I'm the Interpreter for Donald Duck

[Lisa Miller]

When she bursts into speech - or maybe it's song - no one knows what she's saying and they all look to me for help. I rarely have a clue, but I try to look especially thoughtful and knowledgeable because if I can't figure out what she's saying then we're all sunk. So while she looks up at a teacher in the hall and gabbles away I try to read her body language, remember what her mom said they'd done over the weekend, and look for anything in the teacher's hand that she might be interested in because she might be talking about her weekend or asking a question or talking about the weather when...ahhhh Disney stickers, the teacher has package of Disney stickers and no one loves Disney characters like the little girl I shadow 7 hours a day 5 days a week. Do you remember watching Donald Duck cartoons and how he'd squawk and quack his way through some monologue and Daisy would answer him like she'd understood every word? I don't think she had a clue, she just made some good guesses and kept everyone happy, and that's what I do most days...guess until I stumble upon something that makes my student happy because somehow, almost magically, I figured out what she wanted and made her understood to the rest of the world. And the rest of the world would be the handfull of students in our classroom, the occasional regular ed. teacher wandering down our hall, or the kids in the lunch line.

[Tiger]

DItto. Teachers are very special people. Thanks for reminding us.

[mike whitney]

Teachers rule, thanks for being one, to you and everyone who works with kids, a deep bow in your direction!
Booyah toyah!

[Olive Rosehips]

OMGosh! I completely know of what you speak! Among other things, I interpret for a kid with CP! I read this and I felt like you were singing from my song sheet! Way to go!