In the Art Room: ASL in the Art Room

A couple of year ago, my students created a giant collaborative piece that says Learning for All. We had a great time making and my P.E. teacher buddy Ali and I had a not so great time trying to figure out how to assemble it (thanks, Ali!). But now it proudly hangs in our front lobby. Here's look:
 At my school, we have a few deaf students who have interpreters. And, while the interpreters speak for me, I often feel there is a disconnect between myself and those children. At my school, every morning on morning announcements, students throughout my school are taught signs to better communicate with everyone. Recently, I decided to start doing the same in my art room. We have an Art Class Catchphrase as well as an Art Class Greeting. We recently learned how to sign them. And, slowly, we are adding signs to more areas of our art education. Here's a clip of us signing our greeting and the colors in Mouse Paint.
The interpreters in our building have been WONDERFUL at helping my students and I learn how to properly sign. It is not easy! It is a new language to learn so it does take time. But I'm so glad we are doing it and hope to continue to reach all of our amazing learners. If you've not tried introducing sign language to your students, start with something simple, like color. You won't regret it.