Teach Effectively!

If one doesn’t know how to read, one does not have the authority to chose not to read. In his self-named blog Jeremy Gilby has an entry reflecting on the consequences of not being able to read. He reports the following exchange when he was sitting in the waiting room of a dentist’s office.

What I witnessed in the waiting room was a swift kick in the face of my reality, for another patient entered, checked in with the receptionist, and sat down.

When the receptionist asked for her, I was taken aback at what I overheard.

Receptionist: Joyce?
Joyce stood and walked to the desk.
Receptionist: I need you to fill out this form.
Joyce: I’m not gonna fill anything out, cause I can’t read. (This wasn’t said with any noticable embarassment, but rather matter-of-factly)
The Receptionist was as taken aback as I was, and I wasn’t paying attention.
Joyce had to be in her mid-twenties. When the discussion continued, she stated “I’m over 21″ to defend her right to make a decision.
I couldn’t tell how much it hurt Joyce to admit to a waiting room of her disability, but if it did bother her, she didn’t let it show.

Link to Mr. Gilby’s post.