News from New Life

A new school year began for us in Santa Maria in mid-January.  We have received a number of new students, some with rather severe learning and physical disabilities.  My student load this year has increased to about 30 students, all of whom need special attention and customized instruction to be able to learn to read, write and do basic math.





Cesar (left) and Dulce (below) teaching me how to use their “name sign.”





I continue to work with our deaf students two days a week, but we are ecstatic to have the help of Latin Deaf Services two days a week.  Three of their staff members come and work with our deaf children, teaching them Guatemalan sign language, and working on academic skills as well.  I so enjoy when these kids come up to "talk" to me. . .I only wish I were better at understanding their signing.





One of the most exciting things I am doing this year is working with Yamelin, our blind student.  Last June a good friend, Donna Hultmann, a teacher of the visually handicapped. came and spent two weeks working with us and helping us plan for our blind and low vision students.  This was a huge blessing, since we really had very little idea how to approach teaching students who could not see.




We had thought that Yamelin was autistic as well as blind, but Donna told us that what we were seeing was pretty typical of a blind child who has not been worked with.  After talking with Yamelin’s mother, she agreed to begin sending Yamelin to school when classes began in January.

Using the techniques suggested by Donna, along with a high amount of predictability and structure, we are seeing great progress.  Yamelin is walking to our classroom with minimal help, and loves to ride the elevator.  She is using more and more spontaneous language, and is beginning to learn general concepts as well as identifying specific objects.  She is using her hands meaningfully to complete simple tasks independently. More and more she is listening to what is going on in group activities, both in my room and in her regular classroom.

I never expected to be honing new teaching skills at this point in my career, but I have to admit I’m enjoying the challenge.  I love how the kids teach me something new everyday.