Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing
On the second day of fourth grade, my teacher—Sister Paula—called me up to the front of the class. She had a piece of notebook paper in her hand, which I quickly realized was the homework I'd just turned in—three paragraphs on a topic I can't recall (but I'm sure was quite important at the time.)
"Elizabeth Dwyer," she intoned severely, "do you know how to write?" The question confused me because, well, I'd obviously completed the assignment. My mom had even reviewed it to make sure I'd done an excellent job.
"Yes," I answered. "No, you do not," she replied. "This is printing and I do not accept printing in my class." With a flick of her wrist, she tossed my paper into the trashcan next to her desk. "Write your assignments or the rest of them will end up there, too."
By writing, of course, she meant cursive writing. I can't help but wonder what Sister Paula—who went on to rank in my personal Top Five Meanest Teachers Ever list—would do with the Kansas State Board of Education.