Joy's VI Class

Laughter

2008-05-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

The best part about being a teacher is laughing. Students/kids...they make you laugh. Not at them, with them. There are days where we can get to laughing so hard that I can barely catch my breath. Sometimes it starts off so innocently and the jokes between the students get going and the next thing you know you are bent over double.

Sometimes they do something that is so cute and innocent, you turn away and cover your mouth so you don't embarrass them laughing. If you have kids or teach, I'm sure you understand what I mean.

I love it when we have days of laughter. I love it when something silly is said and we all get to laugh. It really unites the entire class for those few moments and the students remain positive.

The only problem is that you can get so caught up laughing that you get off track with your lessons. At the same time, as long as it is not to frequent, it keeps things in the classroom light and everybody enjoys being there.

End of the Year

2008-05-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

The end of the year is always tough. There are so many things to do. Report cards, finishing up the last of the grading, organizing for summer and if you have a class in your classroom there's even more work to be done, returning materials to the library and tech lab, getting materials and IEP goals organized for students who have extended school year, and so on. And in between it all, you have to find time to teach. The reality, however, is that the kids get a lot of down time. It use to bother me, but then I realized it is probably a good way to ease them into a more relaxed schedule that they will have over summer. However, some students need structured time and do much better with it. I think it is true for many adults too. Basically, things are fun because of all the fun activities we are doing, but tough too as we get ready to say good-bye for the summer.

Firm Voice

2008-05-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

A teacher once said to me: "Talk softly so that when you talk loudly, they'll listen."

My students call it my "firm voice" or "teacher's voice".

Either way, I hate having to use it! I try to use it as rarely as I can. And when I do, they do listen. Most of the time.

Usually, I just have to pull them to the side and have a "chit-chat". I do this for all kinds of things. Sometimes it is just to compliment them on something I saw that I really liked and hand them a sticker or a pat on the shoulder. Sometimes it is just to go over their homework or talk about something random. Sometimes, though, it is because they did something I need to make sure doesn't happen again.

Then there are those times where the teacher voice gets used. One is always if a student dives out into the street, even if it is the pick-up point for the buses, without looking/listening and letting me know they think it's safe. Once they do it once or twice, they don't even have to wait until they hear all of their name and they are backing up quickly. You can understand why that one earns my teacher voice!

Then there was the other day where I was absolutely shocked at the behavior I saw. I've worked with the kid for years now and I've never ever seen anything like it before. I won't go into details, but I had to call this kid to come over and have a seat next to me. It was potentially dangerous (nobody would have actually been hurt, but in this case it was the action that drew my attention). Dangerous is just something that always gets that voice. When I called this student's name out the second the student did it, they froze. All the students in the room froze. This kid did immediately what I told the student to do and I could hear this student talking to themselves about it, so I let them sit and think for awhile. Then I went through the typical line of questioning about the behavior and sent the student off.

It gave me time to think though. Time to think about how much I dislike using the firm voice and yet, how it is sometimes necessary. That it is twice as effective when it is not used all the time. Mostly, I like to head things off before they get there. Sometimes that means being quick on my feet. I try as quick as I can to turn whatever the trigger was into something funny. For example, one of my students tripped over something the other day and I could see her building up to yell at it or themselves for it and I immediately jumped in with:

"ok, ok, I know I've said this before, but you know the rule. The rule is no hurting yourself! and that goes for everybody. You know that is the rule my husband told me too. I turned around the other day and I was thinking about something and ran straight into a wall and that is what he told me! Like I meant to run into that wall! Geesh!"

It took the students a second to figure out what I said (and I said it in a exasperated voice) and then they all bust up. It seems silly, to say something like that, but it helped them all realize that sometimes it just happens, we just hurt ourselves.

My husband quoted something from Dr. Laura (he likes to listen to her sometimes) the other day: "Confusion is great to grab a teenager's attention". I liked that because that's what I do. Just say something silly out of the blue and I know instantly if I have their attention by how they react. The sillier, with the group I've got, the better! And I get to laugh too! That's the best part. I hear them doing it with each other now and that's even better.

