8 for 8

This week I had my eighth first day of school on the other side of things; I'm not longer a student, but I still live my life by the school year.  This is my eighth year working as a school based Speech-Language Pathologist.  There is still so much that I haven't mastered, figured out, or even encountered yet.  In spite of that, there are a few things that I have learned that I'll impart to you...it might come in handy if any of you decide you want to do my job at some point in the future.

1. Scheduling is most definitely one of the worst parts of the job.  It's not a fun puzzle and I can never make everyone happy, no matter how hard I try.  

2. The majority of people out there don't exactly know what I actually do.  

3. This is one of those jobs that lets me use every single one of my organizing tricks.  There's a great deal of information to keep in it's place and more data than anyone would want.

4. Testing is one of my favorite parts; I like to get to know new kids, to help to figure out what's going on and to provide other people with a piece of the puzzle.

5. Meetings start to become almost mundane.  Even though there is at least one meeting (usually more) for every student that I work with each year, no one claimed that they were always exciting.  I find myself getting into a groove, making the same jokes, and gliding through most of the explanations I have to give. 

6. Both adults and kids respond well to honesty, positivity and self-confidence.

7. I don't work in the schools for "summers off."  That's not one of the downsides of the job; I'm not saying that.  I am saying that the main reason that I work in the schools rather than a private practice or hospital or nursing home or rehab facility or wherever else is because it's a unique setting.  I am part of a team and I work with quite a few kids who would not receive services at all if they didn't get them at school.

8. Kids are awesome and you should write down the funny things they say.  Laugh when things are funny, embrace their awkwardness and enjoy being silly.  

If you've actually read this, thanks for humoring me. Happy first day of school week to you, Watauga County, and to anyone else in the same boat.