A website for teachers who are blind or visually impaired.

Finding Out About Being a Teacher

Throughout the course of a day, a teacher performs an extremely wide variety of tasks, perhaps wider than the majority of other careers. Although teaching is hard work, for those who love the job it is also very rewarding. Many blind students are interested in becoming teachers but do not know what sorts of tasks a teacher is supposed to perform the day or what types of skills they should have before applying to a teacher education program. This page gives an overview of some of the tasks teachers engage in on a daily basis, and some of the things a blind student teacher should begin thinking of how they will accommodate before beginning a student teaching placement. Also covered are different types of teaching positions beyond classroom teaching. Resources, tips, and accommodations can be found in other areas of this website.

Teaching, whether it is a whole class or a single student, involves far more than simply standing in front of a student and talking. Below is a brief overview of the various tasks a teacher is expected to perform, and ideas about skills a prospective teacher who is blind or visually impaired will need to have. You will find information about how teachers who are blind or visually impaired make various adaptations for these tasks in the Tips and Tricks section of the site.

It is important to remember that the below list are skills that all new teachers must learn. A student is not expected to know how to perform these when they first enter a teacher education program. They are intended here not to seem overwhelming, but to help those considering teaching identify any skills or adaptations they may need to consider before embarking on their coursework.

Lesson planning: Lesson planning takes place before any teaching. Teacher first need to plan out what the students need to learn, how they are going to learn it, and how they are going to demonstrate that they know it. Teachers then plan specifically what tasks they will do while actually teaching, what materials will be needed, and methods of evaluating students. A teacher may reference a lesson plan while they are teaching, so it needs to be in a format which can be used spontaneously and discretely. A teacher who is blind or visually impaired will need to be able to:

  • Read material while actively teaching (and possibly moving about) a class; a lesson plan is more complex and flexible than a public presentation, so it's generally not a good idea to rely solely on memory.
  • Reference a lesson plan in a flexible manner; depending on the students, a lesson plan may need to be taught in a different order, or sections may need to be skipped or repeated.
  • Be able to reference any materials used in the lesson plan; if handouts are used, it's necessary to be able to identify which handouts to hand out at a particular point in a lesson.

Classroom management: While teaching, teachers must ensure that students are attentive, non-disruptive to other students, completing learning tasks correctly, and safe, including keeping track of which children are not in the room. A teacher will also be expected to respond to any disruptive events or emergency situations. Many strategies for maintaining a classroom rely heavily on vision, and so it is important that a teacher who is blind or has low vision develop alternative strategies for monitoring students. To do this, a teacher who is blind or visually impaired may need to be able to:

  • Move around a classroom with ease in order to monitor or assist students.
  • Be able to develop strategies to recognize students, either visually or by voice.
  • Have an awareness of what is going on in the classroom at all times, and also of keeping track of who has entered and left the classroom.

Assessment and Evaluation

Teachers have to monitor the progress of their students to determine whether they are meeting learning objectives and to modify their lesson plans or review material, if needed. This is done through evaluation and assessment of students, and can use formal methods such as tests and projects or informal methods such as asking students whether they understand a concept or using visual cues while teaching to gauge students' understanding of new material.

Reporting

Teachers have a responsibility to report on students' progress to parents and caregivers, as well as school administrators. This is frequently done through report cards. It may also be done through written reports or letters, and occasionally in person at a meeting.

Field Trips and Playground Supervision

Some school districts require that teachers periodically perform playground supervision during recess or lunch hours. Classroom teachers and some specialized teachers also periodically take one or more students on field trips. These duties require that teachers maintain awareness of students' movements, sometimes over a wide area, and be aware of safety or discipline problems that may arise. Frequently, field trips of large classes use teacher aides or parent volunteers, as it can be challenging to keep track of 25 or 30 kids at once.

Professional Development

An important part of teaching is continuing to learn about teaching theory and practice. This is often done through additional coursework, workshops and seminars, and professional conferences, as well as by reading professional newsletters and journals in the field of education. School districts often provide professional development days specifically to give teachers time to engage in this important activity.

Meetings and parent interviews: Teachers participate in meetings of various kinds several times a year. Depending on the area of specialization, a teacher may take part in parent-teacher interviews, individualized education plan (IEP) meetings, school team and staff meetings, district- or department-wide meetings, and union meetings.