Teacher hilariously had to explain to deaf students that people can hear their farts

Anna Trupiano, a first-grade teacher at a school for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students, often navigates subjects that fall outside the standard curriculum. But one lesson was particularly unexpected: the acoustics of passing gas. This hilarious incident, which Trupiano shared in a now-famous (and now deleted) post from 2018, created a profound teaching moment about all the "incidental" things deaf children miss out on.

The moment came when a six-year-old student farted so loudly that several of their hearing classmates began to laugh. The child who farted, along with the other deaf students, was completely baffled by the reaction, having no idea that farts make a sound.

This created what Trupiano called a "wonderful and funny" teaching moment. She shared the amusing and surprisingly poignant conversation that quickly went viral.

But as Trupiano later explained in an interview with GOOD, the funny story highlighted a much more serious issue that her students face every day: linguistic access.

“I know it started with farts, but the real issue is that many of my students aren't able to learn about these things at home or from their peers because they don't have the same linguistic access," Trupiano said.

A young girl learning sign languageCanva

She pointed out that hearing children absorb a constant stream of background information—from overheard conversations to casual remarks—that deaf children who rely on sign language often miss. This gap is magnified when they are at home.

“So many of my students don't have families who can sign well enough to explain so many things it's incredibly isolating for these kids," she continued.

Trupiano's story, while anchored in a humorous moment, became a powerful call for more people to learn sign language. She hopes to foster a world where her students are no longer isolated by a communication barrier, allowing them to learn and engage with everyone they meet.

“I would love to see a world where my students can learn about anything from anyone they interact with during their day," she told GOOD. “Whether that means learning about the solar system, the candy options at a store, or even farts, it would be so great for them to have that language access anywhere they go."

Interested in learning ASL? Here's a great list of places you can start.

This article originally appeared six years ago.