Social Skills Class

2008-05-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

I run a social skills class time with my students. I used to do it everyday. Unfortunately, the daily time has been crowded out for Quiet Reading, Writer's Workshop, and student discussion. I still slide in the social skills into that time period, but it is not officially written down in my lesson plan book for that. The school psychologist comes in one time most weeks and runs one now, however. We've agreed, though, to stop it as we come to the end of the school year and need the academic time and report writing time.

What kinds of things do I teach in the social skills class?

Where to start? I teach all kinds of things.

Some are the basics: what friends are, how to be nice to friends, strangers (friendly, uh-oh, helpful), sharing, and so on.

There is a part of that, a very important part, that I need to be more direct with. Things like how we sit, how we hold are heads and provide eye contact, how we behave, and all these other little things that they don't pick up on visually. For example, eye pressing. This is a behavior often seen in students with visual impairments. You'll hear the term "self-stemming" in special ed. We all do some kind of this behavior. What are doing now as you read this? Well, one is that you are looking or listening to the text. Are you fidgeting? Are you drinking a beverage or chewing on something? Wiggling your foot? Playing with your hair? Tweaking your glasses? Pay attention to the things you do when you are just listening to other people and that includes what you are doing with your eyes.

Anyway, eye-pressing is a habit that can form and if not stopped early can be nearly impossible to get a student to stop. Yet, how would you feel if you saw an adult pushing their fingers into their eyes? Probably a bit uncomfortable. You might avoid them if you didn't know better. (It is also bad for the health of their eyes which is another reason it needs to be stopped). Children who have vision learn to not do this behavior or others because they see the looks that are thrown their way when they do. Peer pressure can be a good thing from time to time. Peer pressure is often what helps to create proper habits (as well as a few bad ones (swearing)).

(If your child/student is doing this immediately provide a fidget toy or teach them how to twiddle their thumbs or play with their hair-just get them to stop (in a positive way, of course)).

Some students stand right in your face or right over what you are working on. I don't mind this when I'm teaching a concept and they need to see what I'm doing with my hands. In fact, I expect them to be watching what my hands are doing. However, when I'm just writing a note or separating papers, even I can find it annoying. I understand why they put their faces within inches of mine (they are trying to see my facial expression), but it still doesn't make it ok. They won't get away with that at jobs or with friends. They don't even like it when somebody else does it to them. When they fight over that, I do find it ironic.

