Igniting your Creative Genius as Teacher for Students with Visual Impairments
Creativity: More Than Just for Art Class
One of the first things Julia said really stuck with me: “Creativity isn’t just for art class.” It was such a simple statement, but it hit home. For Julia, creativity is the key to unlocking student engagement and deeper learning.
She told me about her early days working with individuals with disabilities in her 4H club, where introducing horseback riding as an activity taught her the power of thinking outside the box. That’s when she realized that a creative approach could transform how students learn.
Listening to Julia’s journey, she applies creativity to everything, from designing lessons to using assistive technology, viewing it as more than just a way to make learning fun—it’s about making it meaningful for each student.
Bringing Creativity to the Classroom Through Clarity Workshops
I couldn’t wait to hear more about her work with Clarity Workshops. Julia helps educators incorporate creativity into their daily lessons, and her strategies really impressed me.
Her top tip? Connect learning goals with students’ passions.
“When I find out what excites a student, I use that to guide the lesson,” she said. She shared a story about a student who was passionate about Minecraft. Julia shares how she would prepare a student like Johnny, who’s about to visit a petting zoo. Since Johnny loves Minecraft, she plans to tap into that passion to make the experience more engaging.
She would start by talking about farm workers and planning the journey, using sensory efficiency skills like touch, sound, and smell to help Johnny connect with the animals. To boost his confidence, they’d research the animals in advance, learning about their appearance, behavior, and sounds.
Then, Julia would tie it all back to Minecraft, asking Johnny how the real animals compare to those in his game. For her, it’s all about understanding what excites Johnny and using that to bring new experiences to life in a way that feels personal and fun.
What I loved most about this part of our conversation was how grounded Julia’s strategies were in real classroom challenges. Her approach is practical, and it left me feeling excited to try some of these ideas with my own students.
Want to know more about Clarity Workshops? Click the link here.
Blending Goals to Maximize Teaching Time
Julia also touched on a topic that hit close to home—feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of goals we need to address with students. I could relate to this challenge, and Julia explained how she had figured out a creative solution: blending goals.
“I love blending goals now,” she said. Hearing her explain this was a game-changer for me. In one lesson, a student might practice navigating the classroom (O&M) while also learning to ask for help (communication skill). It made so much sense!
“You know, utilize a lesson plan that maybe you think is only going to address cane skills. But what I challenge myself to do with these lesson plans is okay, so we’re addressing cane skills, sure, but what else can we still be doing? What else can we be hitting on within this cane skill lesson plan? And like it’s the possibilities are endless.”
Instead of feeling stretched thin, you can creatively integrate goals to make the most of your time with students.
Empowering Students through Creativity
As our conversation wound down, I asked Julia what she believed was the most important takeaway from her teaching philosophy. Her response was both simple and profound: “Creativity empowers students.”
For Julia, creativity isn’t just about fun lessons—it’s about giving students ownership of their learning. By connecting lessons to what excites them, Julia helps her students become more engaged, confident, and independent. I could tell this empowerment wasn’t just a goal for her; it’s the heart of her work.
Her approach helps students feel more capable of navigating life beyond the classroom, equipped with the skills they need to succeed.
Julia’s Step Forward
for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility Specialists:
“Do not let yourself become isolated. Reach out, collaborate with people you wouldn’t expect would be helpful, people outside of your field. You know, talk with talk with everybody in the school. Everybody can help you to be a better teacher, and everybody can help you to support your students. Do not let yourself stay siloed. There’s a world of community out there at your fingertips that you might not even know exists, but they are there. ”
topics: orientation and mobility, classroom modifications, students with visual impairments, learners with visual impairments, blind, orientation and mobility specialist, orientation and mobility, teachers of students with visual impairment, teachers of the visually impaired, TVI, O&M, organization, classroom tips, classroom strategies, visual impairments, education, inclusive education, special education, accessibility, clutter-free, organization tips, collaboration, creativity