Another week almost over! Today was a busywork kind of day; I discussed progress with 3 out of my 5 students. For new students at the center, their first two weeks here are the assessment period. At the end of those two weeks the instructors meet to discuss the assessment results and the plan/hours necessary to meet the student's goals. Also, there are meetings about once a month to get an update on the student's progress towards his or her plan. I am exiting one of my students this week, so I met with him to discuss my report and his upcoming night mobility instruction (which is contracted out to another instructor).
This week was different from last week; I did a greater variety of things (teaching residential travel where there aren't sidewalks, orientation to a bus transfer plaza, street crossings, etc). One of my biggest challenges this week seemed to be having a strong enough grasp of the information so that I could provide clear instructions/explanations to the students without confusing them. Basically, choosing the right words seemed difficult this week. I'm sure that every time I teach a certain concept/activity, it will be a little easier but it's slow going now.
Yesterday and today were also full of cane-related issues. My new student showed me a blister that has formed on his pointer finger from using his cane. Apparently he is using his cane a lot more now that he was at home. Of course I was wracking my brain trying to figure out why this might have happened; after all, I'm supposed to be the expert here. When he uses his cane, he rolls his wrist rather than bending it, which I think might be part of the problem. Will be addressing that next week.
Another student (with low vision) who has been using a cane for awhile has really inconsistent cane coverage (her arc goes from being really wide to really narrow or to mostly covering her left side). She's another one who rolls her wrist. Overall she just looks really heavy-handed with the cane and it's definitely not going to help her as much in the dark or at night. I put a new tip on her cane and really want to get her a graphite cane (she has an aluminum one) but she's so short that the center doesn't have one that fits her. Argh!
My student who uses a guide dog never got a cane, so I measured him for one today. This is the first time I've dispensed a cane, so I felt a little unsure of myself. However, I had two cane lengths and I asked the student to walk up and down the hall with the two. He is a very fast walker so I went with the longer one and feel pretty confident about my decision.
Last but not least, the student whom I have been working on staying in step with is making definite progress in this area. Today she was in step about half the time and walking very close to her normal pace. I think part of her problem is that she has very little experience in coordinating her movements (ie minimal athletic/gross motor skills). I must say though, when she is walking in step she looks like a very competent cane user.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Intern 4.1
Day two of teaching this week. Things are going well so far. My biggest challenge now seems to be figuring out what to do with my students the next day. Many of them are ready to go out into the community and tackle things like street crossings and commercial travel, but we have to drive to these places (and there is only one hour). Nevertheless, I did take my new student to a commercial area today (and he did fabulously as usual). Another challenge is that because I'm unfamiliar with this area, I have to do a lot of investigating to find places that would be suitable for my lessons. The other instructors helped me with this a bit, but I need more "minor" intersections. Everything here seems to be either a major 6-lane intersection or a residential area with no sidewalks. On another note, I am feeling more confident about what to do with my new student and guesstimating how much time he'll need in mobility instruction.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Intern 3.3
Didn't have any students today but I did have some progress update meetings to go to. At these meetings we talk about what the student is doing well and what he or she still needs to work on. The primary point of the meeting is to figure out how much time the student needs to complete his or her training at the center.
Steve and I went over the biweekly evaluation together, and overall he is pleased with how things are going. He wants me to work on my confidence, making sure I end lessons on time, and think about what kinds of standards I want to have for my students (what will I be picky about). He wants to go over TAPS with me and highlight the kinds of things that he thinks are important and also to give me a refresher.
So far I've had to do a referral for a student to receive night mobility (this is contracted out to another instructor) and I'll also be writing a justification letter for why this student needs the Trekker Breeze. Next week I'll be doing his exit report, which is similar to the progress reports that I've already done. Definitely having to learn the ropes quickly.
This weekend I'm planning to learn the main bus routes for the area and scope out intersections/street crossings that I can use with students next week. Should be interesting.
