[nobe-l] [Bulk] Re: More questions for Kathy was: RE:QuietlyIintroducemyself
Marianne
mdenning at cinci.rr.com
Tue Feb 16 13:36:35 UTC 2010
Those are great tips. I hope your health improves so you can begin
teaching. I think tutoring and small groups is great too.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brandy W" <branlw at sbcglobal.net>
To: "National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List"
<nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 9:36 PM
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] [Bulk] Re: More questions for Kathy was:
RE:QuietlyIintroducemyself
> Hi, When I did what in Texas they call our total teach in our student
> teaching semester I took much more of the class earlier on than I had to
> to be able to try things out before I was the one who had to have the
> answers. My principal told me if he had a job I wanted he would higher me.
> He said he was worried in the beginning, but after dropping by the room
> while I taught calmed his fears. My teacher asked what she could do and I
> said will if you would do it for a sighted teacher let me know. If not I
> don't wan't you to do it. I learned a lot that semester. Transparencies
> labeled in Braille were great. I found it took about 10 hours of readers a
> week. I used a few different options. I had a high school student who
> needed NHS hours, a UT volunteer, and a paid reader. They didn't need to
> know anything because I had them tell me everything and I told them what I
> wanted done. I managed behavor acording to my evaluation above average for
> a student at this time in her teaching. I share these things because while
> it is tough to get a teaching job when one is blind it is definitly
> achievable. It will probably take many more interviews, and as one person
> said a person who is willing to try new things. I found that sometimes I
> had to fake it till I figured it out, but people didn't know. I would just
> say I'm going to do it this way, and if it didn't work I'd say I
> learned... and try again. The only reason I'm not teaching now is because
> my health can't withstand a full time teaching job. I got way too sick
> during that last semester. So I tutor 1 on 1 and in small group settings.
> I think the only thing I would maybe need some extra assistance with would
> be unexpected paperwork on a child or something that couldn't be
> electronic. I made sure to learn to write, and I can not express the value
> of this skill. People say my writing is equivalent to a second grader, but
> other teachers and staff can read it and so can the kids and that worked
> to write on the bord, it worked for nurse notes and requests that wwere
> sent to the office etc. So much is on the computer that it was very
> achievable. I think it is important for all of us to share our tricks and
> concerns to help one another. I know many of you teach older students, but
> younger grades can be achieved.
>
> I would love to see this list more active.
>
> Bran
>
> Brandy Wojcik
> Discovery Toys Educational Leader
> www.playtoachieve.com
> (512) 231-8697
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Anita Adkins" <aadkins7 at verizon.net>
> To: "National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List"
> <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 7:05 PM
> Subject: [Bulk] Re: [nobe-l] More questions for Kathy was: RE:
> QuietlyIintroducemyself
>
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I just want to say I agree with the statement that the fewer
>> accomodations needed, the more likely it is for one to get hired. If we
>> think of this from a business standpoint, employers are more willing to
>> hire us if we can be efficient and productive. Yes, maybe they are
>> supposed to make accomodations for us, but if we can make them ourselves,
>> we are much more likely to land the job. This does not mean that we
>> should not ask for needed accomodations. It just means that we need to
>> see if we can discover our own way to make it work and ask for assistance
>> when we are not able to accomplish the job on our own. For example,
>> hiring your own reader and providing your own transportation is something
>> that you can most likely do for yourself. Grading papers as an English
>> teacher, as another example, may be accomplished by requiring students to
>> hand them in an electronic format that is accessible. A reader may be
>> needed when it is necessary to grade students' handwriting, for instance.
>> Due to confidentiality, it may be necessary to have a reader provided by
>> the school, but it is important to explore to see if your own reader can
>> do this job. For one of my education classes, I worked with at-risk kids
>> in an after school program. I brought a raised line drawing kit to the
>> sessions with me, and the 6-year-old I was working with wrote letters on
>> the board for me. She thought it was neat drawing on the board, and I,
>> myself, was able to examine her handwriting to see how she was doing. I
>> have made it my mission to learn print letters. I know capital letters,
>> but currently, I am tackling lower case letters. To get back on topic, n
>> a nutshell, find a way to do the job on your own; ask for accomodations
>> when you can't do it on your own. When an employer asks you how you can
>> do something, don't say "I will need you to provide..." Rather say, "I
>> can accomplish this task by using this or that alternative technique."
>>
>> Also, I believe it is most helpful when trying to get a job to make a
>> contact or contacts in the field. This can be done through volunteering.
>> (If a job is available, of course, take it in place of volunteer work).
>> By volunteering, you are showing a possible employer that you do possess
>> the skills and that you do have the abilities to do the job. I was hired
>> at a position because I first volunteered doing it. While volunteering,
>> I not only demonstrated my ability to teach, but I also made contacts.
>> Now, when I do go into teaching, I will have someone to provide me with a
>> good word.
>>
>> Just for those who don't know me, I am a nontraditional student, as I am
>> 32 years old. I have worked as a Braille proofreader, a web
>> accessibility/usability analyst, a sewer, and a rehabilitation teacher.
