School Days

by Susan Hahaj, CSR, RPR

I am being thrown back in time. Once again, my weekdays are structured by the ringing of the school bells indicating class is about to begin or is about to end. This time, though, instead of lugging a backpack full of textbooks around, I am unplugging and pushing a cart full of laptops and a Stentura machine to my next class.

Hi. My name is Susan Hahaj, and I am a certified shorthand reporter working full-time in a public school district as a CART writer. I feel I have one of the best jobs in the world! Not only can I use my skills to help someone else, but I also have the opportunity to listen to how your young adults are thinking today, and to sit in on interesting classes, and I even have the opportunity to attend pep rallies!

I was in court reporting school when I began to wonder why CART writers weren't in our public schools writing for HOH or deaf students. I felt that was where we could make a difference in the educational level of these students. I decided to approach several local school districts and to share with them the benefits of CART. Fortunately, at about the same time, a parent of a deaf student had approached the coordinator of the deaf education program and he had requested a CART writer for his daughter. He wanted her to have the opportunity to "hear" more in her classes. So, this is how it all began.

I began working full-time with the school district in January 1999. I wrote for two students who were mainstreamed. I followed them from class to class and wrote what the teacher and the students in the classroom were saying. At that time, they were in the 9th grade. I covered classes such as English, history, algebra, public speaking, art and even foods. There were adjustments to be made on my part as a CART provider, and on my student's part as a consumer. I had to learn how to best serve their needs; such as the placement of the laptop and the best place to set up my equipment in a classroom. They had to adjust to going from watching a sign interpreter to reading a laptop screen for the classroom lectures. Working together, it was a successful transition.

Some of the things that students with CART in a school system benefit from are: First, being able to "hear" more of what is actually being said in a classroom - both from the teachers and the students - versus sign language. Second, students can easily take notes from the screen without losing the lecture when they look down to write the notes. Grading is also easier to follow. Third, all the classes are saved to a disk and can be printed up for study notes for their benefit.

In the first year that I was with the student who requested CART, her reading levels increased three grades higher! This is not only a wonderful thing for her, but it has renewed my faith that I am making a difference. I take pride that I have the ability to communicate with this technology to her so she can increase her vocabulary and become a more adjusted student in a mainstream atmosphere. She works hard, and so do I. I want to make sure that I am offering her the best that I can be as a CART provider, and she works hard to meet the expectations she has set for herself. In order to be my best, I work daily on my software dictionary, and I keep up on daily assignments and material from the classroom. I also attend sign language courses within the school district so I can also begin to communicate with her and other deaf and HOH students in their language.

The fulfillment I have with this wonderful job has extended even beyond the classroom. I am now also providing CART as a team with two wonderful court reporters at my church. This has only again reiterated to me why I wake up each morning excited about my career! The deaf and HOH adults who attend my church cannot thank us enough for all we do for them when we caption the services on Sunday. It is a joy to be able to share the message of Christ with others through my skills of speed and accuracy in a Christian environment.

I will continue to provide CART for students who can benefit from this technology, so that they will be able to improve their levels of education and so that they can better be prepared for the future that is awaiting them. This skill is much needed, and our profession needs to help ensure that it will be available for the deaf and HOH through training and support of our students enrolled in court reporting programs. This is not a skill easily gained, but it is a worthwhile one to work hard for. With it, we can impact others' lives. Without it, many will be left wonder, "What is really being said?" Thank you, and God bless!