Steve and I went over the biweekly evaluation together, and overall he is pleased with how things are going. He wants me to work on my confidence, making sure I end lessons on time, and think about what kinds of standards I want to have for my students (what will I be picky about). He wants to go over TAPS with me and highlight the kinds of things that he thinks are important and also to give me a refresher.
So far I've had to do a referral for a student to receive night mobility (this is contracted out to another instructor) and I'll also be writing a justification letter for why this student needs the Trekker Breeze. Next week I'll be doing his exit report, which is similar to the progress reports that I've already done. Definitely having to learn the ropes quickly.
This weekend I'm planning to learn the main bus routes for the area and scope out intersections/street crossings that I can use with students next week. Should be interesting.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Intern Part 3.2
Second day of teaching this week went much better! I showed SL (who is blind and is working on staying in step) how to "kick the cane" to the opposite side, and she started walking much faster. Not normal pace yet, but I think the repetition is finally catching on.
TM (low vision) is working on street crossings. Today I had her close her eyes and point to the direction that the cars were traveling in. We also talked about cardinal directions, which is something she struggles with. We finished with setting up an intersection on a Chang board and talking about when you should cross the street (with parallel traffic). Her anxiety level seemed to be less today too.
DT (low vision and uses a guide dog) is working on the Trekker Breeze. We successfully added an address as a landmark and I showed him how to rename and delete landmarks. Much smoother lesson today! My new student JD (who is totally blind) is still a bit of a challenge. He has such great mobility skills but I was able to find out that he wants to work on big intersections. Deciding how much time he needs in mobility instruction will be the tricky part.
Just like in student teaching, the part that I'm enjoying the most about this so far is the "lightbulb" moments my students have. It's so great to see when they're figuring something out and building their confidence.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Intern Part 3.1
Had my first full day of teaching today. It was interesting - I was by myself with the students, which was nice. Since I'm just starting with these students I spent time talking with all of them before we got started on an actual lesson. There isn't really a set curriculum here that all of the students follow, but there is a sort of natural progression that is used. The students learn the route to their classes, the immediate campus, expanded campus, and then out into the community.
Several of my students are just starting to work on street crossings. They are both nervous about it so I am trying to both establish a rapport with them so they're comfortable with me and also give them enough time and information so that they're comfortable with intersections. I think my challenge with both of these students will be pushing them just enough (not too much, not too little).
Another student is learning how to use the Trekker Breeze. I've been learning myself, but haven't mastered all of the features of it yet. Today the student wanted to do a function that I wasn't familiar with. Not pretty. We fumbled our way through and finally figured out what we were doing but then ran out of time.
I also had a student that is brand new to the center today and he is totally blind. I talked with him a bit about his interests and also his mobility skills. I showed him where his classes are; this guy has really good mobility skills (echolocation, mental mapping, etc) and is a regular user of paratransit and the bus system back home. I'm assessing him this week and next and have to present a plan for his mobility instruction by the end of next week. At this point, I'm wondering what I'll be able to throw at him that will be challenging enough.
Another interesting thing I observed today: there are two mobility instructors here, and I am taking on two students from each instructor. Watching the students work and being aware of what they have been working on in mobility class previously, it is clear that the two mobility instructors here focus on very different things. One of the students from the other mobility instructor doesn't stay in step or have good coverage with her cane on her right side. This is something my supervisor would have been working on for weeks.
On another note, the student I've already worked with on staying in step is still moving very slow. I tried a metronome app with her today and it didn't seem to help her pick up the pace. It will be interesting to see how she does over the next couple days.
Several of my students are just starting to work on street crossings. They are both nervous about it so I am trying to both establish a rapport with them so they're comfortable with me and also give them enough time and information so that they're comfortable with intersections. I think my challenge with both of these students will be pushing them just enough (not too much, not too little).
Another student is learning how to use the Trekker Breeze. I've been learning myself, but haven't mastered all of the features of it yet. Today the student wanted to do a function that I wasn't familiar with. Not pretty. We fumbled our way through and finally figured out what we were doing but then ran out of time.
