More Than a Blind Woman: Principal Teacher Hannah Guillan and her Contributions to the Georgia Academy for The Blind, 1852-1899

• In Event: Meaning-Making and Making-Meaningful in Life Stories

Abstract

Educational Biography has the potential to improve teacher education by highlighting the importance of little-known individuals and their efforts to improve the lives of students within their community. This paper session will highlight the life of little-known educator, Hannah Guillan (1828-1898), a blind woman who became the first teacher at the Georgia Academy for the Blind during the mid-nineteenth century. Hannah spent more than forty-six years at the school and was widely celebrated by the trustees, her community, and most of all, her students. Hannah’s history exemplifies the vitality of human spirit and tells the story of how one remarkable woman’s disability informed her practice as a teacher and member of the blind community.

Authors

• Cristy Sellers Smith, Pacific University Oregon

• Chara H. Bohan, Georgia State University