Handwriting and a little about me
Misty Felner
Ok, I started to post this story earlier to the mother, sorry I've forgotten
who now, was talking about her ds who hates workbooks, and doesn't like to
practice handwriting. In light of some of the later posts that I've finally
gotten to almost a week later I've decided maybe someone will come to the
realization that I did.
First, a little on my background. I taught 4-6 grade deaf education, that
means I taught kids who are deaf in all subject areas, for nearly 8 years.
Three of those years were spent teaching multi-handicapped (MH) deaf, the
same basic kids (adding and subtracting a few who graduated on to jr. high
due to their age) for all 3 years. There was no curriculum so I developed
my own thematic units. The kids came to me from a teacher who never really
taught the kids, just assumed b/c they were MH they couldn't read or write.
I had a different philosophy and was able to teach children in one year more
than they'd been able to do in her class after three. For example, I
remember her bursting into my classroom to brag about how she finally got
one of the students to write her name. The following year in my class that
child learned to read and write at least 50 words. Including her first and
last name, her mother's name and her address. Sorry I'm rambling so I'll go
on. After my third year there I moved to another school out of frustration.
Frustration of having deaf kids who signed in a school where there were no
other kids that signed to be their role model. We were in the only school
in the district with an oral program for the deaf when there were two other
schools with other sign language deaf ed. programs. Which also meant no
interpreters for my students while they were in art and p.e. So, anyway
when I moved to one of the other sign language deaf ed. programs that was
supposedly kids who were "normal" except for deafness I found that the kids
were only about a hair higher than the kids I'd been teaching but now I had
a curriculum to follow. For fifth grade they were supposed to learn
American History and improve their cursive. Some of these kids couldn't
even name all the months of the year, and none of them could read any higher
than first grade. (This is b/c sadly most of their parents couldn't
communicate with them more than just pointing to things and gesturing, but
that's another story). To get to my point the year before I left we all
decided to take this new reading academy (the new trend for the year). It
actually made some good points. Afterwards the fourth grade deaf ed teacher
said to me, "why are we teaching cursive to kids who can't read print,
especially when some of the kids don't have legible print handwriting?" He
then went on to talk about how through the academy he was doing things with
the students that pre-schoolers do and how much they loved it. "It's like
they missed that part of their life b/c they had no communication at that
point." One of the students, a very tough Hispanic 12 yo boy even mentioned
how much he'd like to have a red wagon and play in the sand box. Sound
familiar to those of you with toddlers. Sometimes when I read these posts
about deschooling especially the concerns about handwriting, etc. I think
about this discussion I had with a fellow teacher and how off base the
instruction was for the kids just b/c they were 11 and 12 yo.
I also wanted to mention that I myself also have terrible handwriting as a
child my mother, a lefty, thought it would be better for me to be right
handed person so every time I'd pick up something with my left hand she'd
put it in my right. By the time I was in the 5th grade my handwriting was
so bad she told me about doing this and actually suggested that I re-learn
to write with my left hand. I never did, I just have terrible handwriting
and try not to write if possible. Maybe one day I will practice, but it's
just not important now.
Sorry for the long rambling.
Misty
who now, was talking about her ds who hates workbooks, and doesn't like to
practice handwriting. In light of some of the later posts that I've finally
gotten to almost a week later I've decided maybe someone will come to the
realization that I did.
First, a little on my background. I taught 4-6 grade deaf education, that
means I taught kids who are deaf in all subject areas, for nearly 8 years.
Three of those years were spent teaching multi-handicapped (MH) deaf, the
same basic kids (adding and subtracting a few who graduated on to jr. high
due to their age) for all 3 years. There was no curriculum so I developed
my own thematic units. The kids came to me from a teacher who never really
taught the kids, just assumed b/c they were MH they couldn't read or write.
I had a different philosophy and was able to teach children in one year more
than they'd been able to do in her class after three. For example, I
remember her bursting into my classroom to brag about how she finally got
one of the students to write her name. The following year in my class that
child learned to read and write at least 50 words. Including her first and
last name, her mother's name and her address. Sorry I'm rambling so I'll go
on. After my third year there I moved to another school out of frustration.
Frustration of having deaf kids who signed in a school where there were no
other kids that signed to be their role model. We were in the only school
in the district with an oral program for the deaf when there were two other
schools with other sign language deaf ed. programs. Which also meant no
interpreters for my students while they were in art and p.e. So, anyway
when I moved to one of the other sign language deaf ed. programs that was
supposedly kids who were "normal" except for deafness I found that the kids
were only about a hair higher than the kids I'd been teaching but now I had
a curriculum to follow. For fifth grade they were supposed to learn
American History and improve their cursive. Some of these kids couldn't
even name all the months of the year, and none of them could read any higher
than first grade. (This is b/c sadly most of their parents couldn't
communicate with them more than just pointing to things and gesturing, but
that's another story). To get to my point the year before I left we all
decided to take this new reading academy (the new trend for the year). It
actually made some good points. Afterwards the fourth grade deaf ed teacher
said to me, "why are we teaching cursive to kids who can't read print,
especially when some of the kids don't have legible print handwriting?" He
then went on to talk about how through the academy he was doing things with
the students that pre-schoolers do and how much they loved it. "It's like
they missed that part of their life b/c they had no communication at that
point." One of the students, a very tough Hispanic 12 yo boy even mentioned
how much he'd like to have a red wagon and play in the sand box. Sound
familiar to those of you with toddlers. Sometimes when I read these posts
about deschooling especially the concerns about handwriting, etc. I think
about this discussion I had with a fellow teacher and how off base the
instruction was for the kids just b/c they were 11 and 12 yo.
I also wanted to mention that I myself also have terrible handwriting as a
child my mother, a lefty, thought it would be better for me to be right
handed person so every time I'd pick up something with my left hand she'd
put it in my right. By the time I was in the 5th grade my handwriting was
so bad she told me about doing this and actually suggested that I re-learn
to write with my left hand. I never did, I just have terrible handwriting
and try not to write if possible. Maybe one day I will practice, but it's
just not important now.
Sorry for the long rambling.
Misty