[Blindtlk] teaching class

[Judy Jones]

It is Important to either know your classroom , its seating type and layout, even if you can get in there beforehand. If not, maybe at the beginning of class. however you do it, scope out your class area. In order for a blind person to keep track of anything, whether it be the front yard, the cleanliness of a house, or a classroom, you will need to police your area.

The reason I asked about the age group you will be working with, is, that with kids, you are their authority figure in the classroom, and if you are moving around, you will get a sense of your students. When kids' heads are down, their voices are muffled, or their breathing, a cough, a cleared throat, any noise like that will sound muffled.

If the classroom is adult, any slackness is on them. Your not their to train them, but to impart your information as a teacher.


It is important to stay moving around in the classroom so you know what is going on with your students, can interact them individually, plus keep the students themselves actively following you and staying engaged, rather than you being immobile up front & students staring straight ahead. Keep moving and active as you teach.

I rarely sat at my desk during a class, but used it as my base of operations, for collected assignments or other organized paperwork. Sometimes I would sit on the corner of my desk during teaching, but only for a few minutes.

Regarding the groups, as they are meeting, you can take some time to casually drift among them & pick up on their conversation, if they need any direction, have questions, etc. 

Having said all the above, this classroom movement was very natural for me, as I am an active person anyway, but do what comes naturally to you, and if any of the above tips help, then great!
Judy
Sent by the LG V20 & Mailwise –


-------- Original Message --------
From: Justin Williams via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2017 03:37 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] teaching class
CC: Justin Williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>

>One hours, more of a workshop environment, we'll have discussion, abe
>splitting them up into groups.  I'm mostly wondering also about how to do
>better controlling the class, know when someone has their head down, is not
>listening, and and being disruptive either with some sort of activity, or
>through talking.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judy Jones
>via blindtlk
>Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2017 10:24 PM
>To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>Cc: Judy Jones <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] teaching class
>
>What age-group?  What class?  How long a period, a class period or a
>workshop environment?
>
>The skills I picked up as a teacher at first were through my training at
>University of Northern Colorado, and to end there, 18 quarter hours of
>student team teaching.
>
>Then the years of classroom experience I had added to that.  I taught German
>and Spanish for several years grades 5 through 12 in a rural southwestern
>Kansas town and loved it.
>
>Generally speaking, I am a great believer in a lesson plan, and I have used
>a similar guideline even in presenting workshops and planning any speaking I
>have done.
>
>Think of activities that will engage your students, and do your best to
>figure how much time each will take.  Prepare any written
>worksheets/materials to be used ahead of time.  Since people are very
>visual, if you have any video shorts, incorporate those.  When you start
>timing your activities, you may be surprised either how much time you have
>left over, or how much time you won't have and have to do some elimination.
>It is always better to plan too much and not use it, rather than have dead
>air time, so to speak.
>
>If you are showing posters or pictures, it is a good idea to braille labeled
>the back of the visuals so you could discuss them.  Knowing my visuals and
>showing them was important in teaching the language.
>
>Hope these general guide-lines help.
>
>Judy
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Justin
>Williams via blindtlk
>Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2017 3:17 PM
>To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>Cc: Justin Williams
>Subject: [Blindtlk] teaching class
>
>I'll be teaching class for an hour a week for my job throughout the
>semester.  Are their any techniques you teachers use to help maintain
>discipline, and to engage the students?  Some of the work will be group
>work, and other work will be just class instruction.  I'll be teaming with
>another employee.
>
>The classes range from 5 to 30.
>
>Justin
>
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