[Pibe-division] Reaching your potential
Dr. Denise M. Robinson
dmehlenbacher at yahoo.com
Tue Sep 20 19:39:08 UTC 2011
L
Yes, there are. Paras I have worked with who gain braille cert and continue with their training receive a significant pay increase. If I go into a district where they have untrained paras, I work with the unions and district to make this part of incentive to learn...money does talk
Denise
Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
Teacher of the Blind & Visually Impaired
TechVision-Independent Contractor
Specialist in blind programming/teaching/training
509-674-1853 deniserob at gmail.com
http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/
>________________________________
>From: Zephyr <twilight2 at kconline.com>
>To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List <pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 9:36 AM
>Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Reaching your potential
>
>
>
>Are there any guidelines that have been established
and accepted for paras of blind children. Since they provide specialties such as
brailling, should they receive higher pay?
>
>I can see the advantage of having a skilled para
available as the caseloads are often so overloaded taht the VI teacher is not
capable of producing all materials, and a para in the class can quickly
transcribe on the spot if lesson plans dictate so.
>
>
>L...
>
>----- Original Message -----
>>From: Dr. Denise M. Robinson
>>To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
>>Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 10:37 AM
>>Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Reaching your potential
>>
>>
>>Yes Mike,
>>I have many "older" friends or shall we say wiser, who were integrated into the school system and were just treated as everyone else. Walking everywhere, doing what everyone else was doing. It is very interesting to see what happened when paras came along. Trained paras are incredible, making sure all the work for the student is ready for them to participate in the class. Untrained or overloaded paras are very frustrated...they see the child is dependent but they do not know what to do. The school and parents want this child to have good grades, so they "help" so they can keep their job. It is something that really needs to be worked on.
>>
>> Denise
>>
>>Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
>>Teacher of the Blind & Visually
Impaired
>>TechVision-Independent Contractor
>>Specialist in blind programming/teaching/training
>>509-674-1853 deniserob at gmail.com
>>
>>http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/
>>
>>
>>
>>From: Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>
>>>To: 'Professionals in Blindness Education Division List' <pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 4:34 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Reaching your potential
>>>
>>>When I began
kindergarten (1954), we didn't know about paras because they
>>>hadn't been
invented yet! IMO I was better off.
(grin)
>>>
>>>Mike
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>[mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marianne Denning
>>>Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 4:08
PM
>>>To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
>>>Subject: Re:
[Pibe-division] Reaching your potential
>>>
>>>This even applies to many
students who are visually impaired and have
>>>additional
disabilities. I work with a student who had a para up through
>>>7th
grade. The parents moved to a different school district and
that
>>>district, due to funding cuts, opted not to provide an aid. I
have
>>>continued to work with the student and the progress she has made
is
>>>remarkable. She attends classes for students with multiple
disabilities and
>>>there is a teacher and an aid in every room but she
completes her work
>>>independently and comunicates her wants and
needs. I see the confidence it
>>>has created. We believe too
many students need paras who are very capable.
>>>Marianne
Denning
>>>Intervention Specialist, Visually Impaired
>>>Finneytown
Secondary Campus
>>>mdenning at finneytown.org
>>>513-931-0712
>>>________________________________________
>>>From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org [pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>Behalf Of Dr. Denise M. Robinson [dmehlenbacher at yahoo.com]
>>>Sent:
Monday, September 19, 2011 6:52 PM
>>>To: Professionals in Blindness
Education Division List
>>>Subject: [Pibe-division] Reaching your
potential
>>>
>>>Reaching Your
>>>Potential<http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/2011/09/reaching-your-potenti
>>>al.html>
>>>One
of the biggest issues in the blind field (and there are many) is how
>>>much
should a para educator be with a child?
>>>
>>>What I have seen:
>>>When a
district has no one, a para is glued to the child's side and does
>>>most of
the work for the child because the para lacks the blind skills to
>>>help
the child do for themselves. The child is succeeding (though only
>>>because
of what the para is doing, NOT the child) and all are happy. BUT
the
>>>parents do not realize how much their child is NOT doing and many
times, the
>>>district is unaware of this also. Or parents fight for a para
next to their
>>>child all day, without realizing this para will be a big
brick wall between
>>>their child making friends and achieving their own
goals and potential.
>>>
>>>I have come into districts and watched the blind
child rocking back and
>>>forth while the para did the work, sitting side by
side, away from class, in
>>>their own little world. When I talked with the
child, the most intelligent
>>>words came from her mouth, so I knew there
was a brain there. We spent the
>>>next couple of years teaching her all the
technology, braille and other
>>>blind skills and she was completely
independent by the third year. The para
>>>just adapted the work for her and
made sure she had it in class when all the
>>>other students did. This is
what SHOULD be happening all the time.
>>>
>>>I have had the first scenario
over and over and depending on the "pain"
>>>level of weaning the child from
the para, is really up to the child and
>>>parents. Most are on board with
the heavy duty technology, braille lessons
>>>and other blind skills and
within that 2-3 year window you can have an
>>>independent
child.
>>>
>>>However, there are the people who are not thinking ahead to
graduation,
>>>college, a job. They really think that somehow, miraculously
their child
>>>will be completely independent when they graduate, when in
fact, they have
>>>been completely dependent on a para throughout their
school career and this
>>>dependence and lack of ability will follow them.
The child ends up living
>>>with the parents and the parents continue to do
everything for this child
>>>who has the potential of Mt. Everest inside,
but instead the child sits like
>>>a glacier holding her down and going no
where.
>>>
>>>Parents and child bring the fear to each other. The child
brings that fear
>>>to the parents and the parents have the same fear, or
the parents put the
>>>fear on the child and they tell the child they cannot
live without the para
>>>(the second scenario is the most common). They
truly believe they cannot
>>>live without that para being right next to the
child all day long. It kills
>>>the confidence of the child. The child lacks
friends because the para has
>>>become the end all to be all of their life.
They fail to gain enough skills
>>>to go onto college, and worse be
gainfully employed to their IQ level.
>>>
>>>So, back to reaching your
potential. We can't do it without "pain". It will
>>>be painful, not
physically, though I have seen a lot of sweating, but
>>>emotionally. The
fear. The dread of not being able to do your work because
>>>you forgot
something. The fear of getting lost in the school or on a bus
>>>ride
because you took a wrong turn.
>>>
>>>I use the phrase: We learn more from
our failures than our successes. I give
>>>everyone permission to fail
because we are going to fail at something no
>>>matter what it is. Don't
feel bad about it, feel happy that you are
>>>progressing toward something.
We can learn from our mistakes, but if we
>>>never try, we do not know our
own potential.
>>>
>>>When they are getting ready to take their first solo
bus ride, they are very
>>>fearful of getting lost. I tell them, "Don't
worry (very cheerfully)...you
>>>will!! And they laugh. That is why God gave
you a mouth. Speak up and ask
>>>someone directions. Same thing goes for
class. Speak up and ask. I see
>>>relief come over my students. Yep, it is
better to fail at trying something
>>>than to never try anything. You can
only reach your potential with work and
>>>pain....but the pain goes and
confidence and success follow.
>>>
>>>
Denise
>>>
>>>Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
>>>Teacher of the Blind &
Visually Impaired
>>>TechVision-Independent Contractor
>>>Specialist in
blind programming/teaching/training
>>>509-674-1853 deniserob at gmail.com<mailto:deniserob at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/
>>>
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