My dearest grade school teacher! Remembering my favourite Mrs. Mauns

Ah yes!  She was one of my favourite teachers!  She was always there for me when I attended Primary School.  She helped to mold me. She made me smile almost every day and she was always there to protect me, share positive thinking, but most of all?  She helped me to develop an attitude to think outside the box!

Mrs. Mauns was everything that any child could ask for in a teacher!  Patient to the end was what she was.  Innovative, entertaining, and always there to guide, advise, mildly scold and so much more!

Thank you, my Dear Mrs. Mauns!  My teacher forever!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly award-winning sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.
 
If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

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A very important part of my life: How the apparatus helped me

These were different learning tools that our teachers at primary school used to help us learn so many things. I personally thank my beloved teacher, Mrs. Mondey, for having introduced them to me.

There were the boards where we had to fit the right shapes into the right grooves.  Boards where we had to count the holes in the pieces of plastic and then fit them over the matching holes.  Pegs that we used to make Braille letters.  Blocks, Legos, and one of my favorites!  A board where we had to fit the right printed letters into the right grooves.  There was no way that we could either think of cheating or even get away with not matching things.  Oh no!  Everything had to be precise and perfect.

Then there were the pieces of apparatus that we used to build things. Apparatus that were meant to help us strengthen our fingers.  Village sets where we used components to create villages.  Little train sets, step builders, fitting mini barrels into each other based on size, and so much more.

Images of these pieces still dance vividly in my mind whenever I let them. These were such happy memories and there was so much more to go along with these pieces of apparatus.  The games that Mrs. Mondey devised, playing shop every Friday, and the mini competitions that she devised for us to remain engaged and active.

We were extremely fortunate to have had her as a teacher and I shall forever remember her!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
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She is just so refreshing: My new knitting teacher

She is bubbly and she is simply a going concern.  She is exciting and she is a people's person.  Her name is Rochelle and since October 2017 I have been continuing my knitting lessons with her.

She came to me after my previous teacher, Robbie, left his post at The Purple Purl knitting shop and took another job.  It was Robbie who recommended her to me.

I feel that I need to re-commit myself to my knitting as I have not spent enough time with it and I am committed to doing just that.  I am going to spend more time concentrating on what I need to do in order to be a good knitter.

Last Christmas I won a knitting basket in a raffle and then Robbie sent me a ball of wool with which to make a hat.  So I am on my way.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
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So much to learn and laugh about: Learning lots with Robbie, my knitting teacher

Like my pottery classes, I have been attending my knitting sessions for some time now, about two and a half years.  I can tell you that I have absolutely no regrets.  I decided to take up knitting in order to build my ability to be more patient and it sure has paid off for me.

First I had Miko as a teacher and she was absolutely wonderful. But when she went on maternity leave about a year ago I got Robbie and what a fantastic teacher and person he has been to me.

Robbie has taught and continues to teach me so much, not just knitting skills but other things as well.  I have learned how to persevere in a more efficient way and how to focus more clearly.

I have learned how to not give up too easily and how to better analyze problems before coming up with suggested solutions. I have also learned how not to panic too easily.

My sense of touch has increased and gotten better.  My problem-solving skills have improved noticeably, but above all, Robbie has taught me that there are no barriers to learning.

Once you put your mind to it, the outcome will be what you desire and being vision-impaired is no excuse.  You just need to find ways to overcome.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Wonderful times with two lovely ladies: In the pottery studio with Joan and Joan

 have been taking pottery classes for almost three years now and I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  I have gotten a wonderful opportunity to meet some very great people: my teacher, Joan Spears, and my classmate, Joan Robinson.

I have found an avenue to create and develop my own pottery pieces but most of all I have found a way to develop more patience.

Joan and Joan are my constant companions every week.  They are both so cool, calm, and collected.  Nothing seems to rattle them and there always seems to be a solution to everything.

No challenge seems to be too big to overcome.  There never seems to be a problem too difficult to tackle, but most of all!  There is always an answer to every question!

When I first started my pottery classes I was a bit hesitant as to whether or not I, as a vision-impaired person, would be able to cope let alone create. But here I am almost three years later, enjoying my pottery making.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Tom the teacher

I think that most would agree with me that good teachers are often very hard to come by and when you find one just hold on to them with all of your might and never let go. Praise them, appreciate them, and let them know how much you need them.

Tom Dekker is one such teacher. He is blind, has a lovely guide dog named Abe, and he has simply opened up the world of mobile devices and apps to me. Tom is patient, humorous, but above all, he never gives up and his lessons are just a mind blower. They are never boring!

I think that any student would be happy to have Tom the teacher as their mentor. He does not let his blindness hold him back. He is just not a teacher but also an accomplished music player. Sighted or blind, it does not matter to Tom.

If he does not know the answer to a question he goes out there and finds it for me! He has an uncanny ability to think outside of the box! He can teach blind and sighted students alike and you know what? He knows just when to jump in and help and just when to back off and let me do things for myself.

Ah yes! That’s my Tom the terrific teacher! A breeze in a bottle! As humble as pie, speaks his mind, and always positive! What more can I honestly ask for?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others about Tom my teacher. Come by and visit me any time at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Describing nature to the blind

I can still remember those nature lessons as a child, as my teachers referred to them, and boy did we learn so much. I thank my grade school teachers for having had the foresight to teach us all about insects, flowers, and so much more.

I learned by touch as my vision at that time was not enough to see detail. I learned what a bird's nest felt like as somehow my teachers procured a deserted one for us. I felt a beetle's back, the back of a crab, and then the fun stuff! Those beautiful sweet smelling flowers, the elegant butter cups, and the roses. We got to hold delicate butterflies in our little hands; they were not alive of course and we even felt caterpillars and moths.

We learned to identify fruits by touch. We felt plants with their leaves and stems. We felt branches and trunks of trees and then we were taken to the river where we felt stones, walked in the water, and were shown how to make boats out of leaves and then float them down the river.

We were taken on hikes and outings in the valley. We felt the grass, sat on tree stumps, and listened to the birds. Our teachers taught us to identify birds by the sound of their voices. We visited with the cows and goats and even got the chance to touch them as they stood quietly. Heck, we even got the chance to ride a donkey.

Oh how I loved those times as a child and shall forever remember them. I thank my teachers for having given me these wonderful lessons and memories.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my thoughts with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more about the world of blind persons.