Interviews to Empower Presents: S. J. Wells

Hello, and welcome to the last edition of Interviews to Empower. Anita here with you, and I am so glad you are with us today. These interviews have inspired me and my colleague, S. J. Wells, and we pray that they have been an encouragement to you. As it is our last post, I thought I would interview S. J. So, without further adue, here is author of Christian fiction and my friend, S. J. Wells.

Q: What is your eye condition, and how long have you been blind?

A: I was born with congenital glaucoma, catteracts and scar tissue. I had some vision in my left eye for 21 years, but the summer of 2000 my pressure went down to 4, and I lost my remaining vision.

Q: I remember now; you had to have an eye removed. How did that affect you and your family? Was it a hard decision, or was it just a necessity?

A: Losing my vision was the hard part; losing the eye was easy. I was in pain, and the eye did not look normal. I think it was harder on my family, though, than it was for me. And, I had only been married for a few months, so my husband got to hear me complain more than the rest of them. The person who hurt the most over it, I think was my mom.

Q: Are you the only one in your family who is blind?

A: Yes. I am the oldest of 4 girls, and except for needing glasses or contacts, I am the only one considered blind. My parents didn’t treat me any different, though. Mom taught me to wash dishes and clean house alongside my sisters, Dad taught me to ride a tricycle, and blindness was never an excuse for bad grades. :)

Q: How old were you when you started to receive orientation and mobility?

A: I was introduced to the cane when I was 10. It made me feel different than my classmates, so I wouldn’t use it, though. Then, in 7th grade I was taught to use it properly. I used to rely on friends to be sighted guides, but when my dependence on them kept them from wanting to be my friend, I gladly took up the cane and became more independent.

Q: Did you go to public school, then?

A: Mostly. I attended public school until my junior year of high school. Then, I went to the West Virginia School for the Blind. I graduated from there in 1997 as Salutatorian of my class.

Q: Did you attend college?

A: For a semester I went to Kutztown University in Kutztown, PA, but I got home sick and begged my parents to bring me home. I took some independent living classes from the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center, such as cooking, O&M, and computers. Those 3 months of intense O&M were important and would become the single most useful blindness skill in my life.

Q: You use a cane, then?

A: Yes, but I did have a guide dog from 1998 to 2006.

Q: Let’s talk about now. What do you do for a living?

A: Well, I got married in 2000, so I am a wife. My first daughter was born in 2005. My youngest was born in 2007, so I am a mom. I homeschool my girls, I attend church with my minister husband, and I write books.

Q: Tell us about your writing. What made you want to be an author?

A: I used to get books on records or tapes from my local Library Commission, and for years those books were my best friends. Then, when I was 15, I thought, why not write a Christian story like these Westerns I’ve been reading. That idea over the next 15 years became my first novel, “Wild Heart”

Q: A reader driven author. But, you didn’t stop with “Wild Heart”, which, BTW, I remember helping you with in high school.

A: No, I didn’t stop there. :) “Wild Heart” needed a sequel, so I wrote one. It’s called, “To Tame A Heart”. Then, I wrote a Scottish, time travel romance called, “A Moment in Time”. My 4th book is “His Yankee Wife”. Last May I published a book based on a true story about a man who became paralyzed when he dove into a 4 foot pool called, “Caleb’s Story”.

Q: Wow! And, folks can read more about you and your books on your website?

A: Yes, it’s www.sjwellsauthor.com.

Q: What made you decide to come on board with our book, “Ducking into UEB”?

A: First, I knew the book would be good and helpful for students and teachers, alike. Your love for your students comes out in everything you do. Also, I love writing kids’ fiction, even though I don’t feel it is my strong point. I wanted your book to succeed, and I wanted to be a part of it. I wrote “A Quackin’ Adventure” one night after telling the story to my girls before bed. But, I had no plans for it, and I was having difficulty finding an illustrator. So, when you asked if I had any fictional material lying around, I gave it to you, willingly. I am thrilled to see it doing so well.

Q: So, what is next?

A: I’m currently working on my 6th book called, “You Belong to Me”. It’s about a man who is called by God to go preach in the colonies who is captured by pirates and sold to a sharp-tongued woman desperate to save her farm.

Q” Sounds interesting. Can folks follow you on Facebook, too?

A: Yes. facebook.com/sjwellsuathor/

Q: If you were to give any advice to someone facing sight loss, what would it be?

