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Itinerant Teaching Tips

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated March 28, 2022
Itinerant teaching can be very rewarding but can also be challenging. Creating and recreating schedules, conducting assessments, meeting and collaborating with a variety of teams, not to mention serving a wide range of students with varying ages, abilities and acuities can be overwhelming. Getting organized can help eliminate some of the stress. The following are some tips to help fellow TVI's.

Become Familiar with the Area

Itinerant teachers spend a lot of time traveling between schools. Knowing different routes can be a lifesaver when there’s heavy traffic or you're caught behind a school bus, tractor, snowplow or there are construction or flooding and road closures (Yes, I've experienced all!). If you are new to an area or are going to a new school, take the time to become familiar with the area. A GPS can be helpful, but an old fashion map can also help give you an overview of an area...and can also be helpful if your're built in navigation quits (Yep. That's happened too!). You can opt to purchase a map or you can typically obtain a free map by visiting the local Chamber of Commerce, Visitor Center or Department of Transportation.                  

Travel Time

Driving is an expected part of your job as an itinerant teacher. Some schools may be just across the street or down the road from each other, but it is more likely that you will spend between 20 minutes to an hour between schools…hopefully not longer! Safety should always come first, so don’t multitask if you are easily distracted or if travel conditions are poor. Driving time can be a good time to think through lessons, upcoming IEPs, conversations or other work-related information. It can also be used listening to podcasts…or just singing your heart out to relieve stress. I typically pack small snacks to eat on the road rather than sitting down for a lunch break which frees you to do other activities during your lunch break. Need some portable snack ideas? Here are some of my favorite easy to eat and relatively healthy (and gluten-free!) on the road snack ideas:
  • Apple or other easy to eat fruit
  • Cheese with crackers (hint: slice the cheese at home...I tried doing this while driving with not so great results!!)
  • String cheese 
  • Baby Carrots with an individual hummus cup
  • Veggie straws or other snacks/chips
  • Nuts, Seeds, or dried chickpeas
  • Chia Squeeze
  • GoGo Applesauce squeeze
  • Individual box of raisins or craisins
  • Trail mix
  • KIND bars or other granola or protein bar
  • Go Picnic boxes
  • sandwiches, pitas or wraps 
  • Skinny Pop popcorn bags ;)

Organizing Your Car

Your car is your office on wheels so you will want to keep it organized and supplied with materials. Opt for a car that you feel comfortable and safe in, has an available trunk and gets good gas mileage! It is important to keep up with service including oil changes and making sure your tires are in good shape. Joining AAA (American Automobile Association) and keeping up with the membership is something I have chosen to do as an itinerant teacher for peace of mind. Even with AAA, it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with how to change a tire and carry cable jumpers in your trunk. In addition to work binders and materials, I like to keep the following in my car:
  • Cell phone charger 
  • Laptop (of course you may not want to leave it in a hot car!)
  • Notepad
  • Pencils/pens
  • Hard candy :)
  • Kleenex
  • First aid kit
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Travel wipes
  • Umbrella(s)
  • Local map (this sounds "old school" but there are times when your GPS won't work)
  • Plasticware
  • Crate in the trunk so materials don’t roll around
  • Collapsible dolly
  • Blanket
  • Ice scraper/brush in the winter (yup. Still occasionally need these during northern GA winters!)
  • Bottle(s) of water
  • Small pair of scissors
  • Nail clippers
  • An accordion file of forms frequently needed in meetings

Work Bag(s)

I carry a work bag with me throughout the day to keep myself organized. I keep the following items in my bag so I can have everything I need at my fingertips.
  • I keep the typical essential items such as pens, pencils, highlighter, scissors, etc. in a small bag.
  • I’m “old school” and keep a month-at-a-glance planner. I like to write my direct students and keep track of consults and meetings. I also use email calendar invites for meetings which help all invitees remember meetings and appointments. I write the miles between appointments on each day and keep track of the total miles driven each day to help with end of the month mileage forms.
  • VI Program Handbook with Data Collection.​ Although I used to carry both a Data Collection Binder and a VI Program Handbook, I have worked to consolidate and combine these two resources this past year to lighten my bag...and provide relief to my shoulders and back! I keep only the information that I regularly refer to in this binder. It's a must have and goes with me everywhere! Read more about how I set up this handbook on the VI Program Handbook page. 

Program Printables

Sign up for free membership to access the FREE downloadable handbooks and handouts on the Free Program Printables page along with access to the Goal Bank pages. Simply click on the Log In | Register link in the navigation bar. If you haven't joined yet, you will be prompted to create a password. ​​Below are just a few examples of the many free printable resources.

Tips for Being a "Physically Fit" TVI Recorded Presentation

$25.00

Itinerant teaching is very rewarding, but it can present many challenges as well. TVI’s must be able to work well with a variety of personalities to best support students and their teams. It is just as essential to be organized, flexible, reliable, and a team player as it is to be knowledgeable in your field. Seeking out professional development opportunities, developing a professional support system and continually striving to excel will foster growth in all TVI’s whether new to the field or those with years of experience. The intent of this session is to provide strategies for itinerant TVI’s to excel in their careers by providing specific strategies to improve their effectiveness as an itinerant VI professional. ​​This hour-long presentation is packed full of tips and strategies from Carmen Willings who has been a full time Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments for over 20 years. This webinar is perfect for TVI's just entering the field and for all TVI's as they start the new school year!


Objectives:


  • Learn organization and time management strategies.
  • Improve effectiveness as a professional and in coping with challenges.
  • Identify strategies to grow in career 


Ways to Access the Presentation


  • Recorded PowerPoint Show of Tips for Being a Physically Fit TVI
  • Closed Caption Video Recording of Webinar 
  • Tips for being a "Physically Fit" TVI Transcript​
  • Tips for Being a Physically Fit TVI Handout


Request a Certificate of Completion

To receive a certificate of completion for 1 contact hour, complete the short "Be A Physically Fit TVI" quiz on Google Forms and receive a score of at least 80%. Don't worry. If you don't pass, you can look over your notes or re-watch the presentation and retake the test! If you have any accessibility issues with the form, please don't hesitate to let me know and we can make other arrangements.  


System Requirements:

Presentations are recorded PowerPoint presentations. You must be able to access PowerPoint to view the PowerPointpresentation. Please note that the presentation pages are closed member pages available to individuals who have purchase access to the presentation. 


*Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO.
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