>> I am now interested in working in the field of blindness, and I decided
>> to return to school to get a degree that will allow me to do this. I do
>> not know all of the answers, and I do look forward to learning from
>> everyone on this list. Thanks in advance for all of your help and
>> encouragement. Anita
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Marianne" <mdenning at cinci.rr.com>
>> To: "National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List"
>> <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 7:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nobe-l] More questions for Kathy was: RE: Quietly
>> Iintroducemyself
>>
>>
>>> Hope, the fewer accomodations you need the more likely a school district
>>> is to consider you for a position. Have you thought about working with
>>> students who are ESL learners?
>>>
>>> I am in my first year of teaching and I do not have any accomodations.
>>> I have all of my own equipment. You could probably get the Spanish book
>>> in a text format and download it onto your Braillenote or other
>>> notetaker. You would need help grading papers unless you had the
>>> students use the computer and either email them to you or print them
>>> out.
>>>
>>> There are ways to work many things out but you need to have a lot of the
>>> answers because the school system will not have them. I think OSEP
>>> which stands for Office of Special Education Programs is pushing school
>>> districts to hire more people with disabilities. I wouldn't use this as
>>> a weapon against a school district but it is good information to have.
>>>
>>> Marianne
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Hope Paulos" <hope.paulos at maine.edu>
>>> To: "National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List"
>>> <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 6:20 PM
>>> Subject: [nobe-l] More questions for Kathy was: RE: Quietly I
>>> introducemyself
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Kathy. I have obtained my secondary education Bachelor's degree with
>>>> a focus on Spanish. I read in your message that it is highly unlikely
>>>> that a totally blind person would be hired at a public school. I agree
>>>> with that statement-- have spoken to many principals when taking
>>>> education classes. My question, though, is what accommodations did you
>>>> require from the school when they hired you? Did you do anything
>>>> different that made you stand out so they *would* hire you, rather than
>>>> look at other qualified applicants? The reason I ask, is because I'm
>>>> looking for a teaching job. At the moment, I don't have a masters in
>>>> teaching of the blind/visually impaired. I'd like to get a teaching job
>>>> while I work on obtaining my masters.
>>>> Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Kathy Nimmer" <goldendolphin17 at hotmail.com>
>>>> To: "blind teachers" <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 3:40 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nobe-l] Quietly I introduce myself
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Hello everyone,
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, I've sure enjoyed seeing the discussions from so many to-be
>>>>> teachers. It is hopeful to me that people are entering the training
>>>>> process with an eye on this field, even though the odds are against
>>>>> them for hiring in a normal public school classroom. I am someone who
>>>>> was fortunate to go against those odds. I am in my eighteenth year of
>>>>> teaching English and creative writing in a normal high school
>>>>> classroom in a large public school in Indiana. Never would I claim to
>>>>> have all the answers to what must be many questions, but I am willing
>>>>> to give some of them a shot. I know I might be in a position to help
>>>>> those of you in college and looking toward a teaching job, so I invite
>>>>> you to ask away. I even had one list member come out to my neck of the
>>>>> woods to observe for three days this past August, a wonderful
>>>>> experience for both of us. She is student teaching right now. Again,
>>>>> nothing I do is the ideal or perfect answer for everyone else, but I
>>>>> do do it and have for seve!
>>>>> ral years, not with success early on but with success far more often
>>>>> than not now. Should we change the subject line if we're going to do
>>>>> an open back and forth q/a? In between scanning and grading fifty
>>>>> historical short stories his weekend, I'll gladly offer my limited
>>>>> wisdom and will probably end up learning more from you than you do
>>>>> from me! Hear from you soon.
>>>>>
>>>>> Kathy Nimmer: Teacher, Author, Motivational Speaker
>>>>> http://www.servicedogstories.com
>>>>> http://guidedogjourney.livejournal.com
>>>>> Even if the shadows of the valley hide your view,
>>>>> You still must believe in the mountains.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> From: iamantonio at cox.net
>>>>>> To: nobe-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:07:49 -0500
>>>>>> Subject: [nobe-l] Quietly I introduce myself
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I hope we are all busy at teaching, or learning how to teach, since I
>>>>>> have gotten no mail from this list in the past couple of weeks since
>>>>>> subscribing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Rhode
>>>>>> Island, and subscribed here because I am at school to become a social
>>>>>> studies teacher.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Some of you may know me from the NABS list, or the NFB of Florida, or
>>>>>> the NFB of Massachusetts, and some of you will come to know me as a
>>>>>> student at Western Governors University.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This online university is where I currently attend, and it is where I
>>>>>> will obtain a bachelors in social studies teaching 5/12.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am optimistic about getting a job after graduation, and I expect my
>>>>>> hopes of employment to become realized. In other words, I want to,
>>>>>> and expect to land a job.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Right now all I can do is to work hard at school, and hope for a
>>>>>> bright, if hectic teaching career.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have no specific questions at the moment, but hope to see some list
>>>>>> traffic.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Are there blind teachers here? what do you teach, and are you listed
>>>>>> in Where the Blind Work?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Antonio Guimaraes
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If an infinite number of rednecks riding in an infinite number of
>>>>>> pickup trucks fire an infinite number of shotgun rounds at an
>>>>>> infinite number of highway signs, they will eventually produce all
>>>>>> the world's great literary works in Braille.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Shop online and support the NFB of RI at no additional cost to you.
>>>>>> http://www.givebackamerica.com/charity.php?b=169
>>>>>> Givebackamerica.org, America's Online Charity Shopping Mall
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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