For Immediate Release: Family Connect

2008-05-01T08:13:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adrianna Montague-Gray
AFB Communications
(212) 502-7675
amontaguegray@afb.net
New Web Community Brings Together Parents of Visually Impaired Children
New York, NY (April 29, 2008)—When parents learn their child has a visual impairment, it can be overwhelming. Parents wonder, "Will my child fall behind at school?" or "Will my child make friends?" or "Will my child have a successful career?" With only 93,600 visually impaired school-aged children in the U.S., over half of whom have additional disabilities, it’s easy for families facing vision loss to feel alone.
To help these families connect with each other and give busy parents, grandparents and other caretakers a place to find comprehensive resources and support 24 hours a day, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI) today launched FamilyConnect™, an online, multimedia community for parents and guardians of children with visual impairments.
Located at www.familyconnect.org, FamilyConnect gives parents access to message boards where they can talk to other parents, compelling videos featuring real-life families, parenting articles, a mom-authored blog, a glossary of more than 30 eye conditions, and links to local resources.
The site also features sections dedicated to multiple disabilities, technology, education, and every age group from infants to teens.
"We created FamilyConnect to give parents the support and information they need to ensure their children can achieve their dreams—whether that is playing sports or music, learning to read braille, getting a first job, surfing the web, making the cheerleading squad, traveling the world, or going to graduate school," said Carl R. Augusto, President & CEO of AFB.
A recent NAPVI/AFB survey of parents of children with visual impairments showed that parents/guardians turn most commonly to physicians (82%), educators (76%), and web sites (65%) for information and support regarding their children's vision problems. This is consistent with national statistics from the 2006 Pew Internet & American Life Project that show 80 percent of American adult Internet users have searched for health information online. For parents living in rural areas with fewer resources, the web is particularly important to finding relevant, trustworthy information and the right services.
"When I talk to parents of visually impaired children they almost always ask about three things: they want to talk to other parents who have children with the same eye condition as their child, they want access to the latest health and education information, and they want to know what the future holds," said Susan LaVenture, Executive Director of NAPVI.
"FamilyConnect offers parents all these things—and more—in one place."
In addition to joining a community of parents, visitors to www.familyconnect.org can create a personal profile and receive information on news and events based on their child’s age, eye condition, and location. Families can also find articles written by parents and professionals on topics such as:
• Finding the Right Eye Care Professionals for Your Child
• Developmental Milestones: What Do They Mean?
• Your Child's Individualized Educational Program
• Friendship in the Teen Years
• College Life Begins
In designing this web site, AFB and NAPVI partnered with leading national organizations and hundreds of local agencies that serve children who are visually impaired to keep FamilyConnect content complete and up to date.
AFB and NAPVI also solicited input from families across the country. Here are representative samples of what they are saying about the final result.
Jen and Bill O'Neill, Nebraska
Daughter Camille, age 3, Retinopathy of Prematurity "Our family is truly amazed at what we've seen of the site. Wow! Thank you all for the insight to see that this is something that is so needed for families who are facing and overcoming the diagnosis of visual impairment. The site is more than I imagined it would be—it is so comprehensive and truly allows families to connect with one another and to resources."
Patty Bushland, Arkansas
Daughter Mary Rose, age 2, Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) "When I found out my baby was visually impaired, I immediately went to the Internet to find out everything I could about her condition and what I could do to help her. FamilyConnect is so important, and I wish it had been there for me when my daughter was first diagnosed."
The goal of www.familyconnect.org is to provide connections and support.
By providing accurate information and creating a forum for meaningful discussion, families and their visually impaired children will feel empowered to reach their full potential.
FamilyConnect is generously supported by grants from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Inc. and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Morgan Stanley.
# # #
About AFB
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. Headquartered in New York, AFB is proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB.
About NAPVI
The National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
(NAPVI) is an international membership organization serving families in the U.S. and in 55 countries. NAPVI helps parents to find information and resources for their children who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities. NAPVI provides leadership, support, and education to assist parents in helping children reach their potential.

Home Activities

2008-04-29T17:27:00.001-07:00

Today, I had a parent come by and ask me what kinds of things her child can do at home to entertain herself. Of course, being the teacher that I am, I showed her a lot of the things I have in the classroom, that ultimately helps me meet my students' educational goals. However, I do hope they're fun too.

Here are some of the things that I either have in the classroom or would recommend, depending on the child's age.

These you can find at:

http://www.exceptionalteaching.com/

with braille

You can find this at a lot of different toy stores. They have smaller versions for older students. It's basically magnets that kids can build with.

Keep that talking up! No right or wrong answers, but helps get you going when you get stuck for something to talk about (that's what the website says)

Textured (below)

Can have braille put on the shapes

Makes noise and is textured according to website

Braille can be placed on this, but it would be something to teach. You have to switch the play money out for real money to make it make more sense.

Has different textures for the animals

A stuffed dog with different textures

Magnets and shapes

Different types of latches. Should probably put something inside to motivate the child to open the latch, but good for teaching daily living skills.

Textured dice

Textured toy

Match the sounds memory game

Talking phone

Textured dominoes (warning: not for touch sensitive people (has sandpaper))

Talking clock

Adapting

2008-04-29T17:06:00.001-07:00

There is a material called Braille On that I really love and use all the time in my classroom. It is a sheet of clear peel off material that can be put into a braille writer and typed on. You type up whatever you need, cut it up, peel off the back (which can be a bit frustrating sometimes), and stick on something. I use this stuff to label everything I can think of. Names on things, it's great to put in board books for the younger children, shelving labels, numbers on microwaves, and all sorts of things.

