As a teacher or principal in a school, some of our goals every year are to help all students in our school to get along with each other and learn to problem solve on their own, limit chaos and noise in the school – especially in commonly used areas like the hallways and cafeteria, and to teach students to be accepting of all peers (including those with disabilities). If you teach all of the students in your school to use a few simple signs in American Sign Language, it will help you to achieve these goals.
Problem Solving/Getting Along – Students can problem solve easier when using American Sign Language signs, especially if they are younger or have a hard time with communication. It is easy for most all children to sign share, my turn, yes, no or wait and they can use these signs with each other. They can also sign how they feel, using signs like angry and mad, which allows them to show their negative feeling in a positive physical way (instead of in an aggressive way toward others). Students can even sign sorry, which is sometimes the hardest word for many children to say. Using signs like please and thank you can even promote using manners more often.
Limiting Chaos and Noise - When everyone in your school knows some American Sign Language, you can limit talking and noise with children in the hallway when you use signs like walk, slow down, go where (for where are you going?), and even just to say hello. You can even give some silent praise for walking quietly in the hall. Just silently applause or sign great (or great job). Even entering and exiting the cafeteria/stage area, for an assembly will be much quieter when you have a song or chant for the entire student body to sign. Speaking of cafeteria noise, how about having students sign for the things they need like fork, spoon, napkin and bathroom, instead of yelling it out? Any little bit helps!
Peer Acceptance – You may have some Deaf or special needs students in your school that communicate to some level by using American Sign Language. When your student body knows some sign, these students will not be isolated from the rest of their peers. This will promote easier conversation between the special needs students and your regular needs children, which will help to break down the lack of acceptance of peers who are seen as “different”. Extremely shy students will find it much easier to communicate using sign language as well, which will help them and their peers to converse more often and to even build friendships.