The Classroom Through My Deaf Ears: By Eleanor

So, I've been pondering on my next blog post, knowing that it is now 2014 and 26 days have already passed me by.
 I've been reading 'The Happiness Project' book (fab book) by Gretchen Rubin and its about a woman who isn't unhappy, but knows she could be happier. She sets about ways of doing this over a year by making simple resolutions each month to follow.
 It begins with simple things like de-cluttering, which I have happily set about doing already, there is nothing more liberating than emptying half your wardrobe, finally letting go of those tops that you 'might wear one day' but know you never will. It's not so liberating that because you've now emptied half your wardrobe you feel that it's now OK to buy more clothes (luckily I haven't... much).
 Perhaps I'm slightly cheating by taking the bits that I want to do, rather than all the bits I need to do, but another resolution that interested me was that she started a blog and was posting nearly everyday.
 Now, I'm definitely in no position to make some silly promise that I will post everyday but I will try to post once a month.
 Anyway, it really is a great book so have a search and have a read (you can borrow my copy Imz don't worry!).


 OK so, I want to try and invite you into my everyday world, obviously some bits will be rather vague as I can't really name places or people but hopefully you will get the general gist.


 I arrive at school around 8.15am to prepare myself for the day ahead. The odd teacher comes by to say good morning and my communicator arrives not long after me. The children arrive for lesson, mostly quietly hanging their coats up, putting things in their trays and sit, legs crossed, arms folded on the carpet.
 The teacher wears the microphone and I hear her voice clearly straight into my hearing aids and into my ears. The children are responding though I never know which or when.
 Time to teach my lesson and it's numeracy today. I've started introducing some behaviour tactics to help the behaviour management, they like to push their boundaries, see how much they can get away with. I know when there is chatting, I don't know who from exactly but I have my suspicions. I praise the good ones, knowing the cheeky ones will want a bit of that praise too.
 I ask questions, they put their hands up, I don't always hear their response but my communicator is safely behind them with her hands/fingers becoming their voice. It's clear now.
 Time to set the group work, I know which children aren't listening and I know I'll be asked 'What are we doing?' by at least 3 (the same 3) children every-time. I make sure the room is quiet and try to ensure all eyes are on me. I try to explain as clearly as I can what we are doing.


 I sit at one of the tables to do a task, the groups are so big and the noise from the room is overwhelming. I talk, I feel my voice vibrating, I hope I'm loud enough. I can't hear their responses, I can't keep them all engaged at the same time because they can't hear either. I stop the class with the tambourine, and I ask for quiet work.
 The communicator stands behind the children, listening in, her hands becoming their voice, its clearer now, I feel more in control, I am in control. I keep an eye on the time, ensuring I leave enough time for the plenary before break.
 I finish the group task and call everyone back to the carpet. Behaviours start to pick up again but I'm hot on the trail. Praise the ones that do, the others follow suit. Are they shining? You can have a house-point, you can have a colourful dot. The naughty ones end up staying, missing a minute of their break-time, but this number has dwindled through time.


 Its break-time, and I smile at the thought of the children respecting me and me respecting them, I smile at the thought of them knowing that I will teach them if they let me in. I smile at the thought of them learning and answering questions correctly that are designed to test them. I smile when I do the marking and am able to tick their learning objectives off.
 I set the room up for the next lesson, its literacy. The children come in, hang their coats up, put things in their trays and sit on the carpet with their legs folded and arms crossed.
 I wait for silence and I start again.

Getting Ready for Baby #2 by Imogene

I remember when I was first expecting my first son, I was so shocked but also so happy to learn that I was going to be starting a family. It's one of the things I have always wanted and expected that I would have eventually. I have grown up in a big family with 2 brothers and a sister, I also have another half sister. Having such great memories of my childhood and being blessed with amazing relationships with my parents - it's always brought such positive ideas about my own family that i'd have one day.

