The Expanded Core Curriculum: Finding the Time

Hosted by Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Kathleen M. Huebner, Ph. D.
Pennsylvania College of Optometry

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A Quick Review of What is Included in the Expanded Core Curriculum

• Compensatory Skills (Braille; listening skills; handwriting skills; abacus)
• O&M
• Social Skills
• Independent Living Skills
• Recreation and Leisure Skills
• Career Education
• Assistive Technology
• Visual Efficiency Skills (NA-1995)

What Itinerant Teachers Report as Most Time Spent on Expanded Core (CO)

• Braille Reading and Writing (listed on survey)
• Nemeth Instruction
• Braille Preparation
• Independent Living Skills
• O&M
• Vision Utilization (not listed on survey)
• Technology Training
• Materials Adaptation
• Large Print Production (Suvak 1999)

What Itinerant Teachers Report as Most Time Spent Teaching NON-Expanded Core (CO)

• Math
• Language Arts (Suvak 1999)

Additional Responsibilities and Time Consuming Activities

• Communication-Teachers-Parents-Administrators
• Travel
• Report preparation/paperwork
• Assessment
• Reinforce students' other needs--MH
• Other Expanded Core areas-social skills, career education, recreation/leisure
• Materials ordering
• Professional development

Current Concerns of 70 Experienced Teachers (TX)

• Keeping up with required paperwork
• Arranging a balanced schedule
• Keeping up on morale and confidence

Another Suspected but Unreported Time Eater

• TUTORING !

How to Make the Best of the Time We Have - Strategies to Make Best Use of Limited Time

• Teach Only Expanded Core
• Do Not Tutor
• Examine Your Strengths and Weaknesses
• Develop Appropriate and Shared Responsibilities-- Other Teachers/ Aides/Parents
• Increase Team Effectiveness

Teach Only Expanded Core

• Be convinced
• Be determined
• Be resourceful--in other words YOU have to make it happen
• Be firm

Avoid Tutoring

• Ask the question-- Does student need help because the visual impairment is impeding learning?
• If yes--teach
• If no--defer to other teacher, personnel, peer tutor, parents

Examine Your Strengths and Weaknesses

• Be honest with yourself--Identify your weaknesses--its between you and yourself--not the world
• Weaknesses result in lack of confidence, slowness to accomplish tasks, and defensiveness
• Weaknesses result in inefficiency and ineffectiveness

Change Weaknesses into Strengths

• Develop strategies and a plan to change weaknesses into strengths
• Seek out constructive ways to strengthen your skills and professionalism
• Work independently and seek out support where needed

Weaknesses Changed into Strengths

• Recognize your improvements
• Note that tasks now take less time
• Note that you now have more confidence in your decisions and the quality of your work
• Note that you no longer procrastinate or resist doing what used to be weaknesses

ADD OTHERS TO YOUR TEAM
Reauthorization of IDEA (1997)

• Parents as members of the team
• Participation of regular educator

Develop Appropriate and Shared Responsibilities-- Other Teachers/ Aides/Parents

• Model--teach in the regular classroom
• Provide positive reinforcement
• Observe students in their regular classes.even snippets of time can tell you a lot
• Provide formal and informal training
• Teach your students to direct others for meaningful information-self advocate

Appreciate Other's Diversity

• Culture
• Education
• Socio/Economic Status
• Response to having a child with a disability
• Confidence
• Trust
• Lifestyle
• Responsibilities

Keep an OPEN MIND and HEART

• Don't bring old baggage into the relationship
• Approach each new relationship with parents with a positive approach
• Find out parents' perspectives, beliefs, strengths, realities of lifestyles
• Have high--yet realistic--expectations for not only your students but their families as well

Facilitate Parent Participation

• Keep an OPEN MIND and HEART
• Consider parents' individuality/diversity
• See parents as child's mentors/teachers
• Consider parent's perspective
• Give information to the parents through various means and modes

Parents as Teachers/Mentors

• "When my son was born blind, I didn't get enlightened as to how to teach him everything, but he is my fourth child, I know some things about raising children. Respect me but help me."

Parent's Perspective

• "Teachers are not always hearing what I'm saying. I see my child at home and I know what he can do and can't do. Why don't the teachers believe me when I tell them I see things they don't?"

Give Parent's Information

• "Don't just tell me to do it, explain how."
• "Taking classes made me feel better, like I know something."
• "Parents need resources too!"
• "You have no idea how good it made me feel when you asked me to help teach the mom of the new VI child at the school."

Increase Team Effectiveness

• Build & maintain positive relationships
• Maintain close contact
• Communicate a sense of teamwork
• Don't complain
• Be a good listener
• Neither intimidate nor be intimidated
• See others' perspectives
• Ask questions

Team Goals

• Group move toward common goal
• Each member needs a clear purpose
• Team members directed toward a goal that may not be clear to others

Support Comes From Many

• Within yourself (UP TO YOU)
• Family and friends (90%)
• Students (80%)
• Special education teachers (61%)
• Other Vision Teachers (53%)
• Parents (52%)
• Administrators (46%)
• Regular Classroom teachers (40%)
• Community (26%) (Seitz, 1999)

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
AND ENJOY YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS