Generations united

January 30, 2012 • Posted in Beth Finke, blindness, Braille, Mike Knezovich, Seeing Eye dogs, travel, Uncategorized, visiting schools, Writing for Children by

Check this out: Mrs. Walsh’s first-graders made a book to thank me for visiting their school with Whitney last month.

That

When the book arrived in the mail I knew right away who I’d enlist to read it out loud to me.

A number of the seniors in the Wednesday memoir-writing class I lead are retired Chicago public school teachers; others worked as aides or substitutes. When I pulled the book out of my backpack last Wednesday, these senior writers gathered around as if it were a precious piece of art – which is exactly what it is. They took turns and read every page out loud to me, ooing and ahhing over each drawing and complimenting the kids’ writing skills.

I asked them to choose a favorite page to publish with this blog post, and they were hard-pressed to pick just one. “Oh, I like this one!” one would gush. Others would chime in with their opinions, and when the page was turned to the next masterpiece, the raves would start anew. “Ooo, but I like this one, too!”

During school presentations, I show school kids how Seeing Eye dogs safely lead people like me, who are blind, where we want to go. I talk about Braille, too, and read a bit from the Braille version of my children’s book, Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound aloud. I tell them how I listen to audio books. I explain how a talking computer works and describe the way I use a screen-reader to read email messages and check out newspaper articles online.

The kids learn I can’t read print. So when teachers ask them to write thank-you notes afterwards, some of them reason they shouldn’t bother – Beth can’t read print, and neither can Whitney!

Truth is, Whitney and I honestly and sincerely do not need to be thanked for visiting classrooms. If anything, we should be thanking the kids — their enthusiasm and curiosity buoys us for days and weeks after each school visit.

But all that said, I gotta admit: I do enjoy hearing what the kids have to say about Whitney and me after we’ve been at their school. Mike has developed a knack for describing crayoned illustrations, and although it is entertaining to hear him read the handmade thank-you notes out loud, I thought I’d give him a break this time. Hearing my senior writers read this book from Warren G. Harding Elementary School in Kenilworth, NJ out loud last week was a special treat.

After much hemming and hawing, the “Me, Myself and I” memoir-writing seniors finally chose, drumroll, please…)

Note to blind blog readers: the picture shows a very long Whitney dog smiling at the camera. She is wearing a harness, and all you see of me is a very, very long arm holding on. The first-grader’s writing reads like this : “I like when the dog was woking the prsin.”

kellyz On January 30, 2012 at 9:05 pm

If you are ever back out on the East Coast (specifically, around NYC) I would LOVE to arrange for you to visit my boys’ school, PS 101 in Queens. I mentioned this to Nancy and Steven when they were here visiting recently, so I hope she remembered to tell you. If you know you’ll be out this way and have time for a school visit, please get in touch and I’ll put the wheels in motion!

bethfinke On February 1, 2012 at 4:52 pm

Looks like Whit and I may be heading to Long Island this Spring to visit some classrooms, if that happens we’d love to go to Queens, too — will let you know when my LI dates get confirmed. Thanks for your interest –that makes me feel good. Whitney, too!

Lauren On January 30, 2012 at 9:16 pm

I like when the dog is working the prsin, too!

bethfinke On February 1, 2012 at 4:54 pm

Hmmm. I prefer when the dog is *woking* the person myself…

Kate On January 30, 2012 at 10:16 pm

@Kellyz
I am originally from NYC, and know a great bunch of puppy raisers in the area. My friend John visits schools with his puppy in training on the Upper West Side, and from what I hear the kids always love it. Please let me know if you would like his contact information.

bethfinke On February 1, 2012 at 4:55 pm

Thanks, Kate == I’ll let Kelly know, just in case she is not following comments left here on the blog.

Barbara Timberlake On January 31, 2012 at 9:01 am

Thanks once again Beth for another wonderful story. My heart overflows.

bethfinke On February 1, 2012 at 4:56 pm

Mine, too.

Maria On January 31, 2012 at 9:23 am

“woking the prsin” Love those little kids who write (and illustrate) so sincerely, you can just feel it when you read it (or have it read to you). I imagine you love getting those books and thank you letters; they’re so much fun. And what’s this you don’t need to be thanked…..you most certainly do! I understand how thankful you are to your school audiences, but believe me, they are thankful for your visits as well. So everyone is thankful and happy….sometimes it don’t get better than that!

bethfinke On February 1, 2012 at 4:57 pm

Amen.

Leave a Response