There was a storm with winds of 50 mph. When I went out to pick up Harriet, three trucks were removing the remains of a tree that had fallen. I was surprised at how quickly they were getting to it, until I was told that when it fell, it fell onto the power lines- not knocking them down, but weighing them down as it hung there- so the electric company had made it a priority removal.
Some large branches were lying against Harriet’s roof, but her home was basically unscathed, as was mine. Since the tornado sirens had gone off twice, this morning, I figured we were very lucky.
At the high school, when the tornado alert went off and the sirens stayed on a while, the students were all crowded into the lower level hallways, away from any place that had windows. Sarah looked hard to find a place, and ended up sitting next to the soda machine, which vibrated against her, the entire time.
Across from her sat a boy she had never seen before and he looked at her and signed, “I…” In a moment of telepathic clarity, Sarah knew what he was going to say.
And then the lights went off.
A few minutes later, the lights came back on and this unknown boy again started to sign to her, and in the strange way that disasters make people grow closer, this boy suddenly decided to declare his love for her.
He signed, roughly, “I love (heart) you” with what may or may not have been great sincerity.
Sarah was able to control herself and not flee back to an area with windows by reminding herself that these were probably three of the only 4 signs he knew, the other one being “Bye-bye”.
I just want to know how she knew what he was going to say……
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Story of the Day 10/22/2010
When Sarah’s English teacher is absent, he always arranges for Mrs. Bowman to be his sub. She is an older woman who just loves substitute teaching and just loves the students. She is always telling them what beautiful young men and women they are. She says, “You are all such beautiful young men and women.” Only she doesn’t limit it to that one sentence, she goes on and on about it.
“You are all beautiful and wonderful young men and women. You are all the best and most wonderful students because you always bring your best attitudes to this class!” And wait, it doesn’t stop there- but just by saying these few lines, an entire generation of North Central High School students know exactly whom I am writing about. I have heard this dialogue repeated over the years, by Esther and Aaron and Kara and a few other kids who had her.
But, today, Mr. Coleman was out, unexpectedly, and there was a different sub waiting for the class. This was a young man with a pair of dark rimmed glasses and a rather nervous and excited air about him.
Sarah’s English class is third period and third period is when announcements are made.
When I was in school, announcements were broadcast over the PA system. Someone in the principal’s office would read off what was for lunch and if the football team had miraculously won and a variety of other important items. Nowadays, it is all high tech. Announcements are made on a television set up in each classroom. It isn’t even “live” , but is a collection of video clips, ads, musical numbers and the like meant to get the students to come to the football game or join some interesting club.
After being reminded by Sarah’s interpreter to turn on the television for the announcements, the sub and the class listened and didn’t watch (the apathy level being too high for this) until they were done. Then the sub emphatically flicked off the television monitor and said “Bye!” That was his most restrained moment of the morning, or at least of the class.
The students were supposed to have a test. And he passed it out, or did something that looked a bit more like flinging the papers like Frisbees, according to Sarah’s description. It was a short test, and when it was over, he turned to the interpreter and asked, “Can I go to the bathroom?” The interpreter was a bit stunned and said, “It is your decision.”
When he returned from the bathroom, he called his girlfriend up and had a conversation with her that lasted several minutes and was about having chicken for dinner. This conversation was loud and engaging for many of the students, even though they really were not all that interested in the chicken.
When he finally hung up, and had dramatically (and with lot of arm flapping) replaced the phone in his man purse, he looked down at his pants and noticed a stain. He then made a big point of explaining to the class that the stain was from that morning’s coffee, and not from anything else they might think. He said this as he pointed to the stain that was on the inside of his pants leg. Of course, the stain was yellowish.
Then he asked the students if they wanted to hear his music from IHome. It was Rap. And please don’t’ ask me what IHome is.
While he was sitting at the computer trying to set this up, the secretary came in and asked him for the report cards that hadn’t been handed out to the students who were absent… He waved over towards the desk and told her to get them herself. The secretary acted a bit stunned.
And when he got his music to play….the words were…well, he quickly realized that maybe he should Not be playing his music for the class. He said as much, “No, no, no, that is not very appropriate! No, no, no I can’t play that!”
He did have some sensibilities, though. Before class was over, he asked the entire class to please not gossip about what went on it the classroom.
At any rate, the next time that Mrs. Bowman is the sub, I have a feeling that the students will really appreciate her. Sarah has assured me that she will.
“You are all beautiful and wonderful young men and women. You are all the best and most wonderful students because you always bring your best attitudes to this class!” And wait, it doesn’t stop there- but just by saying these few lines, an entire generation of North Central High School students know exactly whom I am writing about. I have heard this dialogue repeated over the years, by Esther and Aaron and Kara and a few other kids who had her.
But, today, Mr. Coleman was out, unexpectedly, and there was a different sub waiting for the class. This was a young man with a pair of dark rimmed glasses and a rather nervous and excited air about him.
Sarah’s English class is third period and third period is when announcements are made.