Naturally I'm quite a laid back person (obviously I have the worry/stress days as well as anyone!) and I found that through-out my first pregnancy I reflected this temperament. I didn't have many worries about whether he could potentially have a disability or anything could go wrong. I think most of that was because of my age, I was only 19 at the time. Also it's probably because I didn't know what to expect being a parent and that the pregnancy didn't become to feel real till I felt my son kick for the first time. It hit me really hard, I was going to actually be a mum. I did have the general little doubts of whether I would be a good mother, know what he needed when he cried, whether i'd cope with the late nights, that I may drop him.. It was really scary, but I was so excited to meet him, despite the doubts. My Husband at the time was in the RAF so I was still at home with my parents but we got married, moved into our own home and even though Chris (husband) was working away most of the time I stayed in our house alone, so most of the time it was just me and Freddie. Through them few months we bonded as he was the other person to talk to through that time - I also went home and saw my family etc but most of the time it was just us. I used to read to him, listen to music and of course nesting ready for his arrival! 

So when he arrived he was already my everything because he's been there a whole 9 months and we only got closer. Now he's nearly 3 and he's still a mummys' boy.

When Freddie got to be a Year Old, both me and my Husband decided we'd like to try for another baby, because we always talked about having a few children and we wanted Freddie to have someone to play and grow up with from an early age. 

Me and my siblings are 2 years apart and I remember the fun and games we used to have from a young age. Being to be able to have other siblings to play with was fantastic, I simply couldn't imagine being an only child.. couldn't imagine how different my life would've been.

It took over a year to finally get pregnant again (the more you seem to want something the more it sometimes seems to get out of reach!) but we did! Currently at 26 weeks and due at the end of April. I'm so excited to meet our other little man, it seems surreal that it's so close. 

It surprised me that during this pregnancy I have thought of all the bigger worries of having a child (the ones you would've suspected me to have first time around!), like him having a disability or a health problem, whether he's happy or not inside me. When I went to the anomaly scan at 20 weeks, I was incredibly nervous and felt sick - I never had this with Freddie but this time it hit me that during pregnancy you don't actually know what's going on inside of you; you know that they're developing into this beautiful human but everything else, you have no knowledge of. People always ask you 'How are you? Are you and bump OK? Is he well?' and when you've not had a scan since 12 weeks, the only thing you can think is 'well yes, i'm good, and I suppose they are too' which is a little scary as a mother to be. So many of my thoughts are a by product of maturing and from being a mother to a energetic lad. I always want the best for Freddie and for 'Archie' and knowing how well Freddie has developed I can only hope and wish that Archie shall be the same. It has also been a bit of a comfort to have regular scans due to being type 1 diabetic where they reassure me that all of his developing is fantastic and everything is really normal. I've been a lot less concerned since the 20 week scan as I know if there was a major issue they would've picked up on it (I have to hope!). It has also been really nice that one of my best friends is pregnant as well, she's a week behind at 25 weeks and it's been lovely to be able to text and meet; talking all things babies and pregnancy. A few times now we've had conversations of 'do you have it where you feel really sick if you bend down?' and it's like 'OMG YES!' - it's nice to know, it's all normal and happens to everyone else too!

This pregnancy has been different compared to my last. Archie has been a lot quieter in his movements compared to Freddie, I have to say that's the biggest difference, but then he probably has a lot to listen to what with Freddie and me talking constantly! I have also had more heartburn and earlier than I did during the last pregnancy. I've also been able to sleep better than last time - I rarely get woken up or feel unsettled - Freddie loved to kick me awake in the early hours!

Shows how different their personalities may be?
I have also been reading a book called 'The Secret Life of the Unborn Child' and it really opened my eyes to how much influence our mind has over the development and general psychology of our little people. It's an amazing book and anyone who is expecting should read it.

As I mentioned earlier that my Freddie is a big mummy's boy that I did wonder how he would behave and react towards having a brother and it's been very positive! I talk to him about when Archie is awake and what he's doing, I show him the scan pictures, I show him all his clothes and everything that we have got him so far. I make him feel included and he seems fairly happy with the idea of saying he's a big brother, kissing and hugging my bump (maybe doing that as it's seen what to do by daddy) and that Archie will be a baby - I guess the real impression will happen once he's born. But how he is generally I feel he'll be fine and that he'll love him (maybe not at being woken up in the middle of the night possibly) but I suppose he's too young to really grasp the whole picture and know what to expect, maybe he will when #3 comes!