A: Don’t give up. There is always a way. Trust in God; He will not fail you. Get in touch with those in the blindness community, and learn all you can. Don’t be afraid of your cane or of your blindness, but embrace your differences and learn to laugh.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: Yes, there is. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing on this blog with you. I have been challenged and encouraged by those whom we have interviewed and by you pushing me out of my comfort zone. I may not have ever tried to get a book published, if you had not believed in me all those years ago. Thank you for being my friend and for being tough on me.

Well, I have learned a lot from this writing project with you. And, faithful readers, keep in mind that while we will not be posting any new material to this blog, it will remain up for you to come back to as often as you want.

Thank you, S. J. Wells for being the interviewee this time.

Thank you, Anita for allowing me to be a part of your project.

Together we make a good team. :) Y’all come over and be with us on Facebook, okay? facebook/com/adkinsandwells/ and you can always email us at adkinsandwells@gmail.com

Blessings to you all

Anita Adkins and S. J. Wells

Authors of “Ducking into UEB”

Interviews to Empower Presents: Anita Adkins and S. J. Wells

Welcome to this month’s edition of Interviews to Empower. Today, Adkins and Wells are interviewing the authors of “Ducking into UEB”, Anita Adkins and S. J. Wells. That’s right. We are interviewing ourselves. Grab a seat and your beverage of choice, and come chat with us. :)

Q: Anita, we’ll start with you. Tell us about yourself and why you became a teacher.

A: I was born in Charleston, WV. My family is from Lincoln and Boone counties in Southern, WV. When I was three, we moved to Romney so my brother and I could attend the school for the blind. I decided to teach when I was a youngster. I have always loved to learn, and I love to self-teach, as long as I am interested in what I am teaching myself. For example, I love to explore unfamiliar places, study how to program computers or use a new app. Unfortunately, after learning enough to satisfy my curiosity, I move on to something new, unless the skill is useful for me in my career or for fun. My reason for teaching as a youngster was because I loved to play school. When I grew up, I became interested in specifically teaching in the field of blindness in order to help others become independent, and thus, to live a quality, productive life.

Q: S. J., Did you also attend the school for the blind?

A: Yes and no. :) I went to public school until my junior year of high school. After that, I attended the school for the blind and graduated from there in 1997. My family lived about twenty minutes from Charleston, WV, and living in Kanawha County meant there were several teachers for the visually impaired available over the years. I left public school for WVSB, because I hoped I would have more interactions with my peers. As it turned out, it was the best decision for me. Although I have always loved to learn new things, I didn’t think I liked school when I was a kid. My first attempts at teaching were when I helped a fellow student learn to tell time in the second grade. At that tender age, I never dreamed I would be homeschooling my own children, but I now know I am where I am meant to be.

Q: Anita, we know you are a teacher at the same school where you graduated. How was it that you came full circle?

A: Well, I graduated from WVSB in 1996. A few years later, I went to work for a company called T-base Communications where I was a production assistant with the job of a braille proofreader. I also did some accessibility testing for usability and accessibility of websites while there. I have worked as a Rehabilitation teacher at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, or BISM, where I taught braille, assistive technology, cane travel, independent living skills, and blindness philosophy. In 2009 I graduated from Allegany College of MD with an Associate’s degree in Elementary Education and in 2011 from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. After that, I moved to WVSB where I have taught braille since December, 2012.

Q: S. J., what did you do after high school, and what led you to choose homeschool for your children?

A: In the fall of 1997, I went to Kutztown, PA to go to college. But, homesick, I returned in December and took a few classes at the WV Rehabilitation Center to learn more blindness skills. I took advanced orientation and Mobility, cooking and computers. In 1998 I went to Morristown, NJ and trained with a Seeing Eye dog. My husband and I were married in March of 2000, and from July, 2002 to May, 2003 I went to a local vocational school for medical transcription. In October, 2003 I went to work for T-Base Communications as a braille proof reader. My next job was a sewing machine operator at Blind Industries and Services of MD. My oldest daughter was born in 2005, and my second in 2007. Remembering the days of long hours at public school before long hours of homework afterward, I decided to teach them at home during the day. It has been a challenge, but God has given me strength and wisdom beyond anything I could ever imagine.

Q: Anita, what gave you the idea to write your own braille curriculum??

A: A colleague came in to my room one day and told me I should write a braille book like Braille Too. Also, at the time I began writing DUCKING INTO UEB, there were no current programs to teach UEB to students in grades k-12. I was spending a lot of my time creating worksheets and missing having a curriculum. I needed a way to assess my students and also for them to have practice. Too, I wasn’t fond of how some of the EBAE programs were written because they seemed basal. My book is somewhat like that, but I tried to incorporate some fun components into the program as I addressed various learning styles for my students.