I also had a student that is brand new to the center today and he is totally blind. I talked with him a bit about his interests and also his mobility skills. I showed him where his classes are; this guy has really good mobility skills (echolocation, mental mapping, etc) and is a regular user of paratransit and the bus system back home. I'm assessing him this week and next and have to present a plan for his mobility instruction by the end of next week. At this point, I'm wondering what I'll be able to throw at him that will be challenging enough.
Another interesting thing I observed today: there are two mobility instructors here, and I am taking on two students from each instructor. Watching the students work and being aware of what they have been working on in mobility class previously, it is clear that the two mobility instructors here focus on very different things. One of the students from the other mobility instructor doesn't stay in step or have good coverage with her cane on her right side. This is something my supervisor would have been working on for weeks.
On another note, the student I've already worked with on staying in step is still moving very slow. I tried a metronome app with her today and it didn't seem to help her pick up the pace. It will be interesting to see how she does over the next couple days.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Intern Part 2.1
This week was still stressful but not as overwhelming as last week. I taught several lessons (two on-campus routes and one street crossing). I wasn't really teaching the students anything brand new; it was more that the students were demonstrating their knowledge. I was also able to observe mobility, technology, and personal management lessons with a variety of students; a guide dog user, a power chair user, and individuals who are blind and some with low vision.
A group of students went on a community trip to a clothing store during the day on Wednesday, so I went along to help out. I gave one of the students sighted guide and assisted her during the experience. I've also observed this student during lessons and have taught one of her lessons. She'll be one of my students when I start my full caseload next week. She presents an interesting challenge; her cane techniques are pretty good, she travels in a straight line, and she has good echolocation skills.
However, she can't stay in step unless she walks very slow; basically by breaking down her walking into moving her feet and the cane separately. Her pace has improved slightly, but not enough for her to be able to use this technique outside of mobility class. I asked her to try practicing to a song that she likes that has a catchy beat. A metronome might be in my near future.
During an outing to Walmart, I was with a student who has a guide dog. I also saw this student during a lesson with his mobility instructor, and there are clearly issues with how he handles his dog. It seems like he is following the dog more than him telling the dog where to go (and the dog basically has what would be called "bad manners"). The student doesn't take criticism very well. I'm not sure how in a situation like this you get the student to handle his or her dog more appropriately.
Another student is working on building his confidence with street crossings because he has been hit by a car in the past. He has done well with several different intersections but still gets nervous. He won't be one of my students, but I've been thinking about how else/how long I would work with him before exiting him.
A big part of this week has been learning about the case management/assessment/reporting system here at the center. Daily notes have to be taken on the lessons, and every two weeks there is a meeting on how the student is progressing. There is an initial assessment and then an exit report. Much like student teaching, it seems like the hardest part of this job will be the paperwork.
Next week when I start my new caseload, I'll have four students that I've at least met and observed a bit, and one new student. With the new student, I will have two weeks to assess his skills and determine what his goals are. Steve typically asks students what they can/can't do, but he suggested that I have the new student demonstrate his skills. This seems like a great idea to me, but I'm wondering how I'll fit everything in to two weeks. As far as the decision making of goals/etc, I'm somewhat comforted by the fact that I can at least get the student's input and see what their comfort levels are.
I'm both excited and nervous about starting next week. Like Steve has said, I'm going to be developing my own style as a mobility instructor and different things will be important to me. Even during the brief time I've been here, it's obvious that the two mobility instructors at the center teach in very different ways. I'm expecting that I'll be asking Steve lots and lots of questions, but he doesn't plan on observing me during every single lesson I have (which is kind of nice).
Some other random mobility related thoughts I've had is, when do you use indenting? Why do the students all shoreline outside and then try to walk in the middle of the hall when they're inside? How many different intersections does a student need to cross? How much information can I cram into one lesson before a student implodes? How will I remember everything from my mobility classes? I know there isn't a silver bullet.
[I meant to post earlier this week, but time got away from me!]
