The Guys Group: Navigating the Terrain of Adult Life Using Aspects of the Expanded Core Curriculum

Abstract

As has been well documented, the skills outlined in the expanded core curriculum (ECC) provide students with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) with access to the core curriculum as well as skills for living and employment (Sapp & Hatlen, 2010). The ECC identifies nine areas of instruction: compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes; orientation and mobility; social interaction skills; independent living skills; recreation and leisure skills; career education; use of assistive technology; sensory efficiency skills; and self-determination. Those of us in the field of visual impairment understand that general classroom teaching alone may not be able to adequately address these domains and that alternative instructional models need to be explored. With this goal in mind, at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the school psychologists of the California School for the Blind (CSB) implemented a program that designated one class period per week to specific ECC classes. Teachers proposed class topics they felt would be important for students to learn. Students also had the opportunity to propose topics of interest that would arise in this designated time slot. Students and teachers also expressed interest in developing supplemental discussion groups to address ECC-based practical living skills, including any obstacles to learning that students might encounter. To explore this discussion group approach, the CSB school psychologists asked me to lead what they termed a guys group, with the help of a male paraeducator. The idea was to hold weekly meetings to discuss ECC-related skills as well as sensitive topics related to aspects of adolescence--such as dating, anxiety, body image, and alcohol and drugs--which could be explored most openly in a single-sex group. Although not described in the report presented here, a school psychologist created a separate group for female students. As further described below, students took an active role in shaping the format and content of the group. There were six students, ages 16 to 22, who volunteered to participate. This report describes the implementation of the group for male students, as well as lessons learned, to help inform future curriculum development. GUYS GROUP AND ECC STANDARDS In addition to addressing personal issues, the Guys Group curriculum fit nicely into several of the ECC categories: social interaction, independent living skills, recreation and leisure, orientation and mobility, assistive technology, self-determination, and career education. As the group leader, spent time before each session preparing a lesson plan that focused on reasonable topics that would flow from one class to the next. asked the group what topics they wanted to discuss. Early on, the students selected the following topics: addiction, anxiety, body image, and how are men and boys with visual impairments perceived differently than those who are sighted? was afraid that would have a hard time getting the group to open up and talk, but from the beginning this was never a problem. conducted some research on group checkin styles (that is, approaches to initiating discussions in a group context to help group members reflect on the prior week) and presented a few options to the students. The group decided on a check-in that included talking about something that was good about their day or week and something that was bad. The group check-in quickly became a favorite part of the weekly experience. Students would remind me if the check-in had not begun or if a particular group member had not yet taken his turn. One student commented, It's a cool place to come to and have the floor to talk freely without judgment or ridicule. Things get real in here sometimes. Another student said, I like being able to come in here and go on tangents; you know, talk about the questions I've been pondering all day. …