What a crazy idea with the bubble letters. They were still teaching cursive in the States when I was in school so I learned it. It wasn't the old flowing style, but was one of those hybrid systems that aimed to keep some of the old elegance while making it easier to learn (so that schools didn't have to spend as much time on the subject, I imagine). I think it was the Palmer method. My writing was always terrible, so I switched to print only as soon as I was able. Oddly, when I started using fountain pens, I naturally switched back to cursive since it is easier to write that way with a fountain pen, and now my writing is pretty good.
Anyway, that's cool that your mom had your back on that one. Generally I try to be supportive of teachers, but a teacher digging in her heels like that in support of a dumb policy needs to be stood up to.
This is interesting! I think the tools we use definitely affect what we do, and these days, most people don't know how to use a pen properly. I notice it in kids who spend a lot of time on phones, that they aren't able to "shade" using a pencil - they are far too heavy-handed.
Some teachers deserve support, some don't.