I was putting some Literature Circle books back in the cupboards in the hallway when E., an art teacher, passed me.
"I can see you are busy, I'll go bother S. first," she said and walked on to first grade teacher's classroom.
This made me curious, so as soon as the books had found their home I went to see what E. was up to.
I saw how S. finished writing something on a piece of paper and gave it to E.
"What did you sign?" I asked.
"Take a look," E. invited. She handed me a blank piece of paper and a pen, and then showed me a sentence.
"Write it with your natural handwriting," she instructed.
Some years ago she had asked us to draw a horse for a study she conducted for a university. I didn't mind being her test subject and wrote the sentence.
"What will you do with these?" I inquired.
"You know how we are trying to update the handwriting instruction. I am collecting these samples for the new book we're about to publish, to show how varied the cursive samples are and trying to convince the team that we should teach simpler fonts to the children than the curly capital letters. Look how you wrote your G, not like you were taught in childhood," she explained.
"This is fine. My biggest fear with handwriting is that it might end in the hands of handwriting specialists and the might give me some diagnosis," I laugh. But inside I am serious, I don't want ever to hear the character analysis from the graphologists. What if they say I am crazy.
I might get the same diagnosis if I shared with colleagues that I plan to participate for the thirteenth time in a month long blogging challenge.
Good for you -13 years doing SOL blogging challenge! I’m impressed. I wondered now that I’m retired if I will want to do that or have enough to write about. And as far as cursive goes, I’m with you. Simpler fonts, yes. Analyze my handwriting. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteI would not want my handwriting analyzed either. Now, not many people in the States teach cursive. Is that still taught in Estonia? I feel like we are losing our creative character!
ReplyDeleteI would hate to think what an analysis of my handwriting would show.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me of a sectoin I read in SPARE by Prince Harry. Meghan Markle did calligraphy in college to earn extra money. Many years later, her handwriting was picked apart by the British Press. They used it to psychoanalyze what was really happening in her life. (Spoiler: They were incorrect.)
ReplyDeleteI love how you sparked curiosity in us readers with that beginning....it made me want to follow the art teacher down the hall, too! I hope, instead of thinking you're crazy for slicing, your colleagues are impressed and see you as a role model! (Your handwriting may be a different story. :-)--Now I'm curious about teaching cursive!)
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting Slice! I've been viewing student handwriting a bit more lately, running a couple of book clubs with readers' response questions, and even while doing bathroom duty for practice state testing with students signing in and out. Two years of pandemic learning have wreaked havoc on fine motor skills! And I'm right there with you in the "am I crazy for signing up for SOLSC again?"--eleventh year for me. Kudos to you for thirteen years!
ReplyDeleteYour ending had me chuckling!
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