Welcome New ASL Students!

ASL Tutoring Available

Need an ASL Tutor? Email Mr. Kitterman and get an ASL Honor Society student to help tkitte@neisd.net

What to Expect in ASL at MacArthur

1. Signing instead of talking is preferred

2. A lot of pair and group work

3. A lot of games and activities

4. Performing songs, stories, monologues and dialogues

5. Opportunities to break out instead of hide out

6. Learning about Deaf people and Deaf culture

7. A friendly environment to learn and grow

*See the Games & Activities Page to learn more about what happens in the classroom.

Keys to Success in ASL

1. Don't compare yourself with others, just make daily progress.

2. If you try, you can't fail

3. Stay involved . . . warmups . . . practice . . . activities . . . all help you grow.

4. Don't worry . . . it's okay to make mistakes . . . it's part of the process.

5. Don't let your mind talk you out of good things, like showing the class your work/signing.

Everyone can learn from each other.

6. Sign instead of talk as much as possible, all the time if you can!

7. Watch everything

8. Seeing is learning!

Make a Difference in ASL

1. Join ASL Honor Society

2. Teach Free ASL Classes at Brook Hollow

3. Teach ASL in the KIN after school program

4. Leadership--Be an ASL Honor Society Officer

5. Service - Be an ASL Angel

6. Perform in the World Language Tour

7. Perform in ASL Has Talent

8. Become Proficient in ASL

Advice to ASL 1 Students

-Darius Ashley-Brooks

My personal experience for asl is a really good experience and was a good one through high school. It was good because my first year i thought it was really bad because i didn't take it serious with everything but then i built a really good bond with mr. k and he helped me understand a lot more and after that i fell in love with asl and this past year i got really into it and did a song with my friend, maddie, and it was a really good song. y'all should watch it but if the virus didn't come i would be in the talent show but my asl experience was really good .

- yall can look forward to getting a lot better in asl and basically falling in love with the language and look forward to basically talking with your hands and getting better everyday . -Darius

My #1 piece of advice for asl 1 students is don't be afraid! If you think people are judging you, remember that they are too concerned with themselves to criticize or even pay attention to what you're doing. Or they might even be in the same boat that you're in. It's hard to forget about everyone else around you, but it's important to not let that hold you back.

-Gabriella Velazquez

(sitting on the left)

Jade on the left, Maddie on the right

To some ASL may seem like a blow off class, but I promise you the most important thing for you to do is participate! For ASL 1 students it can be awkward at first if you don't know anyone, but i've made some great friends in ASL by stepping out of my comfort zone.

Just being able to get better at your craft and having the opportunity to do more songs. Songs are my favorite thing to do, especially in the talent show. Use your creativity and don't worry about anyone judging you because everyone in ASL is very helpful and supportive.

-Jade Rucker

My advice to ASL 1 students is to stay involved! try new things and stay focused during class. when you first start ASL it can be a little confusing and difficult but it gets easier and mr kitterman is always there for help!

If they go further with ASL they can look forward to more opportunities and just learn more about ASL. -Maddie Wood

Alex (in middle)

But I know that when I was in ASL1 I was scared to stand out in the beginning. I didn’t want to be the one looking like a try-hard but really do everything. You won’t enjoy it if you don’t try it.

Secondly, find what works for you. If you need help with fingerspelling, find a drill online, or create one that improves your knowledge of the alphabet. Get used to using certain muscles in your hand for certain letters. Practice on both hands, as there are situations where you are one-handed and it happens to be your non-dominant hand. I know when I was bored I would fingerspell the alphabet as fast as I could. I partly attribute that to my fingerspelling speed now.

Songs! Find a song that fits your style. If you are super bubbly and can’t stop smiling, pick a song that reflects that. If you are a little more grounded and serious, pick something more serious. Find what you like. If you don’t like it, it won’t come out as nice as it would if you had made it your own.

