What should be the role of the teacher in the education of visually impaired children?
Role of Teacher
The teacher is of great importance. Teachers of visually impaired children should be familiar with the structure, cleanliness of the eye, common eye diseases and difficulties. He should arrange for medicines, light, bodily goods and educational material. Must be familiar with the proper method of study. He should recognize emotional difficulties along with psychological and educational difficulties. He should recognize the present and future needs of the child. He should teach children to solve problems. A teacher can develop such qualities in the child, so that he can make good social, educational and vocational adjustment. He should try to inculcate such capacity in the child that he should not bring in the inferior idea of his physical weakness. He should also meet the parents of the children. Visually impaired children have started studying in the classes of normal schools. There is a slight improvement in the curriculum for these children. In normal schools, there is a provision for a source teacher and a source room. Both the general teacher and the source teacher are responsible for the education of visually impaired children. In fact, this responsibility lies with the general teacher only. The source teacher then helps them in solving their difficulties and problems. Therefore, the general teacher should have the knowledge and skill that how to teach visually impaired children. It is necessary to understand the following things of general education
(1) A visually impaired child has the same right to receive education as a normal person has. The facility of equal opportunities of education is a “constitutional provision”. The visually impaired are not admitted in normal schools. Then there is no justification for not admitting them.
(2) Before admitting a visually impaired child to a normal school, the source teacher should be consulted. Special education, specific methods and techniques are required for planning education.
(3) The general teacher should arrange teaching aids for visually impaired children. He should also make efforts in this direction.
(4) The teacher should tell the normal children that the visually impaired children should be helped in every way. Apart from reading and writing, they also have difficulty in walking.
(5) Children with visual impairment should be provided with learning experiences like normal children. Problems should be solved separately.
(6) The teacher should encourage interaction between normal and visually impaired people and promote relations with them.
(7) As far as possible, participation in all activities of the school should be encouraged and given opportunity.
(8) The visually impaired should also be given homework like normal people.
(9) The teacher should take care of the proper environment and seating facilities in the class for these students. Lighting should be taken care of in the class, be seated on the front chairs. Teaching aids should be used properly, capital letters should be written on the blackboard. They get tired very quickly, so the period should also be relatively short.
(10) Most teachers use gestures, signs and nonverbal language more in classroom teaching. Visually impaired people cannot take advantage of nonverbal language, so they should be expressed in words also. Vocational Guidance - Educational and vocational guidance of visually impaired people are related to each other. For a successful educational guidance, it is necessary that every aspect of the personality of the child should be taken into account. For example- physical and mental abilities and disabilities, his emotional development, social qualities, desires, interests, attitudes etc. It should also be seen whether the wishes of the owner are his own or are influenced by someone else. Various tests must be taken to give vocational guidance. For a successful guidance, cooperation between parents/guardians, teachers, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and directors is essential. It has also been found that visually impaired people can become judges, lawyers, teachers, traders, etc. Therefore, their development should not be stopped and they should be encouraged completely.
Classroom Management in Mainsteaming in the Mainstream of Education
The education of visually impaired children can be given in the classroom of normal schools. But visually impaired children are able to acquire knowledge only by hearing and touch, when the curriculum is the same, but special importance should be given to positive curriculum. For them, the teaching method should be such that multi-sense experience can be given. For visually impaired children Positive curriculum should be used, which helps them to beg and is convenient for them. Additional courses The main areas of the curriculum should not be used. Development of skills makes learning easier.
1. Braille script system
2. Use of Auxiliary Materials
3. Provide walking training
4. Development of Social Skills
5. Development of Skills and
6. Training of the senses
In the co-curricular activities, mental activities such as music, should be included in other educational competitions. Practiced physical and mental activities. Dance skills can also be developed. Training of these children should be given only under coordinated conditions.
Use of Teaching Equipments
The development of teaching technology has made a significant contribution in the education of visually impaired children. Partially visually impaired children get special benefits. Many types of counting instruments, watches, audio equipment have been developed. Convex mirrors, glasses or visual aids are also used. Devices have been developed to make figures, letters and pictures appear larger. Visually impaired children can take control of the school environment with the help of above mentioned special equipments using vision cameras, movable telescopes also. They can be trained in the following directions.
1. Guidance is given in walking in the school and in the classroom, so that they can do their movements comfortably.
2 . As per his requirement, he can come in and out of class and class himself without any help.
3. Direction should be given to travel to other places of the school.
4. Can control only one activity at the same time.
5. All activities should be practiced by them.
6. They should be given specific details, their memory power is relatively high. Recognize a person by his speech.
7. Other aides and companions must be called by name as they cannot see who is being signaled.
8. When he goes out and he should be given a Buddy.
9. Any change has been made in the school, they should be given full information.
