Joan Myles is the Founder/Director of Yismehu,a young nonprofit which brings free Jewish learning to blind students nationwide.She earned her MAJS in 2009,and teaches Hebrew in Salem,Oregon where she lives with her husband and guide dog Ari.
Teaching Hebrew to 12-year-olds is probably my favorite thing to do in all the world.And when you add the…whole blind-teacher-uses-Hebrew-Braille-while-her-sighted-students-are-using-print-Hebrew thing,lessons become even more interesting and encompass much more than three letter roots.Why is that?Maybe it's because I "see" each of my students in a different way. Maybe they have fewer visual distractions since,unfortunately, beautifying bulletin boards and walls is not my forte.Maybe it's my guide dog Ari who greets them happily as they…>> Read More