[nabs-l] Studying to be a Teacher of the Visually Impaired

[T. Joseph Carter]

Yes, actually.  Most TVIs fall into the category of itinerant teachers.  
They see students regularly, but not necessarily often.  This, in my 
opinion, can cause people to fail to fully appreciate the needs of their 
students.  The experience of more direct and prolonged exposure is really 
the only way I can think of to help build the perspective sense necessary 
to recognize the needs of a particular student with less data.  Since, by 
definition, an itinerant teacher is has less data to draw from, this is 
critical.

The next issue is that at least some TVI programs appear to be geared 
toward people with teaching experience.  We've got one here in the Pacific 
Northwest that involves eight weeks of on-campus training followed by 
telecourses and dependency on field placements to provide requisite skills.

Having learned teaching methods in my special education program (which does 
not cover blindness in any depth, since that is a completely different 
license), I am concerned that such a program perhaps is less effective for 
those without experience in a classroom.

I'd encourage you to get as wide-ranging an experience as you can while you 
have the chance.  Specializing in blindness is well and good, but don't 
over-specialize.  There are blind people who have every other disability 
you can imagine, after all.

That's my advice as a student near completion of a special education 
program.

Joseph

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 01:01:24AM -0800, Rob Lambert wrote:
>I guess i have one main question. The way it goes currently is one must have a bachelors in a generalist resource room special ed license. Beyond that, they must then attain a masers on their area of choice if they choose to specialize in anything (i.e. teaching us as students with visual challenges). My question to you is this. Since the TVI has a drastic change in their position (i.e. adapting materials, teaching braille, etc). from the general resource room teacher (not to mention working one on one versus having 10 or 15 or more students), do you think the resource room practicum is even NECESSARY? 
>
>--- On Sun, 1/18/09, T. Joseph Carter <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com> wrote:
>From: T. Joseph Carter <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Studying to be a Teacher of the Visually Impaired
>To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>Date: Sunday, January 18, 2009, 12:02 AM
>
>Rob, I'd be interested in seeing your questions.
>
>On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 10:44:21PM -0800, Rob Lambert wrote:
>>I think someone on this list said they were studying to be a TVI. So am I.
>If it's alright, I would like to converse with that individual in private
>& share experiences. I also have a few questions for them. If anyone wants
>me to post the qustions to the list just tell me.