Lastly, be yourself. This is an atmosphere of acceptance. It is okay to make mistakes or forget things. It happens, as we are all human. So don’t feel embarrassed when you use the wrong hand shape for one sign in your expressive. Every single student, old and new, have made that exact same mistake. Accept it and learn. Have a laugh, as this class is meant to be enjoyable. Make friends, as some of my closest friends are fellow signers. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

Look forward to the fun games, activities, opportunities, and conversations you get to have. As you become more advanced the conversations become more natural and less robotic. You start to see personality come out when you sign. This helps with songs and just expressives in general. You may think, well the classwork will be harder. That is actually not the case. The hardest part is getting started learning the language. With the more advanced vocabulary, you begin to interpret songs differently. This adds performance quality and personality to your performance at the world language tour or even ASL Has Talent. -Alexandra Hendrick

Katherine Lockman

This class is very fun and exciting, but if you put in the work it can also be very rewarding. My recommendation to you is have fun with the class, but put in the work. Lots of the assignments in this class are up to personal discretion, so always do everything you can to make yourself better. At the end of the year we usually have a lot of fun signing songs and skits. This is when you can show off what you have learned this year with your friends. For these be creative and just have fun hanging out and working with your friends. The more creative you are the better your song or skit will turn out.

After keeping with ASL for more than two years, you will find a lot of friends first off. The people in these classes want to meet new people. You will also find a lot of new opportunities to get involved with the community and student life at Mac. Once you get to ASL III and IV, everyone else wants to be there too. You will get a lot more accomplished and have fun doing it. -Katherine

Lauren Daniels

PLEASE, please start off signing instead of talking. I know it’s hard, but you will learn so much faster if you just turn off your voice and sign, it forces you to learn. Also, don’t give up! It’ll get confusing, sometimes you won’t know what’s going on, but that’s okay. Just keep practicing and you’ll get the hang of it, I promise. Pick good songs to sign, they’re so much fun when you really put in the effort to make it a good song, and the WLT or Talent Show is pretty cool to be part of.

More time with Kitterman, who doesn’t want that? :) Also, just more practice that will really help in the real world, especially if you work in food, retail or hospitality. -Lauren

Genevieve on the left

If you’re in the classroom the biggest thing is just to pay attention! At the beginning of the school year there are only 3 signs you really need to know which is “MEAN WHAT?” and “AGAIN” if you know these 3 signs you can ask about any sign, even if you’re super confused you can use those. Also on the first few days of school when you have no homework just practice the ABC’s. First go through the alphabet then start spelling words, either things you can see or just anything spell with your fingers to get comfortable with the letters.

If you decide to continue after ASL 2 there are many new opportunities and more fun involved. You get to go on a field trip to the Sunshine Cottage which is an amazing opportunity, you get to talk with an audiologist and speech therapist, and you get to also see the kids in their classrooms. We play more games more often, we learn more vocabulary but it ends up being things you want to know more about, and the class is way more relaxed. I ended up making a lot of my friends in ASL so we all learned and continued together.

-Genevieve Snider

-Samantha Snider (on the right)

All you have to do is pay attention. The key to learning ASL is to watch and ask questions if you don't know. And signing, that is kind of important to learning sign language. Just focus on getting information into that brain of yours by using your eyes and that muscle in your skull! Be curious and apply yourself and it’ll all work out!!

In later ASL years you get to look forward to learning instead of just the basics of ASL you get to learn the fun stuff that takes your signing to the next level. Like did you know the shape of your mouth can change the meaning of your words? You get to learn the stuff in ASL3 and 4 that takes you from a good signer to a great one that can understand and communicate so much more in ASL then you ever would have thought.

(Ilana on the left side)

My advice to ASL 1 students is to put in what you would like to get out of it! If you’re willing to put in the work, you will get great results!

Although I have not been myself, Sunshine Cottage is definitely something I think all of the higher ASL class students can say it something they really look forward to.