A group of students went on a community trip to a clothing store during the day on Wednesday, so I went along to help out. I gave one of the students sighted guide and assisted her during the experience. I've also observed this student during lessons and have taught one of her lessons. She'll be one of my students when I start my full caseload next week. She presents an interesting challenge; her cane techniques are pretty good, she travels in a straight line, and she has good echolocation skills.
However, she can't stay in step unless she walks very slow; basically by breaking down her walking into moving her feet and the cane separately. Her pace has improved slightly, but not enough for her to be able to use this technique outside of mobility class. I asked her to try practicing to a song that she likes that has a catchy beat. A metronome might be in my near future.
During an outing to Walmart, I was with a student who has a guide dog. I also saw this student during a lesson with his mobility instructor, and there are clearly issues with how he handles his dog. It seems like he is following the dog more than him telling the dog where to go (and the dog basically has what would be called "bad manners"). The student doesn't take criticism very well. I'm not sure how in a situation like this you get the student to handle his or her dog more appropriately.
Another student is working on building his confidence with street crossings because he has been hit by a car in the past. He has done well with several different intersections but still gets nervous. He won't be one of my students, but I've been thinking about how else/how long I would work with him before exiting him.
A big part of this week has been learning about the case management/assessment/reporting system here at the center. Daily notes have to be taken on the lessons, and every two weeks there is a meeting on how the student is progressing. There is an initial assessment and then an exit report. Much like student teaching, it seems like the hardest part of this job will be the paperwork.
Next week when I start my new caseload, I'll have four students that I've at least met and observed a bit, and one new student. With the new student, I will have two weeks to assess his skills and determine what his goals are. Steve typically asks students what they can/can't do, but he suggested that I have the new student demonstrate his skills. This seems like a great idea to me, but I'm wondering how I'll fit everything in to two weeks. As far as the decision making of goals/etc, I'm somewhat comforted by the fact that I can at least get the student's input and see what their comfort levels are.
I'm both excited and nervous about starting next week. Like Steve has said, I'm going to be developing my own style as a mobility instructor and different things will be important to me. Even during the brief time I've been here, it's obvious that the two mobility instructors at the center teach in very different ways. I'm expecting that I'll be asking Steve lots and lots of questions, but he doesn't plan on observing me during every single lesson I have (which is kind of nice).
Some other random mobility related thoughts I've had is, when do you use indenting? Why do the students all shoreline outside and then try to walk in the middle of the hall when they're inside? How many different intersections does a student need to cross? How much information can I cram into one lesson before a student implodes? How will I remember everything from my mobility classes? I know there isn't a silver bullet.
[I meant to post earlier this week, but time got away from me!]
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Intern Part 1
Have survived the first week of my internship (well, only two days, really). It very much felt like a crash course in this facility and what will be expected of me, and was accompanied by feelings of panic, fear, and being totally overwhelmed. Think of the sensation you get at the beginning of a semester when you read a course syllabus and see how many things you'll have to do, and multiply that by 3.11 googooplex. Not scientific, but close enough.
I am expecting this to be a different experience from student teaching, but I can already see that this is going to be very, very different. Of course my students will be adults, meaning I'll have to teach differently. Some students have guide dogs (which I've never observed instruction in before), others want to learn to use ETAs (ditto), and there is a limited time frame for the student's instruction.
That is probably what I anticipate being the most stressful part of this internship; deciding when a client is ready to exit the program. Everything is so compacted unlike K-12 students, who essentially get 12 years to learn all the skills they need.
So far I've been advised that deciding when a student is ready to learn a new skill/progress/exit is partially based on instincts, and any decisions I make are fine as long as I can justify them. I'm not sure I've had enough experience and time to develop the instincts to do this sort of thing, or at least I would like to feel more confident in my instincts!
After having a weekend to decompress and think, I am feeling a little less stressed about the coming weeks. I'm going to take one day at a time, and I know that when I finish here, I will be very prepared for any job. This coming week I'll be learning more about the classes at the center and observing instruction. I'll also be teaching a class on guide dogs. Wish me luck!
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