There was definitely some shyness in the groups because they were talking to kids they had never met. However, I saw some very sweet interactions. One of my favorites was when one of our students was sharing about an experience with one of his friends. One of the students from AASD, who had been very shy the whole time, asked him, using sign language, how old he was. Jaiden told him that he was 10, and the other boy grinned at him, and signed that he was 10 also. That is all he said, but you could tell that he identified with Jaiden's story.
I had a great time on the way home talking to a few kids about the experience. They wondered if kids still used the Phonic Ear device that Cece's teachers used (yes, they do). They wondered if people who were 100% deaf could still use hearing aids(we didn't think so, but we weren't sure). They shared their experiences with classmates or relatives that wore hearing aids, too. We discussed how some deaf people can still talk and how difficult it must be if you can't hear what you are saying. Another group of students taught me some signs that they had learned from the other students and teachers. Some of them are going to get a short signing presentation about the day together for our morning news show! The day provoked some really great conversation, and I'm sure all of the kids went home thinking about their day and the students that they had met. I know that I did!
Have I mentioned recently how much I love my job?