-Ilana Solis

Elizabeth is in the middle

Yes you can use my name. The most important advice i would give is to ask questions. If you don't understand something ask them to sign it again or ask them to slow down. Mr k wants you to lean rather than just giving out grades. I would also say to use hand speak or another ASL dictionary. If you are curious you should always look it up or ask a fellow student/ teacher.

Once you get to your 3rd and 4th years of ASL you become very close with your classmates. We get to play more games that are even more fun. The more you learn the easier it will be to stay completely silent. You will also have the opportunity to be apart of the ASL honor society and teach library classes, be an officer, win awards, and learn even more. We learn more about Deaf culture and even go to Deaf chats at starbucks. If you enjoy the language i would definitely recommend joining years 3 and 4.

-Elizabeth Peterson

Never be afraid to try new things. The more you try the easier things will come. It's totally okay to ask for help when you need it. SIGN ALL THE TIME even outside of the classroom.

Once you get the hang of it its all alot of fun so just be patient

-Isabella Ramos

Olivia is in the middle up front

My advice to ASL 1 students is practice outside of class as much as you can. Practice fingerspelling the alphabet and different words you hear throughout the day to get faster at it. Use lifeprint even outside of class. It provides many different resources and useful information that will help you get better at signing. Always attend class with an open mind. Understand that you are going to make mistakes and that’s okay.

-Olivia Santos

My advice to ASL 1 students would be to just understand that Mr. Kitterman does everything for a reason. Everything he does is being done because it has the opportunity to make you better at whatever you’re doing, so don’t fight back or give up.

(Carson Shade, on right in picture)

ASL is a class where you really have to pay attention to every detail, but also have fun with the class. It’s nothing to stress out about and the work is pretty easy. From my experience I’ve learned so much about the Deaf culture and how they live their everyday lives.

-Jaylynn Ybarra, Senior

Going with ASL is life changing because it’s a language that everyone doesn't know and when a Deaf person sees a hearing person signing, it will make them appreciate that others can communicate with them. I have personally signed with a Deaf person while out eating and it was probably one of my proudest moments. I believe that ASL is definitely one of the best classes.

Dear future asl 1 students, I would like to say welcome to this truly amazing class. Not only do you have an amazing teacher, but you meet some incredible people along the way. When I first started in this class I thought I would never be able to sign ANYTHING, but as time went on and I started to learn more and more I got hopeful. Mr. Kitterman taught us in a way I would have never expected. He didn't speak to us for the first semester and that was crazy and intimidating. Even though it was scary at first not knowing what he was saying, I think that really helped the class learn faster. He's told us that sometimes he doesn't talk at all in some of his other classes. Now that is something I have never heard of another teacher doing before. Now that the school year is coming to an end , looking back I regret not doing more songs as well as the talent show. Song week was really cool and different from anything I had ever done. This class is full of things that you wouldn't expect. Such as fun games and getting to work on posters and watching movies about the deaf community. Even though Asl comes with all these amazing perks it also comes with information and learning about the deaf culture. When in ASL you get to be a part of a community and get to learn about things that have truly amazed me. I really do love this class and hope that more people get the opportunity to be apart of it as well.

Madalyn Walker (ASL 1 Student Spring 2022)

Ella Alvarez

Spring 2022 ASL 3

The Impact of ASL

I took my first ASL class my freshman year of high school. It was an overwhelming environment to start. I was comparing myself to the other signers as well as upperclassmen, wondering if I would ever become confident like them when signing. Going into freshman year with no baseline knowledge of ASL not even how to sign my own 4 letter name, the last thing I would've thought to mind blow me was Mr.Kitterman.It wasn't till the 2nd week into my Sophomore year that I had finally heard Mr.Kittermans voice on a “Zoom” call meeting for the first time. That was the moment I truly understood not only the impact of the human voice but American Sign Language.

