"The Squealer"

Hi All!

Well, I had sign language class yesterday. It went well. I spent some time in the lab reviewing the last lesson and learning the newest lesson. For this class we are going through two units a week - which is a rather quick pace! In ASL I we only did one unit a week and that was fine! There is a lot of new vocabulary to learn for each unit!

Oh well!

In lab I was working by myself for a while when reviewing and then, as it got closer to class time, more members of my class came and joined me . . . including HER. Yes, that is right, my "arch nemesis" - that may be a LITTLE strong - joined our little group. I must be totally honest here, SHE doesn't seem too bad in class. In fact, she really seems to be opening up and being friendlier, which is really nice. However, in lab . . . SHE still seems a bit, well, aloof.

In class SHE is very open about not knowing a lot of ASL and about having issues with her receptive language skills. In lab she seems annoyed and bored most of the time. When the lab assistant is ready to start, SHE is always busy doing something other than paying attention. I do think this is a BIT understandable - she is repeating the material for the second time. However, don't you think it is just a bit rude?

Yesterday SHE left the group and the lab suddenly without saying anything to the assistant we were working with or to us. She just walked out. The lab assistant thought SHE was mad. SHE wasn't but . . . I would think you should say something like, "Excuse me, I am going to go now. Thank you for helping me."

At least that I what I normally say.

During class our teacher went to the lab to ask them a question. When she returned she had a puzzled look on her face. Apparently the lab assistants had told her that a member of her class was being rude in lab. We all looked at each other in confusion. The teacher wasn't too expansive about what the assistant said but . . . she was a bit worried.

After class I stopped to ask her about homework which I may have missed during the week I was in Ohio. In the conversation I said something about an assignment SHE did which I knew was wrong. This apparently triggered the teacher's memory because she said . . ."Oh - so it is HER." The lab assistant had told the teacher that the person who was rude in lab had argued with her about what a conjunction was (in ASL they are WAY different than they are in English). The teacher asked me how I thought SHE behaved in class and I told her my personal experiences with HER.

I squealed!

Horrible, isn't it? I will say that I did try to explain that her seemingly rude and aloof behavior might be due to her insecurities about her signing abilities and the boredom of repetition.

Does that mean I am not totally horrible?

Trisha

Voice Update: Speech Today! I am a bit nervous because, as you know, I haven't been very good about my exercises lately. I am hoping that my larynx is not so tight that Susan really has to work on it like she did the last time I went in. That was painful. We will find out!