If it isn't labeled in Braille On in my classroom, you'll most likely find it labeled with a 3x5 card, which also fits splendidly into a braille writer and tolerates braille well. The cards can be taped on to things easily, is easy to change over, and cheaper.

It can be a bit effort to try and make sure everything is in braille. I know I miss things. The kids have learned to ask for braille if they run into a blank piece of paper or if they want their name on something.

I find, as simple as it seems, as a teacher, labeling their names on things makes life so much easier. There is something about them being able to claim their territory amongst all the others that reassures them that they have a place in their world. It also gives me a way to help them stay organized and to keep them from arguing over things. It prevents excuses too. They know they didn't grab the wrong binder if they can read their name. It helps with chore charts when an argument arises about who's turn it is to answer the phone. For some reason, answering the phone is a really big deal in class. I had to ban it for awhile because the disagreements became so heated! They share now.

Adapting things into braille can be challenging sometimes though. Some things are just to small to hold all the braille symbols needed. Braille can't be shrunk and frequently requires more than one symbol compared to what print has. That can be frustrating! I can teach them abbreviations and exceptions, but that confuses the younger and learning disabled readers.

Other things that can be used to adapt things are: puff paint, tape, wikki-sticks, stickers, rubber bands, Velcro, cloth of different textures, raised line paper, APH's texture paper, swell paper, 20/20 pens, foil, foamy construction paper, magnets, dot markers, and more.

I put up some resources for materials in my resource links on the side.

Toy

2008-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/Leap-Frog-Twist-Shout-Addition/dp/B000LTM27E

Learned about this in a seminar I just attended about math. Noisy, but seemed like a good educational toy.

Why bother with braille?

2008-04-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

A question was posted the other day on an email group list I belong to:

---
Hi All

"I have a question and need some suggestions.

An administrator recently said that she'd been told that we should not worry about giving
our students braille as they would be using everything in a recorded medium in the future.
I was shocked to hear this kind of talk. I want to create a rebuttal for this kind of
misinformation, so I'd like to get your help.

What are your thoughts and reactions to this statement?
How would you make a strong case for braille literacy?

You time and thoughts are greatly appreciated!!"

I was a bit irritated at the thought of somebody even making that statement. While I processed what I would respond with, the Superintendent of the California School for the Blind sent out an email. I think his response says it best:

----------

Hi Jane (and all),

I’ve been hearing these kinds of comment throughout my career – including by surprise during my defense of my dissertation (which studied the attitudes of TVIs to braille and to their university training in braille). Over 10 years ago I got a call from a teacher in North Carolina who was fighting to teach braille to one of her students. Both her administrators and the parents of the student told her that her belief in braille was outdated. They advocated for speech output computers for this youngster and told her that the Braille Code was obsolete. She asked me if I shared her belief in braille as a viable reading medium for blind students, and if so, she asked me to write something which supported the continued use of the Braille Code. I’ve reproduced below what I wrote her back in 1997. I think it’s still relevant and I hope you find it useful.

--

A Rationale for the Use of Braille in the Information AgeStuart Wittenstein, Ed.D., September, 1997

Braille is the natural literacy medium for blind persons and is an essential component of any educational program serving blind children. Braille is the foremost tactile reading and writing system and is considered by the vast majority of professionals, blind individuals, and parents of blind children to be the primary means by which blind people can become literate.

In the writings of blind persons the Braille Code has been called, “the key to opportunity,” “the means of emancipation, the greatest gift to the blind,” “a viable equivalent of the print media . . . highly flexible and adaptable,” “this marvelous vehicle . . . [that] holds the key to genuine literacy and independence.” In fact, statistics regarding employment among blind individuals reveals that braille use has an extremely high correlation with employment. This is of particular importance since it is estimated that 70% of blind persons are unemployed or underemployed.

Writings by professionals on the Braille Code make it clear that “as long as print is the primary literacy medium of sighted people, braille will be the primary literacy medium for blind people.” In addition, there has been much recent emphasis on enhancing teacher training in braille (for example, the American Foundation for the Blind’s Braille Mentor Program).

