I guess my query about “best practice” touched a nerve with some of my friends/ colleagues… responses are still coming..
As part of an instructional methods class at PCO a group of graduate students (both working and pre-service TVI’s) brainstormed a list of what is ”Best Practice” for working with VI students.
I remember being a bit stunned by some of the “obvious” & low tech points that came up on our list. These included: have students use trays for activities, use no-slip mat under sheets of Braille, use 20/20 or other thick line markers, ask student for permission before touching them, use hand-under-hand instruction.
I think that a piece of “best practice” is the “common sense” things that we who have been educators for some time (or had very good training) do without thinking. Things like “creating transitions between activities” and “activating prior knowledge.” These when these things are in place in the natural rhythm of a classroom, (theoretically) there is a natural flow.
I remember in my undergraduate BS Ed. training in one of the first classes I took the professor told us that we would not be “experienced” teachers until we had 3 years of teaching experience. I think that new teachers can find out about best practice by observing experienced teachers, talking to experienced teachers, reading peer reviewed journals to see what other educators are able to quantify about teaching and learning.
My experience with school systems and institutions is that there is always some new “system” that is being promoted. Teachers are supposed to accept the new inservice indoctrination, learn the language of the system, and incorporate the system into their lesson plans, curriculum, etc. The feedback I hear from experienced teachers (8-15 + years & not too cynical) is that in education the pendulum swings in one direction, and then back again.
To survive these one must be like a reed & bend in the wind.
There is usually some value to these systems. I recommend gleaning them as they come up for “best practice” or “tools for your kit” or whatever you want to call it.
Well, very easy for me to be philosophical. I’m home with 3 preschoolers & not in a classroom presently.
and…
could be off, but every time I hear “best practice” it reminds me of Sundays. Sundays my grandma would dress my sister and I up to go to church. Every week, before we got out of the car, grandma would say, “Now girls, I want you to practice your best behavior”. She never told us what best behavior was, or even why we were only practicing (were we going to be tested later? 
) I think best practice is kinda like that. It’s what we as a group believe to be the best way to do something. We might not be 100% sure- maybe hence the word “practice”- but we’re pretty sure that this particular thing would be best for this particular child. As was noted before, I don’t think there’s a really hard-and-fast standard. I think it’s situational, and also depends on who you’re dealing with.
) I think best practice is kinda like that. It’s what we as a group believe to be the best way to do something. We might not be 100% sure- maybe hence the word “practice”- but we’re pretty sure that this particular thing would be best for this particular child. As was noted before, I don’t think there’s a really hard-and-fast standard. I think it’s situational, and also depends on who you’re dealing with. For example, you have a kid who is learning both braille and print. Braille she can do with no problem, but print she can only do with a 20/20 pen, Wikki Stix, and a CCTV. “Best practice” would be to focus this child’s educational program primarily on learning Braille.
I’m probably not helping. I just can’t think of how one can clearly set parameters for best practice. It seems like one of those “I’ll know it when I see it.” Things.
