the wrong time/ right time

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Home : 2002 : October : 29

the wrong time/ right time
By sj

Although I would never have decided to teach cursive at the beginning of 2nd, my administrator told me to--that the upper grades wanted it to be the focus early in 2nd so that it would be well established before third had
to work so hard toward state testing. So, here we are, 9 weeks into the year, and that admin is fired/on leave and the interim comes in and says, "Why are you teaching cursive so early?" Well, I'm about at the end of the lower case letters (and surprised by how much cursive really helped some of the children who had more dyslexic tendencies and eye-hand problems, in fact, quite surprised

at how successful the whole cursive thing has been in spite of my original hesitancy) and now the interim admin says, "They don't want cursive taught until they get to 3rd--so just do a list of spelling words every now and then, but don't make it part of your main lessons!!! ARRRGGGHHH! So, when you find out the "right time", it may be the "wrong time" after all...or until the new-non-interim principal is hired! MY personal experience that I was just pushed into was much more positive than I would have expected, the kids are highly motivated, and for some, it is the saving grace from manuscript that does not connect letters. I can't see that any harm was done by teaching it early, and in fact, see that there might be really legitimate reasons to go at it early. SO, I conclude that if you do it at the right time , don't sweat it, for it will soon be the wrong time, and if you do it at the wrong time, neverfear, for the wrong time will soon be the right time, which may indeed be the wrong time, depending on who told you it was the right time and if they told you that at the wrong time or the right timeARGH...AAARGH....ARGH....ARHGARGHARHG