In the recent [1997] reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the U.S. Congress accepted the input of blind persons and blindness education professionals and added language to the law that presumes the use of braille for blind children. In other words, if the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for a blind youngster does not include braille reading and writing, the law requires assessment data to justify this decision (e.g., the child can successfully read print, or is too cognitively impaired or physically impaired to be able to read braille). Legally, braille is considered the literacy medium of choice for blind children.

In this modern “information age,” new questions have arisen about the continued importance of the Braille Code even as technology has increased accessibility to information for blind individuals. It should be noted that much of the best assistive technology (for example, Braille N’ Speak) combines speech and braille and requires knowledge of the Braille Code by the consumer. Even as speech output technology has improved, blind computer users throughout the world have found that the ability to use braille input and output devices, to refer to hard copy and refreshable braille products, to be able to read and write in a tactile medium, has enhanced their professional and personal lives. Technology has actually improved and increased the use of the Braille Code, not made it obsolete. As long as sighted computer users access information in print on the screen or in hard copy format, blind computer users must have a tactile equivalent.

Finally, as seen in a wonderful video available through the Hadley School for the Blind, entitled “Personal Touch,” braille is not only a literacy medium but much, much more. In this video, blind persons are shown using braille to label their clothing, to cook using a recipe, to measure wood for cutting with a power tool, and to read aloud to their sighted children. For persons who are blind, braille represents independence and equality, as well as literacy -- in the workplace, in the home, and in the community. Far from becoming obsolete, braille’s importance is more recognized today than at any time in its history.

Stuart Wittenstein, Ed.D.
Superintendent
California School for the Blind
500 Walnut Avenue
Fremont, CA 94536

Sarcastic Comments

2008-04-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sarcastic comments can be hard to deal with. Sometimes I don't catch what people said, just the tone in their voice. It's unmistakable however. I don't understand why it happens most of the time.

It happened today. A lady was out with somebody who was also disabled, although I was too busy with my students to notice anything other than she might possibly have Down's Syndrome. We were pretty much taking up all the space in the store as we were working our way to the counter. It was a small place and did not have much maneuvering room. My students' canes were tucked away under our table to leave their hands free to deal with trays, money, etc. I was talking with one of my students who has low vision and she was giving me good eye contact as we discussed her options for meals. She wanted a cookie instead of apples...

Somewhere around that time, the escort for the other young lady in the store shoved herself past us, making some comment that didn't sound polite. I didn't do anything. My student didn't notice and there really would have been no point, especially since I wasn't sure what she said exactly and maybe I was wrong. She didn't do us any harm. There's a part of me, however, that wished I knew what she said. I think it was something along the lines "...if they really are blind..." but I can't say for sure.

Either way, it wouldn't be the first time I've heard or heard of people making sarcastic comments.

Sometimes people make innocent comments or have questions. That's ok with me. I like what I do and I like educating. Maybe in the future the person talking will be more open to hiring somebody with a disability or, better, be their friend.

It's the comments that are rude that upset me more, especially if it is directly to one of my students! What do I do in situations like that? Do I respond back the same way? That wouldn't be responsible, professional, and it wouldn't do any good. Do I try to teach them about how their comment might hurt people? Or just ignore it completely? I set the example for my students and that, I think, creates the biggest dilemma. I want them to stand up for themselves, to advocate for themselves. If I just ignore it completely, will that mean they won't advocate for themselves when it is needed? At the same time, I don't want them to be bitter at the world. I want them to know that, yes, people are going to be mean sometimes, but you don't need to sink to their level. You don't need to let it bother you. You are who you are and your disability does not define who you are as a person.

I guess if the person is being a pest and interfering with what you need to do, then it is time to say something. Otherwise, ignoring it might be the safest policy. At least, that is what I currently do.

Tactilely Defensive

2008-04-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've had many students who are "tactilely defensive".

What's that?

