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Teaching Sign Language at Karis Toronto: Kelly's Story
A few years ago, Kelly was an eager sign language student attending a class offered by Karis Toronto Community Participation Supports. Today, you can find her at the front of the class, regularly teaching an intro to sign language virtually and in-person.
Kelly is passionate and curious about the ways people communicate without using words, including sign language. She's observant and wants to understand the people around her.
"It's not just learning hand movements," Kelly explains. "You have to understand feelings and facial expressions and how to truly communicate with someone."
Sign language has always fascinated Kelly. As a child, she went to a summer camp where one of the camp's leaders was deaf and taught sign to campers in between activities. In the early 2000s, Kelly watched Sue Thomas F.B.Eye, a television series about a deaf FBI agent who is an expert lip reader (loosely based on a true story!). Kelly herself has a hearing impairment. Though she can communicate with words, she still thinks learning sign - and other methods of non-verbal communication - are important.
"My cousin is in a wheelchair and has been in a wheelchair his whole life," Kelly shared with us. "He can't walk or speak and the only way he can communicate is through his eyes.
"I would sign to him and I'd watch his eyes to see if he could understand me."
"I had my teachers tell me that I was too stupid to learn," Kelly said. "I have some comprehension issues so I need things done slowly."
About three years ago, Kelly expressed her interest in learning sign language to her Passport worker, and from there, she was connected to Karis Toronto Community Participation Supports. The sign language course was taught by Mary-Lou, an employment coordinator at Karis.
"Every week when the class ended, I would go home and teach myself the lesson [again], and I would take it a step further each time," Kelly said. "When I went back the next week, I showed Mary-Lou what I taught myself and she asked me to show the class. It got to a point where she said there's nothing more I can teach you."
After mastering the intro to sign language, Kelly started exploring other resources online and taught herself how to sing in sign and how to string together more phrases and words. When Mary-Lou asked Kelly to teach the intro class, she said yes!
"I was delighted!" Kelly said.
"When I found the sign language class with Karis, I knew I found my home," Kelly told us.
Being a student herself helped her gain confidence as a teacher; she felt familiar with the flow and schedule. Kelly shares that she felt supported by other Karis Toronto staff and knew some of her students from classes before.
"We consider ourselves gifted individuals who want to learn different skills," Kelly said, about herself and her students.
Her advice for anyone wanting to learn sign? "You really have to put in the work to learn it, to understand it, and let your other senses take over." Kelly also recommends learning along deaf content creators and teachers on YouTube.
Communities are whole when everybody gets the chance to be present and share their gifts. Thank you to Kelly for her meaningful yes and for sharing her expertise with her Toronto Karis peers!