Week three of BSL and Sue’s not feeling so anxious or out of place. Not criticising tutor or classmates, it’s just that for some deaf people - more than hearing folk could imagine - entering a learning situation with 16 (hearing) strangers is extremely intimidating and isolating.
The majority of a group like that will communicate easily, listening to what the tutor is explaining and having a chat during playtime. The deaf pupil has to focus solely on the tutor’s mouth whilst ignoring the rest of the group and use break time not as a chance to get-to-know, but to rest a hard worked brain.