American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Winter 2024 WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Expanding Possibilities Through Teachers of Tomorrow
by Anil Lewis
"The Teachers of Tomorrow program opened my mind to all the possibilities my students could achieve," says Jodi Powell, a teacher of blind and low-vision students. "This was the first opportunity I had to meet adults who are blind, who followed their dreams, created their families, and achieved their goals. The Teachers of Tomorrow program taught me that my students can achieve, as long as they have the tools they need."
In January 2021, with the generous financial support of the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation, the National Federation of the Blind revitalized its Teachers of Tomorrow program. The program grew out of recognition that few sighted teachers who work with blind and low-vision students know any blind adults. They have never met blind people who actually use the skills they teach to their students. It would be as though a classroom teacher who teaches print reading and writing to sighted students had never met any adults who read and write print in their daily lives.
Teachers of Tomorrow provides a group of teachers of blind students with the chance to meet and learn from blind adults who live rich, active lives. The 2023-24 Teachers of Tomorrow program brings together an enthusiastic group of new and early-career teachers for monthly virtual professional development sessions and periodic face-to-face gatherings. Participants got an overview of the organized blind movement when they visited the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, and they gained hands-on experience with advocacy by attending Washington Seminar. At the Louisiana Center for the Blind they observed the Structured Discovery method of teaching orientation and mobility skills.
Each meeting focuses on a specific aspect of teaching, but all meetings highlight the lived experiences of blind people. Teachers hear firsthand about the educational opportunities and outlooks on blindness that prepare blind students for lives of personal and professional fulfillment.
"There simply aren't enough words to describe the incredible experience that I've had, and continue to have, with NFB’s Teachers of Tomorrow program," says program alum Ashley Walley. "I anticipated every meeting with pen and paper at the ready to take in all of the lived experiences of the amazing blind adults I would never have had the opportunity to encounter without this program. I gained many friends through this program whom I keep in regular contact with, consistently bouncing ideas off one another, seeking solidarity with one another, and reminding each other of the inspiration we felt through the program to continue forth in our chosen field."
"I have incorporated adding Braille to picture books, and I also use more physical items in my teaching," says Teacher of Tomorrow Heather Janes. "My students have enjoyed this opportunity for more engagement. I look forward to other experiences as I continue to grow into my TVI role, and I am grateful for this group."
This July our Teachers of Tomorrow will join thousands of enthusiastic Federationists at the NFB National Convention in Orlando, Florida. At the largest gathering of blind people anywhere in the world, they will examine the latest technology, listen to dynamic speakers, and meet blind people from all over the United States and beyond. We're confident that our Federation family will make them welcome. At Convention they will have the chance to meet thousands of blind people who are living the lives they want.
To learn more about Teachers of Tomorrow and to apply for the 2024-25 program, visit https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/teachers-tomorrow.