I have wanted to write about this experience for a while, but I chose to wait. I recently overcame a surprising challenge. This time, I had a little help.
All education majors in the state must take various MTTCs, Michigan tests for teacher certification. I took the basic skills test a few years ago upon acceptance into my college's education program. I also took the elementary education exam just over a year ago. I passed these with high scores. I did have accommodations such as large print and an alternative answer sheet that was easier for me to read. I also had extended time, as it takes me longer to read.
As I approached graduation this December, I knew I needed to take three additional certification tests for cognitive impairment, math education, and integrated science education. Although I do not plan to teach after graduation, I wanted to take these tests while the information was fresh in my brain.
I paid my $200 and got ready for the test. I did not study, but I felt well prepared from Calvin's amazing faculty. Still, I wasn't prepared for the difficulties that awaited me. Before my biggest challenge, I had to overcome transportation issues to get to the test. I had decided to register to test in Kalamazoo, as there are many trains between Chicago (where I'm living) and Kalamazoo each day. I planned to stay with a friend who lives there.
A couple days before the test, I realized that the bus route from my friend's house would not get me to the test on time. After panicking a bit, I booked a hotel about three miles from my testing site. I knew that I would be able to take the bus from this location.
Then, the night before the test, I realized that I would not be receiving accommodations on any of these exams. Apparently students with disabilities must reapply for accommodations if a year has passed between exams. I really just wanted to scream and say, "Hello! Still blind here!" but I was too busy trying to figure out what to do.
I'll be the first to admit that I completely freaked out. Do you want to know the last time I took an exam using a standard answer sheet with the pesky little circles to fill in? I don't remember the exact year, but I believe it was second or third grade. I failed a standardized test because I completely botched the answer sheet, unable to see the tiny circles.
This realization was just the start. I wondered how I would read regular sized print for 300 exam questions with no extended time. I wondered how my eyes would react. Frankly, I wondered if I could read the test at all.
Before I went to bed that night, I had to change my own mind. I had to just go with it. Refunds were unavailable. I decided that the worst thing that could happen would be that I would fail like I did in elementary school by messing up the answer sheet. I decided to try.
Many things have changed for me since that day in elementary. One of the most drastic changes has been technology. When I was in elementary school, I rarely used any type of reading glasses, because the magnification available did not help me very much. By the end of elementary, I had 8x reading glasses, a fairly new type of lens that allowed me to read as small as 12 or 14 point font.
During my most recent exams, I used 16x reading glasses. These new layered lenses allow me to see newspaper sized print. I knew this going into the test. However, I also knew that using magnification reduces my visual field, slowing me down. I'm naturally a slower reader with my tunnel vision, so I feared that I would not finish the tests. In addition, I was taking one test in the morning session and two tests in the afternoon. This meant that the two tests in the afternoon would need to be completed within the amount of time that most students take for just one test.
Then there was the answer sheet. While my glasses are strong, they cannot help with contrast. Red, for instance, is incredibly difficult for me to see. What color were those pesky little circles on my answer sheets? You guessed it, red.
I sat in a high school classroom mainly with students who had failed their tests before and were retaking them. I was so determined that I would not have to retake a single test if I could help it. I just went with it. I ended up spending about 8.5 hours that day testing. My eyes have never been so tired! With only one eye that works, my poor body was ready to crash. I felt like I had been forced to stay up for days to just read. Everything was blurry and a strain to see as I left the testing site. Of course when I finished, I realized that I had missed the bus back to my hotel by about three minutes. I was grateful that I booked a hotel only three miles away and not further. It was a nice evening for a walk anyway.
I received my score report today. I was a bit apprehensive to open it. Although I don't need certification, succeeding in academics has always been important to me.
I passed all three tests! I am thrilled to overcome this challenge. Technology has the potential to change lives. It can allow people like me to show our true skills rather than just our struggles. I simply cannot wait to see how new technological advancements will improve our world. Perhaps what today we call disability will look more and more like ability with future creative designs.
Sjc
