What We Wish We Knew Our First Year Teaching Dayna Grismanauskas Kathryn King

Introductions Dayna Grismanauskas – CVRT and COMS at Hines VA Kathryn King – TVI and COMS at Eisenhower Cooperative

Support When questions arise use the network you have created: – Co-workers, supervisors – Classmates – Friends and family can have fresh ideas! Use the internet

Support Mentors – Find out if your job has a mandatory mentoring program – Set aside time in your schedule to meet with your mentor – It is better to ask for support rather then have a student/client’s program suffer

Collaboration Share your ideas! – You may be new to the position but you have fresh ideas – But remember there are others who have more experience so be respectful of both sides In the VA setting you can work with many different professionals, be respectful of their field – Collaborate to create the best program possible

Collaboration TVI Successful education for students requires collaboration between: – Classroom teacher – Other members of the IEP team (OT, PT, Social Work, ETC) – Parents or caretakers of the child Establish a way for easy communication between you and the parents

Direct VS Consult Minutes Direct minutes – Where do you start? What do you start working on? – Contact previous TVI for information and look through file – Use the ocular, IEP goals and objectives to guide you – Talk to the student and/or classroom teacher to discover areas of need – Time management – Plans can change on daily basis!

Direct VS Consult Minutes Consult – Hardest area for me! How to fill this time? Observing student in classroom & different environments Talking to teacher and making suggestions In-services (verbal and written) with staff – What’s next? Material adaptations Ordering materials Research information and strategies for teacher and/or parents See how vision can be integrated into other related services Consult directly with student if appropriate

How to Write Assessments What do you need to find out? What area do you have to work in? Keep them brief Highlight key information and findings Keep professional language to a minimum so your audience will understand, OR be prepared to explain in meeting

Modifications for Assessments Modifications can be for: – Distance the person can walk – Time allotted to do the assessment – Abilities: Mental or physical

Daily Notes and Assessment Notes What to include: – Important key elements the student accomplished, worked on or was instructed on – How the above skill is important to the student’s goal – What to do next

Forming Goals You can start with a generic list of goals to pull from, just to get started Then make more specific goals that are individualized for each learner Learn about the clients wants and needs to establish goals Keep the goal practical to the person

Forming Goals- TVI Use assessment results from FVA or LMA Look at results from previous goals and edit or add to them as appropriate to continue student growth Talk to class teacher/IEP team to identify areas of weakness or concerns

Diversity No client is the same Everyone will have different: – Goals – Vision – Motivation – Mental capability, etc. You should work on adapting your teaching style to the person you are teaching

Technology Learn as much as you can about everything! Using technology in your lesson can better enrich the student – For example use the iPhone while on a mobility lesson for GPS, to take pictures, or to demonstrate another practical app

Lesson Planning Know your student’s goals! Have multiple lesson activities to chose from Pick a theme!

Program Planning (Duration) At Hines VA, Veteran’s stay at the center for a allotted amount of time, until they finish their program/reach their goals Ways to help plan a discharge: – Use/create a planning tool – During their first few days, assess them to see how they learn – How many goals do they have? How complex? – Draft their program, adding some extra time for schedule changes

Working with Families With Adults: – Make sure to have the correct consent – Be honest, especially when it about the individuals independence and safety – Keep in mind what the client wants in their program, but also listen to the family

Extra Responsibilities Take time to become comfortable in your new work environments, but make sure to make an effort to pick up extra tasks when you can Join a committee, or work group But do not take on too much!

Things don’t usually go as planned. Always have a back up plan. Stay open minded!