Tactile is defined as: "Of, relating to, or proceeding from the sense of touch; tactual"
Defensive is defined as: "Intended to withstand or deter aggression or attack"

Essentially, it is when you really don't want to touch something.

Students who have lost their vision very early in life tend to have this. They don't know what is out there and they have probably had a bad experience somewhere along the lines when they reached to grab something and they were startled with how it felt. There are lots of things out there that aren't much fun to touch.

Did you ever play the game during Halloween where somebody blind folds you and then has you put your hands in a bowl of something cold, slimy, and stringy and tells you that it is frog intestines? Then they put your hands in something round and slimy and tell you it is frog eyes? You may know logically it is not frog eyes and intestines, but the first time you play, do you really know? Especially if it is the first time you've played and you are very young? Do you know what you use to get that effect? Spaghetti and peeled grapes. You get to open your eyes and examine these things and reassure yourself what is going on. What if, however, the person never showed you and never explained it to you? What if this constantly happened in life?

This is what I keep in mind when I'm working with a student and they are afraid to touch something or jerk back after touching it.

The most effective way I've helped them overcome some of their fears is to have them put their hands on mine while I explore the substance and then encourage them to take a "teeny-tiny" part of their finger and put it in a "teeny-tiny" part of whatever it is. I've also had some success with having them use a spoon and bowl while other students around them are playing in it. At some point, they most likely get some of it on them and I'll point it out after a bit. You have to be careful though because sometimes they'll get upset about it. Other times, they'll just dive right in with their friends. This sometimes work and other times doesn't.

I think we all have something that we can't stand to touch. I'll be open and say for me it is sandpaper. I hate the feel of sandpaper and always have. If I have to use it, I find some way of getting it attached to a handle of some kind. There is probably no behavior plan that will get me over my distaste of touching sandpaper. I avoid all adaptations that use sandpaper. I imagine, though, there are some who just don't care. I can't explain why I don't like it, I just don't.

It's hard though to keep that in mind when you suddenly trip into it during instruction time. Sometimes it is hard to teach them how to work around it.

I've had a student who had a fear of touching soap bubbles of any kind (dishes, bubble bath, etc). He had no problems washing his hands with the same stuff, however. I talked with his mom about it and she had no idea why he reacted this way. While you don't need bubble bath, you do need to be able to wash dishes. I worked with him and showed him how the soap he just washed his hands with bubbled up, put my hands in it, had him touch a teeny bit of it (which he was very happy when he was done braving through), and everything else I could think of. My aide, being as wonderful as she is, ended up solving the problem. She had him put the soap on the sponge and then wash the dishes. He was fine with this. He still didn't like it when it was his turn for this job, but he didn't stand there and stare at it with terror on his face.

Braille in the Community

2008-04-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

A lady on a list serve I'm part of once sent out an email asking for us to let her know about braille mistakes found in the community. I wish I knew what she ended up finding out.

I've seen some crazy stuff before. Most of the time it's just that people weren't thinking about it. Other times, I don't know what to make of it.

Several places I've gone into large buildings and have often seen the braille posted above or in out of reach places in regards to doors. I think people are just not thinking about it in that case.

Another time, I was at the movie theater. I noticed that the men's braille sign was upside down. It would have been an easy fix. I found the manager and explained to him what the problem was. I was back a week later and it hadn't changed. Off I went on a hunt for the manager again. He wasn't available so I left a message. I tried my best to be polite about it. I know it wasn't intentional: I don't think they were trying to write "eing". The following week I came back (yes, I watched a lot of movies at the time as it was a good break from school work and what else are you going to do when its 110 degrees outside?) and the braille sign was gone completely. It never showed back up. I suppose I didn't have to say anything because I'm sure most braille readers would have figured it out, but with such an easy fix I didn't think it would be a problem.

Just goes to show you, you never know what might happen.

Special Ed Speech

2008-04-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Special education is full of acronyms.
IEP, FAPE, IDEA, LRE, MET, PAM, SELPA, are a few that I can think of the off the top of my head that have to deal with all of special education.

