Here are ways I have been told that a teacher or presenter doesn’t want to wear the remote microphone:

1)      It would be easier if we didn’t use it.

2)      It won’t be needed. I have a loud voice.

3)      I don’t want or need to look like a rock star (after I was trying to jolly a high school teacher into using a soundfield microphone with a boom mic – I said, “You’ll look like rock star.”)

I have also been the recipient of some body language that told me that the person didn’t want to wear the microphone. Such as slowly accepting the microphone when passed to them, sighing, etc.

As an educational audiologist in my earlier days, I noticed that sometimes teachers would have a frown on their faces when they put the microphone on. Perhaps sometimes the frown was because they were concentrating on what they were doing. Or perhaps they were thinking about something else.

I think it’s really important for teachers or presenters to keep a neutral or positive facial expression when they are attaching the microphone.  When someone looks unhappy about accommodating me, it’s a really disconcerting feeling.

It also makes me wonder if this is *part* of the reason why students start to refuse to use remote microphone technology. As students get older, they may notice some non-verbal language that makes them hesitant to ask people to use the technology.

#wearthemic

P.S. To be clear, I am primarily talking about personal remote microphone technology, which streams wirelessly to hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Related post: Self-advocacy: still learning to stand up for my hearing