Given the emphasis on "unorthodox" methods coupled with gestures, I thought I'd sharet a little idea I use with my classes.

Whenever someone needs to use the restroom, rather than them raising their hands and me stopping class to answer what I *think* is a question about the lesson, I have my students raise a clenched fist. That way I can just signify to them that they can leave and I needn't break my stride in the lesson.

Just a thought!

That's an EXCELLENT idea! I'll use it next course, for sure!

Thanks,

Edward

I do the same thing. I have them raise the sign for the letter "t" just because that's how we taught my deaf neice to sign that she had to "tee tee" when she was little. So my students just raise the sign for t and I can excuse them without interrupting class. It works very well!

believerjen wrote:


This made me laugh a little.... because I also use the sign language "t" and I tell them its because you cross your middle finger and index finger, and it looks like a little kid who crosses their legs because its a bathroom emergency!

Hi,

SReevesTX, the letter you're describing sounds like the sign for "r," so having the students do that and making an arc to the side of the body would be "restroom" in sign language.

I was having my students use two fingers to signify bathroom, but I like the idea of using sign language. I never thought to use it that way before. This year I'll have them sign for bathroom, making a "t" and shaking it back and forth a few times.

A great resource, if you're interested, might be the American Sign Language browser
http://deafness.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=deafness&cdn=health&tm=26&f=20&su=p284.9.336.ip_p736.8.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/ I'm definitely going to look to it as I need gestures for things. You can see video of the sign being shown rather than just a picture.

Thanks for sharing the great idea, believerjen!

Thanks, is it an "r"? Good to know!