Anne Sullivan - The Miracle Worker
Keywords:
Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller, deafblind education, conversational approach, general education, social ideasAbstract
Based on the analyzed new sources, including speeches and greetings to various institutions, this study presents little-known facts from the life path of the unique teacher Anne Sullivan - from the poorhouse to the world fame, earned with the training of the great deafblind Helen Keller. The principles and stages in the so-called Sullivan's "Conversational approach", aimed at overcoming the formal structure of education, based on the real needs of the deafblind child, are systematized. Without overstating the verbal speech in her original concept, she succeeds to find the optimal balance between nonverbal and verbal communication. Ann Sullivan's views about general education and the school of the future and her attitude to the social problems are still relevant today.
References:
Kelar, H. (2004). Istoriyata na moya zhivot. Balgarska asotsiatsia za obuchenie na zritelno zatrudneni detsa, Sofia.
Radulov, V. (2017). Istoria na pedagogikata na zritelno zatrudnenite. izdatelstvo „FENOMEN“, Sofia.
Radulov, V. (2020). 140 godini ot rozhdenieto na Helan Kelar, prouchvane varhu edna unikalna lichnost. „Spetsialna pedagogika i logopedia“, tom 2, 2020.
Bell, A. (1903). Letter from Alexander Graham Bell to Annie Sullivan, April, 2, 1903. https://www.loc.gov/resource/magbell.12800108/?st=gallery.
Braddy, N. (1933). Anne Sullivan Macy: The Story Behind Helen Keller. Doran, NY.
Keller, H. (1955). Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy. AFB New York.
Lash, J. (1981). Helen and teacher. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy. “Dell Publishing Co” New York.
Macy, J. (1905). The story of my life by Helen Keller with her letters. Doubleday, Page & Company.
Sullivan, A. (1886). Anne's Commencement Speech at the Perkins School for the Blind (June 1, 1886), The Helen Keller Kids Museum. https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/online-museums/helen-keller-museum.
Sullivan, A. (1894). Account in her address at Chautauqua, in July, 1894, at the meeting of The American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf.
Sullivan, A. (1915). Anne's Speech November Seventh, 1915, of San Francisco the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
Sullivan, A. (1931). Address delivered before the World Conference on Work for the Blind in New York (April 2, 1931).
Sullivan, A. (1932). Education in the Light of Present-Day Knowledge and Need, Speech at Temple University (February 15, 1932).