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

[Rob Lambert]

Thanks, Joseph. :) You're right about that last point, btw, about how many people who have blindness also have other conditions. 

--- 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, 12:42 PM

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.

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