Q: S. J., how did you become an author?

A: I began writing when I was eight years old, but I have always loved to read. I started writing my first book, “Wild Heart” the summer I was fifteen. I published it in 2009. Since then, I have written three more works of fiction, “To Tame A Heart”, “A Moment in Time” and “His Yankee Wife”. In my junior year of high school, I wrote a children’s story called, “Gold! A Tall Tale”. After telling my children a bedtime story one night, I wrote another children’s story called, “A Quackin’ Adventure”.

Q: So, Anita, how long did it take you to write, edit and publish “Ducking into UEB”?

A: The answer for writing, editing, and publishing is approximately three years. I began in 2015 and published on January 4, 2018. Editing really was two stages. First, I edited along with other friends/colleagues. Then, I hired someone to go through the book, edit it, and also to make it look friendly for the sighted person. I chose to publish the book through Create Space. The reason I chose this is because I wanted the student copy to be able to be brailled for a student without the teacher needing to buy it every time a book became too rubbed down for the braille to be felt. If I had submitted it to APH, teachers would be required to purchase the student edition. Also, I wouldn’t get any royalties from them. I considered AFB, but they would only be able to produce print versions. Another reason is I wanted to include other free materials in the program, including braille songs. The book is also available on Kindle and is sold through Amazon.

Q: So, where did the title come from, Anita?

A: When I first heard a new braille code was going to be accepted, I was not happy. I didn’t want a new braille code; the old one worked, and so why fix it. I want to duck this new code. Then, as a teacher knowing my students needed to learn this new code and that I needed to role model for them, I thought “Well, I’ll just take a quick look at this code.” Thus, I ducked into the code just a little. When S. J. Mentioned she had a children’s book called, “A Quackin’ Adventure”, I asked her if I could use it. The story had not been published, and she said yes. It gave me a theme for the book. She also agreed to be another author, adding more works of fiction as stories and songs. She spent time writing some of the suggestions and reading through the entire manuscript and telling me things that needed to be edited. Her story, “A Quackin’ Adventure” can be found at the end of the book.

Q: Anita, do you plan on writing anything in the future?

A: I always plan to write. I have a fiction story published called A Brother’s Love that is available from Amazon, also published through Create Space. I am working on a novel about a blind man who must step out of his comfort zone to save his overproductive family from being murdered. His prosthetic eye has a secret chip planted in it by someone in his doctor’s office, and some bad criminals are hunting for him in order to receive that chip before the blind man uncovers their treasure. I love reading more than writing probably.

Q: And, you, S. J., what are you currently working on?

A: I am writing a story about a local man who became a quadriplegic in a diving accident when he was a teenager. I am also working on my fifth fiction novel, about a minister who travels to the American colonies in 1748 to evangelize among the settlers and Indians when he is kidnapped and sold as an indentured servant to a woman desperate to save her farm from a jealous neighbor.

Q: This question is for both of you. Do you two ladies have any advice for aspiring writers?

A: Write, write, write; read, read, read! And, never, never, never give up!

“Ducking into UEB” by Anita Adkins and S. J. Wells

https://www.amazon.com/Ducking-Into-UEB-Anita-Adkins-ebook/dp/B078T4V2D2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1519227486&sr=1-1

“A Brother’s Love” by Anita Adkins

https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Love-Anita-Adkins-ebook/dp/B06X9CNPLF/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519227378&sr=1-1&keywords=a+brother%27s+love%2C+Anita+adkins

S. J. Wells’s books can be found on her website at

www.sjwellsauthor.com

We have had so much fun today, and we hope you, our faithful readers have had fun, too. Adkins and Wells has been a writing team ever since we were in high school together, providing ideas and more than a million laughs as our friendship grew. Alike in many ways, we are most definitely different with separate experiences, thoughts and ways of doing things that only strengthens who we are. We enjoy working together, and we believe this blog proves that. If you have a question or comment, please feel free to get in touch, either by commenting below or sending an email to

adkinsandwells@gmail.com

Blessings.

Homeschool

Last week we promised a post on homeschool. Today, S. J. Wells talks about teaching her sighted children.

My dad used to tell me, “You spend more time trying to figure out a way not to do something, than actually doing it.”

He was right. Time management has never been one of my strengths. I am a procrastinator, too often I allow my mood to dictate my actions, and I tend to run away from situations when they become too difficult. So, when I first began to seriously think about homeschool, I put a lot of time in to studying it. A friend graciously let me visit her home and observe what a typical homeschool day was like for her and her family. I read blogs, listened to podcasts, talked about it with anyone who would listen and prayed. The closer the time came to begin homeschooling my children, the more nervous and unsure I became. After all, I didn’t have a college education, I live in a rural community without accessible transportation, and while my children are blessed with vision, I am not. How on earth does a blind person teach a sighted child to read, do math or use a computer?

