Supporting Students
In the book Promoting Health and Emotional Well-Being in Your Classroom, Randy and Tana Page present strategies and tools that teacher's can use to make a difference. Chapters 3 - Life Skills, and 4 - Dealing with stress, are particularly valuable to color blind students.
Life Skills
Life skills are abilities and behaviors that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. (Page & Page, 2011) Students who are color blind must develop strategies that help them cope with their visual disadvantage in a way that allows them to function, if not thrive, in a color saturated world.
Self Esteem
Self esteem is the evaluative component of self image; the positive or negative manner in which a person judges herself or himself. It is a product of what we perceive ourselves to be, how we want to be, and the expectations that we perceive others have for us. Often our sense of worth is influenced by how competent we perceive ourselves to be, if we feel we belong in groups that we esteem and if we feel we have something we can contribute. (Page & Page, 2011) Students with color blindness may get teased because of the colors they use in drawings, or because they are unable to see certain colors on a chart. Teasing can cause the student to devalue themselves and begin to become focused on others for validation rather then his/her self.
Character Education
Having good role models and a clear understanding of who he/she is can help students overcome poor self esteem. Character education can provide students with the tools needed to discover who they are by clarifying their values through a series of exercises. These exercises can help students with color blindness realize that they are more than their disability.
Self Evaluation
Self evaluation can be a tool that students can use to reflect on how they view themselves and others. Teachers can help students evaluate themselves realistically. Students can then decide if this is who they want to be, or they can work on strengthening their weaknesses. Students who are color blind sometimes need help realizing that they have strengths too. They may be excellent at music and history but weak in math. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It does not make anyone more or less than anyone else.
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills
Problem solving is a skill that color blind students use often. The world is full of color coded materials to make our lives easier, more visually appealing, and fun, but these materials cause problems for color blind individuals. Color blind individuals need to isolate the problem from the reality. This means that in reality they cannot control how many things in their life are color coded, but they can control how they respond. Color blind students need to learn resilience. Resilience is defined as succeeding despite serious challenges and adverse circumstances. (Page & Page, 2011)
Teachers should model the thought process of problem solving and making decisions. Ask students to help solve the problem and walk them through it. Include them in decision making whenever possible. Help students develop assets, or resources that they can use to be successful.
Dealing with Stress
Students who are color blind are constantly in a high stress environment. They cannot escape the world of color around them. Color plays a huge role in our society as it is integrated into our interactions, leisure activities, and our education system just to name a few. Color blind students live in a potentially highly stressful environment that can take a toll on their health.
Stress Reduction Skills
Color blind students may need longer to take tests and do worksheets that are color sensitive. They may need extra time to finish projects. Time may be a stressor, so to reduce this teachers should be understanding of time restraints.
Color blind students need to develop stress coping skills to help them deal with the stress of their visual disorder. It helps to have teachers and other role models to confide in and emulate. Teachers should try to encourage students and give support and advice when it is needed. Encourage color blind students to approach life with humor. If they color something with the wrong color students should learn to laugh about it rather than give in to stress and negative talk. Physical exertion is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Encourage students to join a sport, begin a running regimen, or join a dance team. These activities will help their bodies relax and release feel good endorphins.
Life Skills
Life skills are abilities and behaviors that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. (Page & Page, 2011) Students who are color blind must develop strategies that help them cope with their visual disadvantage in a way that allows them to function, if not thrive, in a color saturated world.
Self Esteem
Self esteem is the evaluative component of self image; the positive or negative manner in which a person judges herself or himself. It is a product of what we perceive ourselves to be, how we want to be, and the expectations that we perceive others have for us. Often our sense of worth is influenced by how competent we perceive ourselves to be, if we feel we belong in groups that we esteem and if we feel we have something we can contribute. (Page & Page, 2011) Students with color blindness may get teased because of the colors they use in drawings, or because they are unable to see certain colors on a chart. Teasing can cause the student to devalue themselves and begin to become focused on others for validation rather then his/her self.
Character Education
Having good role models and a clear understanding of who he/she is can help students overcome poor self esteem. Character education can provide students with the tools needed to discover who they are by clarifying their values through a series of exercises. These exercises can help students with color blindness realize that they are more than their disability.
Self Evaluation
Self evaluation can be a tool that students can use to reflect on how they view themselves and others. Teachers can help students evaluate themselves realistically. Students can then decide if this is who they want to be, or they can work on strengthening their weaknesses. Students who are color blind sometimes need help realizing that they have strengths too. They may be excellent at music and history but weak in math. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It does not make anyone more or less than anyone else.
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills
Problem solving is a skill that color blind students use often. The world is full of color coded materials to make our lives easier, more visually appealing, and fun, but these materials cause problems for color blind individuals. Color blind individuals need to isolate the problem from the reality. This means that in reality they cannot control how many things in their life are color coded, but they can control how they respond. Color blind students need to learn resilience. Resilience is defined as succeeding despite serious challenges and adverse circumstances. (Page & Page, 2011)
Teachers should model the thought process of problem solving and making decisions. Ask students to help solve the problem and walk them through it. Include them in decision making whenever possible. Help students develop assets, or resources that they can use to be successful.
Dealing with Stress
Students who are color blind are constantly in a high stress environment. They cannot escape the world of color around them. Color plays a huge role in our society as it is integrated into our interactions, leisure activities, and our education system just to name a few. Color blind students live in a potentially highly stressful environment that can take a toll on their health.
Stress Reduction Skills
Color blind students may need longer to take tests and do worksheets that are color sensitive. They may need extra time to finish projects. Time may be a stressor, so to reduce this teachers should be understanding of time restraints.
Color blind students need to develop stress coping skills to help them deal with the stress of their visual disorder. It helps to have teachers and other role models to confide in and emulate. Teachers should try to encourage students and give support and advice when it is needed. Encourage color blind students to approach life with humor. If they color something with the wrong color students should learn to laugh about it rather than give in to stress and negative talk. Physical exertion is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Encourage students to join a sport, begin a running regimen, or join a dance team. These activities will help their bodies relax and release feel good endorphins.