I BELIEVE in...Working Myself Out Of a Job (Installment 2)
Now that the school year has officially come to a close, I have been reflecting on the progress of my students from how they were functioning at the beginning of the school year as compared to now. The goals and objectives I write for my students are written from motivation of helping my students meet the highest level of independence possible. For some of my students, simply requesting help when needed is his/her highest level of independence, while other students are orchestrating team members and independently obtaining materials needed to access the curriculum.
Upon receiving a new student, I immediately begin looking at
every facet of the child using the Expanded Core Curriculum for students who have vision impairments as a guideline. I imagine the student as a 25-year-old adult, and with the help of the IEP
team, develop an education program which will allow the student to go down the
path of obtaining the highest level of independence possible. In my mind there
are two options: sit at home with a caregiver and collect disability; or live independently, get a job, have a family, or anything else imagined! My job as a CTVI, CVRT, and COMS is to teach the
blindness/low vision skills necessary for students who have vision impairments
to choose the life he/she wants to live and/or live to his or her highest level of
independence.
Three years ago, I was assigned a high school student who
had recently experienced vision loss as a result of a late onset medical diagnosis. When
I first met the student, she required a large amount of support, instruction, and
encouragement. In some areas she was willing to try anything, and in others she
was quite resistant. I wanted to immediately inundate her with technology in
order to access any type of print at any time, however, she wanted everything
on paper and in large print at all times. With the help of her team members, we
provided her with materials which she was comfortable accessing, while slowly
introducing new devices and technology to increase independence. As she
developed independence I slowly reduced her direct service time in order to allow for her to
spread her wings and test out her new skills while I quietly coached her from the sidelines. When it came time this past year
to make sure she had all materials needed for the upcoming
semester by communicating with her teachers, she took the lead. In her new
found confidence, she boldly stated to me, “I'm just making your job easy!" I immediately responded with, “It’s about time!” with all the love and pride in my heart for how hard she has worked to not only fly but SOAR! I could not be more proud
of her as she is a college bound student who will go on to conquer new
challenges and be successful because of the time, energy, and BELIEF in her
ability to obtain and maintain independence.
My overall goal is to teach my students in such a way that I literally work myself out of a job. When my students indicate they do not need me hovering around, it is always bittersweet. I miss them tremendously, but it is the reward I begin reaching for from day one and is the true measure of whether I did my job.
Here's to working yourself out of a job,
SB
Sarah D. Bussey
If you enjoyed this 2nd installment of the "I Believe" Series, you might also enjoy:
(Installment 1)I Believe in...Inspiration & Passion
https://visionsofblind.blogspot.com/2018/04/i-believein-passion-inspiration.html
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