Hi I'm Kaijah
This is my Teacher for Visual Impairment Miss Mathew.
In the picture we are running together in the field after flying kites at Easter time.
I have some vision difficulties but other than that I'm just like everyone else. I go to a school like everyone else, i like to run and jump and play and learn and have fun like everyone else.
It's just that since my vision isn't like everyone else the things most children do at my age are little difficult for me...
Sometimes i feel a bit shy around others and in my classroom sometimes it is hard for me to read and learn as quickly as my classmates.
That's why i have a special teacher! Miss Mathew comes to see me from the Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind. She makes sure i don't get left behind in my work because sometimes it''s hard to go as fast as everyone else. She helps me feel comfortable and encourages me to do all the things everyone else does she lets me know it's okay to be shy but encourages me and helps me to be brave too!
She is patient with me, which is very important because sometimes i get really frustrated that i have to do things differently than others and when i don't understand things, she helps me and my mainstream teacher find a solutions, sometimes by myself and sometimes with others. We all work together to make sure i get the concepts that i need to grow up smart, healthy, independent and feeling confident in myself.
That doesn't stop me from feeling a little shy when i meet new people though but I'm working on that too!
Oh! I forgot to mention another really really special person. This is my daddy!
He is always a big supporter in my life!
He, my mommy, grandpa and all the rest of my family love me so much and always makes sure i have the things i need to grow up into a great member of society. They takes me not just to school but to Resource Centre for the Blind events where i meet lots of other children who, like me, struggle with their vision sometimes too. This is great because it reminds me that i am not the only one with this difficulty and i love meeting new friends that understand what it's like to be visually impaired.
When i am tired after a hard day of playing, meeting new friends, eating lots of yummy food, flying kites, learning new techniques to see things in a way that is most comfortable for me or learning in the classroom he takes me home to rest (it's hard being a little girl you know!)
I know he loves me so much and is proud of me and i love him too and love making him proud!
Miss Mathew is a great teacher! She always tries to make sure i don't forget anything at the end of the day when daddy comes to get me, she tries to makes sure I'm mentally and physically equipped for all the sight challenges i face and may face someday. She greets me with love and encouragement at the beginning of my days with her and at the end!
I'm so lucky to have not one teacher in school but a special teacher as well, both of them trying to understand my educational needs. Plus a daddy, relatives and all the teachers at the Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind and my mainstream school who encourage me to be the best person i can grow up to be!.
It is wonderful to be surrounded by so much love!