The biggest lesson I have learned so far is that life is what you make of it. I learned that sitting in classroom A300 every Monday-Friday. Learning ASL is solely based on how motivated and eager we are to learn. Mr.Kitterman provides every possible resource, including himself, but it is up to us students if we value them. Starting my freshman year with solely signing and no talking was an experience I don't think many ASL learners can say they encountered, and quite truthfully, I hated it. I had made up my mind I was going to get through that class for the school year and never sign myself up for it again. Until I performed my first song. To say the least, the song was last minute put together, not in sync, and to put it nicely, it was terrible. But I had never had so much fun working on what was considered a “project” in a class. That's when I figured, another year can't hurt.

My sophomore year was completely online and mainly asynchronous due to the COVID19 pandemic. Traveling once a month across the country for club soccer, it was really helpful to be able to do my school work on the road, therefore asynchronous worked for me. It was a surprise for me to hear that most kids hated the asynchronous layout and teachers were warning to stray away from it when I wholeheartedly believe I would not only be the signer I am today or even currently sitting in an ASL class had I done anything different. Being online and asynchronous allowed me to get the assignments I was given done but also done thoroughly, I was able to understand at my own pace as well as do my own research. During this time I truly began to understand ASL is so much more than a language, it's a community and culture. It's so much bigger than hand signs and fingerspelling, it's people's daily lives. When looking from the outside in, it may seem that those said lives are difficult, incapable, or even not real when in reality the deaf and hard of hearing community are more than capable people, they are extremely intelligent, adaptive, and resilient.

Meanwhile, I did not perform in any of the big ASL production shows this school year. My goal before graduation is not only to perform in one but both. In my current junior year, I performed my second song in class. As well as something I never thought I would have the confidence to even consider, I went to Wetmore Elementary School with other ASL students in my class and were able to teach elementary students a little of what I've learned so far, now the 4 letter name I didn't think I would ever get down freshman year I was able to sign to elementary students 3 years later without any hesitation.

In conclusion, I can confidently say I am now the signer freshman year I looked up to and admired. With one more year of high school left, I've learned quite a few things with still so much left to learn, and unfortunately, as almost every high schooler as well has regrets. I was always told my freshman year to participate in everything. Every song week, every skit, every show, and every volunteering opportunity. It didn't hit me until now as I'm entering my senior year with regrets about not listening to so. So to the next incoming freshman filling out your first high school class choice card, I advise you. Take ASL, enjoy the silence, celebrate when you first hear Kitterman's voice, participate in EVERY possible song week that you can, perform in EVERY show, always laugh with your classmates in “pass the telephone”, take EVERY chance you get to make buttons, and lastly, enjoy the beauty of what American Sign Language really has to offer. ASL has permanently left an impact on my life, while I don't believe I will continue learning it through college, it will always be something handy I can pull out of my back pocket when in need to communicate, left me with a bigger perspective and understanding for the deaf community, and a remembrance of all the lessons learned sitting in Mr.Kittermans ASL classroom, something so far beyond just a language.

Last Day of Class Spring, 2014

This was the first time I spoke in this ASL 1 class. As you can see from their reaction, they were a little surprised.

My advice would be to really take advantage of the no talking. I know at first it’s like omg why do i have to do that but it really makes you pay attention and focus on what you are learning. In my opinion ASL is easy if you just pay attention. It's that easy. Really engage in the games like 4 in a row, guess the sign etc. You may not realize it as you're doing it but they are really helpful and you earn the signs better when you are playing the game. Always try to keep an open mind and don't catch an attitude if you have something you aren't used to doing. Also please do your songs. They require some extra work BUT i promise they're so fun. It took me some time to do my first song but when i did my two songs for ASL2 i really enjoyed it. If you are too scared to go up by yourself that's totally fine it is also really enjoyable with a friend. Just make sure you do them as they are also a big grade. Overall have fun and pay attention and i think yall will really enjoy ASL! (2020 ASL III Student)

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