Teaching possibilities beyond disability

Visually-impaired teacher shows 'can-do' spirit to students

By Park Si-soo

As the bell sounded Kim Kyung-min, a teacher at Inwang Middle School in Seoul, called the roll in a loud, articulate voice. After checking that all were accounted for, she instructed them to turn to page 19 of an English-language textbook and then started reading: “Hi, my name is Jack. I’m thirteen years old...”

She read the chapter without any hesitation or mistakes. While doing so, she was holding a black leather-covered rectangular gadget — the sole item on her podium.

The device was to read Braille, a system for the blind in which the letters of the alphabets and the numbers are printed as raised dots that can be read by touching them usually with fingers.

In the grammar session of the class, Kim explained how personal pronouns work and how to make questions. Elaborating on the key grammatical principles for about five minutes, she paused to ask, “Do you understand?”

Only a couple of students lamely replied “yes.” Some stayed hunched over their textbooks, scratching heads as if they were trapped in a conundrum in math. After a brief pause for breath, she cleared her throat and then re-explained using role-play so that her students could better understand.

As the 45-minute class for the 10 low academic achievers in the subject was coming to an end, Kim again checked whether her pupils had followed the lesson and asked some students to come to her later for an extra class.

Her guide dog, named Midami, was crouched to the side of the classroom barely concealing restless patience with an occasional yawn.

Teaching despite being blind

Kim is the sole visually-impaired teacher at the school of about 500 students. She lost her sight in August 2000 after dozens of surgical operations to cure an eye problem she was born with. Her parents run a mom-and-pop fried chicken restaurant.

The 23-year-old passed the notoriously-competitive state exam for public schools late last year and was assigned to the school as an English teacher.

Her passing the exam came just four months after she graduated summa cum laude from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul in August with a 4.19 GPA on a 4.3 scale, her achievements drew media attention.

She completed duel bachelors’ degrees in English and pedagogy in seven semesters, one semester earlier than the standard eight-semester curriculum. Kim credits her guide dog, Midami for being able to earn the honorary title along with her classmates who took notes or recorded lectures on her behalf.

Taking her disability into consideration, the authorities assigned Kim to Inwang since the building design is friendly to the disabled, and hired an assistant teacher for her.

The rookie teacher runs classes with the assistant teacher, whose responsibilities include checking assignments, writing on the blackboard, completing administrative work and, most importantly, catching disruptive students.

“She is my eyes. I can’t do anything without her,” Kim said, expressing gratitude to Park Hyun-sook, the assistant teacher.

Kim said what she doesn’t know about teaching outweighs her current knowledge. She also has the same challenges facing her colleagues.

“I usually teach low achievers. But their performance also differs by a wide margin,” she said. “I don’t know where my teaching standards should be focused and how to teach them without leaving anybody behind. Are my expectations too high?”

She says she is learning while teaching, tackling all the problems that lie ahead.

“I try to become candid and say the name of a student I’m talking with, which is one of the ways I found to get along with and interact with my students,” she said, elaborating on how and why she lost sight in all classes. “I was initially afraid of a possible negative reaction from parents due to my handicap. But there have been no complaints so far.”

‘Goldcrest Wilma’-like teacher

She said she will grow as a teacher like “Goldcrest Wilma,” a herb whose name means “sending a fragrance when someone gently touches it.”

“I believe every single student has his or her own fragrance. So do trouble-makers. I want to become a teacher with a warm heart who helps students, no matter who they are.” The principal of her school, Kim Won-key, called her a “present from God,” with great confidence that her contributions will nurture well-rounded students.

“Her presence at the school has a positive educational effect,” he said. “She is a good example of a ‘can-do’ sprit. She has overcome all odds to succeed. I also believe students will develop the attitude of taking care of those in trouble while learning from her.”

교단에 선 새내기 시각장애 선생님

서울 인왕중학교 교정에 수업종이 울리자 김경민 선생님은 크고 우렁차게 출석을 부른다. 출석을 확인한 그녀는 영어교과서 19페이지를 거침없이 읽어 내려간다. “Hi, my name is Jack. I’m thirteen years old…”

그녀는 교탁에 놓인 유일한 물건인 검은 가죽으로 쌓인 직사각형 물건을 열심히 매만지며 문장을 수분간 읽어 내려갔다. 그 물건은 바로 시각장애인들을 위한 “책”이었다.

독해가 끝난 후 문법시간이 되었다. 오늘의 문법은 인칭대명사와 의문문 만들기. 약 5분간 열심히 설명한 그녀는 학생들에게 “이해 하겠니?” 라고 묻는다. 두, 세명 학생만 작은 소리로 “예”라고 대답할 뿐 나머지 학생들은 말이 없었다. 몇 명의 학생은 이해가 통 안 되는지 머리를 긁적거리며 교과서만 뚫어지게 바라보고 있었다.

선생님은 한숨을 쉬고는 보다 쉬운 방법으로 다시 한번 설명을 했다. 45분 수업이 끝날 즈음 그녀는 다시 학생들에게 이해했는지를 물었지만 상황은 좀처럼 낮아지지 않았다. 그녀는 학생들에게 방과후 특별수업을 하겠다며 모두들 참석하라고 말했다.

그녀의 안내견 “미담이”는 교실 한 구석에서 쭈그리고 앉아 연신 하품을 해대며 수업을 “참관”하고 있었다.

김경민씨는 인왕중학교에 유일한 시각장애인 선생님이다. 선천적 눈 질환으로 그녀는 지난 2000년 시력을 읽었다. 수십 번 수술을 받았지만 소용없었다.

그녀는 작년 말 임용고사에 합격했고, 그녀의 장애를 고려하여 교육청은 장애인 편의시설이 잘 갖춰져 있는 인왕중학교로 발령을 내렸다. 그리고 그녀를 위한 “도우미”교사도 한 명 뽑았다.

그녀의 합격소식은 숙명여대를 최우수 졸업한지 4개월만의 “사건”으로 당시 언론의 주목을 받았었다.

김씨는 도우미교사 박현숙씨를 자신의 “눈”이라 부르며 “그분 없이는 아무것도 못해요”라고 수줍게 말했다.

김선생님은 선생님으로서 아직 모르는 것이 아는 것 보다 훨씬 많다고 했다. “영어를 잘 못하는 학생들을 가르쳐요. 그런데 그 아이들도 각자 수준이 또 다르지요. 그럴 때면 누구에게 수준을 맞춰서 수업을 해야 할 지 잘 모르겠어요”라며 초보선생님의 어려움을 토로했다.

짧은 기간이지만 그녀가 배운 것은 학생들 앞에서 솔직하고, 가능한 학생들 이름을 자주 불어주자라는 그녀만의 교육철학을 갖게 되었다.

“학생들이 무엇보다 제가 실명한 이유가 궁금할 것 같아서 누가 묻기도 전에 자발적으로 다 말해줬어요. 처음에는 학생이나 학부모의 항의를 받지 않을까 걱정했지만 다행이 아무일 없네요.”

그녀는 허브 꽃 “율마”와 같은 선생님이 되고 싶다고 했다. “율마의 꽃말은 쓰다듬어주면 향기가 납니다 에요. 교사 연수 받을 때 들은 말이지요. 학생들은 다들 각자의 향기가 있다고 생각해요. 쓰다듬어주지 않기 때문에 나지 않는 것이지요. 망가진 애들도 쓰다듬어 주고, 만져 주면 각자의 향기를 낼 수 있다고 생각해요.”