Then there are the dozens of acronyms having to do with visual impairments:
RoP, RP, CVI, ONA, ONH, for eye conditions.
NFB, AFB, RFBD, APH, _SB, VI, organizations.

There are many others for other disabilities. Then there are those for general education. You get to the point where you use them so often that you know what they mean, but forget the actual words that line up with the letters.

I remember in one of my special education classes I counted how many were used. I wish I could remember the number, but it was quite high.

You really can have a conversation using all of them.

1 Specialist: "According to IDEA he needs to have accommodations for his class."

2 Specialist: "Before we address that, are we sure he is in his LRE?"

1 Specialist: "Yes, we did FVAs, LMAs, and the WISC. This is the best place."

2 Specialist: "Ok. So for his accommodations: What does he have again?"

1 Specialist: "He has RP."

2 Specialist: "Is it Usher's?"

1 Specialist: "No."

and so on. They go longer.

These are the kinds of conversations we need to have involving less "special ed talk" with parents.

The longer you work in the field though, the more likely you slip into doing this. You converse in it everyday. It saves time for us as teachers and specialists. I know what all of those acronyms mean or at least refer to. I need to remember, however, that not all of the parents I work with know these terms, especially when beginning their journey.

Email

2008-04-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

Email is a wonderful tool, but it can also be dangerous. A study once stated that 60-70% of people misinterpreted the tone of voice that the sender meant. You can imagine what that can lead to at times.

Still, I love email for a lot of reasons: it helps you stay in touch with people at anytime day or night; you do it on your schedule; interesting things can be sent that can make you laugh, cry, or think; and lots of other reasons.

I suppose it could lead to negative things happening once in awhile. I think we've all been the reciepent of one of those emails somebody shouldn't have sent. Possibly, we've sent one of those too. We're all human and make mistakes, after all.

Why do I bring this up? I love it when parents have email and are responsive to it. I can let them know at the end of the day or in the middle of the day any good things or any concerns that come up. They, in return, can do the same. It's a way for me to easily stay connected with them.

Email also helps me stay in touch with my co-workers. This is especially helpful if a parent does bring up a concern or something happens and we, as a team, want to address it together. I think it is a way that keeps us connected and saves time.

So, basically, what I'm saying is it is very helpful for schools to share their email addresses with parents and parents to share their email addresses with the schools.

Understanding

2008-04-04T12:38:00.001-07:00

Something I have thought about somewhat often:
I have no idea what it must be like to be a parent discovering that your child is blind and/or have other disabilities. I can only imagine that it is a long grieving process for dozens of reasons. That the grieving process can start all over again everytime a major milestone would happen with kids who don't have these disabilities would be reaching, such as driving. That it must be even more frustrating and hard when you discover there are other disabilities to go along with visual impairment. Is it worse if you find out your child is blind when they are born? Or is it worse if it happens, for whatever the reason, later? Is it the same? Is it not worse, but somehow different? What's it like if the child has low vision vs. no vision? I know it depends on the kids too.

I have to be truly honest about that. I don't know. I've spoken with dozens of parents and I listen with compassion. I know that they have so much to deal with. I know it can be overwhelming. If you are parent, you are not alone in dealing with this. Yes, your child is very unique in their own special way, which is one of the reasons I love teaching, but there are parents that can share stories. I can only do my best to imagine what it must be like. I don't have children at all at this time of my life, so imagining is what I have to do.

My students, my visually impaired students or multiply-disabled students, come to me the way they are. Sometimes they had vision within a few years of coming to me, sometimes they've just lost their sight, sometimes they are about to lose their sight, and sometimes they were born without their sight. They are with me for that reason. I hope that makes some sense?

I love my job and I love my students. I only take a look at how what they knew visually before they have come to me affects what they kn0w now (this can make up several posts all in its own). I take a look at what they've learned in their education. I look at how well they can take care of themselves and I look at whether or not they need braille or large print.

I work with a wonderful team and we gather as much information on the child as we can: how they learn, what they need for the future, etc. Then we sit down and compile all this information into these, what I can only imagine is overwhelming to parents, reports.

