Massapequa High School’s deaf American Sign Language teacher Mrs. Smith views her hearing impairment as a way of life. She continues to inspire people by overcoming judgments and false assumptions about the deaf community.
As a child, doctors told Mrs. Smith’s parents that she wouldn’t be able live a normal life. She wouldn’t be able to drive a car, get a job, or have a family when she was older. However, Mrs. Smith has proved all skeptics wrong.
Mrs. Smith decided on getting a surgery for a cochlear implant in 2004. According to the National Institute of Health, the cochlear implant is a permanent magnet that “directly stimulates the auditory nerve” that sends signals as sounds to the brain. The implant is extremely different from any ordinary hearing aid and only certain people can qualify for it. Many deaf people do not want a cochlear implant because they would not be used to having the ability to hear. Mrs. Smith got it so she could be more cognizant of her surroundings at home, especially considering she has two young children.
There was an incident where Mrs. Smith’s first child Cara had gotten stuck behind a couch and was screaming for her help. Cara was only one. Because Mrs. Smith couldn’t hear Cara yelling, she didn’t find her daughter until a few minutes later. “I got the cochlear implant because I wanted to be extra safe with my own children,” Mrs. Smith said.
Mrs. Smith has to deal with difficult experiences due to how others view the deaf. She said that the hardest part has been facing the “close minded” or the “uneducated” people. Smith agreed that people are generally less ignorant now, but every now and then she runs into rude people which she explains is “annoying.”
When Mrs. Smith was in high school, she would not be allowed to play in her soccer games for more than one minute because her soccer coach thought her hearing impairment would make the team lose. Although Smith was a talented player, she ultimately quit the team. She regrets quitting now because she feels as if her coach won the battle.
Mrs. Smith says being an ASL (American Sign Language) teacher while also being deaf can be difficult at times. Even with the cochlear implant, it is still difficult to understand what students are saying at times. Students sometimes do not speak loudly or clearly enough or she does not read their lips correctly when they ask questions which makes it harder for her to give them a straight answer.
“The kids may be confused, and I really want to answer them to the best of my ability.” It also gets confusing when they sign incorrectly, making communication difficult. Fortunately, there are usually other students in the class who can better explain to her what somebody is trying to ask.
American Sign Language 2 students say Smith is an inspiration and they hope to someday achieve their goals just as she did. “Mrs. Smith has had to face a lot of things in life, and she is so brave and courageous to have gotten to where she is today. She is really successful and loves what she does!” sophomore Lisa Passariello said.
“I love learning about different lifestyles such as the deaf community and culture; it is cool how they can communicate through their hands,” ASL student Ally Dumas said.
Adored and admired by her students, Mrs. Smith is a popular and inspirational member of the high school teaching staff. Her life story serves as an example to all that determination can overcome seemingly insuperable obstacles.