To understand why the following event touched me so much, you will need to also understand that I have a hearing loss and wear hearing aids in both ears. My students are aware of my hearing loss and the fact that I wear hearing aids. Last night I conducted a home visit with a student and her mother. The student was giving me a tour of her apartment and brought me into her room. On her bed was a row of stuffed animals and an American Girl doll. I pointed the doll out because she had told me about it in class. She excitedly ran over to the doll and said, "Look what she has!" She pulled back the doll's hair and lo and behold, the doll was wearing a hearing aid!! Mom told me that they had visited the American Girl store and out of all of the accessories that her daughter wanted, she chose the hearing aid. Mom was not aware of my hearing loss and was wondering why her daughter chose a hearing aid out of all things. Her daughter told mom "I want my doll to be just like my teacher!" I literally felt my heart melt. :wub:
It's amazing, the impact we have on the lives of others. What a beautiful tribute to you and to your work with your students.
