At the University of Florida, I received permission from the Chemistry Department to work as a Teaching Assistant for a General Chemistry section. At first, I thought I would need an access assistant with me in class to read the powerpoint slides that I prepared. This proved itself to be a falsehood. Instead of using an access assistant, I called on the students to get involved.
Right away, I informed the class that I was blind and let them know they had to speak out and be very vocal about their questions. Although I memorized most of the information in my slideshows, whenever I opened a new slide, I would say, “Ok, I need someone to read the problem on the screen.” Students quickly became comfortable speaking up and participating in class. I always had students go up to the board to work problems, while the rest of the class and I would work through the problem verbally.
Visit my
Teaching Experience page to learn more about my experiences as a TA.
In my new position at Northeastern, I am now teaching classes in the Bioengineering Department. Although I am teaching, I am always looking for ways to improve. I'm currently in the process of beta-testing some new teaching methods, so check back for updates on my process.
I thought that my blindness would hinder my teaching ability, but rather, it led me to create a highly interactive classroom atmosphere. I had good attendance throughout the semester, even though attendance was not required. One student told me, “This class always goes by so fast,” a sure sign of student interest. Due to student enthusiasm and academic performance, the Chemistry Department that had been so apprehensive about hiring their first blind TA actually asked me to teach again.
Visit my
Teaching Experience page to read some of the student reviews.