I always try to keep my reports in wording that makes sense, but even I know that it is not always possible. I know we all try to help parents, and other team members, understand what we are saying and why, but we do need the questions so we can understand what they don't know and want to know. I want parents to speak up and ask! I always feel bad when I discover a parent has been confused about something for years. I also feel bad when I don't know the information off the top of my head, but I also do my best to go find something or someone who has that information.

Welcome

2008-04-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. I decided this afternoon that keeping a blog might be a good idea. Perhaps it can be helpful for somebody. Perhaps it can put a smile on somebody's face. Perhaps it can create a better understanding between people. Perhaps it will educate somebody about individuals who are low vision or blind.

My background:

I graduated from the University of Arizona's Program in Visual Impairments with my Master's Degree. My first teaching position was with the school in Arizona as an itinerant teacher. I now work in another state at the residential school as a classroom teacher.

Both jobs have been good experiences. As itinerant, I drove around from school to school, working with the students in their classroom's or pulling them for a few hours to work on a variety of skills, make sure their needs were met in the classrooms, go to IEPs, work with the parents and other team members, and assess new students for services. I covered 4 districts and averaged between 20-25 students, all of different types of visual impairments.

Currently, I have only 3 (one more to be added tomorrow) in my classroom. You would think that the difference in the number of students would make a huge difference, that my job would be easier. However, I have found the opposite. Each year since being at the school, I have been with a different level of students. This means each year is like starting all over again, which is fine and adds a challenge. I still don't feel like an experienced teacher, however. I don't know when I ever will feel like one. Some teachers say you never do. A friend of mine told me a cute analogy one time: "When you first start teaching, you open your cabinet doors and little squirrels run out to help you decorate and organize. These little squirrels get into everything and aren't that helpful. When you've been teaching a little longer, you graduate up to chipmunks and so on. Eventually, you will be able to open your cabinet doors and raccoons come out and do a wonderful, organized job of decorating your classroom!" I think I'm past squirrels now, but I'm still waiting for those raccoons!

Anyway, I have served students with many different disabilities and abilities. Students who were non-verbal, second language learners, a couple who were technically deaf-blind (low vision, partial hearing), early on-set macular degeneration, cortically visually impaired, and so on. My students currently are doing wonderfully, but are below their grade level. That's fine with me. I try to work on how they learn and take it from there. I tell them all the time that we all work at our own speed, our own ways, and it doesn't matter if somebody is doing something else or if they are doing the samething.

My students come into my class at all sorts of levels. Frequently, they have been frustrated with the system and are a bit resentful. They are scared of a new school and new people. Their placement there isn't guaranteed until after a 50 day assessment time period, so they are insecure.

My goal is to help them feel as comfortable as I can. I want them to feel encouraged to work. I want them to expand their horizons. I don't want them worrying, but concetrating on expanding their strengths while I follow up on what needs to be worked on. For example, if I find they won't write because they can't spell well or don't know their braille well, then I don't stress the spelling as long as I can read it. I've found that they soon relax and I see an incredible increase on the amount and quality of work they give me.

My biggest passion is getting them comfortable reading. I want them to enjoy reading! Learning to read braille, however, can be challenging. Not for the reason you may think, however. Most people think that it is because the kids can't feel the dots with them "all running together." I often hear "I don't know how they do it, I can't feel anything." With enough practice, you learn, although it does make it tricky. It comes from other reasons as well and I will explain it another time. My basic point just being I want them to want to read. I try my hardest to expand my braille and large print library in my classroom, but its difficult. I "accidentally" leave books all over the place for them to find that I think they might find interesting (for example, I have one student who adores trains, so I went to the library and checked out some books. I've been putting them into braille and then telling him about them). Sometimes I give them a book that is to hard, but sometimes they'll take the challenge because they find it interesting.

Whatever the challenge, my main goal is to get them reading, reading, reading. The more reading they do, the more knowledge they gain about their world (remember, they can't learn from a distance), their spelling improves, the writing improves, and it affects all the other subjects. I guess that's a teacher for you.