When I was in school, announcements were broadcast over the PA system. Someone in the principal’s office would read off what was for lunch and if the football team had miraculously won and a variety of other important items. Nowadays, it is all high tech. Announcements are made on a television set up in each classroom. It isn’t even “live” , but is a collection of video clips, ads, musical numbers and the like meant to get the students to come to the football game or join some interesting club.
After being reminded by Sarah’s interpreter to turn on the television for the announcements, the sub and the class listened and didn’t watch (the apathy level being too high for this) until they were done. Then the sub emphatically flicked off the television monitor and said “Bye!” That was his most restrained moment of the morning, or at least of the class.
The students were supposed to have a test. And he passed it out, or did something that looked a bit more like flinging the papers like Frisbees, according to Sarah’s description. It was a short test, and when it was over, he turned to the interpreter and asked, “Can I go to the bathroom?” The interpreter was a bit stunned and said, “It is your decision.”
When he returned from the bathroom, he called his girlfriend up and had a conversation with her that lasted several minutes and was about having chicken for dinner. This conversation was loud and engaging for many of the students, even though they really were not all that interested in the chicken.
When he finally hung up, and had dramatically (and with lot of arm flapping) replaced the phone in his man purse, he looked down at his pants and noticed a stain. He then made a big point of explaining to the class that the stain was from that morning’s coffee, and not from anything else they might think. He said this as he pointed to the stain that was on the inside of his pants leg. Of course, the stain was yellowish.
Then he asked the students if they wanted to hear his music from IHome. It was Rap. And please don’t’ ask me what IHome is.
While he was sitting at the computer trying to set this up, the secretary came in and asked him for the report cards that hadn’t been handed out to the students who were absent… He waved over towards the desk and told her to get them herself. The secretary acted a bit stunned.
And when he got his music to play….the words were…well, he quickly realized that maybe he should Not be playing his music for the class. He said as much, “No, no, no, that is not very appropriate! No, no, no I can’t play that!”
He did have some sensibilities, though. Before class was over, he asked the entire class to please not gossip about what went on it the classroom.
At any rate, the next time that Mrs. Bowman is the sub, I have a feeling that the students will really appreciate her. Sarah has assured me that she will.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Story of the Day 10/19/2010
Sarah has lunch, most days, with the same two girls. They are Hearing, and they communicate by writing notes back and forth and by the girls using a few signs that they have picked up- eat, go, thank you and the all important “bathroom”.
A while ago, one of the girls told Sarah that she was excited because Sarah would help her to improve her English by this note writing. Sarah was horrified- since her English skills are still emerging.
Today, at lunch, this girl took a long time carefully writing a note to Sarah. She said, “You know, Sarah, I lived here for two years now and I couldn’t speak no English. How can I speak English? Help me!”
Sarah reads this and thinks “I can’t speak English, at all, why is she asking me?”
Sarah suggests “speech therapy.” After all that is what Deaf people do to learn to speak English and says that she will ask her (resource) teacher. She is also wondering, now, what people do learn in those ESL classes…
A while ago, one of the girls told Sarah that she was excited because Sarah would help her to improve her English by this note writing. Sarah was horrified- since her English skills are still emerging.
Today, at lunch, this girl took a long time carefully writing a note to Sarah. She said, “You know, Sarah, I lived here for two years now and I couldn’t speak no English. How can I speak English? Help me!”
Sarah reads this and thinks “I can’t speak English, at all, why is she asking me?”
Sarah suggests “speech therapy.” After all that is what Deaf people do to learn to speak English and says that she will ask her (resource) teacher. She is also wondering, now, what people do learn in those ESL classes…
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Story of the Day 10/17/2010
This afternoon, Aaron showed me the long , long list of voice messages that people have left for him on his cell phone. None of which he has bothered to listen to. After all, he is deaf.
He said, “I tell them I am deaf , so why do they do this?”
I suggested that he be very direct, and I printed him up some business cards to and out for the next time( s) he is asked for his number. They say:
Aaron M-G
Don’t call me, just text.
I am Deaf!
cell phone: (317) xxx-xxxx
He said, “I tell them I am deaf , so why do they do this?”
I suggested that he be very direct, and I printed him up some business cards to and out for the next time( s) he is asked for his number. They say:
Aaron M-G
Don’t call me, just text.
I am Deaf!
cell phone: (317) xxx-xxxx
Story of the Day 10/15/2010
Aaron came home for the weekend.
That is because it is Family Weekend and everyone’s family has been invited to campus for a series of programs that are largely on Shabbat. Or that feature very non-kosher items like ham.
He decided it was better to come home.
Safer.
Because this way his friends won’t actually have to meet us.
Smart boy.
Before he left, his roommate asked him to please remove the flyer on their door. After all, his grandparents are coming.
The flyer is apparently plastered in numerous places on campus, but as long as it is not on their door, his grandparents may not guess that the guy on the flyer is his roommate.
And he was embarrassed to have us go visit him!
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