As it turns out, numbers and computers were the easy part. Remember those foam numbers and letters that you press out of the puzzle? I found some at the Dollar Tree. It helped that I know basic print, as well. Manipulatives work well when learning to count. A friend gave me a box of one hundred plastic animals, and my girls loved separating them into groups according to color or species. We counted tea bags, spoons, beans, windows in the house. Whatever we could get our hands on became part of class. More than once, we even used ourselves to act out addition and subtraction problems by coming in or leaving a room one at a time. I would keep my speech program turned on and allow my girls to type out emails to their dad. I helped them spell, they found the correct letters on the keyboard, and I knew whether they were correct or not when the speech announced the letter they pressed. Then, when he emailed back, using my speech and their eyes, I helped them learn to read.

Most of those early years were days of trial and error. I learned what works and what doesn’t by trying, failing and trying again. At the time of this writing, I am halfway through my seventh year of homeschool. I have stopped reading “how to” blogs, podcasts for newbies have been dropped, but prayer is still the key - prayer, determination and trial and error.

So far on this blog, we have talked about independence and advocacy. We have introduced you to a can do attitude. We have discussed adopting new ways of thinking, educating others that people who are blind can do whatever they want. I stand behind what we have put on here. In saying that, though, I will be the first to admit it is easier to write about these things than to do them, especially when faced with daily obstacles.

Why do I homeschool? There are several reasons. Here are just a few.

1. I would rather do the work during the day than spend all evening doing homework.
2. I believe each child learns at a different pace and should be given the opportunity to truly learn a concept without pressure. I do not believe public schools can offer every child that opportunity. Children should not be classified into stereotypes. We are all different and unique.
3. There are certain subjects I want my children to learn from the perspective that comes from God’s Word, the Holy Bible.
4. The mountain of printed paper my daughter brought home from public school when she was a preschooler was unreal. The teacher promised to call, text or email me with information about this print, but she never did. I chose to teach my children at home, rather than deal with that for the next thirteen years.
5. I am a lifelong learner, and even though it sounds rather nerdy of me, I was excited to begin school with my girls.

That list is not complete but it gives you some idea as to why I began this journey. When I hear on the news about school shootings, I hold my children close and thank God I know where they are. When difficult questions arise about growing up, boys and changing bodies, I am thankful to be able to give answers that are neither dirty, crude or incorrect. If one child excels at a task or concept, I do not expect the other to be the same. Each child has the opportunity to learn at her own pace. No one is left behind, here. If we’re sick, we can take time off without penalties. If we are grieving over the loss of a family member, we can stop language arts class to have a good cry. If we want to spend all afternoon reading, we do.

Obstacles that have stood or still stand in my way include:

1. Blindness. Sometimes, that burier alone is enough to frustrate the entire day. Printed materials aren’t as much of an obstacle as they once were, but still, the communication gets sticky at times.
2. Being told I can’t do it. Oh, the naysayers love that one. Since they’ve never heard of a blind person teaching sighted children, it probably can’t be done.

So, how to overcome? Never give up.

When my youngest wanted to learn to read, I made a promise to myself to sit down every day and listen to her try. We sat together in the recliner. She sat on my lap with a book and a blanket, and attempted reading. She went from sentences like, “Pam got on the mop.” in November to “Samantha the Snob" by Kathryn Cristaldi in February. I often fell asleep. I often wondered if I’d ever make it through a long session of struggling with words she didn’t know, but she never gave up. Her will power empowered me. Today, she is a third grader reading at about a middle school level.

Whenever I doubt myself, I remember Moses from the Old Testament. When God told him it was time to go back to Egypt and get the Jews out of there, he told God he wasn’t qualified. He made excuses. He couldn’t talk well, the people wouldn’t listen to him, and so on. Here’s what God had to say to that.

“And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Exodus 4:11-12 KJV

My doubts crumble and fall through my hands like grains of sand at those words. God made me blind, and He made my girls sighted. He will put the words in my mouth and teach me what I should say. This is what fuels my determination. This is what gives me boldness to advocate for myself and my family. This is what teaches me to be independent.

Whatever your calling in life, whatever your mission, whatever your heart's desire, just remember you can. All it takes is determination and that "can do" attitude we talk about so often.

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Thanks for being with us today. Have a wonderful week, and be sure to come back next Thursday.