unless sign language is your first language… But, do not be overwhelmed, basic isn’t difficult its fairly easy, and extremely good fun to learn, kids love it! And yes, all of my BSL Tutors were either, Profoundly Deaf or Hard Of Hearing () they have a vested interest, the best Tutors IMO, were nearly always “prelingually Deaf”… Good Luck, if you start a new venture, cheers Kev :wink:

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