[nabs-l] Another Questions about Professors

Fri Oct 21 03:59:28 UTC 2016

Hello Elizabeth,
I've never been in this situation with a professor, but I understand your
frustration. This does not seem like a situation where you want to call him
on his behavior in front of the whole class, though. I might recommend
writing him an email and respectfully telling him that you're uncomfortable
with the way he's treating you because you are just as independent as your
classmates. Then ask if you could come to his office hours to talk more
about this. Writing it down will probably help you not say anything you
might regret, and it will give you a starting point to frame your
conversation with him. As frustrating as it is, try to be patient. It sounds
like you are the first blind student he's taught, if not the first blind
person he's had any meaningful interactions with. He is impressed with you.
He thinks he's complimenting you. And he's trying to be helpful. Make sure
to reiterate to him that the academic accomodations are working out well for
you and you're really enjoying the class. I would not tell him that you're
so bothered by his behavior that you're considering dropping the class
altogether. Just stress that you wish he would treat you the way he treats
the other students, and if you need additional help, you'll be sure to ask.
You can also tell him you're happy to answer questions if he has them, but
that might be a step backwards, so that's up to you.
I hope this is a helpful starting point. Good luck! Do tell us how it goes.
Jameyanne

-----Original Message-----
From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Mohnke via NABS-L
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2016 11:38 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke <lizmohnke at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Another Questions about Professors

Hello All,

Thank you for your responses so far. However, how exactly do I have a
conversation with my professor if I have absolutely no idea what to say to
him? He is starting to make me feel rather uncomfortable. Someone else said
that I should just ignore him, but the only real way to ignore him is to
drop his class. I cannot enter or exit the classroom without him saying
something to me or getting up from the desk to open the door for me. So if
you believe the solution to this problem is to talk to my professor, what
exactly am I supposed to say to him? My ideas are really not all that
friendly considering the fact that I have had an absolutely horrible week. 

Thanks,
Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----
From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of KENNEDY
STOMBERG via NABS-L
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2016 11:24 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: KENNEDY STOMBERG <kestomberg at coe.edu>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Another Questions about Professors

The one good thing about what you were dealing with is that your professor
will likely listen to you. Ask has already been said, just talk to him. He
respectful as I know you are. Be gentle and diplomatic if you can. (I know
that can be hard sometimes. :-)) but I think things will work out for you.
He is seeing you be successful, and he is trying to put himself in your
shoes. He doesn't think that if he were blind he would be able to be that
successful. But of course that is not the case. I am sure it is just a
matter of having a conversation. :-) Good luck! Let us know how it goes. :-)

Kennedy Stomberg 
(218)295-2391 

> On Oct 20, 2016, at 10:12 PM, chelsea peahl via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> I've had a professor like that, but I honestly just talked to her about
it. For me, it was that simple. She is now one of my favorite people and I
have a great relationship with her outside of campus life. Just explain that
just because you are doing something a little differently than they are used
to, your are still doing the same thing that they do and that specialized
equipment lost the "cool" factor after the first use. Everyone is human and
mistakes happen, just continue to remind him. I don't feel like it's a
reason to drop the class.
> 
> Chelsea Peahl
> 
>> On Oct 20, 2016, at 8:52 PM, Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hello All,
>> 
>> In addition to the problems I am facing in terms of my accommodations
falling through for my science class, I also have a bit of a problem with my
professor for my sociology class. He thinks I am the most amazing person for
being able to do things as a blind person. I have received attitudes like
this from other sighted people in the past, but never from a professor, or
nothing that was this bad. Even after walking out with me from class to the
bus stop and watching me find a phone number I recorded on my Victor Stream
to call someone on my IPhone, he still somehow thinks I am the most amazing
person simply because I can do things even though I am blind.
>> 
>> I really do not want to drop this class because I really enjoy this
class. I find the subject matter to be interesting. I find the personal
stories the professor shares with the class when he explains things to us in
class. And I like the fact that the accommodations are fairly simple and
straight forward in that I really do not need to do all that much in terms
of accommodations for this class.
>> 
>> However, the fact that this professor keeps telling me how I am this
amazing person simply because I can do things as a blind person is really
starting to annoy me. I thought if I simply ignored these comments that they
would go away. But they do not seem to be going away, and I honestly am not
quite sure what to say to my professor to make him understand that my
blindness really does not need to be as big of a deal as he is making it out
to be.
>> 
>> So does anyone have any ideas as to how I can go about dealing with a
professor who is overly annoying about how I am this amazing person simply
because I can do things as a blind person? I am really beginning to think
that sighted people are incapable of being able to understand blindness. So
any thoughts or ideas anyone may have in regards to dealing with this
situation would be greatly appreciated.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Elizabeth
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